As the festive season wraps its arms around us, there’s no place quite like the Town of Banff to truly feel the magic of Christmas. Picture this: snowflakes gently descending from the sky, streets lined with twinkling lights, and losing feeling in your fingers and nose due to how goddamn cold it is. I barely even watch Hallmark movies but the moment we entered this town it felt like we were stepping into a scene from a cherished Hallmark Christmas movie. For a brief moment I was convinced I was about to experience my Hallmark stereotype “meet-ugly” wherein I meet some handsome stranger in some weird accident where we start off hostile against each other but then end up falling madly in love but then some childhood sweetheart randomly appears and I find out I’m a long lost princess of some forgotten kingdom then a dog runs away or something along those lines.
My parents and I decided to fly in for a quick visit over the Thanksgiving holiday (+ my mom’s birthday!) and our timing was absolutely perfect given that it was apparently off season and snow just started falling consistently a few days before our trip, blessing us with a gorgeous winter wonderland.
The charming avenues, adorned with festive decorations and warm, glowing lights, create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The snow-capped mountains in the distance stand as majestic backdrops to this enchanting town, making it a scene so perfect, it feels as if it has been lifted straight from a storybook.
To get to Banff, we flew into Calgary airport, rented a car, and drove roughly 1.5 hours to get to our destination.
- Accommodation: Banff Inn
- Price: $284 USD for 2 nights, booked through Booking.com (feel free to use my #affiliate link HERE) and to save even more money I activated my Rakuten cashback offer (sign up with my code KRYSTA19881 or click HERE)
Some of the links on this page are affiliated links wherein I may receive a commission when items are purchased through my affiliate links. #CommissionsEarned
- Additional fees: Since the Town of Banff is located within Banff National Park, you’ll need to purchase a national parks pass for $22CAD — link to national park pass and information here
- Excursions compiled in my Viator affiliate shop.
ITINERARY: Banff
Day 1
- Late afternoon: drive from downtown Calgary to Banff (1.5 hours)
- Did a little stop at the Farmer’s Market in Calgary to pick up some snacks for the road and souvenirs
- Arrive at Banff Inn, check in, and get settled
- Attempt to walk to Downtown Banff for food but then realize your dad’s shoes are in fact, not waterproof and haul ass back to the hotel so he can change shoes
- Had late dinner at Carlito’s Pizzaria located at the ground floor of our hotel which was honestly pretty clutch and known for serving the “Best Poutine West of Montreal” — I agree. Or maybe I just like poutine in general.
Day 2
- Grab a quick bite over at Whitebark Cafe located at the Banff Aspen Lodge
- BANFF GONDOLA
- Drive to the Banff Gondola parking lot for our 10:30AM slot reservations up the mountain
- Enjoy the views of Banff from above!
- At the top of the mountain, you’ll be blessed with gorgeous views of six different mountain ranges, the Bow Valley and the adorable town of Banff seen from the Sulphur Mountain summit. There is also a boardwalk you can walk on that would take you to the Cosmic Ray Station and Sanson’s Peak (we didn’t get to complete this since it was freezing and someone really had to use the restroom)
- Had a beautiful mountain top dining experience for my mom’s birthday lunch at Sky Bistro Banff located right at the summit of Sulphur Mountain
- Reservations can be made on Open Table
- Scenic drive around the Lake Minnewanka loop that we were actually not able to complete due to snow related road closures
- Banff Christmas Market
- I would call this a must-visit with entertaining indoor and outdoor activities perfect for all ages– they sell booze, handmade items inside the tents, and have a playground for the kiddos!
- We spent the rest of our afternoon walking around downtown Banff checking out the gift stores, the Banff sign, and other typical tourist things you’d do it a charming little downtown like this (which is literally take like a billion photos)
- Birthday dinner for my mom at the Bison
- Address: 211 Bear St # 213, Banff, AB T1L 1E4, Canada
- You can view their menu and make reservations on their website HERE
- Named as one of Canada’s top 10 fine dining restaurants in 2020 by Traveller’s choice, we absolutely devoured everything we ordered. Not the best lighting but we got the: Alberta beef striploin, wood fired duck, and24 hour braised Alberta beef. Of course for cocktails, I had to try out the national cocktail of Canada: the Caesar. And no, I am not a fan. But if you like Bloody Mary’s, you’ll probably enjoy the Caesar.
Day 3
- Breakfast at Good Earth Coffee house while waiting for our relatives to arrive
- Check out good ole Lake Louise however the lake was already frozen! Frozen or not, it was still a beautiful sight to see. I just wish it was frozen enough for us to walk over it!
- Lunch at Bill Peyto’s Cafe which is a fairly affordable option especially given their serving portions
That’s basically how we spent about 3 days within Banff before we made the road trip over to Jasper with some relatives! Unfortunately, we did not plan ahead as much as I would have liked and encountered many activities/sight seeing spots that ended up being closed due to the weather.
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