40 things to do in Banff during the winter that aren’t skiing or snowboarding
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When people think of Banff, the first thing that comes to mind will likely be skiing and snowboarding. But there is so much more to Banff than these activities in the winter! This is why winter is our favorite season: there are so many unique winter activities on offer, and it’s a destination that caters to everyone, not only the crazy snowboard fanatics.
During my first winter in Banff, I moved from New Zealand with my best friend Poppy. She gave snowboarding a crack; however, due to multiple knee surgeries in her youth, it wasn’t the sport for her. I spent a lot of my free time snowboarding. Still, whenever we had days off together or free mornings and afternoons before or after work, we were always trying to tick off any activity we could that wasn’t only snowboarding. This is important because many people ask, “Can I still come to Banff and work a ski season even if I don’t ski or snowboard?”. You definitely can, and in the 6 months of winter that you spend here, it’s likely you won’t tick off everything on this list in your first winter season or first winter holiday to Banff.
1- Enjoy the town of Banff, stroll down Banff Ave, and take in the picturesque views!
As this is where anyone visiting or living in Banff spends most of their time, I had to put the most obvious as number one!
The town of Banff is beautiful, and if you stay for a few days a week or live here long term for the season, you will walk down this street a thousand times and never get sick of it. The views never get old and I love how the view of the street can change each day depending on the weather, how much its snowed and if the sun is out. You have everything you need on Banff Ave, from cafes to restaurants, souvenir shops, rental shops for snow gear and equipment, and of course the BEST views of Cascade, Rundle and Sulphur mountain towering over the town.
2- Take the Banff Gondola up to Sulphur Mountain on a bluebird day.
I feel it's important to mention on a bluebird day because I’ve been up here twice in winter. Once, when there was a snowstorm and it was pointless, all I could see was white blowing in front of my face, and it was so painfully cold. The second time was on a clear, blue day with not a single cloud in the sky, and I cried when we arrived at the top and saw the views. I have never seen something so magical in my life. If you think Banff is beautiful from the ground, wait until you see it from above.
Usually the gondola tickets in the winter are around the $65-$75 mark. If you’re a local keep an eye out for when they host local days! Usually, 1-2 times during the season, the gondola will host a local day (have to show proof of address) and allow locals to ride the gondola for the price of a donation. (usually a minimum $5 donation but this may vary from season to season). They usually host these days during shoulder periods.
During the busy periods - Christmas holidays, weekends and Statutory holidays its recommend to book tickets in advance. You can book your tickets via the link below!
The views from the top of the Banff Gondola.
3- Visit the Lux Cinemas, Banff.
Want to get out of the cold for a bit and sit in a cozy theatre with a warm box of popcorn? Well, this is the perfect place!
This is the only movie theatre in the Banff/ Canmore area and is the cutest, little cinema. It has an old-school movie theatre vibe to it, tiny theatres and old seats, but the newest movies streaming! You don’t get assigned seats, its just a case of getting there and picking whatever seat you want.
Hot tip: Get there early if it’s a new movie that’s recently come out. The cinema will likely be sold out, and if you get there when the movie is starting, you won’t have seats next to your friends or whoever you're watching the movie with, as there will only be single seats left… awkward if you’re on a first date.
Check out the lux cinema website to get the most up to date movies that are streaming and cinema times.
4- Hike Tunnel Mountain.
Yes, that’s right…….Hike!
You can hike during the winter. Tunnel Mountain is a great little peak to hike during the winter because it's not far from Banff Ave and it's not long. When hiking in winter, I highly recommend wearing a pair of spikes or cleats over your shoes because the hiking path is usually covered in snow and hard ice that becomes extremely slippery. I don’t advise doing this hike without spikes, as it can be very dangerous.
The hike usually takes anywhere from half an hour to an hour to reach the top. It is 4.3km in length (out and back), and the elevation gain is 262 meters. It's not overly steep as most of the trail is switchbacks, but for the most part, it's a steady incline. Once you get to the top, you have the best views of the Bow Valley, Rundle Mountain, and the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel from above. There are also red deck chairs you can relax on and take in the views when you get to the top, too.
My Mum and I admiring the views of Rundle Mountain from the top of Tunnel Mountain!
5- Visit Johnston Canyon and hike to the frozen falls.
Lower falls at Johnston Canyon.
Johnston Canyon is open year-round, but I much prefer it in winter. During summer, it can be so busy that you can wait up to half an hour along the trail to get to the viewpoint of the falls. In the winter when I visited, we had the trail to ourselves, and there was something magical about walking through the snowcapped trees and seeing the frozen falls.
The first time I visited Johnston Canyon in December, we could only access the lower falls as the trail to the upper falls was too snowcapped and unclear, but the second time I visited at the end of March, I was able to access both the upper and lower falls as it hadn’t snowed in over a week. Remember this when visiting because it may impact how much of the canyon you see.
Johnston Canyon is located 15 minutes outside of Banff. If traveling independently, you need a car to access Johnston Canyon, or you can visit with a guided tour. If you don’t have a car but don’t want to pay for a guided tour, you can visit on the weekends and take the number 9 roam transit bus that operates on Saturdays and Sundays only in winter. You can get these bus tickets online or on the Roam transit app called Token Transit. Alternatively, you can also buy these tickets from the ticket machine at the bus stop. To catch this bus, go to the Banff High School Transit Hub bus stop, which is directly across the road from IGA and out the front of the high school (you can’t miss it!)
To book a guided tour to Johnston Canyon, you can book via our Get Your Guide Link at no extra cost to you - Johnston Canyon Ice Walk Guided Tour. Or for the bus times, head to the Roam Transit Website.
Poppy and I surrounded my snow on the ice walk to Johnston Canyon!
6- Take a drive out to see Johnson Lake, Two Jack Lake and Lake Minnewanka.
All three lakes are located 10 minutes outside of the town of Banff. However, during the winter, you’ll need a car to access these lakes as there is no public transport to all three lakes from October - end of May
All three lakes are located along the same stretch of road, and you can visit them all on the same trip. They will likely be frozen, and each lake offers different views.
Johnston Lake is the smallest of the three and offers great views of Rundle Mountain. You can also hike around Johnston Lake during the winter as it's mostly flat, but be sure to have spikes, as it can be slippery!
My Mum and I admiring what we could see of Rundle Mountain on a very snowy day, from the path next to Johnson Lake.
Two Jack Lake offers excellent views of Rundle Mountain from a different angle and is accessible from the side of the road in your car as you drive past, but I recommend driving down to the bottom parking lot next to the lake for the best views.
Mum and I jumping for joy on frozen Lake Minnewanka
Lake Minnekwanka- the most spectacular out of the three. During the winter, the lake freezes over and in December and sometimes in January, you can ice skate on the lake before it becomes covered in deep snow. If it's covered in snow and you aren't able to ice skate, take a walk on the lake and marvel at the snow-capped mountains that tower over the lake. The ice is extremely thick, so you can safely walk on it.
If you have a car, you can access these lakes independently during the winter. But if you don’t have that freedom, you can also book guided tours to these lakes and combine your visit to these lakes with a tour to Johnston Canyon too.
7- Ice Skating.
Apart from snowboarding, of course, ice skating was my favorite winter activity! You can rent ice skates from a few places in Banff, like Backtrax or Ultimate Sports, but if you do it frequently, I would invest in a pair!
Where to Ice skate:
Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre—If you aren’t feeling confident about skating on the lake yet, this is a great place to come and practice. You can also rent skates from here.
Lake Louise is my favorite place to skate!! If you don’t want to carry your skates out from Banff, you can rent them from here.
Lake Minnewanka - when the lake first freezes over, you can ice skate on the lake before it becomes covered in deep snow. The best conditions for ice skating here is in December and January.
Vermillion Lakes - the closest frozen lake to Banff, and is a 20-minute walk from the town center of Banff.
Canmore Nordic Centre - is a crown jewel for cross-country skiing, but there is also an ice rink to practice your skills at the south end of the stadium.
My first time skating at Lake Louise at the end of November, 2023.
8- Visit Lake Louise.
Lake Louise can be visited year-round and offers spectacular views no matter the season. During the winter months, the lake freezes over, and as mentioned above, you can ice skate on the lake for most of winter. When I visited in November, the lake had just frozen over and I could skate the whole length of the lake and had the freedom to skate wherever I wanted. The second time I visited, in March, a lot of the lake was snowed over, but a section of the lake had been blocked off and cleared of snow for skating. Keep this in mind when visiting: the time of the year when visiting may impact how much of the lake you can skate!
Not ice skating? No problem, there is still a lot to see and do in Lake Louise during the winter months. Check out the ice bar that’s out the front of the Lake Louise Fairmont, check out the ice sculptures during Banff’s snowdays celebration held over a 17 day period around the end of January and early February or head into the Fairmont Hotel and marvel at the impressive building and grab yourself a hot chocolate from their cafe. The cafe has the best hot drinks and assortments of snacks and takeaway food options!
Getting to Lake Louise: If you have a car, you can visit Lake Louise independently and park at the lake. Alternatively, there are regular buses to Lake Louise that run year-round from Banff. You can take the number 8X roam transit bus that runs from the Banff High School Transit Hub and drops you directly at the lake and picks you up from there, too. You can buy your tickets online on the Roam Transit website, the Token Transit mobile app, or at the ticket machines at the bus stop.
Ice sculptures at Lake Louise during the snow days festival period.
9- Take a soak in Banff’s hot springs.
It can be accessed all year round, but I much prefer it in winter because there is something so cool about sitting outside in a hot pool while it's snowing and snow-capped mountains surround you. (Don’t forget your beanie to keep your ears warm!)
You can drive to the hot springs or take the number 1 roam transit bus from any of the bus stops into town and get off at the Gondola bus stop, as the hot springs are a short walk from the gondola.
10- Visit the magical Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and the secret bookcase bar.
That’s right, you can visit the Harry Potter-looking castle in Banff even if you aren’t a guest staying there, and it's a great little day trip you can take from Banff and explore around the castle for a few hours. Get yourself a takeaway coffee at the coffee shop right near the entrance of the hotel and walk around the hotel and marvel at the indoor architecture, or walk around to the front of the hotel for views from their front balcony of Rundle Mountain and The Bow River.
Suppose you want to sit down and enjoy a drink, head to The Rundle Bar and treat yourself to one of their world-class cocktails. You will also see a wall by the bar resembling a bookcase. At first glance, it looks like a bookcase, but it’s a door you can walk through and leads to more seating in the bar. It's a fun little spot to take a photo and Instagram video!
Looking at The Banff Fairmont Springs Hotel during summer. Reminds us so much of the Hogwarts Castle from Harry Potter!
11- Dog Sledding.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to do this during my season, but a few friends did, and I saw their pictures and videos, and it looked like such a special experience!
This can be booked with many of the tour companies in Banff, such as Banff Adventures or Discover Banff Tours, or you can also book it directly with the tour providers online.
12- Snowmobiling.
Unfortunately, another activity I didn’t get around to (for time constraint reasons and also budget reasons, it’s not a cheap activity to do as a backpacker, sadly), but Poppy and my other best mate Courteney did it for her birthday while I was away in New York and let me say, even though I was living it up in Times Square, the FOMO was real when they sent me all their pictures after.
What is snowmobiling? How I can best describe it is a jet ski designed specifically designed riding on snow. Another name for it is a snow scooter.
You won’t actually do the snowmobiling in Banff itself because no motorized vehicles are allowed in Banff National Park. Any tours you book from Banff will likely take you to Golden or Panorama to do the snowmobiling. Most tour companies have half-day and full-day tour options and can provide free transport from Banff with the tour price if you don’t have your own vehicle. You can book this directly through the tour providers in Banff or online with the many different tour providers.
13 - Snowshoeing on a guided or self-guided tour and rent snowshoes!
Snowshoeing is another popular activity in Banff, but what the heck is it?
That was my question, too, when I first heard of it. As an Australian, I had never heard of this sport. Think of snowshoeing as a more advanced version of hiking. It gives you access to trails that you wouldn’t be able to access in only hiking shoes when there is knee-deep snow. It's an outer footwear that you strap your foot into, and the purpose of the snowshoe is to keep you above the snow and help you balance above the snow. This prevents you from sinking into the snow and achieving a sense of floatation above the now. It's a great aerobic workout and is a great alternative to skiing and snowboarding if you want to exercise in the winter and explore a lot of the backcountry terrain you wouldn’t be able to access on a hike.
Snowshoeing in the backcountry out near Abraham Lake.
There are some great snowshoe trails around Banff that you can do yourself and you can rent snowshoes from any of the rental shops in town.
Some of the trails include:
Tunnel Mountain (can snowshoe it rather then hike if its snowed recently)
Surprise Corner to Hoodos (can also be hiked if it hasn’t snowed recently)
Sulphur Mountain.
Ink Pots.
For up to date information on the trails, please always check Canadian Government Website for up to date trail information and potential risks.
You can also take guided snowshoe tours that can be booked through tour providers in Banff, online or via our Get Your Guide link at no extra cost to you!
14 - Have a coffee or cozy hot chocolate by an outdoor fire at Whitebark Cafe or Good Earth Cafe.
On a clear day, when it isn’t snowing or blowing a gale, it's a great time to sit outside and take in the mountainous views of the town (even though it's still very cold). But why wouldn’t you want to enjoy the views if you can sit by a cozy fire with a blanket and look up at the mountains? Whitebark Cafe and Good Earth were my two favorite cafes to visit when they had their outdoor fires going.
15 - Visit the many museums around Banff.
Banff has an assortment of museums scattered around the town. On the days when it's too cold to go outside or it's snowstorm weather, there isn’t much else to do but be inside in the warmth.
Some great museums to check out are:
The Buffalo Nations Museum
Cave and Basin National Historic Site
The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Banff Park Museum
16 - Go Tubing at Norquay Ski Resort or Lake Louise Ski Resort.
Ski resorts aren’t only for the skiers and snowboarders; they can be for everyone, especially when snow tubing is involved! Let your inner child run wild, sit in the inflatable tubes, and slide down the long tube lanes.
The best part? There is a magic carpet to help you get back up! Enjoy riding down as many times as your heart desires!
17 - Go Bowling!
Another great activity to do on days you don’t feel like being outside and want a break from the cold. There is a bowling alley at High Rollers Bar and Restaurant in Banff. You can pre-book your bowling reservation online before your session, or if it's quiet, you can book on the same day as they talk walk-ins. Keep in mind this venue turns into a nightclub later at night, and after 10pm, no minors are allowed. Another family-friendly location to go bowling is at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Anyone can visit this bowling alley and make a reservation; you don’t have to be a guest here to play a game.
18 - Spend your afternoon playing pool with mates!
Many of the bars around town have great pool tables, and if you're looking for a casual indoor activity and are trying to save the pennies, a few rounds of pool is always a cheap (and warm) activity!
Some great bars around Banff with pool tables are High Rollers, Canadian Brewhouse, Banff Ave Brewing Co, The Pump and Tap, and The Rose and Crown.
Views from the rooftop of the Rose and Crown in Banff. (the views were a much nicer picture then our pictures of the pool tables)
19 - Visit Park Distillery and take a distillery tour and tasting.
Park Distillery is located in the heart of Banff’s Town Centre on Banff Ave, and they distill their own spirits from Gin to Vodka and Rye. They host free daily tours of the distillery, where they educate you on how their spirits are made. After the tour, you can stick around for a tasting (for an additional $15 a head) and try six of their different spirits. My favorite is the coffee vodka and their chili vodka. It’s a must-try! The tour and tasting have limited availability; be sure to book online via their website or pop your head into the bar and book with the host at the door.
Poppy and I looking extra cheeky after our spirit tasting at Park Distillery.
20 - Go to Anejos for happy hour for the best margaritas and tacos in Banff.
Anejo’s Mexican restaurant’s happy hour has earned its own spot as something to do in the winter because its by far my favorite happy hour in town and I personally worked at Anejos for a few months during the winter season. During 3-5pm they have $6 Margaritas and not just your classic lime margs, they also have an unreal chili coconut marg, mango marg and other flavors. They also have half price on all their tequilas and Mezcal as well as super cheap tacos! During 3-5pm you get the rush of people coming down from the mountain after a day of snowboarding. If you miss their 3-5pm happy hour, they have their second happy hour after 9pm until they close!
21- Tick off happy hour deals at many of the other restaurants in town.
Banff isn’t a cheap town—we won’t sugarcoat it. But when there are happy hour deals and daily deals, it can be quite affordable. There are many other restaurants that have great happy hours. These can change frequently, so for the most up-to-date information on the daily happy hours, we recommend looking on The Taxi Mike website, which is regularly updated. Taxi Mike happy hour guide.
22- Have the greatest Pancakes Ever at Taloulous Restaurant.
These pancakes deserve their own mention and a dedicated spot in this blog because of the number of pancakes Poppy and I consumed here. There would be some days when we would wake up and just look at each other, and we would know it was a pancake morning. Once we tried pancakes at Taloulous, we couldn’t eat them anywhere else because we had such high expectations for pancakes. Taloulous is always a popular spot for brunch, and usually, we wouldn’t be seated right away, and they would have to give us a buzzer to wait out the front until they had a table…. So clearly, we weren’t the only people who loved their brunch.
This picture may not be of the pancakes at Taloulous but this is their hot chocolate…. and how delicious it looks!
23- Take a yoga class at Flow State Banff.
There are a few great studios around Banff for Yoga but my favorite was Flow State Banff because of the wide selection of classes they offered, the wonderful teachers, and the great community atmosphere they create. They also have the best views of Cascade Mountain from their windows. Check out their website for their most up-to-date schedule and prices. They offer drop-in prices, 10 class cards, monthly memberships, and more.
24 - Take a gym Class at Summit CrossFit or work at Sally Bordens Fitness Centre.
If Yoga isn’t your thing, don’t worry there are many other options for a workout. Summit CrossFit offers awesome group classes for strength training, CrossFit training, or cardio-focused classes. If you don’t feel like taking a class and prefer to pop in your headphones and do your own workout, there is a great little gym at the Sally Borden Fitness Centre.
25 - Try and spot the Aurora and stargaze.
On a clear night and there is a high aurora rating, you may have the chance to see the sky light up and dance with its many colors. This is one of those activities that’s a little harder to plan as Mother Nature is in control. But you can keep an eye on the likelihood of seeing the Aurora or also known as the Northern Lights, on the “My Aurora Forecast and Alerts App.” and in the app, you can save your personalized settings and it will alert you when there is a high likelihood of seeing the lights in Banff.
Screenshot of the app in the apple app store for reference.
One of the best spots to view the lights in Banff is at Lake Minnewanka. This is because its one of the largest bodies of water in Banff, is extremely dark and is away from the pollution of the town. Other great spots to view them are Vermillion Lakes, Cascade Ponds, and Tunnel Mountain. But if they are bright enough, you will likely be able to see them from any spot in Banff, no matter where you are. If you don’t get to see the Aurora, star gazing is another great activity to do on a clear night. I’ve never seen stars as bright as I have in Banff; it’s magical!
A blurry image of us and the lights. Its the only time we saw them in the two years we lived in Canada and this is the only picture we captured!
26- Visit the Christmas Markets
It may not be an event you can do all year round but if you’re in Banff at the end of November and December, the market runs on certain dates over this period. Expect over 100 vendors, Santa Claus, cozy fires, mulled wine, hot chocolate, and an assortment of unreal food and gift stores. For your preferred date and time, you must pre-purchase entry tickets on the Banff Christmas market website. I recommend dressing warm and rugging up as much as you can. The vendors are indoors in the horse stalls, but the drink and food vendors are outside, and it can be very cold! Don’t forget your gloves!
The girls and I with Santa at the Christmas Markets!
27 - Catch the Skijoring event at Banff Snowdays festival!
The snowdays festival is held around the middle to the end of January and the skijoring event is usually held over the weekend during the festival period.
UMMMMMM WHAT IS SKIJORING ?!?!
Another sport I had never heard of as an Aussie, and I probably would never have known about it unless I lived in Canada. Its when professional equestrian riders, ride their horses and partner with skiers to perform tricks and stunts. Imagine horses pulling along skiers and snowboarders to help them gain speed and pulling them over large jumps. This event happens in the middle of Banff Ave and they close down the street to create jumps and runs for the horses and skiers. It’s a must-see event, and you have to watch it when visiting Banff in January.
Activities Just outside of Banff - in canmore
28 - Visit the town of Canmore and Marvel at the views of the three sisters and Rundle Peaks
The town of Canmore is bigger than Banff, and it's where most locals will come if they need to do their supermarket shopping at Save On Foods and Safeway or to get essentials they can’t get in Banff from Canadian Tire, Shoppers Drug Mart, or sports shops.
If you’re visiting Banff only for a few days, a trip to Canmore is definitely worth your time as the views are spectacular down the high street. There are many shopping options and souvenir shops, and if you’re looking for great coffee, look no further than Eclipse, which is always guaranteed to be busy because their coffee is the best! (We may be biased because Josh worked there during our summer living in Canmore). Right across the road from Eclipse Coffee is the Rocky Mountain bagel company, which is a great place to stop for lunch on your outing in Canmore.
Canmore is only 20 minutes from Banff and you can get a direct bus from Banff to Cafe on the Number 3 bus with Roam Transit, a one way ticket is $6.
Ha Ling and Minors Peak behind the town of Canmore.
29- Visit the best bookstore in the Bow valley- Cafe Books
This is my one of favorite book stores I have ever been too across every country I’ve ever visited. Its also conveniently located right next to the bagel store so after three hours of looking in this store, you don’t have to walk far to get your feed! Its not huge but has every genre and selection of books you can find. Across the hall from the store, they also have a smaller store for used books if you want to find a cheap second hand book!
30- Decorate your own pottery at Crock a Doodle.
This is the perfect wet-day timetable activity, or a snowstorm timetable?
Drop-ins are available, but on busy days, it's recommended that you make a reservation. You can decorate any piece you want, including mugs, plates, bowls, and more. You can paint and enjoy some creative time on your own, and the price of the chosen pottery includes the glazing and more.
31- Take a helicopter ride over the Three Sisters.
Alpine Helicopters Tours has a base in Canmore and offers tours year-round over the town of Canmore and the surrounding peaks. We have personally never been on this tour, but we used to live very close to the base and saw the helicopters flying in and out every day. We would see them ascend over the Three Sisters and disappear to the other side, and we would always be so jealous of the people who were fortunate enough to see the three sisters and the beauty of Canmore from above.
Our flat-mate Leia watching the helicopters fly over the Three Sisters from our pool during summer in Canmore.
32- Cross -Cross-country skiing at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
Even if you're not a skier, I’ve heard from many friends this is a fun activity to try something new, and the Canmore Nordic Centre is a great place to give it a crack as a first-timer! The Nordic Centre is located 5 minutes from the town of Canmore by car and a Kananaskis day pass is required to enter as it’s in a provincial park. There are many groomed beginner trails for you to try and you can rent all equipment from the center. If cross-country skiing isn’t your thing, they also offer ice skating and tobogganing at the center too!
33- Go indoor rock climbing at Elevation Place.
Some days in Banff, it gets too cold to snowboard. Yes, you heard that right.
When it gets so cold, the hills close down. Indoor rock climbing is a great activity to do on those days! Elevation Place offers reasonable prices for hiring all the equipment you need, and they have many options for beginners to advanced climbers. If you get snacky or want a coffee, they have an eclipse coffee stand in the center, too!
34- Visit Grizzly Paw Brewery and take a Brewery tour.
Grizzly Paw Brewery is the coolest brewery we have ever been to. It's huge, and the open-style seating overlooking the brewery below is groovy. On a clear day, you have awesome views of the Three Sisters, Ha Ling Peak, and Rundle Peak.
They have daily tours of the brewery and tastings of 4 craft brews to finish the tour for $30. If you aren’t a drinker, they also craft their own sodas, which you can try!
My all-time favorite beer is the raspberry beavertail ale, and Josh loves their lager. Be sure to try this when you visit!
A very happy with Josh with his tasting flight at Grizzly Paw Brewery, Canmore.
A little further then Banff and Canmore - Things to do if you have access to a vehicle
35 - Take a Helicopter tour over Abraham Lake, go snowshoeing and see the bubbles at Abraham Lake.
Poppy and I laying on top of frozen Abraham Lake.
Abraham Lake is 2 hours from Banff and is on the same road to Jasper until you turn off at the Saskatchewan crossing. Abraham Lake is called the bubble lake and is famously visited in winter because when it freezes, bubbles are formed in the ice that you can see when you walk over the frozen lake. But if you drive out there, you may as well visit the helicopter base and tour the lake, too, right?
The tour includes a flight over the lake and stops at one of the nearby peaks for a snowshoeing tour (beginner-friendly terrain) and hot chocolate in the snow before getting back into the helicopter and returning to the base.
I did this tour with 3 of my best friends, and it was one of the most magical days of our lives. You can book this tour online through Discover Banff Tours or via our link on Get Your Guide at no additional cost!
Landing the helicopter to go snowshoeing in the backcountry on our tour.
36- Take a day trip out to Radium Hot Springs.
Roughly a 2-hour drive from Banff, the town of Radium is small, with only a few motels and shops, but when driving to the town, you can’t miss the hot springs nestled into mountains on the side of the road. I much preferred these hot springs over the Banff hot springs as it was a lot quieter and they were also bigger and more spread out than the Banff springs. It’s a lot more peaceful and relaxing, and it feels like you have the place to yourself, away from the crowds.
37- Take a drive out to Emerald Lake and Marvel at the views Yoho National Park offers.
During the summer Emerald Lake is extremely popular and if you don’t arrive early in the morning the car park is usually full by 8am.
But I also loved it during the winter. The lake is frozen over, and the little wooden lodge next to it, with the surrounding mountains, makes for a very picturesque view. It’s also likely there will be no one else there, as it’s very hard to access without a car in the winter, so enjoy having the views to yourself!
The drive out to see the frozen lake is also an excursion in itself, as you enter Yoho National Park, you’ll be surrounded by mountains on either side of the highway!
Frozen Emerald Lake surrounded by snow capped mountains
38- Stand underneath the frozen falls at Natural Bridge in Yoho National Park.
This is on the same road as Emerald Lake and you can do both activities on the same day! The falls run under the bridge, which you see when you park at Natural Bridge. You can walk over this bridge, climb down a path to the frozen lake, and walk around to stand in the middle of the frozen falls under the bridge. I recommend doing this in the middle of the winter once it’s been frozen over for some time. As always, please walk with extreme caution and ensure any frozen lakes you’re walking across are solid.
Poppy and I standing under the frozen Natural Bridge Falls.
39- Take a scenic drive on the Icefields Parkway.
One of my favorite things about winter in the Rockies is you don’t need to have a destination in mind to travel to take in the views. An aimless drive with nowhere to go is just as beautiful as getting to the destination, and the Icefields Parkway is the perfect place to do this. This road connects you from Banff to Jasper, and you can drive the whole length of it in a day to Jasper, which takes around three hours with no stopping. However, there are so many roadside stops along the way with unreal views that you could stretch it out to be a 7-8 hour journey and stay in Jasper for a night.
But if you don’t have that much time, a drive along the parkway for an hour or two is well worth the drive. My favorite stops on the parkway are Bow Lake and Peyto Lake, and if you’re limited in time, drive to these destinations on the parkway before your return to Banff!
Standing on frozen Bow Lake.
40 - Rent a cozy, secluded cabin for the night.
When I lived in Banff, there were some days when I just wanted to get away and for a change of scenery. An excellent escape for a night or two is to book a cabin away from everything. My friends and I booked a cabin on Airbnb in Golden and purposely found one with a spa to take some much-needed time to chill out and relax in the snow while it snowed above us. There are so many great options on Airbnb for cabins, and if you’re feeling like driving away from Banff for a night with your mates, I highly recommend packing some board games, red wine, making a cheese platter, and switching off in a cozy cabin.
Other things to note for locals living in Banff or newcomers to Banff on working holiday visas.
Banff is undoubtedly an expensive place, and some of these activities can become very expensive, especially if you’ve moved to Banff on a working holiday visa and work a minimum-wage job.
But there is a way around this. Banff offers a great program for locals called the Banff Ambassador Pass. This pass gives you access to attractions around Banff at a discounted rate. This pass aims to help locals gain a more profound knowledge of everything to do in and around Banff and familiarize themselves with the national park you call home.
To access this pass, you must attend a free 1-hour session to learn about the park and gain a deeper understanding of how to answer questions you may be asked by people visiting Banff. You must be working for an eligible business in town.
For more information on gaining access to this pass, you can find more information on the Banff and Lake Louise information websites.
Conclusion
Banff truly offers something for everyone, making it an ideal destination for all travelers. While skiing and snowboarding are iconic winter activities, the beauty of Banff extends far beyond the slopes. Whether you're drawn to its stunning landscapes, outdoor adventures, unique cultural experiences, or tranquil escapes, Banff promises everyone a diverse range of experiences. From snowshoeing in the backcountry to soaking in hot springs or exploring its vibrant town, this Canadian gem has an option and adventure for everyone. So, next time you plan a getaway, remember: Banff isn’t just for ski enthusiasts — it’s a year-round haven for nature lovers, thrill-seekers, and those looking to unwind in the heart of the Rockies. No matter what you're into, you'll find that Banff is a magical place for all.
