Should I visit Banff in summer or winter?
That was a big question I asked myself last year. Well, I decided to visit in the summer because I’m a bit afraid of the cold (living in Southern California for the past 5 years will do that to you haha).
I decided to go over an extended July 4th weekend and had a blast. Banff is absolutely beautiful in the summer.
But later in the year, I learned that I would be getting New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day off at work.
So, I decided to take advantage of the slow holiday season and take a week to go back to Banff in the winter.
I left the states right after Christmas and stayed after New Year’s.
And what a blast it was!
Banff is absolutely different in the summer vs. the winter. There are different activities to do and even the tourists are different.
It was truly amazing to experience both seasons in the same year because it was like visiting two different cities.
So I’m going to break it down for you on whether to visit Banff in the summer or winter.
Prices (Summer vs. Winter)
Alright before I talk about the pros and cons of Banff in the summer vs. winter, I talked to talk about prices.
Banff is a big tourist destination no matter what time of year you’re visiting. As a result, prices will be inflated no matter what.
A cheap hotel in Banff will cost 20%+ than a comparable hotel in Calgary.
That being said, summer is definitely more expensive than the winter. The summer is Banff’s busiest season – so expect hotels (and restaurants) to jack up their prices.
Alright, now that I got that out of the way….let’s talk about Banff int he summer.
Banff in Summer
So, what’s not to love about Banff in the summer?
The views are incredible, the sun doesn’t set until 9 PM, and you have a much better chance of seeing the great wildlife of the park!
The best time to visit Banff in the summer is in July and August.
Pros of Banff in Summer
Alright, there are a ton of things to love about Banff in the summer. Let’s see why…
Great Summer Activities
If you’re a fan of the big outdoors, a summer in Banff will be like Disneyland heaven for you.
There are so many things to do.
You can go hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, mountain biking, and so much more! In fact, I read a crazy statistic somewhere that said Banff has over 1,000 km of hiking trails!
I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it doesn’t change one thing: there are more activities to do in Banff than the duration of your stay.
So you have to plan accordingly!
Here are some of my favorite hikes in Banff in the summer:
- Bow Falls
- Johnston Canyon (both upper and lower falls)
- Lake Minnewanka trail to Stewart Canyon
- Lake Louise shoreline trail
- Lake Agnes Tea House trail
If you want to go canoeing, there are a few spots to go, but the #1 spot that I would recommend is Lake Louise.
You can rent a canoe from the Fairmont Lake Louse’s boathouse for 30 mins or an hour. It’s a once in a lifetime experience!
Longer Days = More Exploring
One of my favorite things about Banff in the summer is the hours of daylight.
The sun doesn’t set until around 9 PM late in the summer. This is great if you like to explore like me!
It’s awesome to be able to eat dinner at 6 or 7 PM and still have time to go out hiking afterward. In the winter, after you eat dinner it’s already too dark to see much outside!
On some of the nights I actually drove around at 9 or 10 PM to check out the beautiful scenery because it was still light outside.
If you want a good driving trail to go on, I would highly suggest taking the Lake Minnewanka Scenic Trail. It’s a 20 km trail that loops around Lake Minnewanka, Johnston Lake, and Two Jack Lake.
When I drove the road the past summer, I even ran into a heard of elk!
It’s Beautiful In The Summer
Banff is absolutely BEAUTIFUL in the summer!
I have traveled a lot in the world and there’s nothing quite like the views in Banff.
If you like mountain peaks, beautiful turquoise lakes, and deep forests, then Banff is the place for you! I must have taken 300 or 400 pictures in my stay last summer.
Banff is just beautiful – no words can do the place justice.
Here are some of my favorite places to see in Banff in the summer:
- Lake Louise
- Peyto Lake
- Fairmont Banff Springs
- Johnston Canyon (especially the secret cave)
- Two Jack Lake
- Sulphur Mountain
- Sunshine Meadows (on top of Sunshine Village)
Cons of Banff in Summer
Alright, Banff is great in the summer and all, but there are two things I don’t like about this season…
It’s Super Crowded
As I mentioned before, summer (especially between July and August) is when Banff is the busiest.
Be ready for A TON of tourists on the most popular trails and sights. And this means it will be hard to book a hotel. And be prepared to pay pretty high rates (180+ for a cheap motel).
To get around this, I would suggest going to most of the popular tourist sights early in the morning and later at night.
If you go to these places before 10 AM and after 7 PM there will be significantly less people.
When I went to Lake Louise at around 12 PM, it was freaking crowded! You couldn’t even take a picture of the lake without 12 other people in the frame.
But it cleared up pretty fast at night – by 7 or 8 PM, the lake was almost empty.
Bear Sightings
One of the I didn’t like about the summer was the amount of bear sightings. Sure, it’s cool to catch a grizzly in the wild.
But if you do see them, park rangers will shut down a trail for the safety of hikers.
This happened twice during my trip. They spotted a bear at the Lake Louise Gondola and shut down the trail for much of the day.
As a result, I wasn’t able to hike much after paying $50+ for my gondola ticket.
It was a similar situation when I rode the gondola to Sunshine Meadows.
They spotted a bear on the trail I wanted to do and shut it down for most of the day.
There are a more bears than you would expect in the park, so some of your favorite trails could be shut down. And if you’re only staying a few days, it can have a big impact on your itinerary.
Pros of Banff in Winter
Alright…let’s move on to the winter!
Banff in the winter is a different animal. In fact, it’s really a different city.
This part of the season attracts your ski and snowboarder crowd. And it’s a total blast.
I visited Banff in late December / early January.
Banff gets super busy around Christmas time and then it clears out for the next few days before picking up again for NYE.
Winter Sports
Do you love to ski or snowboard?
Well, then Banff in the winter is PERFECT for you!
Banff has 3 big ski resorts: Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Ski Resort, and Mount Norquay.
These resorts aren’t as well known as Whistler, but they’re pretty good (and probably a lot less busy than Whistler).
Even if you’re not into skiing or snowboarding, there are still a lot of other winter activities to do.
One of my favorite things was going snowshoeing (basically hiking in the snow).
Another cool activity is to go ice skating on a frozen lake. By mid-to-late December most of the lakes in the area will have frozen over.
Here are my favorite lakes to ice skate on in Banff:
- Lake Louse (the #1 choice by far)
- Johnston Lake
- Two Jack Lake
It’s Breathtakingly Beautiful
Have you ever seen a winter wonderland before? Well you haven’t until you’ve been to Banff in the winter.
It is so beautiful. I could just stare at the mountains all day long. It’ just incredible.
People asked me whether I liked the view better in the summer or the winter, but I really can’t give an answer.
That’s like asking if you like your son or daughter more. It’s just different.
But the winter is beautiful. I took a ton of pictures and most of them turned out great (even though I’m a crappy photographer).
Here are some of my favorite views in Banff in the winter:
- Lake Louise
- Johnston Canyon
- Tunnel Mountain
- Lake Minnewanka
- Skiing at Sunshine Village (it’s all beautiful)
Less People
The great thing about Banff in the winter is that there are a lot less tourists!
In fact, I would say the winter is 30% to 40% less crowded in the summer. I remember in the summer Johnston Canyon was super crowded during the day.
In fact, I had to wait 20+ minutes in line to see the lower falls cave! But in the winter, it was pretty much empty.
I just walked up to it and took my pictures.
Even Lake Louise wasn’t super busy during winter (I went in late December). This is cool if you don’t like being elbow to elbow with other tourists like me.
Cons of Banff in Winter
Alright, Banff is super beautiful in the winter and everything, but there are a few drawbacks you should be aware of…
Shorter Days
My #1 complaint about the winter is the days are pretty short. The sun sets by 4 PM and by 5 PM it’s pitch black outside.
As someone who loves to explore and hike around at night, it’s a little bit of a downer.
But there’s nothing you can do about it.
The good thing with the shorter days is the nights are dark, which makes it easier to catch the northern lights.
However, a local girl I met told me that it’s actually pretty rare to get the northern lights in Banff.
She’s lived in Calgary her entire life and has never seen them.
A good display of the lights only really happens every few years – so don’t get your hopes up.
Icy Roads
Growing up in Seattle, I had some experience driving in snowy conditions. But there’s obviously no snow in SoCal.
So it was quite the experience to re-learn how to drive in the snow!
Most of the roads near Banff are pretty well maintained. They are plowed every morning.
However, if you drive past Lake Louise, the roads are not very well maintained at all.
All I can say is to DRIVE SLOW!
On one of the days, I decided to drive up to Peyto Lake. It started snowing pretty hard that day.
On more than a few occasions, I lost control of my car (even though it was a 4×4 and I was driving slow).
The roads are super icy and even a little bump can cause you to lose control of the wheel.
It’s COLD!
Wow…as a SoCal transplant, I’m not used to the cold at all!
Banff in the winter is super cold.
Most of the days it was around -12C during the day and got all the way down to -20C at night!
And I was told this was a relatively “warm” winter in Banff as it’s normally -30C or lower!
Banff in the winter is super cold. So dress appropriately. Get a thick jacket, a beanie (trust me, your ears will thank you), ski pants, and for the love of good, invest in a good pair of thick ski socks!
Banff in Summer or Winter: Final Thoughts
So…what’s better Banff in summer or winter?
Well, I really think it depends on what you like. If you’re a big fan of long days, hiking, and are afraid of the cold, then a summer in Banff is right for you.
But if you like winter sports, ice skating, and snow, then winter is right for you.
Personally, I enjoyed both and would highly recommend you experience both seasons as they are truly different and unique in their own ways.
Hopefully you have a chance to visit Banff because it is truly an awesomely beautiful place!