A Magical 6-Day Getaway to Banff in Winter
Banff is one of the most popular areas in Alberta, Canada, ESPECIALLY in the summer. Although this is true, you will not regret visiting in winter, Banff’s off-season. Banff in winter is absolutely magical, from the Downtown Christmas Store to the hot chocolate, ice skating on frozen lakes, and riding the Gondola up to Sulphur Mountain. Even better, crowds are small and prices are lower. Continue reading to plan your getaway to Banff in winter.
Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links where you can support me for no extra cost to you.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN BANFF IN WINTER
WEATHER
Obviously, you realize it will be cold in Banff in winter. But that’s part of the fun! We’re from sunny Phoenix, Arizona and love escaping to the snow for the winter. Here’s an estimate of temperatures throughout winter. While we were there in mid-December, average daytime temperatures were in the teens and twenties, which felt really nice while hiking- we shed layers multiple times! The week after we left, they were in the negatives- so you never know.
December- 23 F high/ 7 F low
January- 25 F high/ 7 F low
February- 32 F high/ 11 F low
March- 39 F high/ 18 F low
ACTIVITIES
The activities change in the winter too. The gatorade blue lakes freeze over in November and soon become covered in snow. Don’t worry though, the joy of kayaking and canoeing on the lake turns into ice skating and cross-country skiing. You can also hike in snowshoes or microspikes. Banff is also known for its multiple ski resorts. On top of that, you can snow tube, ride a horse-drawn sleigh, and jump on a dog sled through the wilderness. Don’t be nervous that there’s not much to do in winter in Banff, because here is!
Summer Activities- Hike, Swim, Kayak, Canoe, Camp, Mountain Bike
Winter Activities- Snowshoe/Spikes, Ice Skating, Skiing, Snowboarding, Tubing, Dog Sled, Sleigh Ride
GETTING TO BANFF
If you live within a few hours of Banff, you can road trip. If you’re flying distance away, the nearest large airport is Calgary. You can get to Banff within 2 hours of Calgary. We are from Phoenix, Arizona, which actually is only a quick 3-hour flight straight upwards. PS- Air Canada was amazing! Each one of their seats had a screen with games, movies, and TV shows. It was cheap to fly to Calgary too- about $160 round trip per person! On a Monday night after work, we flew into Calgary at 1130pm.
We did pick up our rental car this late- it was nice because there was no line! We chose a 4WD truck since it’s winter, at only $300 for 6 days. Since we weren’t doing any adventuring today, we picked a cheap hotel right near the airport- Best Western Premier Freeport Inn– it was about $70 a night.
COST
Flights for 2: $320
Rental Car 6 days: $300
If you’re money concious and want to know how much the whole trip cost, I added a price breakdown at the end of the post- STAY TUNED!
WHERE TO STAY IN BANFF
I’m sure you’re wondering where you should stay in Banff in winter. Well, let me tell you where we stayed, what your options are, and where I’d stay if I went again. “Staying in Banff” doesn’t always mean in the Downtown Area. You can also choose to lodge near Lake Louise, 45 minutes north. You can also choose to stay in Canmore, another cute town about 20 minutes BEFORE getting into Banff, which is usually a cheaper option.
PLEASE NOTE– Hotels are MUCH CHEAPER in the winter. Hotels we stayed in for under $100 a night, go for up to $400 a night in the summer, which is another reason you should visit Banff in winter.
We stayed in Banff for 5 nights and 6 days. We spent the first night next to the Calgary Airport, since we got in late. Then we spent 2 nights in Canmore (note- this was a hosted stay), and another 2 in Downtown Banff.
BASECAMP LODGE/RESORTS- CANMORE
Basecamp Lodge & Resorts was a great place to stay to visit Banff in winter (this is not an affiliate link.) I really didn’t mind the short drive to Downtown Banff for daily activities. There are plenty of shops and restaurants in Canmore too, we just didn’t prioritize spending time here. The lodge was very cute and cozy and had a hot tub on the second floor (open to the air) and a sauna indoors.
CANALTA LODGE- DOWNTOWN BANFF
Canalta Lodge was definitely my favorite stay on the trip. One is because of the location. It was so nice to be close to all of the Downtown shops and restaurants and hikes. They also had complimentary breakfast which was surprisingly good, compared to most hotels. I loved the theme of the hotel and the rooms. I accidentally booked a 2 queen bed room instead of 1 king on our anniversary trip, oops. In the courtyard, they have hot tubs, a sauna, and a cold plunge tub.
FAIRMONT CHATEAU LAKE LOUISE
This would be a LUXURIOUS hotel option. Probably the most stunning hotel within an hour’s radius of Banff with out-of-this-world views. We didn’t stay here but did visit + ice-skated here. This hotel ranges from $300 in the off-season to $900 or more in the summer. As the name permits, this hotel sits right on Lake Louise, one of the most beautiful lakes in Alberta. You have quick access to ski resorts, Banff, Lake Louise and Lake Moraine, Emerald Lake, and more.
SUMMARY
If (or should I say WHEN) I visit Banff again, I would stay Downtown. Obviously, if money wasn’t an object, you’d find me in the Fairmont, haha. I loved staying in Banff and being close to everything. Other hotel options besides Fairmont, Canalta, and Basecamp Resorts include Elk + Avenue, Banff Caribou Lodge, Fo Hotel & Suites, and Moose Hotel & Suites. If I went again, I would choose Moose Hotel & Suites. It had the best location and was very cute & welcoming.
COST
Hotel for 5 days: $370 (2 were comped)
DAY 2- FROM CALGARY TO DOWNTOWN BANFF
As I mentioned before, we spent our first day flying into Banff and staying overnight in Calgary. Before driving to Banff, we went to Downtown Calgary to get some breakfast. On most trips, I research ahead of time what restaurants I want to visit, but I wanted to be more spontaneous this trip (and let go of some of my controlling nature haha), so we woke up and researched what was close and what had good ratings and found Monki Breakfastclub & Bistro.
BREAKFAST AT MONKI BISTRO
As I mentioned before, we spent our first day flying into Banff and staying overnight in Calgary. Before driving to Banff, we went to Downtown Calgary to get some breakfast. On most trips, I research ahead of time what restaurants I want to visit, but I wanted to be more spontaneous this trip (and let go of some of my controlling nature haha), so we woke up and researched what was close and what had good ratings and found Monki Breakfastclub & Bistro.
OKAY, this place was INCREDIBLE. the aesthetic was ON POINT, the food was delicious (especially the potatoes), and the waiter was so personal. You need to go here. Note, it is very small (which makes the charm level high), so you may need to wait.
After breakfast, it was time to head to Banff. We could have spent the day exploring Downtown Calgary as I’m sure there’s plenty to do, but we aren’t big city people and we really wanted to get to the mountains.
I do recommend a 4WD vehicle when visiting Banff in winter. The weather was pretty kind to us, but these highways could get scary. The drive from downtown is 1 hour and 30 minutes- really not bad at all!
When you enter the limits of Banff National Park, there is a fee (if you don’t already have an annual pass. For a family, its $21 per day. We were there 4 full days in Banff, so we paid $84. Totally worth it and unavoidable really.
COST
National Park Pass: $84
DOWNTOWN BANFF IN WINTER
Soon enough, we were in the beautiful Downtown Banff area. Please note, the classic Downtown view you see in pictures is facing the opposite way if you rive inform Calgary. Your GPS will take you down to the end of Banff Ave by the Cascade Gardens. Here, turn around for that classic Banff view. We parked in this area and spent a few hours visiting the local shops.
TUNNEL MOUNTAIN HIKE
After wandering around Downtown and getting a light lunch, we went up the road to hike Tunnel Mountain. It is located only a few minutes from the Downtown area. It was a pretty mild day with packed snow, so we used our microspikes and hiking poles for this hike. The parking was free and the trail was marked well. The views were incredible too! We hiked around 3:30 and finished at 5 (sunset is around 4:45 in the winter here- crazy!). After hiking, we went to Old Spaghetti Factory (American pasta restaurant) and headed back to Basecamp in Canmore to stay the night.
HIKE STATS
LENGTH: 2.8 miles
ELEVATION: 875 ft
RATING: Moderate
DAY 3- TO LAKE LOUISE AND BACK
WAKING UP IN CANMORE
Canmore is another cute Mountain Town. It has its own main street with shops and restaurants and recreation too. We didn’t spend time exploring the Downtown because we had other plans in Banff, but that doesn’t mean Canmore isn’t great. The views from Basecamp Resort Hotel was amazing. I loved the cozy feel and beautiful buildings. It was the perfect way to get ready for our adventure of the day.
BAGELS FOR BREAKFAST
Basecamp Resort doesn’t have complimentary breakfast, but the Resort rooms do have kitchens. There is an amazing bagel shop within steps of the resort, however. It was DELICIOUS and adorable. I highly recommend the breakfast bagel sandwiches. They also had amazing fresh pastries to take for later. We loved it so much we came back for 2 days.
ICE SKATING ON LAKE LOUISE
Up next on the adventure agenda was driving from Banff to Lake Louise. Their tourism department is actually one and the same, but Lake Louise is actually 44 minutes north of Banff. You really can’t go to Banff in winter without seeing Lake Louise- a beautiful alpine lake. In summer, Lake Louise is known for canoeing, kayaking, and swimming. In winter, Lake Louise is known for ice-skating, on the lake itself.
WINTER RENTALS
You don’t need to bring your own ice skates when visiting Banff in Winter- there are plenty of rentals available. For Lake Louise, there are 2 main options. The first, which we went with, is renting skates from the Fairmont Lake Louise Hotel, right on the lake. If you go inside and find the front desk, follow the signs to the right and you’ll find the rental counter. We paid about $50 for 2 people for 2 hours of skating.
The second option is just a mile or so down the road to Wilson Mountain Sports, in Lake Louise Village. This is close to the other shops and restaurants! It is only about $30 for 2 people for the day, which is cheaper, but we went with the convenience of renting them right in the same location. We did rent from Wilson Mountain Sports for cross-country skiing the next day.
Once we got our rentals, we took it to the Lake to try out skating. Neither of us has skated on a frozen lake before. It was really hard to start, but we got the hang of it. 2 hours was plenty of time. They have a Zamboni to smooth the ice out too. The views are out of this world. It was a beautiful day in Banff in winter. After skating, we ate at a small cafe in Lake Louise village.
COST
Skate Rentals: $50
RIDE THE BANFF GONDOLA
I knew before going to Banff in winter that I HAD to ride the gondola- I heard the views are remarkable, and they were! The Banff Gondola opened in 1959. The path from the top of the Gondola to Sulphur Mountain was created as a fire lookout, and now as a beautiful viewpoint.
You can walk into the Banff Gondola and purchase tickets, or book ahead of time online. If you’re going on the weekend or close to a holiday, I recommend booking in advance. We went on a mid-day at 3 pm, so it wasn’t busy at all. Inside the base, they have bathrooms, a Starbucks, and a gift shop (they actually had really good stuff!).
Once you’re ready, you’ll hop onto the Gondola. There’s a max of 4 people per pod. The ride is 8 minutes up, and the views are epic. They have a small sliding window so you can take photos outside without the glare of the glass.
COST
Banff Gondola Tickets: about $100 for 2 (Depending on the day + time). I recommend getting tickets before the day you plan on going).
HOT CHOCOLATE TRAIL
Oh yes, I said hot chocolate. It’s not a true Banff in Winter adventure without hot chocolate. Fun fact: I actually hate chocolate. But my husband loves it, and I love watching him enjoy it. I hope Banff continues this tradition each year because it was amazing. Multiple shops and restaurants each participated by having a sign on their door and a signature hot chocolate, some boozy and some not. After our hike on top of Sulphur Mountain, we crossed the street to Fairmont Banff Springs to try one out. My husband says it’s the best hot chocolate he’s ever had- wow!
DINNER DOWNTOWN
We were on a mission to try as many fun restaurants in Banff as possible, so tonight we went to Farm & Fire in Downtown Banff. located in the Elk & Avenue Hotel. The vibes were on point and the decor was amazing. They had a live artist which was super cool. This restaurant is also unique because they encourage plate sharing- I thought that was fun! For how fancy the food was, it was reasonably priced. We had duck-fat mashed potatoes and some fancy bison plate, haha. It was to die for. I was too busy eating to take a nice photo.
BANFF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
I can’t imagine a trip to Banff in Winter without Christmas Lights! We didn’t read about this beforehand but saw an ad while we were there and didn’t regret it. The cascade gardens, which are just north of the city, held at night time christmas walk through story with lights and sounds and it was so precious. It was free, but we had to sign up ahead of time. I would 100% go again on my next winter trip. After Christmas lights, we finally headed home- today was jam-packed with fun!
DAY 4- JOHNSTON CANYON AND EMERALD LAKE
HIKE JOHNSTON CANYON
Johnston Canyon is a classic hike in the Banff area. I’m glad we did it. It was a magical, short, easy walk in a wintery forest. When we went, the Upper Falls was closed for renovation of the trail, but that didn’t take away from the beauty of the lower falls. It was FREEZING on this hike- my eyelashes and hair were freezing. Banff in winter is no joke. This hike is also very family friendly and accessible for all.
HIKE STATS
LENGTH: 1.4 miles
ELEVATION: 344 ft
RATING: Easy
VISIT EMERALD LAKE LODGE
Emerald Lake is one of the most photographed areas in the entire WORLD. It’s a stunning small hotel located on a lake deep in the middle of Canada in Yoho National Park, surrounded by mountains. No matter the season, the lodge is stunning.
After our hike in Johnston Canyon (located about 30 minutes north of Banff), we headed to Emerald Lake. To get there, it’s another 30-40 minutes. You’ll drive from Banff National Park in Alberta to Yoho National Park in British Columbia. The Yoho Valley is absolutely stunning. I love how secluded this lodge is.
ACTIVITIES AT EMERALD LAKE LODGE
There are multiple things to do near Emerald Lake Lodge while visiting Banff in Winter. You can eat, hike, snowshoe, ski, and ice-skate. I’ll give you my suggestions for each!
EAT at EMERALD LAKE
First thing first, of course, is food. I’ll link the multiple dining options HERE, but I will feature the one we ate at which is Cilantro Cafe. Cilantro Cafe is the easiest to get to, being right across from the bridge. It is casual dining, which we love when we have a day full of adventure. The views from the windows inside were beautiful too.
ACTIVITIES at EMERALD LAKE
There are multiple winter activities in the area. If you want to hike, there’s a nice loop right around Emerald Lake. Depending on snow, you can snowshoe. Ice Skating is available in winter when the ice on the lake is thick enough. When we were there, someone shoveled snow away to make a nice rink. We chose to cross country ski across the lake. We rented skiis from Wilson Mountain Sports in Lake Louise Village and had a blast.
Eating at Cilantro Cafe at Emerald Lake
Cross Country Skiing on Emerald Lake
FOUR COURSE DINNER
This day on our trip was our 5-year wedding anniversary, so we wanted to go to a fancy dinner. We were actually in Calgary when our waiter suggested The Grizzly House in Banff. We saw it walking down Banff Ave and thought we’d give it a try. You do need to call a few days ahead and MAKE A RESERVATION.
It was AMAZING- one of the top 5 meals of my life. It is actually a fondue restaurant. The courses include salad or soup, then cheese fondue with bread, meat that’s cooked on a hot stone in front of you, and a dessert chocolate fondue. The vibes inside were amazing. If you go to Banff, you have to go.
DAY 5- HOT SPRINGS AND A HIKE
On our last full day in Banff in Winter, we wanted to go for another hike in the forest and hop in the famous Banff Upper Hot Springs. We were in the mood to enjoy a local moderate hike, so we hopped on our AllTrails app and looked for something close by. We landed on Stoney Lookout Trail near Mt. Norquay Ski Area. This hike was short and sweet with beautiful views. We didn’t see ANYONE the whole time, which was so nice.
STONEY MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT
HIKE STATS
LENGTH: 2.6 miles
ELEVATION: 761 ft
RATING: Easy-Moderate
After our hike, we walked across the parking lot to Mt. Norquay Ski Lodge to get some warm food. They have a formal restaurant and a cafe for quick eats.
Our last big adventure while spending time in Banff in Winter was going to the hot springs. There are multiple hot springs in the area, but we chose the Banff Upper Hot Springs.
HOT SPRINGS IN BANFF IN WINTER
There are not many better places to enjoy the views of Banff in Winter than in the Hot Spring Pool. Banff Upper Hot Springs is actually the highest-elevation Hot Springs Pool in Canada. There are stunning views from the pool and the upper terrace. Banff Upper Hot Springs is only a few minutes from downtown, near the Banff Gondola.
The Hot Springs are open 10-10 and cost about $15 per person. You can get a key for a locker to hold all of your things. I was so pleasantly surprised that they had an introductory walk-in to the Hot Springs pool inside, and it leads outside so you don’t have to worry about getting cold. If you want to take photos/video in the hot springs, get this waterproof iPhone case!
COST
Hot Springs Tickets: $30 for 2
DINER AT THREE BEARS
For our last dinner in Banff, we went to Three Bears Brewery & Restaurant. I loved the organic vibes, the three in the center, and the fun menu. I wasn’t feeling too spontaneous, so I got pizza, haha, but it was good. They also had homemade root beer (I’m not too big into alcohol), and it was TO DIE FOR.
DAY 6- HEAD HOME
Today was our time to head home. TIP for the future- I suggest flying home in the morning, not the evening. You think you’ll take advantage of the last day, but you won’t haha. At that point, you’ll be anxious to go home. Just something I’ve noticed while traveling.
Banff in Winter was perfect. I’m writing this a few months after and almost every day I think about our trip. It was cozy, fun, romantic, and just perfect in every way.
COST BREAKDOWN
FLIGHTS: $160 pp ($320)
RENTAL CAR: $240 ($29 per day + fees)
HOTELS: $370 (5 nights, 2 were comped)
FOOD: $452
SOUVENIRS: $97
DOG SITTING AT HOME: $100
ACTIVITIES: $247 (park pass, ski, skate, gondola, hot springs)
TOTAL:$1,555 for 2 for 5 nights, 6 days
