Is Banff worth visiting in the winter? Here’s what I think

There was still going to be quite some snow, featuring thick winter jackets, boots, gloves and the lakes were still going to be frozen/icy, definitely not blue. However, we were surely not letting that stop us and decided to still visit, making sure to have a great time—which we did. My sister did the bulk of the planning and I must say, she did a really great job. It was perfect.

In this article, I’ll be sharing our itinerary, all the activities we got up to, our logistics and transportation means, as well as tips that could help you enjoy your winter trip to Banff. 

First, how do we even get to Banff?

How to get to Banff

The plan for Banff was a day trip—so I landed a day before, with plans to head out to Banff early in the morning of the next day. I flew into Canada via the Calgary International Airport (YYC) and met up with my sister in Calgary. We explored Calgary a bit that evening, visiting the Calgary tower which gave a 360 degrees view of the beautiful skyline, buildings, and skyscrapers around Calgary downtown. There’s also the Sky 360 restaurant which offers a view of the entire skyline while you eat. My sister had dinner there, but I was too tired to go with her, so I stayed back to sleep.

The next morning, we set out to Banff at about 8.30am. We booked a ride from Calgary downtown to Banff with RTB tours and shuttles. It was a two hour bus ride, very comfortable, had free Wi-Fi and obviously stunning views as we traveled. The bus had stops at some towns close to Banff and two stops in Banff. We got off at Banff downtown, the first Banff stop on the ride; then we waited for the public transit bus which would take us to our first adventure location. While waiting for the bus, we took some pictures and strolled a bit–and we could see quite a number of inns and hotels where people could lodge.

For the public transport within Banff, we got a day pass, costing about $5 CAD per person, which we paid for in cash. The buses don’t accept card payments and can’t give back any change if you have large money bills. So, please try to have at least $20 CAD in $1 bills for little payments like these.

Things to do in Banff in the winter

1. Gondola sky experience: Our first stop was Banff Gondola. It’s a gondola ride that takes you directly to the peak of the Sulphur mountain, giving you a view of the Canadian rocky mountains at 2,282m (7,486 ft) above sea level. The local bus has a direct stop right at the Gondola welcome office and it’s also right beside the Banff upper hot springs, which is something you can check out too. However, on this trip we headed right to the gondola. We had gotten tickets online for a package comprising the Gondola ride and a buffet lunch at the Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen restaurant, for about $99 CAD per person. There are other ticket options excluding the dining options, or packages with lunch options with other restaurants at the facility for different prices.
   
   The gondola ride was breathtaking and wasn’t scary at all. The staff were nice to offer private gondolas or put groups that came together in the same gondola, so I got to share the gondola with only my sister. We ascended over 7,000 ft, took loads of beautiful pictures and got to the peak in about ten minutes.

Upon getting to the peak, we took in the views of the rockies and took pictures. There was also a telescope that you could use to see the views at a closer angle. It was really cold up there, but there were fireplaces that you could go stand by to get some heat before going back to explore more. Imagine my shock when I learned that people actually hike the Sulphur mountain (a 10.1km trail out and back), as opposed to using the Gondola ride. I found that so interesting, but not sure that’s an adventure I’m willing to take on please (lool). 

The view of the Rockies from the Banff summit is arguably the most breathtaking view I have ever set my eyes on. Words can’t fully describe the experience–it was simply out of this world. We also did a little hike into the woods by the summit ridge and then headed in for lunch. 

2. Lunch overlooking the mountains: Lunch at the Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen restaurant was great, unlimited food and drinks, and we ate to our fill.
   

After hours of stuffing our faces with food, we took a look around the other areas in the building, learning more about the history of Banff, the geography of the mountains at the museum. The visit to the Banff Gondola ends at a gift shop with amazing mementos and souvenirs which you can buy for yourself to remember your trip or gift to your loved ones.

3. Winter sports and exploring the town: Apart from the Banff Gondola, people also go to Banff to ski and do a lot of the popular winter sports, like snowboarding, tubing, hiking, ice skating, etc. If that’s your thing, then you should definitely try Banff in the winter. After a long day of adventure, you can end the day and destress at the hot springs.

How to end the day 

When we were done exploring the Banff Gondola, we had a few hours left before our shuttle ride back to Calgary, so we decided to check out the Bow falls because it was on our way back downtown from Banff Gondola. However, the trail had black ice which is really slippery, and we didn’t want to risk a bad fall given that the falls might even still be frozen. 

We got on the next bus back downtown, did some window shopping at the Town Centre mall, got some food, and then headed back to our stop for the shuttle to pick us up back to Calgary. There are lots of stores and food stands at the mall, all on a very pretty street. At this point, if you’re spending the night at Banff, you can head back to your accommodation, and then continue exploring later at night and even the next day. I hear the nightlife is also an experience.

The ride back for us was serene, calm, and uneventful, still with amazing views. We were so tired after a long day exploring and I slept for the most part of the ride back. We were in Calgary in less than three hours. 

Conclusion

It was such a beautiful trip, I was definitely happy to experience it. The weather was amazing, the sunshine really helped with the cold, the people were friendly, and it was not too expensive.

Banff is a town I’ll definitely return to sometime as I know there’s a lot more that I didn’t get to experience on this trip. I might even plan it as a weekend trip, so I get the chance to spend a night at one of the beautiful inns or hotels. 

If you’ve already been to Banff, what did you enjoy most, and is there anything from this article you missed out on? And if you haven’t been, let me know if this article was helpful in giving you ideas for planning a winter or even summer trip to Banff. And if you do visit, please share with me how much fun you had.

Thank you for reading. 

Aniekan