Where to Stay in Canmore
Budget to Luxury

September 9, 2025
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Located just 20 minutes from Banff, Canmore is an underrated gem for anyone visiting the Canadian Rockies or visiting the famous ski resorts of Banff and Lake Louise. Here are my top accommodation options in this mountain town:

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Where to stay in Canmore, Canada for any traveller:

Canmore has some great accommodation options at different budgets. I also found the city super walkable and most places are right in the centre. Canmore is also a great option for more affordable stays when visiting Banff, which is only a short local bus ride away.

Affordable hostels in Canmore

Downtown Canmore Hostel – I stayed in this hostel and it was super clean with friendly staff and a big common area that you could work or socialise in.

Canmore Alpine Hostel – part of the Hi Hostel association, this is a small hostel with peaceful vibes slightly outside Canmore. It is super affordable but you ideally need a car as the bus does not go directly there.

Hotels at different price points in Canmore:

$ Basecamp Lodge Canmore – an affordable stay with really nice rooms in a great location

$ Chateau Canmore – decent value for money, especially when booked in advance. It does have a hot tub which is great.

$$ MTN House By Basecamp – a very highly reviewed hotel with beautiful rooms at fair prices. It is also in a central location to the city center and buses.

$$ Georgetown Inn & Pub – a super central Inn with big rooms at fair prices. The pub is highly rated for its food.

$$$ Blackstone Mountain Lodge by CLIQUE – Big apartments at still fair prices, this lodge offers a pool, hot tub and BBQ area.

$$$ Stoneridge Mountain Resort – a big resort with a year-round pool and gorgeus suites.

How to get to Canmore?

From Calgary

If you’re arriving at Calgary Airport (YYC) and heading straight to Canmore, there are two main ways to get to Canmore. Option one is to get public transport to the city center (more info here) and then get either a Flixbus (starts at just 15CAD) or Rider Express (~30CAD) bus to Canmore.
The other way is to get a direct bus/shuttle from the airport. Banff Airporter and Brewster Express start at around 80CAD.

If you have a car or are renting one (find good deals here), the drive takes about an hour.

From Banff/Lake Louise

The drive from Banff is only about 20 minutes or 50 minutes from Lake Louise.

There are also local buses that connect to Canmore. Bus 3 from Banff takes about 25 minutes and costs 6CAD for a single ride. If coming from Lake Louise, I’d recommend Flixbus or bus 8X to Banff (10CAD) and then bus 3. Check out exact routes here.

How many days do you need in Canmore?

I would recommend a day or two in Canmore in the summer, though you can easily add more if you have the time. There are so many things to do in this mountain city. Check out more info in my Canmore Guide.

If you are coming in the winter to ski/snowboard the famous Banff Ski Resorts, you will likely want to stay 5-7 days. Canmore is a great alternative to Banff as it is cheaper and there is a direct bus to the resorts. Make sure to book well ahead for the best prices.