Winter turns Banff into a snow globe you can actually walk into. Most people come for the skiing, but the real magic happens off the slopes.
Some of the best things to do in Banff in winter are walking Johnston Canyon’s frozen waterfalls, skating on Lake Louise, standing on the ice bubbles of Abraham Lake and snowshoeing through quiet forest.
We’ve rounded up a hot list of our favourite winter activities, events and festivals in and around Banff. Steal them for your next trip.
The 11 best things to do in Banff in winter (quick answer)
- Walk Johnston Canyon’s frozen waterfalls
- Hike Johnston Canyon by headlamp and stargaze over Banff
- Skate or snowshoe on frozen Lake Louise
- See the ice bubbles of Abraham Lake on the Icefields Parkway
- Learn to snowshoe in Banff National Park
- Ride an electric fat bike on Banff’s snowy trails
- Spot elk and bighorn sheep on a Banff wildlife tour
- Ride the Banff Gondola up Sulphur Mountain
- See frozen Marble Canyon and Emerald Lake in Yoho and Kootenay
- Soak at a Nordic spa in Canmore
- Go dog sledding in Kananaskis
1. Walk Johnston Canyon’s Frozen Waterfalls (Johnston Canyon Ice Walk)
Johnston Canyon is one of Banff’s most magical winter walks: steel catwalks bolted to limestone walls lead you down through the canyon to the frozen Lower Falls, about 25 minutes from town on the Bow Valley Parkway.
Icicles hang off the canyon walls like chandeliers. At the Lower Falls, water still runs through a cave-like gap in the ice. Push on to the Upper Falls (about 2.4 km more and 100 m of climbing) and you’ll often catch ice climbers working their way up the frozen curtain. The canyon is sheltered from wind, so minus 20 feels a lot friendlier here than on an open lake.
On the Johnston Canyon Frozen Falls Adventure, your guide fits your ice cleats, hands you poles and stops at a couple of Bow Valley Parkway lookouts most drivers blow past. The experience is finished with a hot drink in hand.
4 hours · ages 8+ · from CA$110 · ice cleats, poles, hot drinks and Banff hotel pickup included
2. Hike Johnston Canyon by Headlamp and Stargaze Over Banff
Looking for a more wild and unique experience this winter? Heading down into the frozen Johnston Canyon at night guided by headlamp, then stargazing from Vermilion Lakes or Mt. Norquay is something that you will tell friends about for the rest of your life.
By headlamp, the ice turns blue and the canyon feels twice as big. You’ll stand at the Lower Falls platform with nobody else around, then drive to a dark-sky spot to spend the rest of the experience gazing up. Hot chocolate in hand, the Milky Way does the rest. When solar activity is high, the northern lights sometimes show up too. No promises though; space weather doesn’t take bookings.
The Radventures Johnston Canyon Night Walk & Stargazing experience is winter-only and capped at 10 guests.
3 hours · ages 8+ · from CA$110 · headlamps, ice cleats, poles, hot drinks and Banff hotel pickup included
3. Skate or Snowshoe on Frozen Lake Louise
You’ve all seen the famous turquoise photos of Lake Louise in summer, but in winter, it becomes a whole new playground. Lake Louise freezes solid in winter, and you can skate, snowshoe or walk across it beneath Victoria Glacier, about 45 minutes from Banff.
The Winter Wonderland | Lake Louise & Johnston Canyon tour pairs the two best winter spots in Banff into one exciting day. Morning in the frozen canyon with ice cleats on. Picnic lunch and hot drinks at a scenic lookout. Afternoon on Lake Louise, where you can lace up skates, snowshoe through fresh powder, or warm up with an Irish coffee inside the Fairmont Château Lake Louise.
If you’re visiting in late January, you’ll catch the ice sculptures of Ice Magic on the lake (see the events section below).
8 hours · ages 8+ · from CA$260 · ice cleats, poles, picnic lunch, hot drinks and Banff hotel pickup included
4. See the Ice Bubbles of Abraham Lake on the Icefields Parkway
If you’ve ever wanted to see something truly otherworldly, let us introduce you to Abraham Lake. About 2.5 hours from Banff, this huge man-made lake sits on top of a flooded forest that still releases methane from the lake bed. Every winter, as the surface freezes, the rising methane gets trapped in the ice, layer after layer, forming bursts of white bubbles suspended in clear ice. And because wind sweeps across the wide-open lake almost every day, the snow gets blown clear and the glassy ice stays on show all season. It’s the best place in Canada to see frozen methane bubbles, and you’ll understand why when you look down. It’s almost as if someone hit pause on a glass of soda.
Getting there is arguably even more exciting and takes you along one of the most scenic drives in the world: the Icefields Parkway & Ice Bubbles of Abraham Lake tour snowshoes to the Peyto Lake viewpoint, stops at frozen Bow Lake, and runs the quietest stretch of the Icefields Parkway in the season when it’s nearly empty. Your guide checks the ice before anyone steps on it and takes your photos, so you can soak it all in.
Skates and snowshoes can be added at checkout.
8 hours · ages 12+ · from CA$275 · ice cleats, poles, picnic lunch, hot drinks and Banff or Lake Louise hotel pickup included
5. Learn to Snowshoe in Banff National Park (No Experience Needed)
Snowshoeing is the easiest way to get into Banff’s backcountry in winter: if you can walk, you can do it, and a beginner tour has you moving comfortably within minutes.
On the Introduction to Snowshoeing in Banff, your guide picks the trail each morning based on snow and conditions, then reads the tracks along the way: who crossed here, when, and what they were after. Halfway, you stop in the trees for a hot drink and a sweet treat. It’s the quietest morning you’ll have in the Rockies.
4 hours · ages 12+ · from CA$120 · snowshoes, poles, hot drinks and Banff hotel pickup included
6. Ride an Electric Fat Bike on Banff’s Snowy Trails
Winter fat biking in Banff means riding wide-tire e-bikes on packed snow along the Bow River, past Bow Falls and out to Vermilion Lakes, with the e-bike doing the hard work.
Those fat tires grip snow better than your boots do. The Electric Fat Biking Banff Adventure builds the route on the day based on the group and the weather, with possible stops at Cave & Basin, Surprise Corner and a lookout we keep to ourselves. All fitness levels and experiences are welcome. If you can ride a regular bike, you’re good.
2 hours · ages 15+ · from CA$155 · e-fat bike, helmet and hot drinks included
7. Spot Elk and Bighorn Sheep on a Banff Highlights & Wildlife Tour
Elk, bighorn sheep and deer stay active around Banff all winter, and a guided wildlife tour finds animals on about 95% of trips. Just remember, wildlife is wild, sightings can never be planned for.
The Banff Highlights & Wildlife tour is the perfect way to see iconic landmarks and viewpoints around the town of Banff, while also looking out for wildlife that frequent the area. In three hours you’ll hit the Mt. Norquay viewpoint, Lake Minnewanka, the Hoodoos, Surprise Corner, Bow Falls and Cave & Basin (the birthplace of Canada’s national parks, a winter-only stop), plus two surprise spots we don’t print. Skip the bus tour: the van holds 12, so you can actually stop and look when something four-legged shows up.
3 hours · ages 8+ · from CA$145 · hot drinks and Banff hotel pickup included
8. Ride the Banff Gondola Up Sulphur Mountain in Winter
The Banff Gondola runs all winter and takes you to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, where the boardwalk looks out over six mountain ranges and the Bow Valley and will be sure to take your breathe away.
In winter, the summit is frosted, quieter and often above the cloud. The Banff Highlights, Wildlife & Gondola tour adds the gondola to the wildlife tour above, so you get the viewpoints, the animals and the summit in one half day experience without juggling tickets, winter driving and parking.
4 hours · ages 8+ · from CA$295 · gondola, hot drinks and Banff hotel pickup included
9. See Frozen Marble Canyon and Emerald Lake in Yoho and Kootenay
There are the iconic bucket list places that always show up on the ‘must see’ lists, and then there are the hidden gems that often get overlooked. Yoho and Kootenay national parks sit right next to Banff, and in winter you can see ice-filled Marble Canyon, Numa Falls, the Natural Bridge and frozen Emerald Lake in a single day trip. These spots are the quieter and less known winter beauties that deserve a place on your to-do list.
Hidden Frozen Gems of Yoho & Kootenay crosses into British Columbia for narrow limestone gorges glazed with ice, the Kicking Horse River squeezing through the Natural Bridge, and Emerald Lake gone white and silent, plus a few viewpoints our guides picked themselves.
8 hours · ages 12+ · from CA$260 · Banff hotel pickup included
10. Soak at Everwild Nordic Spa in Canmore
For a Nordic spa day near Banff, head to Everwild Canmore, a hot-cold-rest thermal circuit with outdoor hot pools, cold plunges, saunas and steam rooms, about 20 minutes’ drive from Banff. The views of the mountains from the hot pools and glass walled sauna are honestly unmatched.
This is an ideal recovery and relaxation spot after a long day on the slopes or snowshoeing through trails. Sit in a hot pool with snow coming down, jump in the cold plunge (you’ll squeal, everyone does), then thaw out in the sauna and repeat until your legs forget the skiboots. Everwild recommends at least two to three hours for a few full rounds, and its guided sauna and steam room rituals run through the day. Weekday daytimes are the quietest; evenings and weekends get more social.
Thermal access is 18+. Day pass prices change by date, so check the booking calendar. Everwild is also building a rooftop spa in downtown Banff, expected late 2027 or early 2028.
Address: 1 Silvertip Trail, Canmore · open 9 am to 9 pm Mon to Thu, 9 am to 10 pm Fri to Sun · 18+
11. Go Dog Sledding Near Banff (Spray Lakes, Kananaskis)
Dog sledding near Banff happens just outside the national park in the Spray Lakes area of Kananaskis, above Canmore, with tours usually running from December to mid-April depending on snow.
Nothing in the Rockies is louder than a dog team waiting to go, and nothing is quieter than the moment they start running. Most outfits let you help harness the huskies, ride bundled in the sled under blankets, or take a turn driving with a guide beside you. Trips end around a campfire with something hot. Expect anywhere from a 90-minute taster to a half-day run out across the frozen lake.
Most dog sled operators meet in Canmore or at the trailhead, and some offer pickup from Banff hotels. Book early: holiday and February weekends fill fast.
Looking for a Bigger Winter Adventure? Check out these multi-day winter trips in the Canadian Rockies
If one day isn’t enough, Radventures runs two multi-day winter trips from the Bow Valley: a four-day wellness retreat in Canmore and a 12-day ski road trip across four Canadian resorts. Both are small-group, fully guided and all logistics taken care of, so all you have to do is show up.
Rocky Mountain Winter Wellness Retreat (4 days, Canmore)
The Rocky Mountain Winter Wellness Retreat is a four-day, adults-only reset based at Everwild Nordic Spa & Hotel in Canmore, with sunrise yoga, forest bathing and an Indigenous medicine walk in Banff National Park.
You sleep steps from the thermal circuit, so the hot pools are there after a slow forest walk or a morning of somatic yoga. On day three, a Cree knowledge keeper leads the group through forest and meadow at Cascade Ponds, sharing the plants and stories of the land and brewing bush tea from what’s gathered along the way. There’s an afternoon watching the park’s wildlife with a guide, and the trip closes with a farewell dinner built on locally sourced ingredients.
4 days, 3 nights · ages 18+ · max 12 travellers · activity level easy · from CA$2,620 · includes 3 nights at Everwild Canmore, 2 Nordic spa entries, daily breakfast, 2 dinners, yoga, forest bathing, the medicine walk and guided transport
Best for: travellers who want winter in the Rockies without the alarm clock, and anyone who’s ever come home from a holiday needing another holiday.
Mountain Collector Canadian Ski Resorts Tour (12 days, Banff to Revelstoke)
The Mountain Collector is a 12-day guided ski and snowboard road trip from Banff with eight days on the mountain at Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Panorama and Revelstoke, four Western Canada resorts on the Mountain Collective pass.
The first five nights are in Banff, chasing the best snow between Sunshine and Lake Louise with a local guide who knows where the powder hides. Then the road trip starts: through Kootenay National Park to Invermere with an evening soak at Radium Hot Springs, two days in Panorama’s tree runs, then over Rogers Pass to Revelstoke, home of the biggest lift-served vertical in North America. Evenings include a local hockey game, a brewery stop and après in four different mountain towns.
12 days, 11 nights · 8 ski or ride days · ages 14+ · 6 to 12 travellers, 1 guide per 6 guests · intermediate and up · from CA$5,990 · includes 3 and 4 star hotels, daily breakfast, on-mountain guiding, transport, park fees and hot springs entry
2027 departures: March 3 to 14 and March 17 to 28.
Best for: skiers and riders who want to tick off four resorts in one trip without driving mountain passes in February themselves.
Events and Festivals in Banff and Lake Louise in Winter (2026/27)
Banff and Lake Louise run five major winter events in 2026/27, from the Taste for Adventure food festival in late October to the SnowDays ice sculpture festival, which wraps up on February 7, 2027.
Taste for Adventure (October 22 to November 5, 2026)
Taste for Adventure is a culinary celebration featuring exclusive menus, chef-inspired dishes and special dining experiences at participating restaurants throughout Banff and Lake Louise. It’s a great opportunity to sample local flavours and discover new dining favourites.
- Date: October 22 to November 5, 2026
- Location: Multiple locations
In Search of Christmas Spirit (November 12, 2026 to January 3, 2027)
In Search of Christmas Spirit is an immersive outdoor light experience featuring illuminated wildlife sculptures, festive storytelling and captivating soundscapes. This family-friendly event takes visitors on a self-guided journey through one of Banff’s most beautiful gardens.
- Date: Select dates from November 12, 2026 to January 3, 2027
- Time: 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm on event days
- Location: Cascade of Time Garden, Banff
Hot Chocolate Trail (November 12, 2026 to February 7, 2027)
The Hot Chocolate Trail is a self-guided culinary adventure featuring limited-time hot chocolate creations from cafés, restaurants and local businesses throughout Banff and Lake Louise. From classic favourites to creative seasonal flavours, it’s a delicious winter tradition.
- Date: November 12, 2026 to February 7, 2027
- Location: Multiple locations
Banff Christmas Market (November 19 to December 13, 2026)
The Banff Christmas Market has lots of great local artisans, holiday gifts, seasonal treats and festive entertainment. It’s the perfect place to find unique Christmas gifts while enjoying the sights, sounds and flavours of the holiday season.
- Date: Select dates from November 19 to December 13, 2026
- Time: 10 am to 8 pm
- Location: Banff Train Station
SnowDays Festival and Ice Magic (January 21 to February 7, 2027)
The SnowDays Festival is Banff and Lake Louise’s signature winter festival. Highlights include snow and ice sculptures, Ice Magic at Lake Louise, carving competitions, family-friendly activities, live entertainment and winter experiences throughout the destination.
- Date: January 21 to February 7, 2027
- Location: Multiple locations throughout Banff and Lake Louise
Local tip: our Winter Wonderland tour puts you on Lake Louise during Ice Magic, and the wildlife tour drops you back in town in time for the Christmas Market or a Hot Chocolate Trail stop.
