Calgary and Banff Travel Guide
Buy Canadian DollarsCalgary and Banff at a glance
Calgary is the gateway to Banff National Park, about 1 hour 30 minutes' drive west: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, the Icefields Parkway and the town of Banff. Spend a night in Calgary and three in the park. Anyone who stops in the park needs a Parks Canada pass: CAD 12.25 per adult per day, or CAD 24.50 for up to seven people in one vehicle; under-18s are free.
Moraine Lake Road has been closed to private cars since 2023. From June to mid-October, Parks Canada shuttles run to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake from the Lake Louise Park and Ride: CAD 12.75 per adult plus a CAD 3.50 booking fee, with 40% of seats released in mid-April and the rest two days ahead. The Lake Louise lakeshore car park costs CAD 42 a day in season and often fills before sunrise. The 2026 shuttle season ended on 12 October.
Autumn 2026 brings closures: Johnston Canyon from 13 October for rock-slope work (expect closures into 2027), the Banff Upper Hot Springs (CAD 19.75) from 13 October to early November, and the Columbia Icefield tours (CAD 132) until their 2027 season. Lake Louise Ski Resort plans to open on 6 November 2026, and the Calgary Stampede runs from 9 to 18 July 2027.
From Calgary airport, Calgary Transit's Route 500 Airport Express (formerly Route 300) costs CAD 4 to downtown; the Banff Airporter costs CAD 88.90 one way plus GST and Brewster Express from CAD 66.75, both about 2 hours. Alberta has no provincial sales tax, but hotels add a 6% tourism levy and many in Banff a 2% Tourism Improvement Fee. Indian passport holders need a visitor visa, applied for online: CAD 100 plus CAD 85 for biometrics at one of ten VFS centres in India, with a posted processing time of about 30 days. The eTA is not open to Indians, even with a US visa.
What to see and do
Banff town is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Calgary; Lake Louise and the start of the Icefields Parkway are further west along the Trans-Canada Highway.
Lake Louise
The turquoise lake below Victoria Glacier, free with a park pass and reachable all year. In season, take the Parks Canada shuttle or Roam's 8X express (CAD 12.50) rather than chasing the CAD 42 car park.
The Banff Gondola
Up Sulphur Mountain from the edge of Banff town, about CAD 88 to 89 for adults on October 2026 dates plus a CAD 1 eco-fee, with boardwalks along the summit ridge.
The Columbia Icefield
On the Icefields Parkway, 232 km of road from Lake Louise to Jasper with no mobile signal. The Ice Explorer and Skywalk tour, CAD 132 in 2026, runs from May to mid-October.
Calgary
The gateway city, with the Calgary Tower's glass floor downtown and, in July, the Calgary Stampede (9 to 18 July 2027). The northeast, around Saddle Ridge, is the place for Indian food.
Paying in Calgary and Banff
For the dollar itself, entry rules for Indians, sales tax and tipping, see the Canada travel guide, and the CAD to INR page for today's rate. Canadian dollars load on the Matrix Forex Card, so most travellers carry the card plus a small cash float.
Cards work almost everywhere and the Calgary Tower is cashless, but Roam bus drivers take exact cash only, so keep coins. Alberta adds only 5% GST, and a tip of 15 to 20% of the pre-tax bill is standard.
What Calgary and Banff actually costs
Set the length and style of your trip to see what to budget, in Canadian dollars and Indian rupees.
Indicative, excluding international flights and accommodation, per person per day. Converted at the verified mid-market rate on 12 October 2026, C$1 ≈ ₹67.18, not a Matrix board rate.
Budget roughly ₹8,060 to ₹27,540 per person per day on the ground, excluding flights and accommodation.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Parks Canada day pass: adult / vehicle | CAD 12.25 / 24.50 |
| Parks Canada shuttle, adult | CAD 12.75 + CAD 3.50 fee |
| Lake Louise lakeshore parking, per day | CAD 42 |
| Banff Airporter, airport to Banff, one way | CAD 88.90 + GST |
| Banff Gondola, adult | about CAD 89 |
| Banff Upper Hot Springs | CAD 19.75 |
Getting around
In Calgary, a fare is CAD 4 for 90 minutes and a day pass CAD 12.65. There is no bank-card tap on board, so pay cash, use the CTrain ticket machines or buy in the My Fare app.
In the park, Roam Transit links Banff (CAD 2 local), Canmore (CAD 6) and Lake Louise (the 8X express, CAD 12.50, reservable). Drivers take exact cash, or pay in the Token Transit app; a new Roam fare system is due in November 2026.
Common mistakes in Calgary and Banff
Expecting an eTA
Indians cannot use Canada's eTA, even with a US visa. Apply for a visitor visa online and give biometrics within 30 days of your instruction letter.
Driving to Moraine Lake
The road has been closed to private cars since 2023. Book the Parks Canada shuttle or a licensed tour.
Arriving at Lake Louise mid-morning
The CAD 42 lakeshore car park often fills before sunrise. Take the shuttle.
Planning a late-autumn trip around summer sights
Shuttles, Moraine Lake and the Columbia Icefield stop in mid-October, and Johnston Canyon and the hot springs close for works in autumn 2026.
Calgary and Banff FAQs
Yes, if you stop anywhere in the park or drive the Icefields or Bow Valley parkways: CAD 12.25 per adult per day, or CAD 24.50 for up to seven people in one vehicle. Under-18s are free.
Yes. Indian passport holders need a visitor visa, applied for online: CAD 100 plus CAD 85 for biometrics, given at one of ten VFS Global centres in India. IRCC's posted processing time for applications from India was 30 days in October 2026. The eTA is not open to Indians, even with a US visa.
No. The road has been closed to private cars since 2023. Use the Parks Canada shuttle (CAD 12.75 plus a CAD 3.50 booking fee), Roam or a licensed tour, from June to mid-October.
By the Banff Airporter (CAD 88.90 one way plus GST, about 2 hours) or Brewster Express (from CAD 66.75 one way), or by hire car in about 1 hour 30 minutes from Calgary.
Usually from the last week of September into the first week of October, when the larches turn gold. Larch Valley above Moraine Lake is the classic walk.
9 to 18 July 2027. Book Calgary hotels early.
On 12 October 2026 one Canadian dollar was ₹67.18 at the mid-market rate, so CAD 100 is about ₹6,720.
More guides in Canada
Buy canadian dollar before you fly
See your Matrix rate and the applicable charges before you confirm. Order online for doorstep delivery or collect from your nearest branch.
RBI Authorised Dealer Category-II, Licence No. NDL-ADII-0023-2023 · Same-day delivery · Serving 3 lakh+ customers