About Canmore

Canmore and Banff are unique and charming towns in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The region’s geographic location just 1 – 1.5 hours drive from the city of Calgary makes it surpisingly easy to access what would otherwise be a remote yet stunningly beautiful mountain paradise.

Canmore is the training ground for many Olympic and extreme athletes. In winter it is home to skiers, snowboarders, luge, ice climbing and kite snowboarding to name only a few sports. In summer athletes training for sports like triathlon, mountain biking, cross country trekking, kitesurfing and rock climbing at higher elevation to enhance their peak performance,.

Canada flag

Canada coat of arms

Canmore & Banff Map

Canmore was named by Donald Smith, a Canadian Railway pioneer who chose the name after a town in northwestern Scotland. The name means “Big Head” in Gaelic. Canmore became an important coal mining centre but the mines ended production in 1979

The end of the coal industry left Canmore in danger of becoming a ghost town but once it was chosen as the site for Nordic events in the 1988 Winter Olympics new life was breathed into the town. Canmore has since more than tripled its population and become a world leading destination for winter sports..

Canmore is a fun younger brother to nearby Banff, somewhere to visit and put away your worries while you ski, snowboard and snowkite. And once you’re finished on the slopes or done for the day on Spray Lakes you can head off to one of the many bars and restaurants for a well deserved apres and exchange tales of derring-do with like minded powder monkeys.

Travelling to Canmore & Banff isn’t as hard as some people think. It is beautiful drive from Calgary through the foothills and valleys of the 12,000 foot Canadian Rocky Mountains. Keep your eyes open in the summer months for elk, grizzly and black bears, moose, deer and eagles over head (only the eagles will be overhead. Thankfully there aren’t any flying bears).

With pull overs at road stops on the way you can enjoy amazing vistas and marvel at the majestic beauty and fresh mountain air of the Rockies. Being such a short distance from Calgary also makes driving to Canmore & Banff an easy daily trip if you’d rather be based in a buzzing multicultural city.

When you’re not busy kitesurfing or kite snowboarding you might want to explore the beautiful Icefields Parkway, which is considered one of the most scenic roads in the world, runs north-south connecting Jasper with the Trans-Canada Highway #1 near Lake Louise and Banff. Hiring a car is usually the sensible option. With a car you can visit the towns of Jasper, Revelstoke, Golden and many other hidden gems. Renting a car can help you enjoy, with the freedom to explore the best of our Canadian Rocky Mountain paradise, with its dramatic landscapes and charming rocky mountain towns.

Click here for driving directions from Calgary Airport to Canmore & Banff (need to make map, wifi not up to it, will do later)

We recommend Rhino Car Rental.

If you’re in Canada and want to rent a car to get to Canmore & Banff we recommend using Rhino Car Hire.Visit the Rhino Car Hire website.

There are 2 major airports to choose from, Calgary and Edmonton. We highly recommend Calagary as it is both closer to Canmore, and a liitle more fun for the night life and activities for that special vacation experience..

Calgary to Canmore 1 hour 11 minutes or 104.3Km

Direct flights from London, Birmingham and Manchester (UK)

Direct flights from most capital cities.

Edmonton to Canmore
3 hours 44 minutes or 390 Kilometer

Skyscanner is usually a good source of cheap flights.

From the airport, you have a number of choices for your onward journey.

Bus from Calgary to Canmore

Take a direct bus from Calgary. The timetables below give a general indication of the frequency of services but are subject to change. You can verify the current schedule by calling the bus company or booking tickets directly via their website.

Bus from Edmonton Airport to Canmore

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We’ve listed the main ways people travel to Banff and Canmore on holiday, but if we haven’t covered your particular needs you can try looking up a route on Rome2Rio or just give us a call on +1-403-493-4130  and we’ll provide whatever assistance you need. We can help with accommodation and many other things too.

Happy travelling and we’ll see you when you get here!