5 Best Sights in Banff National Park, Alberta

Named after Bill Peyto, a mountain guide, and early park warden of Banff National Park, Peyto Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Canadian Rockies. The viewpoint for this brilliant turquoise glacier-fed lake is a short 20-minute stroll from the parking area just off the Icefields Parkway. At the lookout, you'll get a view of Peyto Lake, Peyto Glacier, and the Mistaya Valley. Interpretive signage along the trail explains its history and provides information about flora and fauna in the area. The lookout is accessed at Bow Pass, the highest point on the Icefields Parkway; it's wheelchair accessible from the upper parking lot that tour buses use.

Views during the steep eight-minute ride to and from the 7,500-foot summit of Sulphur Mountain are spectacular in the enclosed four-person gondolas. From the upper terminal, you can hike the short distance to the mountain's true summit on the South East Ridge Trail, perhaps catching sight of grazing bighorn sheep. You can also visit the gift shop, enjoy a quick bite at the cafe, or indulge in a gourmet lunch or dinner at the Sky Bistro. Be sure to walk the easy 1-km (0.6-mile) boardwalk to the Sulphur Mountain Weather Observatory on Sanson's Peak for excellent views and to break away from the crowds. The gondola is south of the center of Banff; you can catch a Roam public transit bus to get here. Riding the gondola is a very popular activity—go early or late to avoid crowds.

This fully accessible, cliff-edge walkway leads to a glass-floor observation platform 280 meters (918 feet) above the Sunwapta Valley. From this vantage point, you'll get a bird's-eye view of the surrounding ice-capped mountain peaks and deep glacier-carved valleys of the Canadian Rockies. A five-minute shuttle from the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre delivers you to the walkway.

It's faster and less costly to book your Skywalk tickets in advance online.

A scenic view of the rocky spires known as hoodoos can be seen from this viewpoint 3.2 km (2 miles) up Tunnel Mountain Road. If you want to get closer to the hoodoos, you can hike along the trail that leaves from the viewpoint.