Banff Day Trip in Winter

While I was in Calgary this past November for work, we really only had one day off. I was determined to make the most of it and see as much of the area as I could since I was basically on a free trip! I always try to take advantage of work trips to explore new places. I suggested to my coworkers that we rent a car for the day and drive up to Banff. There was a little hesitation since everyone was looking forward to a much needed day off, but we were all so happy we chose to take the adventure. We were in Banff for less than 12 hours and it was one of the best experiences. It goes down as one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, and I truly can't wait to visit in the summer to see it all again. Even if you only have a few hours to visit, it is so worth it.

Night Before:

We decided to pick up a car at the airport the night before our day off so that we could get an early start in the morning. We rented for 24 hours and dropped it off after our trip the next day! The rental car cost CA$97 or US$72.

6:45 AM:

The best advice we got from locals was to leave Calgary as early as possible. Especially on weekends, traffic from Calgary can get pretty crazy as everyone makes their way out of the city to go skiing. Not only did our early start give us a jump on the crowds, it also gave us the most incredible views on our drive. As we drove West out of Calgary the sun began to rise in the East and lit up the mountains in a magical way. The colors were unreal and there was even one moment looking up at the sun rise on a mountain where I thought 'this might be the most beautiful thing I've ever set eyes on'.

We decided to drive straight to Lake Louise which is about a two hour drive from Calgary. Our gas total for the whole day was CA$90 or US$66.

9:00 AM:

When we arrived at Lake Louise we stopped by the Visitor's Center. Passes for the National Park were CA$21 or US$15. The guides gave us a lot of great info and tips on all sorts of hikes and winter activities. It was so cold and we had limited time so we opted out of the activities, though I'm excited to do more exploring around the lake when I return in the summer.

The Lake is stunning and completely worth the stop. It is so famous for its clear turquoise blue water and breathtaking mountain views. During our trip, however, it was snowing heavily so the mountains were more like vague shadows and the lake itself was completely frozen over so there was no blue water to be seen. But the snow was magical, and I've never seen such a huge body of water so solidly frozen! There were people far out on the lake ice skating and playing hockey. It was an incredible experience walking out on the lake in the snow and I'd do it again.

10:00 AM:

We were very cold after our time out on the lake, so we warmed up at the beautiful Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise that sits right on the lake. The hotel was decorated for Christmas and has one long hall on the ground floor filled with local gift and art shops. We did some shopping here and treated ourselves to warm hot chocolate and pastries at the Cafe. I would love to have the opportunity to stay at this hotel sometime in the future. Parking at the hotel was CA$30 or US$22.

11:45 AM:

We drove about 40 minutes from one Fairmont to the next! We headed into the town of Banff and visited the Fairmont Banff Springs. This hotel looks like a castle in the middle of the mountains, and is supposedly very haunted. We explored the hotel and shops and even watched a proposal happen on the grounds! The hotel has a spa, ice skating rink, and even a heated outdoor pool that was very popular in the cold weather. Parking at this hotel was CA$13 or US$10.

1:00 PM:

The highlight of the trip was the Banff Gondola. It is on the pricier side, but gives you the most incredible views. Tickets were CA$72 or US$65. The gondola ride itself is on a pretty steep incline and though it is fully enclosed, you have the ability to open the windows and get some epic photos of the mountains. We so enjoyed the ride up and down and loved talking with the staff running the gondola.

Up top, there are breathtaking views. There is a monitor at the bottom to show how clear the visibility is, so be sure to check this first. When we were there the visibility continued to change, but it was so cool to see clouds rolling in over the mountains in just seconds. We stopped by the Cafe here and had the best coconut macarons! There is also a fancy restaurant called the Sky Bistro that looked yummy.

The gondola is certainly on the more touristy side of things, but it really is a must-stop on a trip to Banff.

2:30 PM:

On our way back into town from the gondola we stopped by Bow Falls. It was a quick stop to view a beautiful frozen but still flowing water fall and gave us even more stunning sights.

3:00 PM:

At this point we were starving, so we parked in town and walked around the Main Street area to find some food. I really wanted to eat at a place called Farm & Fire, but they were sadly closed on a break between lunch and dinner. We ended up at a sports bar called The Canadian Brewhouse. There are locations through out Canada, and it turned out to be the perfect place for us to take a seat, eat some good food and watch some football! We had the perogies as an appetizer, and I had a very delicious burger. Lunch was about CA$32 or US$24.

4:45 PM:

We were pretty tired after all our exploring at this point, but we did take some time to walk down Banff Ave and peek into some gift shops. It was very cold after the sun set, a lot of the shops were pretty similar, and the street was the most crowded area we'd been all day, so we didn't last too long. Took a few more pictures and headed on our way back to Calgary!

7:30 PM:

It was about an hour and a half drive back to Calgary where we returned the car at the airport! Total expenses for the day was about CA$525 or US$393. We traveled with four people so that worked out to only about CA$131 or US$98 for each person!

This adventure to Banff was far and away the best part of my work trip to Calgary (though I loved Calgary too and have another post on the city here!). It truly is a bucket list place and even though I'm itching to return in the summer, I can't recommend a winter visit enough. Next time I would love to stay for longer, but a day trip is totally manageable and definitely worth it! 🤘🏼