A summer trip to Banff National Park has been on my bucket list for a while—I’ve technically been there during the summer; however, I don’t think it counts because I was a toddler. So when Pursuit offered me the chance to visit and have once-in-a-lifetime experiences, I jumped at it. The trip was fully sponsored by Pursuit, but honestly, I’ve been a fan of Pursuit experiences for a while, so I already really loved the company.
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Pursuit owns my favorite shuttle service in Alberta (Brewster Express), and the Banff Gondola (one of my favorite attractions in Banff National Park). Getting to see what else Pursuit offers in Banff National Park and Jasper National Park was extremely exciting.
Arriving in Calgary & Meeting the Media Group
I arrived in Calgary in mid-afternoon and got to meet up with the other journalists on the trip and our fantastic host. I’d never been on a group media trip before, but this was the best first experience since it ended up feeling like a girls’ road trip through Banff and Jasper National Parks. Such a great way to experience some of the most gorgeous national parks in the world!
Instead of taking a shuttle service, our host had a large SUV for all six of us, and it even fit all of our luggage. We headed straight to Banff and our home for the first night, Mount Royal Hotel.
Staying at Mount Royal Hotel in Banff National Park
This historic hotel has one of the best locations right on Banff Avenue, steps away from amazing restaurants like The Balkan and shops like The Spirit of Christmas. If you’re curious about the hotel’s history, there’s a museum right above the main lobby that traces the hotel’s history over the years. The hotel also has a great restaurant (Brazen), a rooftop pool, and a parking area in back.
Riding the Banff Gondola to the Summit
After we had some time to settle in, we gathered in the lobby to make our way to the Banff Gondola. The evening plans were a ride to the summit and dinner at Sky Bistro. The ride up was gorgeous and completely different from my first ride up there as winter arrived in Alberta a couple of years back. If you get the chance to visit during multiple seasons, take it. The experiences are both outstanding!
Dinner at Sky Bistro with Sunset Views
Dinner at Sky Bistro was fantastic—the food was amazing, and the view was phenomenal. Since it was getting close to the end of the night (the Gondola closes at 9 PM), we got a virtually empty experience right at the top. We toasted with champagne, and it was a great chance to get to know everyone that I would be traveling with for the next few days. We also had the chance to get some gorgeous sunset shots before heading down on the last gondolas back into Banff.
Wildlife Sightings in Banff National Park
On our drive back to the hotel, we got our first glimpse of some local wildlife crossing the road. The rule in the parks is not to stop or get out of the car when you see wildlife; however, if wildlife is crossing the road, you obviously have to stop. Because of this, we got to capture some photos and videos from inside the car.
Evening Walks, Shopping & Sunset in Banff
Because it still felt early since the sun hadn’t fully set, several of us opted to go for a walk on the pedestrian bridges. Here, we saw even more wildlife by the water and got some more stunning sunset shots around town. Before dinner, I also took the chance to run into a couple of local stores, like the pharmacy and The Spirit of Christmas, which stocks my favorite Rogers Chocolates. It was such a great way to start what would later become one of my favorite trips ever!
Check out the rest of my Banff posts here!
