Elk & Oarsman

Banff Town


Located upstairs with a crow's-nest view of Banff Ave, this is the town's most refined sports pub, with a decent lineup of beers on tap and live music; the kitchen will fix you up with some good food if you so desire. The rooftop patio is prime real estate in the summer.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Banff Town attractions

1. Banff Avenue

0.08 MILES

A little over a century ago, Banff Ave was Banff. Initially, the central street was home to little more than a handful of hotels, homesteads and trail…

2. Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

0.09 MILES

Founded by local artists Catharine and Peter Whyte, the century-old Whyte Museum is more than just a rainy-day option. It boasts a beautiful, ever…

3. Banff Park Museum

0.12 MILES

Occupying the oldest surviving federal building in a Canadian National Park and dating from 1903, this museum is a national historic site. Its exhibits –…

4. Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum

0.25 MILES

The Luxton Museum recounts the story of Alberta's indigenous people, with a strong emphasis on the Cree, Blackfoot, Blood and Stoney nations. The displays…

5. Old Banff Cemetery

0.29 MILES

Banff’s shaded cemetery is worth a visit, especially if you’re interested in the town’s history. Some of the gravestones date back to the 1890s; among the…

6. Bow Falls

0.73 MILES

About 500m south of town, just before the junction with Spray River, the Bow River plunges into a churning melee of white water at Bow Falls. Though the…

7. Surprise Corner Viewpoint

0.74 MILES

About 1.2km east of Banff Town, the Surprise Corner viewpoint looks out over the rushing white water of Bow Falls.

8. Tunnel Mountain

0.77 MILES

It might be Banff’s smallest mountain at 1692m, but Tunnel Mountain is still one of the town’s most recognizable landmarks. The mountain’s distinctive…