A Complete Guide to Skiing Banff National Park
Views from the Larch valley area at Lake Louise ski resort.
Situated within the rugged landscape of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, Banff National Park is renowned for being one of the best destinations in the world for skiers and snowboarders. Running from late November to early May, the area boasts one of the longest ski seasons found anywhere on the globe and with it’s reliable conditions and spectacular scenery, it’s no wonder that adventurers from all over the world flock to the area come the winter season.
The national park’s three ski resorts; Banff’s Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Ski Resort, and Mt Norquay are all easily accessible from both the Town of Banff and Lake Louise Village, and have something for everyone - whether you’re an expert on the slopes or a total beginner.
From where to stay, which pass options to choose, and the best ways to get to and from the slopes, our complete guide will go over all the details to make sure you make the most of your visit!
Banff Sunshine’s Gondola brings you 4.6 km from it’s base area 20 minutes from Banff township to Sunshine’s Village area, where their entire ski area can be accessed from.
Resorts at a glance
Banff Sunshine:
3,358 skiable acres// 12 lifts // 3,510 ft vertical // 20% beginner, 55% int, 25% expert // 137 marked runs // longest run: 8km
Check out Sunshine Trail Map here.
Lake Louise:
4,275 skiable acres // 11 lifts // 3,250 ft vertical // 25% beginner, 45% int, 30% expert // 164 marked runs // longest run: 8km
Check out Lake Louise Trail Map here.
Mt Norquay:
190 skiable acres // 6 lifts // 1,650 ft vertical // 60 marked runs
Check out Norquay Trail Map here.
what’s in this post
How to get here
Where to stay
Getting from your accommodation to the slopes
Pass options
Rental information
How to Get Here
Banff National Park is located in western Canada, just over 100km west of Calgary. If arriving in the area from abroad or further afield, we recommend flying into Calgary International Airport (YYC). YYC serves as a fantastic gateway to the Rockies with the Trans Canada Highway (Hwy 1) making it extremely accessible to get from the city to the mountains.
To make the trip west, either rent a car from the airport, use a public transport provider such as the Banff Airporter or the Brewster Express, or book a privatised service such as Banff Sedan or a Calgary based cab company. Manage your expectations that the journey could take a few hours, especially in the winter, as the climate can severely impact the road conditions.
National Parks Pass
If you choose to rent a car from the airport for your trip, or choose to purchase a vehicle if you’re in the area for the season, remember to purchase a park pass for valid entry into the National Park. You can either do this before you arrive through the Parks website, or you can purchase the pass as you drive in on the Trans Canada (you’ll see small drive-through huts just before the township of Banff situated on the highway).
You’ll have the option to choose between a Day Pass, which is the best option if you’re coming for a short holiday under two weeks, or a Discovery Pass, which is valid for an entire year and grants you access to over 80 Parks Canada destinations.
Once you have your pass, they must be displayed on the dash of your vehicle while in the National Park.
where to stay
Both the National Park and the Township of Banff are interchangeably referred to as ‘Banff’.
There are a few options of where to base yourself once you’ve made it to the area. If you’re on holiday, we recommend staying within the township of Banff or within Lake Louise village, both of which are situated within the National Park and are well-serviced for tourism. If you’re in the area for a longer time, also consider Canmore, a more local and less-populated township situated just over 20km from Banff township and outside of the national park.
When considering to stay in Banff or Lake Louise, consider which resort you’re most likely to frequent, how much on-mountain time you’re after and how you’d like to spend your off-mountain time. Banff is definitely the larger of the two and offer more amenities, shops, dining options and nightlife, whereas Lake Louise is quaint and on a much smaller scale. Keep this in mind when you’re thinking about how you’re looking to spend your time off the slopes.
Accommodation Recommendations
Whether you’ve come for a budget ski holiday or a luxury experience, there are plenty of accommodation options within the area, all of which cater to skiers and snowboarders throughout the winter season.
Keep in mind that some of the pass options (see more info below), such as the Lake Louise Plus Card, offer discounts on select accommodation throughout Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise. See more through their benefits section.
If you’re looking more on the budget end, look to the HI Alpine Centres in the area.
If you’re more mid-range, we recommend checking out Banff Lodging Co., which offer a range of hotels and suites in Banff and Canmore and offer comfort and good amenities. We’ve had really good experiences in both the Fox Hotel & Suites and the Moose Hotel & Suites.
Finally, if you’re looking for something luxury, look no further than the Fairmont. Both the Banff Springs, located within Banff township, and the Château Lake Louise, located on the shores of Lake Louise, are tourist attractions in themselves and are renowned for being the most luxurious accommodations in the area.
If you’re looking for a luxurious stay to compliment your ski holiday (complete with hot pools and spa on site), check out Canada’s castle, Fairmont’s Banff Springs.
Getting from your accomodation to the slopes
You’ve booked in your accommodation, have the resort you’d like to frequent in mind, and now you’re ready to hit the slopes. If you’ve rented a car, all of the ski resorts offer ample parking at their base lodge and you’ll have that flexibility of getting the most of your time on the mountain.
If you’re relying on public transport, or prefer it, all three resorts offer complimentary shuttles to/from their base areas and pickup from a number of convenient locations.
Lake Louise Ski Resort offers pickup from Lake Louise village and from the town of Banff to the resort base, find their schedule and pickup locations here.
Banff Sunshine only offers their complimentary shuttle from the town of Banff, find their schedule and pickup locations here.
Mt Norquay only offers their complimentary shuttle from Banff township, find their schedule and pickup locations here.
Ski In Ski Out
Unlike Europe, Canada’s ski scene doesn’t offer many resort towns that are ski in/ski out, but if you’re really looking for that experience, the only accommodation option within Banff National Park would be Banff Sunshine’s Mountain Lodge, located in their village area 4.6km away from their base.
Pass Options
Whether you’re in the area for a two week holiday or if you’re just relocated for a season, there are plenty of pass options.
Use the links provided to show up-to-date seasonal pricing.
Make sure to shop around for deals if you’re heading down the day pass route. All three resorts run early bird offers, weekday specials, afternoon or ‘last hour’ passes and discounts for children, students and seniors. Make the most of what will fit in with your schedule!
If you’re on a holiday….
Stick with the day pass route. All three resorts have special passes that give you good savings on passes and include other perks such as discounts on rentals, ski schools, other on-mountain services, and free day passes to other smaller, local resorts.
Banff Sunshine’s special pass is called a Super Card.
Lake Louise’s special pass is called a Plus Card.
Mt Norquay’s special pass is called the Big Drop Card.
If you’re headed to Sunshine or Lake Louise, purchasing the cards is worth it from day one. Even if you’re only spending one day on the hill, the price of the card is cheaper than a day pass, and it includes the first day ‘free’. If you’re there for a week or just under, the pass also includes the 4th and 7th day free (as of 2021/22) and you get discounts on your regular day passes. If you’re headed for Mt Norquay, you get 50% off lift tickets if you buy their card, so it can save you quite a lot if you’re doing two or more days.
Ski Big 3
Another option is to look at the rates for “Ski Big 3” passes. They can typically be a bit more expensive than standard day passes issued by the resorts themselves, but they do offer you unlimited skiing at all three resorts if you’re not sure which to choose from and come with specialised offers such as guided tours, private rentals, shuttle services and lessons. They are certainly worth keeping in mind and comparing prices with if you’re looking for a more complete package.
The Lake Louise Ski Resort is definitely our favourite in the area. It’s the largest of the three and offers loads of advanced terrain, long tree runs and incredible views across the Bow Valley.
If you’re here for a season….
If you’re planning on staying in the area for a longer term, our recommendation would be to try all of the resorts on a day pass to see which you prefer and then commit to the one you’re most likely to frequent by getting a pre-season Early Bird or Black Friday season pass deal.
However, if you’re looking to frequent all three throughout the season, check out the rates for Ski Big 3 or the Rocky Mountain Passport. The latter offers not just the 3 resorts within the national park but also offers a season’s pass to Nakiska Ski Resort, Fernie Alpine Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort and Marmot Basin, all within the greater area.
For Ikon/ Mountain Collective Holders
If you’re a holder of one of these international multi-destination passes, Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, and Mt Norquay are listed in the Ikon Pass, and Banff Sunshine and Lake Louise are listed in the Mountain Collective Pass. Triple check your black-out dates, and how many dates you’re entitled to depending on which pass you have, and you’d be able to access these mountains with your membership!
Both the Mountain Collective and Ikon Pass offer multiple deals on a variety of resorts worldwide. If you live near a ski resort listed within one of the passes, and/or are very keen to travel and see new resorts around the world within one season, these passes can be a great option. They both include resorts all over North America, a few resorts in the Alps, and a couple from across Australia, New Zealand, and South America - meaning you could use the pass in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere’s winter seasons.
rental information
All three ski resorts make renting equipment really straightforward. Unless you’ve booked your pass in with a company like Ski Big 3 that offer rentals as part of their package, we definitely recommend just using the resort’s rental equipment as it’s the most convenient.
Once you’ve arrived at the resort, head towards the rentals area. You’ll be asked to fill in your details and to read and sign the attached waiver for your items. After this, the rentals team will help you find the gear you’re after. You can choose a full package- which would include boots, skis or snowboard, helmet and accessories (poles/ bindings), or rent the items individually. You’ll pay a day rate for the rentals and typically return them when you’re finished. There is the option to pay for them for multiple days if you know you’ll be on the mountain for consecutive days. This can give you a discount on the rental and save you time when you’re back up, skipping the rental queues and heading straight for the lifts. As of early 2022/2023 season, no rentals were currently offered for ski clothing or goggles.
Should I bring my own?
Depending on how long you’re coming to the area for, you may be going back and forth on whether you should bring your own gear. The factors that always help us decide whether or not to pack our own gear are; cost, hassle and experience.
Cost: Compare the cost of checking a bag (oversized, specifically sporting equipment) on your airline and renting the equipment.
Hassle: Decide whether or not packing all of your own gear is worth it. If you’re already a heavyweight packer, or if you’re travelling with children, the idea or also bringing along the equipment may not be worth it. In this case, we recommend packing your own ski clothing, helmet and goggles, but rent the rest once you’re here.
Experience: If you enjoy your time on the mountain more because you’re using your own gear, then it’s totally worth the extra costs and hassle of bringing it over. On the other hand, we sometimes like using the opportunity to trial new skis or boards.
If you’re coming for a full season, either bring your own gear if you have it, invest in gear when you arrive, or consider a job where rentals are a perk of the job. If you’re looking to buy gear, there are always loads of great options within ski towns, whether you’re looking to buy new or good quality used gear.
Coming to work a ski season? Find out our advice on working within resorts.
With incredible terrain, scenery and community, skiing or snowboarding in Banff National Park is a must-do if you’re heading to this part of the world, whether it’s for a short holiday or for an entire season.
happy travels,
Sam
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