[Winter Getaway] Banff

Banff, Alberta, Canada is a wonderful winter destination for outdoor enthusiasts! 

With worldwide ski destinations available on the Ikon Ski Base Pass, we try to visit a ski resort outside of Colorado each year. This year we chose SkiBig3 in Canada which includes Banff Sunshine, Mt Norquay, and Lake Louise. All three ski resorts are located within Banff National Park and located 90-120 minutes from the Calgary International Airport (YYC).

We spent four (4) nights in downtown Banff at the Hotel Mount Royal and two (2) nights in Lake Louise at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. We enjoyed the difference of scenery for the last two nights yet most people stay in Banff the entire time and take the bus to Lake Louise Ski Resort. 

Here is our seven (7) itinerary from our winter getaway to Banff:

Day One: Flight to Calgary, Canada

• Arrived early afternoon (allow time for customs, checked bag pick-up, and vehicle pick-up)
• Drove 90 minutes (with a pit stop to pick up breakfast and lunch items) to downtown Banff
• Checked in at the Mount Royal Hotel (highly recommend; loved the price, location, and rooftop outdoor hot tub)
• Sunday pizza dinner at Una Pizza + Wine Banff (highly recommend; great cozy atmosphere, food, and company)
• Walked around downtown Banff (super cute and walkable)
• After dinner drink at Banff Ave Brewing Co (recommend; fun place to grab a drink and watch hockey…so much hockey)

Day Two: Ski Banff Sunshine

• Skied Banff Sunshine (neutral; 15-25 minutes bus ride from downtown Banff, unique layout with ski report 20 minute gondola ride from bus dropoff) 
• Rooftop outdoor hot tub time!
• Dinner at Anejo (recommend; loved the tableside guacamole and chat with our bartender)
• Another walk around downtown
• After dinner drink at Park Distillery (highly recommend; what looks like a small distillery for the outside turned out to be a multi-level complex with lots of action on each level)

Day Three: Another Ski Day at Banff Sunshine

• Skied Banff Sunshine (neutral; 15-25 minutes bus ride from downtown Banff, unique layout with ski report 20 minute gondola ride from bus dropoff)
• Enjoyed a BeaverTails pastry (recommend; very unique sweet treat with a flaky crust and speciality toppings. We split a pastry which was more than enough for both of us!)
• Rooftop outdoor hot tub time!
• Burger night at The Eddie Burger + Bar (do not recommend; I had high hopes for this burger but it was a letdown. I’m a big “bun” + “char” person and both disappointed. It didn’t help that the cold air blew into each bar stool every time the door opened)
• After dinner drink at Three Bears Brewery & Restaurant (highly recommend; great atmosphere and beer. After seeing the food that was served here, I wish we’d eaten here)

Day Four: Pivot + Make the Most of the Day

• Initially planned for a Fat Tire Bike Adventure but the frigid temps keep us inside. Below is the research I did if it helps you!
  • Option 1: Bikescape; 2 hour e-bike tour; only runs on the weekend
  • Option 2: Kananaski; far-ish from Banff (no weekday tour); rental available all week, CA59
  • Option 3: Chateau Rental; located in Fairmont Banff, 59CA all day, 8am – 6pm
  • Fat Tire Ride, local cycling rides, winter bike trails in BNP
• Took my favorite picture of the trip at Surprise Corner Viewpoint (see main post photo)
• Found a rec center to spend our morning within a cool art campus
• Souviouver shopping around downtown Banff (needed the store breaks to keep warm)
• Sushi + Ramen dinner at Hello Sunshine (recommend; had one of my favorite salmon roles ever here and a fun seating layout)
• After dinner drink + snack at Lupo Italian (recommend; felt like we were dining in Italy especially with delicious wood-fired pizza)
• Final Banff cocktail at St James Gate Irish Pub

Day Five: Ski Lake Louise

• Checked out of the Mount Royal Hotel and drove to Lake Louise Ski Resort 
• Checked into the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (cautiously recommend; the price point can be steep and more of a once-in-a-lifetime stay for us. As mentioned above, I’d recommend staying in Banff the entire time and doing day trips to Lake Louise)
• Relaxation time in the hot tub + steam room
• Dinner at Alpine Social (recommend; the most laid back restaurant within the Chateau with a lively atmosphere and good food)
• After dinner drink at Walliser Stube (do not recommend; it was cold, dark, and dead for an after drink drink. There are better options at the Chateau)

Day Six: Walk on Water at Lake Louise

• Skied Lake Louise
• Celebration drink (we survived the frigid temps) at Bier Stube in the Village Base Area
• “Walked on water” exploring Lake Louise
• Another dinner at Alpine Social (recommend; yep, we went back and got the same meal)
• Final vacation drink at Lakeview Lounge overlooking the lake (recommend; iconic location and view)

Day Seven: Homeward Bound

• Checked out of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
• Bag Check, Customs and Security at Calgary International Airport (allow at least 60 minutes for all three (3) steps of this process and, as a reminder, no TSA pre-check outside of the USA)

Despite the unusual cold air temperatures, we had a great time vacationing in Banff and Banff National Park! I cannot wait for our next adventure!