Banff Winter Itinerary

With the long list of places that I want to visit, there are some that are really high on my list, and Banff is one of them. Imagine how ecstatic I was when Banff and Lake Louise Tourism sent us an invitation to experience a winter wonderland in Banff! It was the perfect winter experience I could possibly hoped for. And to tell you honestly, I am not even a winter person. I dislike the cold, okay not that I dislike it, but my body just can’t handle it. But I would go to Banff any season any day, and well, it did not disappoint.

I’ve always thought Banff is gorgeous with its never ending Gatorade-blue lakes and the epic rocky mountain backdrops. But I never knew Banff can be just as beautiful during winter when the snow gives accent to the trees and gives more texture to the mountains. If you are looking for the perfect winter wonderland experience, you should definitely put Banff on your list.

And to make planning easier, I am sharing with you our itinerary. Hope this encourages you to go and experience one of the most wonderful winter trips you’ll ever have!

DAY 1

Flight from San Jose to Calgary airport took almost half of the day. I met up with Jules and we got our rental car at the airport then we drove for more or less two hours to get to the park. TIP: make sure you get a four-wheel drive to help you with the snowy road. We stopped by Juniper Bistro for an early dinner. The wall-to-wall glass at the restaurant looks out over one of the most renowned vistas in North America. We continued our drive and by the time we checked into Deer Lodge, it was time for us to get ready for bed and prepare for the busy day ahead.

DAY 2

After having breakfast in our hotel, we left early to go to Emerald Lake. The drive going there was unbelievable. The snow-covered trees that lined up the roads were an amazing sight. We spent about an hour in Emerald Lake and then went to Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise to check out the Ice Magic exhibit. I was very impressed with all the delicate designs knowing they were all made of ice. After seeing all the art works, we had a hearty lunch with a view at the Fairmont Lakeview Lounge.

Ice Magic at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Lunch with a view at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

I haven’t skated for so long but I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to try skating at the frozen Lake Louise. After skating, we went back to the hotel to unwind on their rooftop hot tub. It was very relaxing and definitely made us ready and refreshed for our next activity which was snowshoeing. We went for a night time snowshoeing at Lake Louise Ski Resort and saw a lot of animal tracks, the sky was full of stars as well. My favorite part was when we went inside a small ice cave. It was super cool although it’s really small and therefore not for anyone with claustrophobia.

DAY 3

We checked out and left Deer Lodge at 7:30 AM to go snowboarding at Banff Sunshine Village. We stopped by Trailhead Cafe for some warm breakfast on the road. After driving about 45 mins, we arrived and met up with Kim who arranged snowboarding lessons for us. We had an amazing time learning how to snowboard thanks to our very patient instructor, Charlie. Jules and I have never tried snowboarding before so we both had to start learning the basics and I think it really helped a lot and gave us a good foundation. I just need to keep practicing. We had lunch in between lessons at Chimney Corner Lounge where we sat by a fire pit to warm up while eating. We spent the rest of the afternoon learning how to snowboard. After a full day of snowboarding lessons, we drove to Banff Town and checked in to our next hotel, Mount Royal. The hotel is located centrally and is walking distance to a lot of restaurants. We had dinner at Maclab Bistro. Located at Banff Center for Arts and Creativity, it boasts expansive windows that allow guests to experience and enjoy the full beauty of Banff Centre’s natural setting.

Lunch by the fireplace at Chimney Corner Lounge 

Our room at Mount Royal with amazing view of Mt Rundle

 

DAY 4

We had breakfast at Coyotes Deli and Grill and it’s arguably one of the best meals we had in Banff. They serve healthy creative cuisine with a Southwestern flare using the freshest ingredients. On our way back to the car, we passed by the Snow Days exhibit so we stopped by and had a quick look. We continued driving to Mt Norquay to try tubing. Aside from its close proximity to Banff, it’s also very affordable as you get charged for the time you ski with your hourly passes. Tubing was so fun and it’s for all ages. Just be ready to get a little wet as all the snow can get into your face. After all the fun, you can either have lunch or visit Vermillion Lake. Since we had a heavy breakfast, we opted to go to Vermilion Lake first then went back to have lunch at Lone Pine Lodge. You can continue tubing after lunch or you can squeeze another sightseeing at Minnewanka Lake or Bow Lake. We went to Minnewanka for a little bit then headed to the Banff Winter Carnival at Cave and Basin National Historic Site. We then headed back to town for our dinner at the Bison. We had the perfect view of the Snow Days exhibit from the window of the restaurant.  We continued checking out the snow art works after dinner then headed back to the hotel.

So yummy! You all have to try their juices!

DAY 5

Since our flight was not until 2PM, we decided to go back to Minnewanka Lake since the weather was really nice compared to the previous day where it was really snowy. We dropped by Wild Flour to order breakfast to go and headed to the lake and we were blown away by the beautiful view. We then drove to the airport for another 1.5 hrs then returned our car rental.

There’s so much things to see and do in Banff during winter. It was such an adventure and fun-packed trip that I am already planning on going back. Hope this helps you plan your next winter trip to Banff! Let me know if you have questions. xo

 

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