A Trip to Banff in the Winter: What to Do and Where to Eat
Guest Blog Written By: Kalee Cunefare
I took a girls trip to Banff this past January and although we were only there for 3 days, we had the best time! Only a quick 90-minute drive from Calgary with endless views of the Rocky Mountains.
WHERE TO STAY
We chose to stay in the surrounding town Canmore as it’s pretty pricey to stay in the park. I highly recommend checking Airbnb’s here if you want to save a little money - downtown Canmore is adorable and only a 30-minute drive to park entrance with snow capped mountain views the entire way!
WHAT TO DO
With only a limited time in this snow globe, we made sure to jam pack every day full of activities. First up, ice skating on the infamous Lake Louise. Growing up competitively figure skating for majority of my young life, this was the activity I was most looking forward to! I brought my own skates of course but the Fairmont Chateau overlooking the lake has both hockey and figure skate rentals available - $18USD for 4 hours. You don’t need any experience skating and I promise braving the cold is worth it for the view.
Every blog I read when planning our visit to Banff kept mentioning the gondola as a must do activity so of course I booked us a sunset ride. The gondola takes you to the top of Sulphur Mountain, giving incredible views of six mountain ranges and the charming town of Banff! We had dinner at Sky Bistro, one of two restaurants at the top, and walked through the interactive discovery exhibit before heading back down the mountain. There’s a boardwalk that gives you 360 views of the park but we opted out with how cold and windy it was. We didn’t have much of a sunset experience as it was overcast that day, but I agree that the gondola should be added to any Banff itinerary!
This next activity was such an adventure and ended up being my favorite of our trip — dogsledding! We booked our tour with Discover Banff, who offer 4 different tours varying in distance covered and price depending on how involved you want to be. We chose the Great Divide Tour as we wanted to have an experienced guide lead us for more of a relaxing vibe. Cynthia, our guide, chatted with us the entire tour giving us insight into what a day for the dogs looks like and how many calories they eat pre/post run. We were able to get cozy with the dogs beforehand, had the option of feeding them after and were sent home with a card with each of their names!
As a bonus, our weekend trip perfectly aligned with Ice Magic at the annual Snowdays Festival so naturally we purchased tickets! The ice sculpture exhibition is held on the grounds of the Fairmont and showcases live carving displays by world class ice carvers. Although, it was warmer than usual and the sculptures were beginning to melt, we had a wonderful time sipping spiked hot chocolate from the ice bar and watching the awards show. The intricate designs of each piece were insane and it’s crazy to think they all started as a giant chunk of ice!
The Icefields Parkway, most scenic highway in North America, is a must do of you’re lucky enough to be there at the perfect time! All 144 miles of the roadway connecting Banff to Jasper are filled with beautiful viewpoints from ancient glaciers to magnificently blue lakes. The parkway is open year round but portions of it tend to be closed from snow accumulation during winter months. We only made it to Peyto Lake, which was hidden under a blanket of snow, before turning around from the roads being slick. We still enjoyed the rocky mountain peaks but this may be better as a summer activity when you can see all the gorgeous colors!
EVERYONE’S FAVORITE: FOOD
I had no expectations for the food scene in Banff as you’re not going to a national park to eat BUT my foodie heart wasn’t disappointed! Disclaimer, I heavily researched this because I strongly believe food makes or breaks a trip.
Our first two mornings started pretty early with protein bars from a neighboring gas station for breakfast, very unlike me. Our final morning we drove into downtown Canmore on a recommendation for Rocky Mountain Bagel Co. I still can’t stop thinking about their Greek rosemary sea salt bagel sandwich, truly delectable! My only regret the entire trip was not starting every day here.
Banff offers lots of happy hours which we loved and used to regroup between day and night activities! Park Distillery, Three Bears Brewing, Hello Sunshine and Bear Street Tavern all made my list of worthy contenders but we were only able to check out 2 of the 4. I feel our dinner spots were far from special and actually preferred the happy hours! The one place I was most looking forward to trying was Masala but sadly the restaurant was closed for renovations the entire weekend.
Banff National Park is huge and our three day trip didn’t even scratch the surface on everything it has to offer. With over two hundred hiking trails, I’m hoping my next time there is during warmer weather. The park offers jaw dropping panoramic views yearly so there’s really no wrong time to visit!
Written By Kalee Cunefare
MEET MY GUEST.
Say hi to Kalee!!
We have a very unique story and it all started here, with this blog. A mutual friend connected us because we both love to travel! We met via Instagram and then decided to take a trip to Spain in 2024 after never having met in real life! As a travel tech, she has been everywhere in the US, or so it seems. She is always on the move and that’s what I love about her.
And wow does this girl know how to plan a trip around food! She might even be a better trip planner than me. We love a fellow Type A. She goes above and beyond on her research so I know her recs for Banff (and anywhere) are legit.
She went to Banff in January so this is a perfect winter destination!
Thanks Kalee for the being you :)
