Ultimate Guide to Visiting Banff in the Winter

I don’t need to waste any of your time telling you how beautiful Banff is or why you definitely need to add it to your bucket list. I will, however, take a moment to say that Banff in winter is truly magical and it is the perfect way to spend a weekend.

I’ve made four separate trips to Banff in the chilly months and love it more and more with each visit. Significantly fewer people, snow covered pine trees and mountains tops, winter activities like skiing, sledding, skating and ice climbing – it’s the epitome of a winter wonderland.

So here is everything you need to know about planning a trip to Banff in winter!

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Top Tips for Planning a Trip to Banff in the Winter

Book your accommodation in advance – Once you know your travel dates, you can book your accommodation. There are a limited number of budget-friendly accommodations, so book early!

Dress warmly – It gets cold. Really cold. And all the best activities are outside. Wear a good winter jacket, mittens and a hat. Also, you’ll want a warm pair of winter boots. My feet froze the first time I went. Now I wear these boots and my toes haven’t been cold since.

Rent a car with snow tires – The highway between Calgary and Banff is well maintained, but if you want to drive on the Icefields Parkway you should use snow tires.

When to Visit Banff in Winter

I’ve visited Banff in the winter on four different trips, so I have a very specific opinion on when the best time to visit is.

Unless you’re visiting Banff purely for Christmas vibes, I believe the best time to visit is mid-February to mid-March.

In December and early January, the snow fall is a little less predictable, and though you’ll have snow on the mountains there might not be a lot of snow in town. Plus, this is the time of year when you’ll have the least daylight hours.

I like mid-February to mid-March because there is consistently good levels of snow (necessary for winter many activities) but there’s also a lot more sunlight.

If you are visiting for the Christmas vibe, any time in December will due. Though hotels can be pricy around Christmas and New Years.

Where to Stay in Banff

It is essential that you book your hotel accommodation ahead of time. Demand always seems to outweigh supply in the town of Banff. If availability is limited or prices are too high, you can consider staying in Canmore (a 45 minute drive outside of Banff).

Hotels in Banff

There are dozens of mid-range hotels in Banff. I personally have experience with Moose Hotel and Suites and The Royal Canadian Lodge. Between the two, I prefer the Moose, however the Royal Canadian has a fantastic pool and spa.

If you’re looking to splurge, there are two excellent luxury hotels in Banff: The Rimrock Resort and the Fairmont Banff Springs. I always choose to stay at the Fairmont because they have the most incredible indoor hot springs, which can only be used by guests on the weekends (on weekdays, non-guests can pay for entry).

Hostels in Banff

I have stayed at both Samesun Banff and Banff International Hostel, which are the two most popular hostels in Banff. They’re each located on the main road (Banff Ave) and are a quick walk to grocery and liquor stores, the main shops and restaurants.

Both hostels were great, though I personally preferred Samesun. It has a really cozy bar are the main floor and a super cozy kitchen, both of which were helpful for meeting people.

View of Fairmont Banff Springs from Gondola

Airbnbs in Banff

If you want a private space and kitchen, Airbnb will be your best bet. Unfortunately, the price of Airbnbs in Banff are pretty similar to the hotels, so this isn’t a money saving tactic. All of the ones included below have a kitchen and some have private access to hot tubs.

Hotels in Lake Louise

Each time I visit Banff in winter I also stay in Lake Louise for a night or two. Lake Louise is inside Banff National Park, but outside the town of Banff. Lake Louise puts you closer to the Icefields Parkway and nearby Yoho National Park.

There is only one hostel here and it’s the HI Lake Louise. I’ve only stayed at i once, but I had a really nice time. The tables, chairs, beds – everything is made of wood which makes it feel really cozy. There’s even a fireplace and pool table.

I have, on the other hand, stayed at the Fairmont Lake Louise as well which is on the exact opposite end of the spectrum – it’s one of the fanciest hotels I’ve ever stayed in.

I had visited the lake a few times before staying at the hotel itself, and I’ll admit it was super nice to be able to access the guests-only section of the hotel. Our room was tiny but had a beautiful view of the lake.

How to Get Around

Long story short: Rent a car. If you live in the Calgary area and have your own car, definitely use that. Otherwise, I would strongly suggest renting a car for the weekend. Sure, you can take a bus from Calgary to Banff, but once you get there how will you get around?

I always meet other backpackers who haven’t rented a car and they tell me some days they don’t even leave the town because they aren’t able to hitchhike or guarantee a ride back to town at the end of the day.

Rent a car! If you’re going on your own, it can be a bit expensive. My three day rental came in at $95 CAD (however, I also bought the best insurance and had to pay an expensive underage driver fee).

Map of Things to do in Banff in Winter

I’m going to assume you’re coming to Banff to see the mountains and beautiful scenery, so I’ve focused this section on doing just that. You won’t have time to do all of these activities in a single, two-day weekend, so choose your favourites and use the map below to plan your route. And remember to bring warm boots, a pair of gloves and your camera!

Banff Winter Activities

1. Watch the sunrise at Vermilion Lakes

Just outside of Banff is the Vermilion Lakes Scenic Drive. When you first turn onto the road, you’ll go through a minute of forest and then the left hand side will open up to beautiful lakes and magnificent mountains.

Since it’s the winter, the lakes will be frozen and the mountains will be snow capped and it’s a really magical scene at any time of day. I’ve visited this spot a few times and my favourite is definitely at sunrise.

2. Take the gondola up to Sulphur Mountain

The first two times I went to Banff I skipped out on the gondola because it was pricey and didn’t seem worth it. But the third time my boyfriend convinced me and I’ll be the first to admit I was seriously mistaken.

It wasn’t as expensive as I’d thought (and you can find deals on their website to get the cheapest ticket possible) and the views were absolutely incredible. We splurged a little and did the Northern Lights Lunch and it was probably the best view I’ve ever during lunch.

After lunch, we walked along the boardwalk-style trail to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, but by then the clouds and blowing snow had completely obstructed the view. Apparently, the view from the top of the Banff gondola is spectacular, but we didn’t get to see much of it.

3. Go skating at Two Jack Lake

Two Jack Lake lakes turns into a natural skating rink in the winter, and you’re sure to see a handful of people playing hockey in front of a backdrop of mountains (possibly the most Canadian thing I’ve ever scene).

Unlike Lake Louise, a more popular skating rink nearby, Two Jack Lake has no facilities or rentals. So ensure you bring your skates! If you don’t have skates you can also walk a on the lake in boots, but this isn’t as fun as having skates.

4. Check out Lake Minnewanka

This lake is just a little passed Two Jack Lake and has some beautiful views at all times of day. You can walk on the frozen lake to get close to the mountains. There are also a number of places to pull to the side of the road to see the mountains from higher up. Overall, this stop is really nice and an easy one to make!

5. Photograph Castle Mountain

This stop is purely for the photographers out there, so if trudging through snow for ‘that shot’ isn’t your thing, feel free to drive on by.

Here is how to get to the view point: Take the scenic Highway 1A from Banff to Castle Junction (you can throw ‘Castle Junction’ in Google Maps and follow that route, however there are signs leading the way).

Right before you get to Castle Junction, you’ll see you have to cross a bridge. Right before the bridge, there is a little parking lot on the left. Leave your car here and cross the bridge by foot. After the bridge you will see a big fence on your right.

Go through it (you’re not trespassing, the fence is to keep wildlife off the road. Please close the fence when you are done). Walk down to the water and feast your eyes on Castle Mountain!

6. Explore Lake Louise

Lake Louise is an iconic destination in Banff – and for good reason. It’s absolutely stunning and will leave you breathless (both because of scenery and because of the cold!). Fair warning, Lake Louise gets busy at any time of year. However, the scenery is so beautiful that it’s easy to get distracted by it and forget about the other people around you.

You can also skate on Lake Louise! Unlike at Two Jack Lake, you can rent skates at the Fairmont Hotel at Lake Louise, however it get’s pretty busy, so if you can I’d still recommend Two Jack Lake for Skating.

7. Drive along the Icefields Parkway

The Icefields Parkway isn’t a maintained road in the winter, so depending on conditions it may not be open for your trip. Check the Parks Canada report before heading out.

I was fortunate enough that the road was open, so I spent about three hours in total driving and taking breaks to walk around. And it is absolutely stunning. I’m sure it’s beautiful in the summer too, but with all the snow on the mountains and pine trees in the winter it really is a winter wonderland. One of the walks I did was a small portion of the Bow Summit walk.

This is also a great place to go backcountry skiing if you have experience and some people to accompany you. Along this road you’ll also find the lookout for Peyto Lake and take that iconic Instagram shot!

8. Play around on the frozen Abraham Lake

Abraham Lake is known for its methane bubbles frozen inside the ice. I actually found it to be kind of underwhelming, but maybe I just didn’t go to the right place to see the best bubbles.

That said, I had a super fun time playing around on the uneven ice. This man-made lake is met by a river and that causes some funky currents. When the lake freezes over it isn’t flat and there are crevasses and ice chunks sticking out at an angle. Plus the view is lovely.

But its so far from Banff, I would only recommend it if you’re in town for more at least three days.

10. Wander Johnston Canyon

Explore the frozen river amidst looping canyon walls. The Johnston Canyon hike is most popular in the summer, but in the winter you’ll find fewer people and frozen waterfalls – sounds good to me!

You can do this remarkable ice walk either guided or unguided. I did it the guided with Johnston Canyon IceWalk and had a really good time – they provided ice spikes for my boots (so I wouldn’t slip), snacks, and lots of interesting information about the history and geology of the canyon. I later learned there’s actually a secret cave you can access from the canyon.

My friend at My Backpacker Life has written a post on how to find the secret cave.

11. Ski one of the Big 3

Banff has some really amazing opportunities to going skiing or snowboarding. There are three different ski resorts to choose from: Lake Louise, Sunshine and Mt. Norquay. Single day lift tickets typically range from $80-120 CAD. If you visit Banff for longer than a weekend, you can also get a Ski Big 3 Pass for $300 CAD. I’ve only skied on Lake Louise, so I can’t speak to the others, but wow the skiing blew me away. It was my first time skiing in Western Canada and I couldn’t believe how different is was from skiing in Eastern Canada (the runs are longer, the scenery is nicer, there’s more variety in the runs, overall amazing).

Where to eat in Banff

Since I was staying at a hostel, I cooked all of my meals. I purchased groceries at the IGA in Banff, which I was expecting to be much more expensive than it was. I spent a total of $40 CAD and got enough food for two dinners, two lunches, two breakfasts and snacks.