Banff with Kids: The Perfect 3 Day Itinerary

Visiting Banff with kids is an epic family vacation that both the parents and the little ones will love! This itinerary has beautiful hikes, fun activities, where to stay and even the best place to get ice cream. At the bottom of this post, we also have a map to help you plan out where you’ll be headed and how to navigate your Canadian National Parks road trip.

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Day 1 in Banff

Arrive in Banff & Check in

If you’re wondering where to stay in Banff, the possibilities are endless! You can choose to camp inside Banff National Park, stay downtown Banff, or stay in Canmore. There are pros and cons to staying in each of these locations.

Camping in Banff:

I’ve camped in the Tunnel Mountain Village which was a really good central location for exploring Banff and the National Park. Camping will definitely be your cheapest option if you are looking to do Banff on a budget.

Tunnel Mountain Village
Two Jack Campground
Lake Louise Campground
Mosquito Creek Campground

Where to Stay in Banff with Kids:

Staying in Banff is going to be the most expensive option, but it does have benefits! You’ll be able to explore the town during non-peak hours, find a charming place, and be able to have the benefit of a good location without roughing it!

Canmore Places to STay:

We did stay at a beautiful vacation rental in Canmore last time we visited, and we loved it. Canmore has cheaper vacation rentals and hotels, and is a little bit less busy than Banff itself. There are also tons of places to explore in Canmore and it’s an absolutely stunning and charming mountain town.

view of the three sisters mountain from vacation rental balcony

Head Out for a Swim

Assuming you are arriving in the afternoon or late morning, there’s a good chance it will be hot! If you want to take yourself and the kids for a swim there are a few options. We love the scenery at Lake Minnewanka, but the lake itself is incredibly cold. This is a great place to dip your feet and swim (at your own risk). We have swam here because we’re used to cold water!

Other popular spots to swim in Banff are: Two Jack Lake, Johnson Lake, Cascade Pond. However, these spots can fill up quickly during peak times so keep that in mind.

Hike the Stewart Canyon Trail

If you’re heading to Lake Minnewanka, you can hike the Stewart Canyon Trail. This is a great kid friendly trail in Banff. The beginning of the trail is paved and then turns into a trail through the woods. You’ll walk along the lake with scenic views and then come to a bridge spanning the canyon. This bridge looks down onto some of the clearest blue water I’ve ever seen! You can choose to turn around here if you’re just looking for a short hike. Or you can keep going for a slightly shorter (but still easy) hike to have a different view of the canyon.

Distance: total trail is 3.6 miles roundtrip, about 2 miles roundtrip just to the bridge and back
Elevation: 685 ft for the total trail

Eat Dinner at Bear Street Tavern

Bear Street Tavern is a pizza place located in downtown Banff. This was the first time we had ever tried putting honey on our pizza and it was delicious. They also have a big selection of local beers and a fun atmosphere.

Spend the evening at Banff Hot Springs

Soaking in the hot springs is the perfect way to wind down and relax after a long day of exploring. The Banff Upper Hot Springs isn’t far from downtown and has free admission for kids under three. Tickets are only available in person and you can’t buy them in advance.

Check out their website for more information before you go!

Day 2 in Banff

Hiking day!

Since you’re all settled in to your hotel or vacation rental, day two is the perfect day to get an early start and hit the trails. The best thing about Banff is the incredible natural beauty of the lakes, mountains, and waterfalls. Since Banff is such a popular place, it’s important to get on the trails and to the parking lots early so you can avoid parking issues and not have a crowded trail.

Hike Johnston Canyon

Distance: Total roundtrip to the upper falls = 3.4 miles
Elevation: for the total trail 900 ft
Stroller friendly? No, part of the path is paved but there are too many people on this trail to be navigating a stroller in my opinion!

Johnston Canyon is an iconic hike and if you’re visiting Banff with kids it’s a must do activity. It’s a super unique trail that runs through a canyon with several waterfalls along the way. The trail feels very safe for kids with the hand rails and is generally pretty wide. We got to the parking lot at 7:00 AM and didn’t have any issues with parking or crowds. However, when we came back down at 9:30 the parking lot was full and there were a ton of people hiking.

TIP: If you aren’t up for the full hike, I still think you can get a lot out of this hike by shortening it. It’s an out and back hike, so hike as far as you want and turn around. It’s not one of those hikes where the only views are at the end.

ANOTHER TIP: If you’re feeling like you want an extra challenge, you can keep going to the ink pots. The ink pots are unique and beautiful colored pools that are differently colored because they fill at different rates. If you do this, the total hike will be 7.0 miles with 1900 feet of elevation.

Explore Banff Downtown

If you’re willing to brave some crowds, you can head to downtown Banff after your hike to Johnston Canyon. Banff is a great little mountain town with a ton of fun shops and restaurants. Downtown is also where the visitor center is located for Banff National Park if you’re looking to get a passport stamp. There are several parking lots that have a bunch of free parking spots, but you will have to walk to get to downtown. I would recommend bringing a stroller for this if you have a little one!

Find Breakfast or Lunch

One of the benefits of Banff being such a tourist destination is great restaurants. What we usually do in Banff is stroll the streets and choose something to eat that’s near where we’re walking. However, if you’re wanting to plan ahead a few family friendly restaurants are High Rollers and Brazen. Like I said, you usually can’t go wrong here! If you want a little less for crowds, you can head to Canmore for lunch at the Grizzly Paw Pub instead.

Visit Canmore

Canmore is the sister town to Banff and is definitely worth adding to your Banff itinerary if you’re up for it. It’s generally a little less crowded and slightly more affordable than Banff. It’s also a bigger town with a little more low key vibes.

Spending more time in Canmore? Here are our 15 Favorite Things to do in Canmore with Kids!

Three Sisters Viewpoint

Three Sisters Viewpoint was one of the highlights of our trip to Banff. You’ll park at the dog park just out of town, walk under the highway and under the train tracks. Follow the short path to the creek. From the creek you’ll have epic views of the Three Sisters mountains and a fun little spot to take a dip.

This is a great spot for the kids to splash around. You can also swim here, but it’s very cold water!

mom holding toddler in front of three sisters mountains canmore

Old School House Ice Cream

Old School House Ice Cream is a must visit spot in Canmore. They serve ice cream out of a school bus and they have a great selection of ice cream flavors. We’re always on the lookout for ice cream places when we travel, and this one is a gem.

Day 3 in Banff

It’s your last day in Banff with your kids – let’s make the most of it!

Banff Sign

If you want a family picture with the Banff town sign, you’ll want to go early. If you try to get a photo mid day, you’ll be waiting in a long line. But if you get there early, you’ll potentially have the place to your self! There are several little trails around this area if you’re up for a morning walk.

Two Jack Lake

Two Jack Lake is a beautiful place to spend the morning. We loved our morning hike around the lake with beautiful mountain views and glass like water. The trail is an out and back, so if you’re not feeling like hiking the whole 3 mile (285 ft elevation) trail, you can go as far as you want and turn around. It also wasn’t a crowded trail at all in the morning so would be an easy hike in Banff with kids to avoid crowds.

Lake Louise

Gone are the days you can visit the stunning Lake Louise in your personal vehicle. Since this lake is so popular, you’ll have to plan ahead if you want to see the unique bright blue water of Lake Louise.

The best way to visit Lake Louise is by the Parks Canada shuttle. If you didn’t get a reservation when they were first released, there are a set number of tickets that will be released in a rolling window, at 8 am MDT two days prior to departure day. Snag a shuttle ticket here.

Banff Gondola

Another popular thing to do in Banff is to ride the Banff Gondola. The gondola ride takes you up to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for views from high above. If you book the family experience, kids ride free (one kid per adult) before 12PM. And you can visit the highest Starbucks in Canada! It’s a little pricey, but a good alternative if you want to get summit views but can’t do the hard hikes with your kids.

There are several other gondolas around Banff including the Lake Louise Gondola, Mt. Norquay, Sunshine Meadows Gondola.

I hope you have the best time on your trip to Banff with kids! We have a ton of other articles to help you plan your Canada National Parks road trip. Did you know there are five other Canadian National Parks near Banff? Check out our guides to help you plan below.

bright blue waters of emerald lake in the morning canada

AND if you’re looking to plan an epic 7 Day Canadian Rockies Itinerary with your kids – we’ve got you covered with incredible hikes and all the best stops!

Banff with Kids: The Perfect 3 Day Itinerary