Home ยป The Best Night-Time Activities in Banff

The Best Night-Time Activities in Banff

by Trevor Holewinski

The town of Banff sits in the Rocky Mountains, in the province of Alberta, Canada, and is the first municipality in Canada to have been incorporated inside a national park (Banff National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Banffโ€™s elevation of 1,383 metres (4,537 ft) makes it the highest town in Canada.

Banff is well known for its outstanding natural beauty, thanks to the mountains and lakes that surround it, and more than 4 million people visit the national park each year. Banff has several galleries, museums and community parks, not to mention hiking trails through the town and the national park. Of course, Banff is an excellent place to enjoy at night too. Below is a look at some of the best things to do at night in Banff.

Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino

For a glamorous way to spend the evening, thereโ€™s nothing quite like a visit to Banffโ€™s Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino, which offers blackjack, roulette, Ultimate Texas Holdโ€™em and slots. Visitors can take a break from the gaming, the Sidelines lounge and enables them to catch some sporting action on the screens.

The resort hotel boasts comfortable rooms, including a Jetted Tub Suite for anyone looking for that romantic touch. Pets are welcome for an extra fee, visitors can request one of the hotelโ€™s pet-friendly rooms. While staying at the resort, visitors are encouraged to make the most of the indoor pool and hot tub and the fitness room, and they can book themselves in a helicopter and, depending on the time of year, some Rockies rafting.

Thereโ€™s no denying that land-based casinos have faced increased competition in recent years, more and more people are heading to a live casino online rather than heading to real venues, but the Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino pull out all the stops to make visitors feel as though itโ€™s worth the extra effort.

High Rollers Banff

If you want to be where the party and the action are at in Banff, High Rollers Banff is the place to the be. This bowling alley and party spot are open until 2.00 am, with a live DJ spinning the tunes while you knock those pins down. There are some fantastic catering facilities here as well, so if youโ€™re going for both bowling and drinks, you can get some superb deals, including half-price on bowling, depending on the day and the package.

Banff Upper Hot Springs

A visit to Banff Upper Hot Springs during the daytime is enjoyable, but the facilities can get busy. Go there during the evening and youโ€™re in for a more relaxing experience. If you visit on a winter evening during sunset, the experience is particularly magical as the snow falls around you and onto the surrounding mountains.

The water in the springs is rich with minerals and is heated geothermally. The temperature will vary in line with the season, but in winter youโ€™re looking at temperatures as hot as 47ยฐC in winter, whereas the flow increases in spring and cools to at least 27ยฐC. People have been coming to the springs since 1886.

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is an artistic learning campus that has blossomed from a single drama course into a global organization for arts, culture and creative in a variety of disciplines. The centre operates a variety of performances and displays in the evenings, but you donโ€™t have to just soak up the arts while youโ€™re there. By visiting one of the centreโ€™s restaurants while youโ€™re there, you can make a real evening of it.

Bear Street

Banff Avenue is the most famous street and gets extremely busy. To soak up the delights of Banff at night-time but avoid the crowds, Bear Street is a terrific alternative. Itโ€™s quieter but still rewards you with plenty of atmosphere and places to eat and drink. While on the street, why not try โ€œpoutineโ€? This dietary no-no is a portion of chips served with cheese and gravy, but itโ€™s incredibly delicious.

Take a stargazing tour

Why not get out into the broader national park and take a stargazing tour? The low level of light pollution makes Banff superb for stargazing and there are tours available which will take you on a night-time hike through the park. Never do such a tour without a guide, however, as you could easily wind up lost otherwise. If youโ€™re lucky, you might even see the Northern Lights, but thereโ€™s absolutely no guarantee of this.

Banff, in Alberta, Canada, will reward you with amazing scenery because of its location in the Rockies. At night, you can savour the delights of this natural beauty on some activities or head out and soak up some of the local culture, gastronomic and leisure facilities. Youโ€™ll always find something to do in Banff.

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