Canadian winters can be cold and long which is why whenever we’ve had the chance to take a holiday, we fly south. Not this year though!!! We traveled to Banff National Park for a long weekend to take in the amazing sights and activities for our first Canadian Winter Holiday.

The reason we decided to go on a trip to Banff in November was to celebrate a 65th birthday, however, we took the opportunity to explore the area every chance we could. There were some pros and cons when going during the “off season” but I definitely think there were more pluses!

Banff is about an hour and a half out of Calgary, so if you’re flying, you’ll need to rent a car or arrange for transportation. We drove from Saskatchewan (our home province) and it took us about eight and a half hours. Of course we got to experience snowy roads on our travels, so if you’re driving, I suggest you leave early so you can do most of your travel in daylight, because it gets dark around 4:30/5:00pm during the winter months. We arrived safely, but our bodies were pretty achy from the long drive, so we decided to hit up the local yoga studio, Rocky Mountain Yoga, to work out all the kinks.

One of my favourite things about this mountain village is that everything is walking distance. The sidewalks are clear and you can get downtown in about 15 minutes (depending on where your accommodations are). There are a lot of restaurants and shops to go to, however, because this is a major tourist area in Canada, everything is marked up in prices (con). If you’re planning on shopping and eating at the trendy restaurants, plan to spend some $$$. We only made a couple of purchases and saved our money for a nice dinner (portions are huge, so if you’re like us, sharing a meal can cut down cost and help you from overeating), and packed our own snacks for breakfast to save a little cash.

Now the major pro about about going to Banff in November was that there were no crowds. The streets were sparse and it was easy to get a table at a restaurant or coffee shop. However, if you’re travelling with a large group like we did, I suggest making a reservation. I myself didn’t go skiing, but some of our group did, and they said the slopes were empty - another great plus!

Seeing as this was our first time in Banff in the winter, we wanted to make sure we got out of the town and explored the beautiful countryside. Johnston Canyon is only a 30 minute drive from Banff and well worth it! You can book tours, but if you have your own mode of transportation, there’s no need. I do suggest you buy or rent a pair of winter cleats to make the hike more manageable. The canyon is a stunning hiking trail that follows the river to two different water falls. The walk is around 5 km, round trip, but the path is well marked and free! I found it completely amazing how the falls were frozen, but the water was still running underneath and pooling at the bottom. The trail was pretty empty in the morning, but on our way back, it was starting to get a little busier. Around 9:30 was the perfect time to walk and see the sun come over the mountains and peek through the trees.

After our hike we decided to continue our drive to Lake Louise. The lake was completely frozen over so you can walk, skate, cross country ski all over! There was a big ski competition on while we were there, therefore it was a little busier then Banff, so we decided to just walk around and take in the views.

Banff is famous for it’s natural hot springs, so what better way to unwind from the day! We met up with our group for a soak in the nice warm water, steaming into the mountain air. If you go during the day, you’ll see the mountains all around you, but I love the atmosphere created by the steam at night. If you forgot your swim suits, no worries, you can rent some there! This was a joke between our group because a couple of them actually rented them a few years back.

Another tourist attraction in Banff is riding the gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. If you’re up to the challenge, you can hike up the mountain like we did! There is a path that starts in the parking lot by the hot springs, and it takes you switch back all the way up. Even though it was -25°C we were very warm (I was completely soaked through) when hiking in the mountains. It’s important to dress in layers. We were lucky and there was no wind and the sun was out. The hike took about 1.5 hours and it’s around 5km. We wore our cleats, which is helpful to make sure your don’t slip down the mountain, and tried to keep a steady pace. There are no signs telling you how far it is, so we took a couple of breathers to let our heart rate come down. We’re not use to the altitude, so every once in awhile it was hard to catch our breath. The last 30 minutes is pretty steep, but the feeling of reaching the top was awesome!

If hiking isn’t your cup of tea, you can take the gondola up to the summit. Although the best thing about doing the hike is that we got to explore the summit and take a free gondola ride down! We were completely grateful for the sunny day we had at the summit. It was all decorated for Christmas, and we even got to see Santa!

A big part of Canadian history is the story of the railroad. Throughout the country there are “Canada’s Castles” at some of the old major railroad stops. These hotels are still available to stay at, however, they sometimes come at a big price. The Fairmont Banff Springs is stunning, but you don’t need to be a hotel guest to enjoy it. Take some time to explore the grounds, walk around inside and maybe indulge in a spa treatment!

Of course before we ended our long weekend in Banff, we took advantage of the free yoga class at Lululemon on Sunday morning! It was the perfect end to a great trip. There are so many more activities that you can take part in and enjoy in Banff, and even more events start up throughout the winter season. We were traveling on a tight budget this time, so we were creative with our experiences and I feel like we made to most of it!

I’m so glad we took the opportunity to take a short winter vacay in our own country. Canada has so much to offer and we travel so much in other countries we sometimes forget to be adventurous in our own backyard. If you’re not from Canada and you’re planning on experience a Canadian winter in the rockies, I’m so excited for you! Let me know if you’re coming and maybe we can grab a coffee!