Banff with a Toddler: Everything You Need to Know

I had Banff National Park on my list for a long time, and we finally had a chance to go this past summer. Banff with a toddler was awesome. We love being outside, and there are just so many outdoor things to do in this area. And so many things that are accessible to toddlers! Don’t wait until your little one is grown to explore this area. Your whole family will love it.

This post is geared toward families with kiddos in the walking 1-4 age range. Our trip would have been different if we hadn’t had to worry about nap times, a toddler’s hiking abilities, and keeping a 3 year old happy.

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Banff with a Toddler Jump To:

Quick Tips for Visiting Banff with a Toddler

• Visit in the summer. It gets extremely cold and snowy in the winter, limiting the activities you could do.
• I recommend renting a car. They do have buses and transportation in Banff, but doing Banff with a toddler is easier with your own car.
• Don’t fill your schedule. Leave time to rest, relax, and enjoy your trip.
• Read my 20 Toddler Travel Tips before you go… especially if you’ve never travelled with your toddler before!
• Pack layers! Banff can be warm one moment and cold a couple hours later.
• Bring a slumber pod to fit over your pack n play to maximize your kiddo’s sleep.
• Use my popular Toddler Packing List to remember everything for your trip.
• A stroller is not that helpful in Banff. We honestly didn’t have one moment when we wished we had one with us. Bring a carrier if you’ll be doing extensive hiking, but otherwise let your toddler walk.
• Stay somewhere with a kitchen so you can save money and cook some meals on your own.
• Don’t forget all your toddler travel essentials.

Things to Know about Banff

The town of Banff is actually in Banff National Park. The town only has around 9000 residents, and it is full of tourists in the summer.

You need a National Parks Pass to visit any sites in Banff National Park.

The National Parks in Canada are different from the US. Ya know how in the US you pull up to an entrance station, enter the park, and then do all the things? Canada is more like you’re driving around and are just suddenly in a National Park. And if you take a certain exit you can see awesome things.

How to Get to Banff

Fly into Calgary, rent a car, then drive 1.5 hours to Banff. The drive is easy and pretty.

You could take a bus or shuttle to Banff, but I recommend renting a car to explore Banff with a toddler. It gives you more flexibility, and I generally like having our own space with our kiddo – you never know when they’re going to throw a tantrum.

Pro Tip: Make sure you have evidence that your car insurance covers rental cars in Canada. If you don’t, you’ll have to pay for the insurance from the rental company.

When to Visit Banff with a Toddler

Banff with a toddler definitely needs to be a summer destination. While I’m sure it’s incredibly beautiful in the winter, you would be severely limited in what you can do outside with your kiddo.

Mid-June is when the snow should be melted and the lakes should be showing their epic turquoise colors. July and August are Banff’s busiest months, but they’ll also give you the best weather. If you can swing early September, kids are in school, so it’s less busy. Perfect for traveling with a non-school aged toddler!

Banff’s weather in the summer: Plan for 60s and 70s for highs and 40s for lows.

We visited in August. It was busy. Like crowds of people at Lake Louise busy, but it was still worth it. And you can still look out at the beautiful lakes without people obstructing your views.

How Many Days to Visit Banff with a Toddler

I truly cannot imagine getting bored in Banff National Park in the summer. Plan for a minimum of 4 full days in the area – not including travel days. Anything less and you’d miss out on necessary things to do/would have to pack too much into each day.

You could do 10 days in Banff with a toddler if your kiddo can handle that much time away from home. We did 6 nights total, and it felt like a great amount of time. We could have easily filled another couple days, though.

Where to Stay in Banff with a Toddler

While I would have LOVED to camp, this just didn’t seem doable with a toddler. We’ve camped with our 3 year old, but flying and camping felt overwhelming – you need so much stuff! If this is your jam, though, here’s a post with Banff campgrounds.

Because Banff is in a National Park, AirBnBs are restricted. You’re kind of forced to stay in a resort or hotel – I could be wrong about this, but this was my experience when booking accommodations. And the hotels/resorts are pricey.

We stayed at Tunnel Mountain Resort, and it was a good choice with a toddler. It had a pool, a playground, and a little kitchen area for us to cook. It was pretty close to downtown Banff as well and had a bus stop right outside the resort.

Other options I read about were: Hidden Ridge Resort, Banff Springs Hotel, and Moose Hotel & Suites.

You could also stay in the town of Canmore, which is only 15 mins from Banff and offers cheaper accommodations.

The BEST Things to Do in Banff with a Toddler

I am going to list the things we did in Banff with a toddler, sort of in order of awesome-ness. I’m also going to list some things that were on my list, but we didn’t end up doing and why.

These are the boardwalks at the Banff gondola. Lots of steps! But your kiddo won’t fall off a mountain.

Banff Gondola

3ish hour activity, including dinner

Distance from Banff: 15 minutes

Riding a gondola up a mountain is a MUST in Banff with a toddler. I don’t know what kind of toddler you have, but mine is not capable of safely or quickly hiking up a large mountain. With a gondola, you get amazing views at the top of a mountain without the effort to get up there.

(Yes, it kills my hiking self a bit to not be able to hike as much as I used to, but these are the toddler years. And our toddler is the sloooowest walker.)

There are a bunch of gondola options in Banff; you can read about all of them here.

After doing too much research, I decided that Banff Gondola is the most toddler-friendly. And seriously, it was perfect for a toddler. Our 2nd best option was Sunshine Meadows, but it was further from downtown Banff, more hiking-centered, and had a chair lift.

The 8 minute Banff Gondola ride takes you to the top of Sulphur Mountain. There are some indoor things to do up top, including a floor of interactive learning things for kids – awesome for toddlers. There’s also a long boardwalk outside that gives you incredible views without the risk of your toddler falling off a mountain – there are sides to the boardwalk.

Don’t bring a stroller; there are a lot of steps on the boardwalk.

I recommend eating at the buffet restaurant too – Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen. Toddlers eat free. The food isn’t excellent, but the views are epic. The gondola tickets aren’t cheap, so we opted to spend as much time on the mountain as possible. You don’t need reservations for the buffet.

Purchase your tickets ahead of time – we did a 4pm ride with nap time before.

Check the weather before you buy your tickets and choose a better weather time.

We parked at the gondola lot; they say not to because it’s a small lot, but there was plenty of parking when we went. The alternative was multiple timed buses, and this seemed like a lot with a toddler.

Hiking Johnson Lake

Go for a Hike (or a lot of hikes)

There are SO MANY options for hikes in Banff with a toddler.

I used alltrails.com, searched the area, and then looked at easy, short hikes.

Some recommendations:

1. Hike around Johnson Lake. 1.8 mile easy hike.
2. Peyto Lake Panorama View. 1.5 mile hike.
3. Fairview Lookout. 1.4 mile hike, near Lake Louise.

This is Moraine Lake. So freaking pretty.

Visit Lake Louise and Moraine Lake

Half to Full Day

Distance from Banff: 30 mins to parking then another 15-30 mins to each lake

This is an obvious must. Anything that advertises Banff probably features a photo of these lakes. They’re incredible. Seriously. The blue hues are unreal, it’s inexpensive to get to them, and they’re accessible to toddlers.

Getting to these lakes feels complicated during the planning stages but is really uncomplicated when you’re actually doing it. I break it all down in this post. Of note, you CANNOT drive to Moraine Lake, and Lake Louise’s parking is almost always full.

Basically, you’re going to use Parks Canada to book shuttles to and from Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. I recommend doing this well ahead of time, but you can also book them 2 days before. It’s cheap, easy, and the shuttles are toddler-friendly. They drop you off very close to the lakes, and then you can explore with your kiddo.

It is up to you how much time you want to spend at each lake. You could hike a bunch if your toddler is up to it, you could just walk around for a half hour and snap some photos at each spot, or you could pack some food and have a picnic.

Pro Tip: Because you CAN book 2 days in advance, it could be worth checking the weather beforehand. If you have passes for a certain day and the weather will be crummy, you could try to get shuttle passes for a different day/time.

Tips for visiting:

• If you have time, visit the Lake Louise Playground.
• Take a hike to escape the crowds. Consolation Lakes Hike is supposed to be beautiful.
• Pack layers; you never know what the weather will do!
• Carry bear spray if you’re going to do any sort of hiking.
• Do not leave any trash or food.
• There are bathroom facilities at each lake and where you board the shuttles.
• Lake Louise is pretty stroller friendly. Moraine Lake sort of is if you don’t plan on walking far.

Jovie at Emerald Lake – it’s way prettier in person

Explore Yoho National Park

Half Day to Full Day

Distance from Banff: around 1 hour

Yoho National Park is a must see if you’re in Banff. It’s not too far away, and it is stunning. And less busy!

I really love this 1 day Yoho National Park Road Trip Itinerary.

If you’re just looking for a few stops with a toddler, do this:

1. Takakkaw Falls
2. Emerald Lake
3. Natural Bridge

Takakkaw Falls is an epic 830 ft waterfall. It’s around 30 mins off the highway and a 15-ish min one-way toddler-friendly walk to the base of the falls.

Emerald Lake honestly rivals Lake Louise and Moraine Lake for me. The color of the water is SO pretty, and the surroundings are just beautiful. You can hike around the whole lake if you’re toddler is able to hike 3-ish miles.

Natural Bridge is a rock bridge that a river rushes through. It’s definitely not a destination, but you can quickly stop here on your way back from Emerald Lake. It’s worth seeing if you’re already in the area.

We had Wapta Falls on the list, but we kind of ran out of time / I read it was full of mosquitoes at that time. It’s a 3 mile round-trip hike and the falls do look very pretty.

Johnston Canyon

1-2 hours

Distance from Banff: 30 mins

Johnston Canyon is a canyon with waterfalls, catwalks, and beauty. You can do a 1.5 mile round-trip hike to the lower falls or continue for a 3 mile round-trip hike to the upper falls. It’s toddler-friendly with fencing/guardrails up along the trail.

We ended up skipping Johnston Canyon and doing a different hike. I really had some FOMO, but we had reasons. Johnston Canyon is Banff’s MOST popular hike. It’s insanely busy in the summer. If you can go early in the day, do that. We’d spent a lot of time around crowds, so we opted to hike elsewhere instead.

Don’t bring a stroller.

Here’s everything you need to know: Banff Blog.

Walk Around Downtown Banff

However long you want!

We spent 1-2 hours wandering downtown Banff with our toddler. We checked out the natural playground, walked near the river, and visited a few tourist shops.

I highly recommend Three Bears Brewery for dinner. It was very kid-friendly, and the food was SO GOOD.

Bow River Trail to Bow Falls

1-3 hours

Right in Banff

This 1.5 mile walk along the river can be easily done with a toddler. The waterfall isn’t huge or the most beautiful in Banff, but it can be a nice walk near Banff.

The view from Tunnel Mountain

Hike up Tunnel Mountain

2-3 hours

In Banff

The Tunnel Mountain summit was heralded as kid-friendly. And it can be toddler-friendly, but it depends on what kind of toddler you have. If your toddler listens really well and would never run off the side of a steep drop, they could manage this trail. On the day I was going to take my 3 year old on this hike, she threw a massive tantrum, and I realized I couldn’t take her anywhere.

It is an incredible mountain hike right in the heart of Banff. Locals love it, the views are awesome, and the trail is mostly safe for toddlers. It is quite steep, so you might consider a carrier for your kiddo.

I ended up running it alone while my husband stayed back with our 3 year old, and I highly recommend adding this to your itinerary if you can.

2.7 miles round-trip. Start at at the upper parking area – it’ll save you a lot of stairs and extra elevation.

Here’s Johnson Lake again 🙂 we just loved it.

Visit 1-3 Scenic Lakes

1-3 hours depending on how many lakes you want to visit

27 mins to drive from Banff to Johnson Lake to Two Jack Lake to Lake Minnewanka

Johnson Lake, Two Jack Lake, and Lake Minnewanka are all near each other and can be visited with toddlers. You can choose 1 or drive and see all 3.

Johnson Lake

If you’re going to pick just one lake with a toddler, make it this one. We visited this lake and LOVED it. There’s a 1.8 mile trail around the lake that’s lovely for toddlers. The views are just stunning all the way around. And there’s a swim beach!

Two Jack Lake

Another pretty lake in this area, but you can’t hike around this one. Just walk a bit by the shore. You can swim here too if you want.

Lake Minnewanka

You can take a boat ride on this one (kids are free!), hike, or just look at its beauty. You can hike a bit of the Lakeside Trail and then turn around.

Have a Picnic at Cascade Ponds

1-2 hours

Distance from Banff: 9 minutes

There are fire pits, picnic tables, beautiful views, bridges between the ponds, and a 0.9 mile loop hike. Perfect spot for families.

Check out a Playground

• Central Park in Banff
• Sundance Park and Playground in Banff
• Lake Louise Playground in Lake Louise Village

I feel like nature is your playground in Banff, so this isn’t a “must do.” If your toddler needs to burn some energy, go ahead and stop at one of these, but don’t stress if you skip these.

What to Pack for Banff with a Toddler

I have a toddler packing list that I consistently reference when we travel. I have a “reminder” list on my iphone, and I copy it, modify it, and check off each item for every trip.

• All your normal stuff and toddler travel essentials.
• Snacks. Always.
• Layers! A hat for if it’s cold, a warmer jacket, a warmer pair of pants.
• A rain suit.
• A hiking carrier if you plan to do extensive hiking
• Activities for the longer car rides.
• Passports – yes, your little one needs a passport if you’re traveling internationally.

One last picture to convince you to go to Banff – this is Lake Louise

Enjoy Banff with a Toddler!

Sometimes it’s hard to slow down and enjoy things when traveling with a toddler. Your brain is constantly trying to anticipate their needs, make sure they’re safe, etc… you should obviously do those things. But do try to take some deep breaths and soak in the beauty of nature.

Hopefully I covered everything you need to know about taking a toddler to Banff, but if you have any questions please comment below! Or send me an email [email protected]. I write this blog because I genuinely want to help people see the world.

Happy Toddler Traveling!

For More on Toddler Travel:

• Road Trip with a Toddler – Awesome Advice
• The Amazing Toddler Travel Essentials You NEED
• Iceland with a Toddler – also an amazing outdoor-centered family vacation spot

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