In partnership with SkiBig3 and Banff Tourism
Banff might just be my favorite place in the world to come back to over and over again. Each season has it’s own charm and I love seeing the mountains painted in all different colors throughout the year.
Winter in Banff has such a magical vibe to it. The snow-covered trees, the ice sculptures, the frozen lake skating – there’s just so much beauty all around with much smaller crowds than in the summer!
Plan your winter getaway using Banff’s Trip Builder tool. This award?winning tool helps you map out your entire visit so you can make the most of every moment. As you explore the website, simply bookmark your favourite experiences and seamlessly turn them into a fully personalized itinerary.
Where to stay in Banff with Kids
There are a few great options and it highly depends on what you’re looking for and wether you plan to have a car. Banff is a really walkable city with great public transport. There’s an airport shuttle that can take you from YYC to Banff or Canmore, and then you’re able to get around using the public Roam bus and free ski resort shuttles. I actually much preferred this to having our own rental car, as winter driving without proper snow tires can be quite tricky! We also avoided dealing with parking at all the resorts which was really the biggest win.
That being said – here are some options for stays!
Most convenient
Any of the hotels along the shuttle route in Banff are great – the shuttle stops right outside these hotels. The earlier the hotel is on the shuttle route, the more likely you are to get a seat on an earlier bus.
The Fox Hotel shuttle 
The Fox Hotel hot spring 
The Fox Hotel
We stayed here for a few nights and it was the perfect location for exploring Banff by foot and catching the shuttles to the ski resort. We were there during one of the busiest weeks of winter (Family Day holiday week) and the shuttles were quite full going to the resorts.
This is the first hotel on the ski shuttle route, which means you’re getting on first! It also means you’re a bit further away from Banff downtown but it’s still a quick 15 minute walk away.
Luxury
This goes without saying, but staying in this castle of a hotel is truly special. It’s nestled in the forest away from the busyness of downtown Banff, but just a short 4 minute bus ride from town. We don’t typically stay in luxury resorts so this was a special treat! In the winter there’s a skating rink set up with a small Sugar Shack for all your hot cocoa needs. There’s outdoor hot springs, a huge indoor pool, and lots of delicious restaurants.
Budget
Canmore!
If you’re on a tight budget, consider staying somewhere in Canmore or Dead Man’s Flats. We’ve stayed at this airbnb multiple times and love the location for its proximity to Canmore and Banff, space to relax and cook, amenities, etc. You’ll likely need a car if you’re staying in Canmore as it takes a bit more effort to get anywhere, but shuttles that connect Canmore to Banff are also available.
Airbnb 
Canmore Three Sisters
Ski Passes
SkiBig3 has some amazing offers for passes.
If you have the Ikon pass, you can ski 5 or 7 days at Norquay, Sunshine and Lake Louise. If you have a season pass to any resort in the world, you can get a 50% discount for certain dates at SkiBig3. If you don’t have any passes, you can still purchase a multi-day pass for SkiBig3 to get access to all three mountains throughout the week!
You can also bundle lodging with SkiBig3 Lift Tickets for even more savings! The earlier you book, the higher the discounts. Check out their latest Vacation Specials & Deals here.
Day 1 – Explore Banff downtown
Spend the first day exploring the town of Banff and everything it has to offer!
Take a stroll down Banff Avenue and watch the mountains light up with the early morning sun. Banff is a highly walkable city and has great public transport. Parking can be tricky and winter driving conditions can be rough, so we found it easier to rely on public transport and ski shuttles during our trip!
Grab some breakfast and coffee at one of Banff’s delicious cafes; Good Folk, Analog Coffee or Mountain Folk.
Head over to Cave and Basin National Historic Site. Aside from learning about mineral pools and some of the history of Banff, you can try your hand at some of the carnival games like box hockey and mini curling! The kids really enjoyed the winter carnival games here and it was hard to pull them away.
Grab lunch at one of the restaurants in Banff.
Head to the Banff Gondola in the afternoon to climb up to Sulphur Mountain – probably the best spot in Banff to watch the sunset. Make sure you have good visibility before going up, as you won’t want to miss the views! Sunset happens quite early in the mountains and especially during winter, so make sure to leave plenty of time for exploring.
We spent a good amount of time here – probably close to two hours – walking around the boardwalk, checking out the observation deck, and having a buffet lunch at Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen.
Banff Gondola Boardwalk 
Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen
Day 2 – Ski day at Norquay
Mt Norquay was our first resort of the three and we lucked out with a ton of fresh powder! Mt Norquay is the smallest of the three resorts, the closest one to Banff (just a 7 min shuttle from downtown Banff), and has excellent terrain for beginner and expert levels. There’s a great learning area, fantastic views and a huge tubing section. It’s also usually the least busy resort and we barely had to wait in lift lines.
Mt Norquay tubing
If your kids still have energy left after a day on the slopes, Mt Norquay’s Tube Park is a must! This is the largest tube park in all of Alberta and probably the scariest! I didn’t expect my heart to drop so much when we did our first run.
With a SkiBig3 Lift Ticket, tubing at Mt Norquay is free so long as you ski the same day. It is also free for Mountain Collective Pass holders. We recommend showing up early to try and get your preferred time slot! Learn more about tubing with a SkiBig3 Lift Ticket here. The minimum age for tubing is 4 years old and children have to be at least 42 inches tall to ride.
Mt Norquay is the only resort in the Banff area that has night skiing and night tubing, open on Fridays and Saturdays.
Day 3 – Johnston Canyon + Lake Louise
Johnston Canyon in the winter is a must – it’s beautiful year round, but the frozen waterfalls in the winter and the smaller crowds make it a very special place to visit this time of year. There are a couple of trails you can go on, but make sure to bring spikes for your shoes as it does get slippery. There are also ice climbing opportunities here, though kids have to be at least 14 years old for this. You can sometimes see the ice climbers if you go to the upper falls.
If you don’t have your own car or equipment, you can book a tour through Radventures Banff. They offer tours to surrounding areas including the Icefields Parkway, the bubbles of Abraham Lake, Johnston Canyon, stargazing, etc. We had the opportunity to do this tour with them and our guide was absolutely wonderful. She was great with the kids, had hot chocolate ready for us after the hike, had carseats prepared for us for the van!
For the second half of the day, head over to Lake Louise!
We got lucky with our timing as the skating rink had only just opened a few days before we arrived. We got to experience some of Banff’s best lake skating, since this is the only Zamboni maintained lake skating rink in the area.
Lake Louise Skating 
Lake Louise Skating
If you’re not into skating, you could either hike around the lake, check out the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise or take a scenic sleigh ride around the lake.
Day 4 – Ski day at Sunshine!
Banff Sunshine resort is a must visit on any Banff itinerary with kids. It is such a family-friendly resort with tons of varying levels of terrain. The snow is 100% natural, as Banff Sunshine doesn’t rely on traditional snowmaking. Instead, they rely on techniques like snow farming to redistribute the snow around the resort. It’s also the only true ski-in-ski-out resort in Banff, and you can stay right in the village at Sunshine Mountain Resort if you choose. There’s a few good restaurant options.
If you’re coming from Banff, check the shuttle departure times and board the free shuttle to Sunshine Village!
My favorite part is definitely the views from the very top, where you get to see the Canadian version of the Matterhorn – Mt Assiniboine! Sunshine also has 2 bubble chairlifts which are perfect for cold days.
We dropped off our youngest (2.5yo) at the resort’s daycare, located right in Sunshine Village. She had a wonderful time there being cared for by the staff while we got to enjoy the terrain!
skiing in the clouds at Sunshine 
Bubble chairlift 
Day 5 – Head to Emerald Lake
Emerald Lake is actually in British Columbia, but just 30 minutes away from Lake Louise! It’s such a winter wonderland and I absolutely recommend making the trek out if you’re in the area. You can walk across the lake in the winter and it just feels like you’re in a postcard.
Emerald Lake
On your way back, make sure to check our Morant’s curve and see if you can spot a train coming through for the classic shot! We tried a few times – the first time we had visibility but no train, the second time we got a train but no visibility 🙂
Day 6 – Ski Day at Lake Louise
The last of the SkiBig3 Resorts is Lake Louise Ski Resort! It’s located just across the highway from Lake Louise, and there’s a free shuttle that can take you there from Banff.
Lake Louise has just opened a whole new section of terrain on the backside of the mountain called Richardson’s Ridge, and there are so many options for all ski levels. The front side has absolutely epic mountain views, and the backside has a lot of great terrain. There’s also frequent Lynx sightings if you’re lucky!
Lake Louise also has one bubble chairlift perfect for colder days, as well as a main gondola that will take you almost to the top.
There’s an excellent beginner area with a very long magic carpet, as well as a small tubing area.
Day 7 – Head home!
Take the airporter back to YYC for your flight home!
What to pack for a trip to Banff with Kids in the winter
Packing for winter with kids can be daunting – there’s a lot to pack! We have three kids and have figured out a good system at this point.
Our favorite winter gear for kids has always been Reima. We’ve used their snowsuits, jackets, snowpants, boots, hats and mitts for all three kids. They also have excellent wool layers!
You can use SLJ20 for 20% off your Reima purchase.
