This information is from 2016. Check out the Family Fun Calgary Weekend Getaway Guide.

Banff National Park is known the world over as a destination for superb mountain scenery, unspoiled natural areas and healthy wildlife populations. As Calgarians, it’s practically in our backyard, being just an hour-and-a-half drive away on well maintained highways. Lucky us! But… despite having lived in Calgary for nearly a decade, our family recently realized that we hadn’t really done Banff. True, we’d been to Banff, but we hadn’t actually seen very much of what makes it such a special place. So we were thrilled when Travel Alberta and Banff Lake Louise Tourism invited us to come out for a weekend and find out what we’d been missing.

Here’s where we found easy adventures in Banff to enjoy with our own kids.

Banff Upper Hot Springs

While the hot springs in this area have a long human history, beginning with being used by First Nations people as sacred sites, the current Banff Upper Hot Springs site has been a soaking destination since 1932 (with reconstruction in the 60’s and another major renovation in 1995). The current facility features clean changing rooms with showers, lockers and hair dryers, the opportunity to inexpensively rent towels, and – of course – the outdoor hot pool (40º C) with its lovely mountainside location.

Interesting fact: during the winter months, natural flows from the hot springs are insufficient to fill the pool and it is topped up with municipal water. If you’re visiting on a weekend, we recommend arriving right in the morning for maximum enjoyment of the hot springs without any crowds.

The Banff Gondola, located near the hot springs pool, was closed for a major renovation during our visit. We’re looking forward to visiting when it reopens in August 2016, complete with an all-new upper terminal building (partial reopening begins May 2016).

Cave & Basin National Historic Site

The Cave & Basin is where it all began for Banff National Park and Canada’s National Parks system. And I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I had no idea! There’s lots to learn here, about the geologic and human history of this fascinating site and also the origins and current status of our national parks. Everything is beautifully presented in the historic Story Hall, so allow yourself a little extra time to explore the displays. Our kids were so intrigued by the beautiful cave and its pool, plus the rocky tunnel leading to it that we had to go in twice!

Don’t miss out on taking the stairs up behind the main Cave & Basin building. Not only are there great mountain views from up there, but you get to see natural hot springs pools (complete with small fish and the endangered Banff Springs Snail) and the rocky hole through which the first European men to find the basin descended on a tree to make their fantastic discovery.

Access to the Cave & Basin site is included in your Parks Canada Annual Discovery Pass, so if you have one, grab it from the car on your way in! We plan to return in the spring or summer to take in a Lantern Tour of the Cave & Basin site.

Banff Townsite

Banff has a nice mix of nature and development. While the natural beauty of the area and its CPR origins are certainly the raisons d’être for its existence, the town of Banff has pretty architecture and a great mix of restaurants, shops and other amenities. Families can look forward to at least two candy shops, a great toy store, BeaverTails (very Canadiana), gourmet popcorn and ice cream shops and lots of places to buy the kids some cool rocks and minerals or other souvenirs.

We enjoyed meals at The Balkan (Greek), the Grizzly House (European/fondue) and The Bison (upscale Canadian). We also treated ourselves to a BeaverTail (our kids’ first and a fun Canadian treat). Restaurants in Banff are generally family friendly, but can be very busy on the weekends, so reservations are recommended when your schedule allows. Top of my list to try next time are the Bear Street Tavern and fondue at the Banff Springs’ Waldhaus Restaurant.

Banff Springs Hotel

Who says you need to go to Europe to visit a castle? Known as “Canada’s Castle in the Rockies”, the Banff Springs Hotel (now owned by Fairmont Hotels) is a Rocky Mountain and Canadian icon. As one of the original CP Hotels, it played a big part in the opening up of the west as part of the new railway. Take the time to learn a bit of the hotel’s history and then stop by for a wander around the hotel’s exterior and in its public spaces.

Travel tip from a previous visit: if you ever get the chance for a couple’s weekend in Banff (or your kids are 16+ and very deserving of a special treat), the Willow Stream Spa in the Banff Springs is amazing.

Discover Banff & Its Wildlife Tour

One of the first things I like to do in a new city is to take a short bus tour. It gives you the lay of the land, the opportunity to stop at popular attractions that might be hard to park your car at or access via public transit, and lets you get some good photos of the city’s highlights. Turns out that the same thing applies in a less urban destination! Our Discover Banff & Its Wildlife sightseeing tour from Discover Banff Tours took us to the Banff Springs Hotel, Bow Falls, Hoodoo Lookout, Lake Minnewanka, and lots of great viewpoints to take in some of the best vistas in the area. Along the way, our knowledgeable driver/guide Neil introduced us to the human and natural history of the area and taught us about the most important wildlife species that call the park home.

We weren’t lucky enough to see much wildlife that day, but Neil had photos of all the species he discussed so we didn’t miss out. The hot chocolate/cookie break on the shores of Lake Minnewanka was definitely a highlight for the kids!

Mount Norquay

Mount Norquay is a popular ski/snowboard destination for Calgarians, but families that don’t partake in these winter sports may not have visited, thinking there’s nothing in it for them. Wrong! Norquay offers two great options for non-skiiers and you can easily do both in a day trip from Calgary. Previously only open to sightseers in the summer, you can now ride the North American Chair up to 2,090 metres for unbelievable views of the surrounding mountains. Take in the vista from the safety of the sightseeing deck and/or the cafe (which serves drinks and light snacks in winter) and enjoy watching some powder-hounds taking on the moguls on the slope below. You’ll also get a great view of the tube park on your way back down.

Snow tubing has exploded in popularity in the last few years, probably because it’s a thrilling yet easy way to get down a snowy hill without needing any sporty skills. So whether you’re a non-skiier or just want a break from tired legs, snow tubing is a great time. You only need to be 42″ tall to partake at Norquay’s tube park, so it’s a great choice for families too. Worried about having to trudge up the hill? Nope – you get to ride a conveyor belt right to the top! We all loved flying down these hills. We went down as a foursome and in pairs and saw people going down in numbers from solo, up to 6 in a group.

Our kids loved, loved, LOVED the giant snow mound near the base of the tube hill (see the intro photo at the top of this page), and we parents felt the same about getting to sit in the sun and grooving to some tunes while they frolicked.

Practical info: the North American Chair and Tube Park are both located by Norquay’s upper lodge (follow the signs for the tube park parking lot). Compared with the base of the ski area, it’s a quieter lodge where you can have a simple cafeteria lunch or snack, buy your sightseeing chair and tubing tickets, and use the washroom before you head out for the thrills.

Outdoor Skating

Alas, we ran out of time to try this popular (and free!) Banff winter pursuit. There are two outdoor rinks in Banff that are available whenever weather conditions permit: one downtown on the main street (next to the high school) and the other just below the Banff Springs hotel. If your family likes to skate, be sure to pack your gear and enjoy a spin in one of these pretty spots.

Banff Rocky Mountain Resort

Wondering where to lay your weary heads after a long day of family adventures in Banff? Family friendly hotels abound. We had the pleasure of staying at the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort, a condo style property featuring mountain views, an indoor pool and outdoor hot tub, a casual restaurant and well appointed suites, complete with modern-rustic decor featuring gorgeous wolf-themed art. Ours had two full baths (one with shower, one with tub), 2 bedrooms (1 king, 1 queen), a full kitchen and a comfortable living area with a wood-burning fireplace. I’d be very happy to stay there again!

Now that we’ve experienced so much of what Banff has to offer our family, we’ll be back again soon. After all, it’s different in every season!

Planning your own weekend adventure in Banff? Check out all the great information available from Travel Alberta.

Thank you to Travel Alberta and Banff Lake Louise Tourism for providing our accommodation and activities and some of our meals. The opinions expressed here are my own. ~am