My husband and I love travelling to Alberta. We did so twice before we got married or even started a family.
We even got engaged at the top of a mountain in Canmore. So once the twins were at an age where we could hike with them, we knew we needed to return. Here is the 8-day itinerary we used to travel to Canmore & Banff in 2024 when our twins had just turned 4!
Day 0
We flew into Calgary fairly early in the day.
By the time we had landed, we were a bit peckish, so we grabbed lunch at The Chopped Leaf. There are a few in Calgary, so I opted for the one close to the Airport and the grocery store I had mapped out ahead of time.
After some sustenance, we grabbed groceries at the Real Canadian Superstore, as we figured prices might be a little higher in Canmore, where we were staying. Also, because of my food intolerances, we wanted to make sure we went to a larger grocery store with plenty of options.
We grabbed enough groceries for breakfasts and a few picnic lunches for the week. Oh, and don’t forget snacks! We needed ample snacks to keep the twins and us sustained during hikes.
From there, we drove into the mountains to Canmore to settle into our lodging for the week.
We checked into our Airbnb around 4 PM, and then we headed out to Rocket Pie for gluten-free pizza.
Day 1
We started our day by tackling the Tunnel Mountain Summit first. We parked at the Tunnel Mountain Drive parking lot. There are fewer parking spots here, but we started the day here, so we managed to grab a spot early. If you want a bit of a longer hike, then start at the Tunnel Mountain Lower Trailhead off of St. Julien Road.
This was a pretty easy trail for the twins to hike with wide switchbacks.
I’m pretty proud of them as it was their first mountain summit 🙂
Dad and Ryland even ran parts of the trail on the way back down!
We packed lots of snacks and wore layers to keep everyone warm and snug. We lucked out with a really sunny day, so we were able to enjoy great views all around.
At lunch time, we headed over to Banff Sunshine Village to grab the Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. We should’ve made a reservation, but we didn’t really know how long it would take us to get to the top and down of Tunnel Mountain.
We grabbed tickets and waited for a bit before heading up to the summit. There is a Starbucks at the base of the mountain for grabbing a coffee and snacks.
We had lunch at the top of Sulphur Mountain at Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen, which is a buffet-style restaurant.
The twins were a bit tired after lunch, so instead of hiking down Sulphur, we ended up taking the Gondola back down.
We headed back to Canmore for dinner at Wild Orchid Bistro. My husband and I had eaten here the last time we were in town, and it was amazing. They are known for being a gluten-free restaurant and have the best sushi!
I think we ordered the chicken wings and street fries or the fish and chips for the twins.
Day 2
We tried to start our day bright and early at Johnston Canyon for the hike to the Upper and Lower Falls. We heard it can get quite busy, and it got busy. Especially with strollers.
As you can see on the Trail map, you’ll arrive at the Lower Falls, and if you have it in you, I highly recommend heading all the way to the Upper Falls as well.
I think we didn’t plan the appropriate amount of snacks, and I recall the twins having a full meltdown when we were almost back to the parking lot, so pack appropriately!
From there, we drove an hour to Takakkaw Falls, which had a short hike from the parking lot to the falls.
We headed back to our Airbnb to chill for the rest of the afternoon and then headed to the Stirling Dining Room at the Malcolm Hotel for an amazing dinner!
Day 3
This was a long driving day. We drove all the way up the Icefields Parkway and started at Mistaya Canyon for a short hike to an impressive canyon and waterfalls. It was raining that day, so with very slick rocks, we held onto the twins very, very carefully.
From there, we drove back down the parkway and attempted to get nice views at Waterfowl Lake, Peyto Lake, and Bow Lake, but everything was pretty fogged out. I recall the twins and Dad staying in the vehicle to eat while I snapped pictures!
I think my only decent picture was of misty & foggy Bow Lake.
We headed into Banff for Dinner at Farm & Fire. The twins loved their meals because they got mac & cheese and ice cream sandwiches!
Day 4
We booked Lake Louise Shuttle tickets, so we headed out to the Lake Louise Ski Resort to grab the shuttle to Lake Louise, which then takes you to Moraine Lake. We tackled the Rockpile hike.
The shuttles took a while to get back, so we grabbed a quick lunch at the Hotel Fairmont, where we ate outside (as there is really nowhere to eat inside and they shoo you out if you try and sit along the walls) before heading back on the shuttle.
We headed back to Canmore and grabbed another pizza dinner, but this time at Rocky Mountain Flatbread back in Canmore.
Day 5
We booked Lake Louise Shuttle tickets for the next day as well and started our day at Lake Louise. We managed to snag a family photo with the rest of the tourists before tackling a hike.
We did the Fairview Lookout hike which gives you a great view of the Lake and the Hotel. From there, we headed into Banff for lunch at Block Kitchen + Bar and then wandered around the Banff Museum that afternoon.
We headed back to Canmore for dinner at the Drunken Lobster Oyster Bar (which now seems to be permanently closed).
Day 6
We started the day having breakfast at Bro’Kin Yolk, as we had probably run out of breakfast food by then, or were getting low on food, or just didn’t want to cook.
We took it easy and did an easy hike around Lake Minnewanka to Stewart Canyon.
We took it easy the rest of the day and met up with a photographer for a family photoshoot at Policeman’s Creek under the Three Sisters Viewpoint. What was really cool about this shoot was Ha Ling was in the background of many of our photos and this is the mountain Mike proposed to me on in 2017!
We’re going to attempt to summit it this year with the twins!
Day 7
In the morning, we started our day with an easy hike around Two Jack Lake.
That afternoon, we spoiled ourselves and booked a Helicopter Tour with Alpine Helicopters. We did the Three Sisters Peaks Tour which is around 25 minutes.
The best part of the tour was Ryland falling fast asleep!
We brought our Insta360 up with us and here’s a video that I edited of our tour!
Day 8
We drove into banff on our last full day and decided to do an easy hike to the Bow Falls Viewpoint.
This is a pretty busy hike that starts in town and ends at the base of the Fairmont Banff Springs. It’s got lots of stairs, which makes it an easier hike than on trails.
We had lunch at the Bear Street Tavern in Banff before heading back to Canmore to pack as we left the next day.
Dinner was at BLAKE in Canmore before heading to bed.
They had amazing dairy-free ice cream, which the twins enjoyed thoroughly!
Day 9
We ate breakfast at the Bro’Kin Yolk befor driving to the airport.
Then an easy non-stop flight all the way home!
We can’t wait to go back this year and explore all new trails, and maybe some of the same restaurants!