Full Itinerary
Where To Stay In Banff
Banff has some incredible accommodation you should definitely take advantage of on your visit. We chose the Banff Buffalo Mountain Lodge and could not have been happier. It was beautiful with wood beams and a magical chalet style feel. The hot tub also had incredible views and was a must in -15C. We spent a lot of time in there! The Fairmont Banff is a great luxury choice and there are also hostels in Banff that I have linked and some other midrange options with great hot tubs.
Day 1 Banff at a glance
Start your day off with one of our favourite attractions in the park, Johnston Canyon. This goes to an incredible frozen waterfall through a gorge, it is insane. After your hike grab lunch in town and then drive to Two jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka. You can walk on the frozen lakes here or go skating, and it is a very Canadian experience. Take some picture of the iconic red Adirondack chairs and the famous Mt Rundle. After your explorations head back to your lodge for a soak in the hot tub and drinks and dinner at Prow.
Johnston Canyon
Johnston Canyon is an incredible natural canyon with ice blue water that completely freezes over in winter. It is 2.5 km to the upper falls each way and worth every step. The boardwalk and frozen waterfall views are incredible. Bring your micro spikes it can get slippery!
Two Jack Lake / Lake Minnewanka
Head to Two jack Lake to walk on the frozen lake and take picture of the iconic red Adirondack chairs and the famous Mt Rundle. This famous view is a 5 minute walk from the parking lot and a great spot to hangout. Minnewanka is only 10 minutes up the road. This whole area is crazy pretty and there is a high likelihood of seeing wildlife, so keep your eyes out.
Drinks & Dinner At Prow
The restaurant Prow is at Buffalo Mountain Lodge and is sooo good.
Day 2 Banff at a glance
Wake up and have breakfast at the hotel, then walk around Banff town. There are a little of cute shops, pretty streets and nice cafes. Grab a coffee and have lunch, then go Dog Sledding. Dog Sledding starts in Lake Louise village so meet the company there. After sledding, go explore Lake Louise to end the day! Go back into Banff for dinner.
Dog Sledding
We went Dog Sledding with Kingmik and it was a magical experience. The tours have different timings, we did a 2pm and it was perfect. Book this in advance! The dogs were super cute and friendly and loved to run with the sleds. I can’t believe we waited this long to do this. We sledded up Lake O’hara forestry road and it was beautiful. It is a bit expensive, $325-$525 for two people depending on duration, so if it is too much go to Yamnuska Wolf dog centre. You can see the wolf dogs here and learn all about them.
Visit Lake Louise
If you are in the are you have to check out Lake Louise. Louise is one of the most famous lakes in the entire world for good reason, It is absolutely stunning. The Fairmont hotel on the lake was built in 1893 and is a luxury experience in itself.
NOTE:In summer the parking is wildly expensive at $36.75 and very difficult to get. In winter its free and there are lots of spots 🙂
Banff Town
Stop in Banff town before dog sledding and go back into town for dinner. There are so many good outdoor stores and even an annual Christmas store. There is a brewery and some cafe and restaurant choices that I have linked depending on your budget. For an ultimate Canadian experience, get a beaver tail!
Day 3 In Banff
Make sure to go skiing or snowboarding. The Rockies have some of the best in the world, so you do not want to miss this. This is a full day activity as it is $100 plus for a ticket. I recommend Lake Louise Resort as the views are the most impressive. After skiing head back to your place to hot tub or go to Banff Upper Hot Springs. These are really affordable at under $20 and have good views of the mountain. Maybe go to a Brewery or a dinner after! If skiing is not your thing there are a lot of areas to go cross country skiing or snow shoeing too! Canmore Nordic Centre is a great spot for this.
Day 4 in Banff
Kick of your final day in Banff with an optional Helicopter Tour with Alpine Helicopters in the morning. After the flight or your late morning, go on a little trip down the Icefields Parkway. Make sure to stop at Peyto Lake, it is one of my favourite views ever! This drive takes about 2-4 hours depending how far you go and you want to have good tires in winter. When you get back head up the Banff Gondola for sunset. It is gorgeous and the winter they have an immersive light show at the top.
Helicopter Tour Over The Rockies
The helicopter tours leave from Canmore and they go in the morning and are only about 45 minutes long. We did the tour that flew through Kananaskis and Mt Assiniboine and it was one of the prettiest experiences I have ever done. We have travelled and hiked all through the world including the Himalayas and the Alps; the Mountains around Banff really are world class and truly mind blowing. We can not recommend these guys enough!
Helicopter Alternative – Banff Gondola
If the chopper tour is out of your budget you can still get amazing views from the Banff Sulphur mountain gondola. You can book your tickets in advance here. We did not visit in winter as we did the chopper tour but we have seen the views in summer and they were fabulous. They also have a Sky Bistro and coffee shop here which is a great lunch or dinner spot with a view. I recommend doing the gondola after the icefields parkway if you choose this.
Icefields Parkway
This highway goes from Lake Louise to Jasper, but in the winter I recommend just driving it a couple hours. If you want to do the glacier tour and you book in advance it is about 2 hours. You need to book this in advance. The skywalk is closed in winter. When we were there we just drove 40 minutes to Peyto Lake and the drive was perfect for us. See my tips on Peyto Lake to find the best spot.
Day 5 Emerald Lake
If you are up for it, hike up Tunnel mountain for sunrise or before you check it out. It is right in town and a really pretty hike. If not relax, gym or hot tub.
Check out, and then head to Yoho National Park, we recommend staying at Emerald Lake Lodge as it is an experience in itself. Go to the Natural bridge, before going to Emerald Lake. Walk around the lake trail or rent some snow shoes at the lake. Have dinner at Burgess at the Lodge it is really good.
Hike Tunnel Mountain
Tunnel mountain is an easy 2 hour hike at about 4.6km return with 250 m of elevation. It looks over the whole town and is super pretty. We did it for sunrise and it was amazing. Make sure to bring micro-spikes and a headlamp. If sunrise is not your thing, no problem, go after breakfast.
Where to Stay
I highly recommend splurging and staying at the Emerald Lake Lodge is iit is iconic and right on the lake. It is actually half the price in winter at about $250 a night. If you want something cheaper there are some airbnbs in the little town of Field or you could stay at a place in Lake Louise, which is about 45 minutes away from Emerald Lake. I have them all linked. We also really like the Lake Louise Inn and it is usually under $200.
Natural Bridge
This is essentially a little look out bridge that is really pretty and worth the stop. Apparently, there is ice caves below and we found out after, so try to find them!
Emerald Lake
The lake will most likely be frozen over in the winter, but it is still super pretty and you can walk the 5km lake trail. There is also a snow shoe rental place on the shore if there is a lot of snow! Check in if you decide to stay here and have dinner and hot tub!
Day 6 Emerald Lake
This is an optional day, but I recommend going to Wapta Falls and doing this hike. In the winter it is 10km, but brings you to a gorgeous waterfall! Check out the pictures. If you don't want to hike you can rent cross country skis at Emerald Lake and there are trails that the people in the rental place will show you. They have a trail network back behind the lake and some good loops.
Day 7 Golden
Head to Golden and go the Northern Lights Wolf Centre. The Walk with the wolf is such a cool experience and we highly recommend. You do have to book this in advance and all walks are at 9:30am. Head into town after. Golden has some great consignment stores, outdoor stores, cafes and a nice river walk. Check into your hotel and then go to dinner at Resposados. This is a great Mexican place. If you have extra energy go to Confluence Climbing Centre for some bouldering.
Day 8 Golden
Wake up early and head up to Kicking Horse Resort to go skiing or snowboarding. This mountain is known for it's powder and views, it is incredible. If skiing is not your thing go snowmobiling or even go to the Nordic Centre for cross country skiing or snow shoeing. At night head to Wolf's Den for dinner, it has great comfort food.
