Banff with Kids: Tips + Things to Do Year Round (2025)

Heading to Banff with kids? You and your family are in for a huge treat. Whether you’re going in winter or summer, Banff is one of the most beautiful places in Canada and great place for a family vacation.

The snow-tipped Canadian rockies, turquoise-blue glacier lakes and sprawling wilderness make it such a breathtaking place to explore. It’s the oldest national park in Canada, and a UNSECO World Heritage Sight.

There are so many things to do in Banff as a family, year round. Kids can take part in most of the outdoor activities in Banff; there are some age restrictions which I will specify with each activity.

While most of my tips are centred around the summer months, there are many things to do in winter as well. (I will specify where needed.)

Having spend lots of time in Banff, I am familiar with how to structure a trip keeping ages and ability levels in mind and still have the best family time in Banff.

If you’re visiting Banff with a child under the age of 3, be sure to read my post about special tups for visiting Banff with a toddler.

Otherwise, let’s talk about tips and things to do in Banff with kids 3 +.

How Much Time to Spend in Banff with kids

You need a minimum of 3 days to see the highlights in Banff, but I would find that itinerary a bit rushed with kids in toe.

I would recommend spending 4-5 days in Banff if you want to see all the highlights, and have some leisure time as a family.

You could do 3 days, especially if your kids are older and you don’t mind a bit of a crunch. See my 3 and 5 day Banff itinerary (both of which are suitable for all ages.)

Best Things to Do in Banff with Kids

1. Spend some time on Banff avenue

Best for: All ages, year round

The main street in Banff is such a nice place to walk up and down. In the summer, you can walk around for hours window shopping and eating at some of the patios with mountain views.

In the winter, its lit up and has such a cozy ski village feel. While you’re walking around as a family in Banff, here are some things to check out:

• Museums and art galleries. (My favourite was All in the Wild studio. There are amazing photos of Canadian wildlife which kids will love looking at. They also sell calendars, children’s books and other items. Makes a great Banff or Canadian souvenir

• Family-friendly restaurants: Almost all restaurants in Banff are family friendly. The Olde Spaghetti Factory, and the Bison Restaurant have kids meals and are two of the most ‘fun’ restaurants in town.
  
• Treats: Head the the Banff Sweet Shoppe for artisan, homemade chocolate and fudge, and retro candies

2. Get family photos in front of the two most famous lakes

Best for: All ages, year round

You can’t head to Banff without visiting the two most iconic Canadian landscape – Lake Louise, and Moraine Lake.

In addition to taking some treasured family photos in front of the lakes, you can also rent equipment in the summer to go out on the water (kayaks and canoes.)

Getting to these two lakes can be a little tricky because of the parking situation. They both have small parking lots, and over-tourism has caused Parks Canada to completely close the parking at Moraine Lake to private vehicles.

For this reason, the best way to see Moraine Lake and Lake Louise as a family is to use the shuttle service provided by Parks Canada, or the bus company which is private. Both of them accommodate all ages, and they have varying schedules and options.

If your kids are all over the age of 12, then this private tour is a good option.

Aside from seeing the lakes, there are things you can do at them in the warm months too, such as:

• Renting canoes or kayaks from Moraine Lake Lodge or the Chateau Lake Louise
• Riding the Lake Louise Gondola
• Visiting the village of Lake Louise, which is much smaller than Banff. It has some places to eat, and a playground.

3. Cruise around Lake Minnewanka

Best for: All ages, from May to October

If you’re in Banff during the warm months, it’s absolutely worth it to do a boat cruise. The only lake in Banff that does cruises is Lake Minnewanka, and it is one of the most stunning boat cruises that I’ve ever taken in my life.

Boat cruises on Lake Minnewanka are an hour long (perfect for antsy kids who don’t want to sit too long) and it includes live commentary teaching you some interesting things about the area, which has 10,000 years of history of the indigenous people inhabiting it.

After our cruise, we took some time to walk along the shoreline of the lake and got so many pretty photos. I highly recommend taking some time to do this before or after your cruise.

If you’re visiting between June and July, you should show up at least 2 hours before your cruise, as the parking lots fill up.

If you’re visit in winter, you can do cross country skiing or snowshoeing along the lake.

4. Go canoeing

Best for: Ages 3+, from late May/early June until early to mid October

One of the nicest things about the lakes in Banff National Park is that you don’t see motorized boats on them. This makes them a great place to go canoeing.

Canoeing offers you a chance to bond as a family with the backdrop of the mountains, with water so clear you can see down to the bottom. If you go early morning, there may also be a good chance of seeing some wildlife.

Here are the different lakes you can canoe on in Banff and what you need to know about renting from them:

• Lake Louise: Each canoe can hold either three adults, or 2 adults and two small children under 55 pounds (25 kilograms) each. If your children are heavier than that then
• Moraine Lake: Each canoe holds 2-3 people (weights aren’t specified, but I imagine its similar to Lake Louise.)
• Lake Minnewanka: Kids under 15 must be with an adult.

5. Walk along the Bow River Trail, and see the waterfall

Best for: All ages, year round

The Bow River Trail is a paved, easy walk along the Bow River. The trail is actually quite long, and extends several kilometres outside the town of Banff.

The section of the trail near the town of Banff takes you to the Bow River Waterfall. In the summer, it’s also a good place to potentially see some wildlife.

From the heart of Banff, it’s approximately a 1.8 km (1.1 mile) walk to the Bow River Falls viewing area.

It would take around 50 minutes to do this walk round trip from Banff. Be sure to dress for the weather, and bring bug spray.

Pro Tip: if you don’t want to walk the whole way, another option is to drive across the bridge, and park at the Cascade of Time Garden (another worthwhile place to check out in Banff as a family) and walk from there.

6. Hike the Johnston Canyon

Best for: All ages, year round

There are two different trail options – Lower Falls, and Upper Falls. The lower falls is a shorter trail (only 1 hour roundtrip) and the waterfall is smaller, but you can get a bit closer to it.

The Upper Falls trail is more than double the hiking distance (2-3 hours) and it leads to a taller waterfall, which you can see from a bridge.

My husband and I chose to do the Upper Falls and Lower Falls on two separate occasions. I brought my almost-2 year old on the Upper Falls trail. Its completely doable with kids (of course, I was carrying her the whole time) if they’re ok to walk, or you’re able to carry them.

The Lower Falls would be easier with kids, but you would know best what your family is used to and can handle.

Regardless of which you choose, neither of the Johnston Canyon trails will disappoint. The views on both of them are incredible.

If you head to Banff in the winter (between November in April) then anyone 8 years old and over can do an Ice Walk hike of the Banff Canyon, which takes 2-3 hours. Read more about it here.

Pro Tip: During the summer months, there is food on-site at the Johnston Canyon to grab food before or after your hike. Check out the food options at the Blackswift Bistro here.

7. Go skiing or snowboarding

Best for: Ages 3+, from October to April

Banff is one of the most famous ski destinations in Canada, and draws people from country and worldwide to ski and snowboard in the rockies.

The three main ski resorts are Mount Norquay, Lake Louise Ski Resort, and Banff Sunshine Village.

If your kids aren’t already proficient skiers or snowboarders, then all of the above have snow schools where they can learn to ski or snowboard.

All three are great, and your choice will depend on your preferences. Here are some things to know about each:

• Sunshine Village has the highest number of beginner runs (might be as exciting for people who are die-hard into skiing) but its great for people who are learning, and of course the views are still beautiful. Offers group lessons for kids who are 6+.
  
• Mount Norquay has the most blue runs, so its best for people who are intermediate level. If you have school age children that are decent skiiers, then it might be the best option. Offers ski lessons for kids as young as 3-4 – read more on their website.
  
• Lake Louise is known for being the most stunning in terms of beauty, but and is equally divided between advanced and beginner runs. Read about kids group lessons here.

Pro Tip: If you have younger ones that are too young to ski (or if you want to some time to ski on your own) Sunshine Village operates a daycare for ages 19 months to 6 years old, while parents are busy on the slopes. Read more about it here.

8. Go whitewater rafting

Best for: Ages 5+, from mid-May until September

There are so many rapids in Banff, and there are several whitewater rafting companies that offer fun tours on a variety of different levels of rapids.

Generally, kids need to be at least 5 years old to do any of the whitewater rafting tours, and there are higher age requirements for rapids that are more challenging.

Chinook Rafting has been operating for 40 years in the area. Most of the rafting tours aren’t located right in Banff, but maybe 45 to 90 minutes out of town where the river rapids are.

They have a number of tours for families with kids aged 5+, which you can read about here.

9. Visit a cave, and soak in the hot springs

Best for: All ages, year round

Banff has a prehistoric cave just x minutes from the town centre, called the Cave & Basin National Historic Site.

About a 10 minute drive from there is the Banff Upper Hot Springs, which is family-friendly. You can visit on or the other only, or get a Thermal Pass, which allows you to visit both.

The best part is you don’t have to visit both the cave and the hot springs on the same day – you can buy the pass, visit one, and do the other on a separate day.

Passes for the cave, hot springs, or both can be bought in person upon arrival. 9They don’t sell them online.)

10. Take the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain

Best for: All ages, year round

The Banff Gondola is just a 10 minute drive from the town, and is a great way to get those breathtaking scenic views without having to climb a mountain.

(Although, you can hike up Sulphur Mountain, the gondola is the easiest way to enjoy these spectacular views, especially with kids in toe.)

At the top of the gondola, there is a large viewing platform where you can walk around getting views and photos from several different angles.

There’s a restaurant called Sky Bistro, where you can eat lunch and dinner right next to a view of the rockies. They don’t have kids meals, however. As you can imagine, advanced reservations for Sky Bistro are highly recommended.

Grab your Banff Gondola ticket in advance here

11. Learn about animals and history at Banff Museums

The downtown of Banff has a few different museums which are perfect for a rainy day in Banff, or to change up routine for the kids (who might be sick of hiking or skiing.)

It also gives them a chance to learn about some of the Canadian history and culture in the area, including indigenous way of life, and wildlife that you can find in Banff National Park.

Here are museums in downtown Banff to check out with kids:

• The Banff Park Museum – teaches adults and kids about plants and wildlife in the area. They have life-sized animals, so kids can see what they look like up close. Open from 9:30am to 5pm every day except Tuesday and Wednesday
  
• Buffalo Nations Museum – teaches about the way of life of indigenous people, and how they lived on the land for thousands of years. Open 11am – 5pm daily.
  
• Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Full of art and historical artifacts, and interesting exhibitions about the heritage of the area. Has a great gift shop and book store attached to it! Open from 10am to 5pm daily.

12. Head to Yoho National Park

Best for: All ages, year round

Yoho National Park is another Canadian rockies national park, and its located just over the border of Alberta in British Columbia.

It’s not nearly as busy as Banff, but many visitors to Banff make their way out to Yoho (especially in the summer) to see some of the gorgeous scenery.

I was very glad that I made my way here during a summer trip to Banff, because I’ve never seen anywhere so beautiful.

Yoho National Park is about a 45 minute drive from Banff. Unfortunately, no public transit from Banff is offered, so you’ll need a car. There are some private tours you can take such as this one, but only if everyone in the family is at least 12 years old.

Things to do in Yoho National Park with kids:

• White water rafting on Kicking Horse River (ages 5+)
• Hike the family-friendly 5 km loop around Emerald Lake.You can do as much or as little of it as you like
• Eat at the Emerald Lake Lodge (reservations required) They a few different dining rooms, and there are kids meals. See menus here

13. Try to spot wildlife

Best for: It depends, year-round

Of all the things there are to do as a family in Banff, there’s not too many things kids love more than seeing animals.

In Banff National Park, there are Nutcracker birds, moose, elk, mountain goats, and even grizzly bears.

It’s not as easy to see wildlife in Banff as it is in Jasper, simply because there are more people.

However, there are a few tips to increase your chances of seeing some animals:

• Be up early in the morning to do hiking or canoeing. Hikes, such as the Bow River Trail, or Banff Legacy Trail, as well as any of the lakes where you can canoe have been areas where people have seen wildlife
• Bring binoculars (in case the animals aren’t up close)
• Book a wildlife watching tour with an expert (for ages 8+)

Book your wildlife spotting tour (ages 8+ only) here

14. Meet the Three Sisters of Canmore

Best for: All ages, year round

The Three Sisters are a mountain peak, named after a legend about three nuns who are said to have fled the town of Banff. Individually, they’re named Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister.

One of my favourite parts about staying in the village of Canmore instead of Banff (other than that its cheaper) was that the Three Sisters are located just outside town, and you can see them from most areas in the town of Canmore.

You can see the Three Sisters from anywhere in Canmore (I took this photo simply from stepping out of my car on a residential street.)

However, there are some ways to get closer looks and better views:

• Do the Three Sisters Trail hike (4.5 km or 2.7 miles) and takes roughly 2.5 hours in total. Can be done year-round, but it can be slippery and more dangerous in the winter, so it might be best to stick to summer depending on how experienced your kids are at hiking.
  
• Head to the southern end of Policeman Creek which you can get to by parking at the off-leash dog park nearby, and taking a short walk.

15. Get photos in front of the Banff sign

Best for: All ages

You can’t leave Banff before getting the family photo in front of the sign. The Banff sign is about a 10 minute walk from the heart of Banff, or you can drive there in less than 5 minutes.

16. Explore the Icefields Parkway

Most people drive along the Icefields Parkway while heading to Jasper from Banff, or vice versa.

If you have an extra day or two to add to your itinerary, I’d definitely recommend driving along the Icefields Parkway to take in some of the most majestic Canadian rockies landscapes you could ever see.

You can take a road trip up the park way and stop at the famous stops along the way yourself, but there are tours offered that would pick you up from Banff too.

The tours are usually a full day (8-12 hours) so you’d have to determine based on your kids ages and temperment if they’d be able to handle it. This Icefields Parkway day tour is family friendly.

Whether you drive yourself, or take a tour on the Icefields Parkway, be sure to stop at:

• Peyto Lake (pictured above)
• Glacier Skywalk
• Icefields Parkway Discovery Centre (closed in winter)

Read about the above, as well as more amazing places to stop along the Icefields Parkway here.

Where to Stay in Banff with Kids

Here are some great places to stay in Banff as a family, that are conveniently located and have some good amenities for kids

• Budget: Douglas Fir Resorts & Chalet  Family-friendly resort just outside Banff with children’s play areas, and a pool. Includes unlimited use of the Banff shuttle system
• Mid-Range: Coast Canmore Hotel & Conference Centre –Has a swimming pool with a waterslide, restaurant on-site and is located only 15 minutes from Banff in the village of Canmore
• Luxury: Banff Rocky Mountain Resort – Conveniently located. Has family rooms, a swimming pool, services a hot breakfast

How to Get To and Around Banff with Kids

You can drive to Banff from the airports in Calgary (90 minutes), or Edmonton (4.5 hours.) You can rent a car at the airport, or take public transit to the town of Banff.

Driving

Driving is the easiest way to get around Banff National Park flexibly. Sometimes though, (especially during June and July) it is more worth it to use the public transit and tours even if you have a car because of how hard it is to find parking.

Walking

The downtown of Banff is very walkable. From the downtown, you can walk to several attractions on foot, especially if your family is used to walking. Here are some things you can walk to from downtown Banff

• Cascade of Time Garden – 10 minute walk
• The Bow River Falls – 25 minute walk
• Banff sign – 25 minute walk
• Cave & Basin Historic Site – 31 minute walk
• Banff Gondola – 1 hour, 10 minute walk

Pro Tip: You can shorten the time length of these walking times by taking a bike instead. You can rent bikes from downtown Banff in the warmer months from Banff Cycle & Sport

Private tours

There are tons of private tours offered through Viator and Get Your Guide. I recommend small group tours (15 people or less) for a more fun family experience.

Tip: Always look at the age requirement for the tours, to make sure they accommodate kids. Check out the length of time, as well as the schedule to make sure you think your kids will be able to handle the itinerary (it isn’t too long of a day, etc.)

ROAM Transit

ROAM transit is a great way to get around Banff. Children of all ages are welcome, and they have routes servicing all the major attractions in Banff and the area. It’s affordable, family-friendly, and environmentally efficient too. Read details and plan your trips on their website here.

Parks Canada Shuttles

Parks Canada offers shuttles to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. ROAM transit goes there too, but you also have the option of taking a government-owned shuttle. They are also family-friendly. You can also reserve them online.

What to Bring to Banff

Here are the things you should remember to bring on a trip to Banff, especially if you’re visiting with kids

Final Thoughts on Visiting Banff as a Family

I hope that this article has filled you with ideas and inspiration for things to do in Banff with kids, as well as how wonderful Banff can be for a family vacation.

Whether you’re visiting in summer or winter, I know that you won’t be disappointed with Banff National Park and everything it has to offer.