Banff is a world class location in the summer and winter for its stunning views and nature. The skiing also does not disappoint. Banff has made skiing accessible and easy for all ski levels and has something to offer everyone! Read below for my top tips on how to get to Banff, public transportation highlights, and best ski spots at Lake Louise and Sunshine mountains.

Note: If you don’t have international data, I highly recommend downloading an e-sim before your trip! While many of the huts have wifi, it’s good to have service in case of emergencies or to ensure your map loads. I use Airalo for my e-sims, which is affordable and is easy to download. Make sure your phone is e-sim compatible!

Why Banff?

Canada is exceptionally gorgeous, has super nice people, and when I went, the exchange rate was phenomenal (yay for semi affordable food!) Banff is a top destination for people to visit in the summer and winter, and for good reason. The town is perfectly situated with cute shops and is easily walkable. My favorite part (outside of all these incredible things already listed) is that the public transit is awesome. No car rental needed and it’s such a low hassle trip!

Oh, did I mention the snow is super prime? I had 4 epic powder days, with some bluebird conditions. It was chilly for April though!

When to go

Banff gets insanely cold. I’m talking -20F plus wind chill between December and March (depending on the year). I went the first week of April and it was a perfect 20-30F. I have heard from many people that you should only go in the spring due to the larger snow base and warmer temps. If you’re willing to brave the temperatures, then you can try February and March!

Something to consider is Mt Norquay (the closest resort to Banff, and also on Ikon) has night skiing that typically runs until the end of March. So if you want to take advantage of night skiing, make sure you plan your visit for mid to end of March.

Ikon Mountains in Banff

Mt Norquay: The closest mountain to Banff is also the smallest. It’s mainly known for its beginner terrain and night skiing opportunities. I did not go because night skiing had ended.

Sunshine: About a 30-minute bus ride from Banff, this resort has a massive gondola that goes from the parking lot and takes you up into the ski resort, which is located in a long valley. The gondola stops in 2 spots (mid-mountain and high-mountain). You can ski between the two, but it can be hard to navigate and is flat in spots, which may be challenging for some snowboarders. The gondola takes nearly 45 minutes from the base.

Lake Louise: The furthest away from Banff (45-minute bus ride), Lake Louise was my absolute favorite resort in Banff. It has the longest runs, ~2,500ft, straight down to the base, and a lot of really unique terrain. The back side of Lake Louise has the best moguls and chutes that go on forever.

How to get to Banff

Banff is one of the easiest resort towns to get to, and much more affordable than traveling around in Colorado (where I live and traditionally ski)! You will fly into Calgary International Airport (I had a direct flight from Denver on United). Don’t forget you will have to go through customs, which typically is quick, but took me 1 hour because the systems were down. From there, you’ll find multiple shuttle companies that have shuttles nearly every hour for $35-$40 (this was in first week of April) and drop you off directly at your hotel. The drive took about 1.5 hours.

I booked a shuttle in advance and then had my flight delayed - the shuttle company was super accommodating, I just missed my original shuttle by 10 minutes and they worked with a partner shuttle company to get me on the next one an hour later. I recommend booking this in advance during peak seasons but keep in mind that if you are delayed, this could work out negatively for you and it may be easier to just book it directly at the airport.

Upon leaving Banff, I also booked the same shuttle that picked me up from my hotel and dropped me off at the airport.

If you are traveling in a group, you can rent a car. Make sure you know what the car parking situation is at your hotel. You really don’t need a car unless you want to do some extra excursions (see below).

Banff itself has a super great (and free) transport system. There’s direct shuttles 5x/day that go to the major ski resorts (Sunshine / Lake Louise / Mt Norquay) and run every 1-1.5 hours. This was such a hassle free way to get around, and super great if you’re in a larger group.

Within town, there is also a shuttle system but I ended up just walking because the weather was so nice. There are no Ubers, so walking and public transport are the main options.

Where to stay

I stayed at Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa and had a wonderful time. The best part about it was the massive hot tub - when I first saw it, I thought it was a traditional pool, but no! Heated to 102F, this was a huge hot tub and perfect for soaking after a long day skiing. While it is located a bit outside the main area of town, it was nice because the ski shuttles pick up here first and you always get a seat on the bus.

I would recommend staying somewhere on the shuttle route (the locations noted on SkiBig3 Shuttle website includes: Canalta Lodge, Banff Caribou Lodge, Fox Hotel & Suites, The Kenrick Hotel, Ptarmagan Inn, Banff Springs Hotel, Mount Royal Hotel, and Banff Park Lodge).

You can find cheaper hotels outside of Banff in Canmore, but remember that you will need to rent a car and the public shuttle does not run there! Therefore, I would recommend paying extra to stay in Banff where things are more central.

Best ski resorts

As I mentioned above, unfortunately I just missed the night skiing at Mt Norquay so I decided not to go there.

I spent 2 days each at Sunshine and Lake Louise, and in the end I think Lake Louise won the “best Banff ski resort” award. It was close, but I liked the steeper and longer routes at Lake Louise. Sunshine requires you to take a long gondola ride from the parking lot all the way into the valley, which takes nearly 45 minutes. It’s cool because the mountain is quite secluded, but it’s hard to traverse between the different areas of the resort.

Here were my favorite runs at each place (note that I am an advanced skier, and you may have a different experience based on snow conditions and desired runs!)

Lake Louise

Front wall: Headwall, Home Run Chutes, Meadowlark

Lake Louise - back side (from Lake Louise website)

Backside: Boundary Bowl, Upper Boomerang, Alphabet Gullies, Paradise Bowl (my absolute favorite!), Ptarmigan Glades

Sunshine

Goats Eye Mountain: If you’re feeling up for a bit of a hike… Stampede / Renegade to Eagle glades, Fall Line, Sunshine Coast

Sunshine: Lookout Mountain (from Sunshine website)

Lookout Mountain: South Divide, Ecstacy

Sunshine: Mt Standish (from Sunshine website)

Mt Standish: Headwall, Wawa Bowl

I spent 2 days at each of these resorts and I felt like I had enough time to explore them fully.

Other winter excursions

Hike Johnston Canyon - this is a really beautiful area with a waterfall and built in walkways through a canyon. Make sure to bring your micro spikes - I didn’t have mine and was slipping and sliding all over the place! Note you will need a car.
Drive the Minnewanka Loop (or optional hike)
Visit Lake Louise where you can ice skate or walk on the frozen lake
See a waterfall in Banff on the Fenland Trailhead
Shopping in Banff - there are too many souvenir shops and clothing stores to count! I will say - one of the days I was in Banff, barBurrito had a $7 burrito deal and it was the best dinner I had in Banff. Just in. case you’re looking for something cheap!