Best Banff Ski Resort & Season Pass: SkiBig3 Review

January 8, 2022 /

Banff is one of the best ski towns in Canada. It’s lively, has plenty of accessible winter activities, and is within close proximity to 3 ski resorts: Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, and Norquay (collectively known as SkiBig3). In this post I’ll tell you what I think is the best Banff ski resort and which is the best season pass in Banff.

I’ve done multiple ski seasons in Banff with most of my skiing based at Sunshine Village. I’ve also spent time at Norquay, Lake Louise, and just about every other ski resort in both Alberta and British Columbia – so this SkiBig3 review comes from first-hand experience.

More: Best Ski Resorts in Alberta | Best Ski Resorts in British Columbia

By the end of this post I’ll answer all your questions regarding which resort you should ski in Banff, which Banff ski resort offers the best lift tickets, and which Banff ski resort you should get a season pass for.

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BANFF BLOGS
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SUNSHINE SKI GUIDE

As you read this post, please consider clicking the links throughout. These are affiliate links which means when you book a hotel or purchase a product, I make a small commission at no additional cost to you (full disclosure). These commissions fund The Holistic Backpacker and help me write more blog posts.

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~ Taylor ♡

Banff Google Map: 600+ Pins

Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Banff?

Then my Banff map is for you!

Get my 600+ recommendations for hiking trails, viewpoints, can’t-miss spots, and unique activities all in once place.

Full of LOCAL hidden gems & insider travel tips!

Once click and the map is autosaved to your Google Maps app – a digital tour guide that fits in your pocket.

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Quick Banff Guide

Parks Pass: You will need a National Park Pass for each day you’re in Banff. Passes can be purchased at the East Parks Gates, the Visitor Centre, any of the campgrounds, or online. If you’ll be in any of Canada’s National Parks for more than 7 days in a 365 day period, an annual Discovery Pass offers a better rate than purchasing individual day passes.

How to get to Banff: fly into Calgary International Airport. From here, rent a car, RV, or take one of the following shuttles to Banff:

Best Tours in Banff: here are all my recommendations for the best tours, activities, and unique experiences in Banff & beyond.

Roam Transit: once you arrive in Banff, use the local transit service as much as possible. There are bus lines within town, plus lines to popular spots like Lake Louise and Johnston Canyon. The bus to Lake Louise should be reserved in advance.

Parking: the best spot to park is the free lot next to the train station. More information about parking in town can be found here and parking fees can be paid here. Bylaw is strict, so ensure you’re following parking rules exactly.

Lodging & Camping: Here’s my guide for hotels in Banff (Organized by Category). If you’re visiting during peak summer (mid June to early September), make your lodging reservations FAR in advance. Front country and backcountry camping reservations must be made on the Parks Canada reservation system. The system typically opens in February and it’s recommended you make reservations then.

Reservations: for activities and restaurants should be made well in advance during summer. Get Your Guide and Viator are popular tour booking platforms whereas OpenTable is used for restaurants.

When to visit: Hiking – July to mid September. Backcountry camping, wildflowers, & water activities – July to August. Fall colours – mid September to early October. Wild ice skating – usually early December. Skiing (best snow), coldest temps & frozen waterfalls – January & February. Northern lights – December to February. Best spring skiing – March to April. Quietest months to visit – April, May, October, and November.

Visiting Moraine Lake or Lake Louise? Read my guide for how to get there with the new road closures. If you want to see Moraine Lake at sunrise, you can book a shuttle here.

Wildlife Safety: 11 ways to stay safe from wildlife, bear safety, & bear basics.

General Canada Travel Tips

Travel Insurance: ALWAYS purchase reliable travel insurance before your trip. This insurance is trusted by backpackers and adventure sport enthusiasts around the world. You can also use my link to receive 5% off SafetyWing policies. Here’s a blog post with more trustworthy travel insurance options you can compare.

Public transit is not common in North America, however every big city has their own local transit system. If you want to venture out of big cities or to any natural spot, plan to rent a car – here are the best budget car rental options in Canada. Trains (Via Rail) are not well connected within the country and are expensive. Hitchhiking is relatively uncommon here, however Poparide is becoming more popular for ride sharing.

Phone: popular providers are Rogers, Telus, and Koodoo. SIM cards can be purchased at the airport, phone stands, or provider storefronts. Canada has some of the most globally expensive phone rates.

Language: English & French (in Quebec).

Currency: Canadian dollars – displayed as “$” or “CAD”. Both cash and card are accepted everywhere.

Visas are typically not needed for stays up to 6 months in Canada.

Tipping culture: You are expected to tip 15-20% minimum on every meal. You are also expected to tip drivers, hair dressers, or anyone providing a “service” to you.

Tax: is not included in the price you see. Each province has their own tax bracket – Alberta 5%, Ontario 13%, British Columbia 12%, etc.

Helpful Banff Blog Posts

What Is SkiBig3?

SkiBig3 is a company that has shares in each Banff ski resort, helps promote the resorts, and acts as a collective informative base for Sunshine Village, Norquay, and Lake Louise.

Best ski resort in Banff for snowboarders

The SkiBig3 website is a great place to find shuttle information, snow reports, webcams, etc for each Banff ski resort without having to flip to the individual websites of each resort.

Ski shuttles | Snow conditions | Webcams | Trail maps

SkiBig3 offers lift tickets and season passes that can be used for all three ski resorts which is different from the standard approach of purchasing tickets/passes that can be used at either Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, OR Norquay. I outline information about these passes below.

All SkiBIg3 resorts in Banff have a complimentary shuttle that runs multiple times a day from the town of Banff. This means accessing the Banff ski resorts without a car is easy-peasy.

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Taylor ♡

Best Time of Year to Ski in Banff

The Banff ski resorts have a long ski season – 7 months starting in early November and ending late May. Sunshine Village has the longest ski season out of the three Banff ski resorts, however Lake Louise is not far behind.

Best ski resort in Banff for locals

Each month of skiing at Sunshine Village looks a little different. Year-to-year conditions vary, however generally you can rely on the following:

  • November is early season and the snow is variable in Banff. Sometimes the snow hits early, other times the snow doesn’t get good until the new year.
  • December is typically very busy at all 3 ski resorts in Banff as it’s the holiday season. It’s a great time of year to experience the holiday magic, however if you’re after maximum runs I would suggest waiting until January to ski anywhere in Banff.
  • January to March is peak season for skiing in Banff. This is when you’ll find epic snow and cold temperatures.
  • April to May is a great time to hit the Banff ski resorts if you’re after spring skiing; warmer temperatures and sunny skies. Mornings are typically icy and afternoons are slushy, but the powder days still come fairly frequently.

Keep in mind the combination of elevation, latitude, and the inland location of Banff means skiing here may be colder than what you’re used to if you’re coming from overseas or other regions of North America. January and February in particular are very cold. Without fail sometime during late January/early February temperatures fall as low as -40 degrees C/F and the Banff ski resorts typically shut down for a few days. This happens annually.

To see current conditions at all 3 Banff Ski Resorts, click here.

what is the best ski resort in Banff?

Banff Google Map: 600+ Pins

Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Banff?

Then my Banff map is for you!

Get my 600+ recommendations for hiking trails, viewpoints, can’t-miss spots, and unique activities all in once place.

Full of LOCAL hidden gems & insider travel tips!

Once click and the map is autosaved to your Google Maps app – a digital tour guide that fits in your pocket.

DOWNLOAD MAP

Where to Stay in Banff

From hostels to camping to luxury hotels – Banff has accommodations for everyone. Here are my top recommendations for where to lodge in Banff based on budget.

Where to stay in Banff

I recommend giving this post a read as I’ve listed every Banff hotel worth staying at and organized them by category.

BANFF HOTEL GUIDE

Lodging Options Near Banff

Enjoy that nature and activities of Banff National Park, but lodge away from the busy tourist town centre at any of the following:

Lake Louise Ski Resort: Pros & Cons

Our first resort in this SkBig3 review is Lake Louise which is the furthest ski resort from the town of Banff – approx. 45 minutes by the free shuttle or by driving.

best ski resort in Banff for advanced skiers

Lake Louise is the biggest ski resort in Banff with the most advanced terrain. Lake Louise has 1,700 hectares (or 4,200 acres) of skiable terrain over 4 mountain faces with 160+ named runs. Not to mention the incredible views overlooking the frozen Louise Louise + surrounding mountain peaks and glaciers.

Lake Louise offers mountain dining, epic bowls filled with powder, never ending tree runs, and it’s usually somewhat quieter than Sunshine Village (although not by much) as it’s a bit further from Calgary. 30% of Lake Louise’s terrain is for advanced skiers, whereas only 25% is for beginners. If you’re new to skiing, stick to Sunshine or Norquay instead.

I’d say Lake Louise’s biggest downfall is its distance to the town of Banff. The drive to Lake Louise opposed to Sunshine or Norquay is much longer, although some skiers like take the shuttle and use it as an opportunity for a pre/post ski nap. Additionally, staying in Lake Louise is much quieter than staying in Banff, has less restaurant choices, and minimal activities available – which is preferable to some, not to others.

Keep in mind if you lodge in Lake Louise, accessing Sunshine and Norquay without a vehicle is tricky. Of course check with your hotel staff as this information changes frequently, but the free shuttle from Lake Louise to Sunshine usually only operates once/day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There’s no free shuttle from Lake Louise to Norquay.

Lake Louise is the best ski resort in banff

Top Tours & Excursions in Banff

Banff Gondola – epic views from the top of Sulphur Mountain.

Banff Hop on Hop off – explore the park at your own pace.

Lake Minnewanka Cruise – take a scenic boat ride down the largest lake in Banff.

Moraine Lake sunrise – chartered bus to see alpenglow on Canada’s most beautiful lake.

Norquay via ferrata – epic beginner friendly climbing route across iron bars on Mt Norquay.

Sunshine Meadows Gondola – find wild alpine flowers and hike around pristine alpine lakes.

Click here for a complete list of the Banff tours I recommend:

MY RECOMMENDED BANFF TOURS

Norquay Ski Resort: Pros & Cons

Norquay is the smallest ski resort in Banff, but it should not be overlooked.

Best Banff ski resort & best Banff ski pass

Norquay is an interesting ski resort as it’s only 190 acres in size, but offers almost equal terrain to both beginner and advanced skiers. Although small, Norquay’s runs are typically steep and empty which makes for a killer powder day combo – epic snow + minimal lines.

With only a 10 minute shuttle, Norquay is the closest ski resort to the town of Banff meaning you could easily get some turns in the morning, return to town for lunch, then hit the slopes again in the afternoon. Add the combo of minimal lift queues and you can really max out how many runs you hit in a day.

Norquay is also the best (and only) ski resort in Banff that offers night skiing. You can go tubing here too.

For Norquay cons – the resort is small so if you’re a skilled skier you’ll likely run out of terrain to explore much faster than if you were to ski Sunshine or Lake Louise. Norquay also has an overall lower elevation than the other ski resorts in Banff meaning they use more artificial snow and have a shorter season (snow falls later and snow melts sooner here).

Is Norquay worth skiing in Banff?

Sunshine Village Ski Resort: Pros & Cons

Sunshine Village is the best overall ski resort in Banff (in my personal opinion) if you factor in snow, terrain, proximity to the town of Banff, and season length.

Best Banff ski resort

Here’s my Local’s Guide to Sunshine Village which outlines everything you need to know about the resort

Sunshine Village is the second largest ski resort in Banff clocking in at more than 3,300 acres of skiable terrain with 130+ named runs. Sunshine has the longest ski season out of all the ski resorts in Banff and is 100% natural snow which is impressive considering the season length. In fact, Sunshine is known to have the best snow of all the Banff Ski Resorts – slightly less icy and slightly more overall compared to Lake Louise.

From cruisy green runs for those who have never stepped into skis to advanced off-piste freeride zones for skiers looking to dip their toes in the backcountry – Sunshine has terrain everyone.

Aside from the terrain, Sunshine has the closest thing to “apres” of all the ski resorts in Banff at their on-mountain, rustic pub – Trapper’s.

To every great ski resorts there are downfalls though and Sunshine is not immune. Sunshine has long lines (especially on weekends and holidays) and fresh pow does not last. If you snooze here, you literally lose out on every powdery pillow on the mountain.

Unfortunately for snowboarders there are also a LOT of flat areas at Sunshine. This is especially true for most green runs and quite a few crucial blue runs that are difficult to avoid.

is sunshine the best ski resort in Banff?

Best Lift Ticket for the Banff Ski Resorts

I’ll start by saying that if you plan to ski in Banff for more than 12 days/season, it’s worth it to get a season pass rather than purchasing individual day tickets or Super Cards. I outline season pass options below.

cheapest lift tickets for skiing in Banff

Lift tickets for skiing in Banff (and Canada in general) are unfortunately outrageously pricey. I understand mountain operations are expensive, but I think charging $170+ for 1 day of skiing is madness. If you want to ski in Banff though you can’t avoid these prices, so let me outline the best lift ticket options for skiing in Banff.

SkiBig3 offers lift tickets that can be used at all 3 Banff ski resorts; Sunshine, Lake Louise, and Norquay all on one pass. These tickets are more expensive than if you were to purchase tickets for an individual resort, however they do come in handy if you plan a multi-day ski trip to Banff without preplanning which resorts you’ll hit on each day. This way you can skip purchasing tickets every morning and just hit the slopes.

Individual Lift Tickets can be purchased for each ski resort upon arrival or online ahead of time. If you purchase tickets online you’ll get a small discount, however you’ll need to scan the QR code on your phone each time you access a lift. This is fine at Sunshine as you’ll only need to scan it initially when getting on the gondola, however at Lake Louise and Norquay this task can be cumbersome opposed to scanning a physical lift ticket.

Afternoon Lift Tickets are cheaper than full day passes. They give you half a day of skiing opposed to a full day. Afternoon tickets are only worth it if you plan to ski a few hours to begin with. Otherwise they’re still fairly expensive.

Super Cards are available at Lake Louise and Sunshine which offer free days of skiing. The earlier in the season these cards are purchased, the cheaper it is to ski. Norquay has something similar to this called a Big Drop Card which gets you discounts on each lift ticket purchased.

If you’re looking for the cheapest lift tickets for skiing in Banff, opt to ski in the afternoon or purchase a Super Card.

Cheapest lift ticket for banff skiing

Best Season Pass for the Banff Ski Resorts

If you’re a ski bum, Bow Valley local, or weekend warrior from Calgary, a season pass may be your best bet for the Banff ski season.

best season pass for Banff ski resorts

The SkiBig3 pass is the most expensive season pass in Banff, however it’s the best choice for avid skiers who like to switch up their resort frequently.

If you’re looking to ski beyond Banff, you can look into the Mountain Collective and IKON ski passes which offer multiple days of skiing in Banff, Canada, the USA, and destinations around the globe. These passes are ideal for those looking to do ski trips or a road trip from resort-to-resort.

For skiers looking to stay fairly close to the town of Banff, have access to a long season + epic terrain, and who loves the social aspect of skiing (especially important for locals), the Sunshine season pass is best.

For serious skiers seeking access to more advanced terrain and for those who aren’t put off by a longer commute, the Lake Louise season pass is the best choice.

And finally, Norquay’s season pass is best for those looking to avoid lines almost entirely and have very little transport time to their ski destination from the town of Banff. This pass is often preferred by less serious skiers and families.

If you’re looking for the cheapest season pass to ski in Banff, you can opt to snag a midweek or afternoon pass which does limit your ski time, but saves you a few $ if work or other obligations prevent you from skiing on weekends/morning anyways. There are also spring passes which cost less, but still provide you with unlimited ski sessions for a shorter period; this pass is great for those who prefer warmer skiing and sunny skies.

Best season pass in banff

Banff Ski Resorts FAQ

What Banff ski resort is best overall?

I’d say the best ski resort in Banff is Sunshine Village if you’re looking at a combination of snow, terrain, social aspect, minimal “commute” time, and activities available outside the asking realm. If you’re a more serious skier concerned only with terrain and snow, Lake Louise is the best ski resort in Banff for you.

What Banff ski resort is best for beginners?

All 3 ski resorts in Banff have terrain for beginners, however Sunshine Village has the most beginner terrain.

What Banff ski resort is best for advanced riding?

For advanced skiing in Banff you’ll want to hit either Sunshine Village or Lake Louise. Sunshine Village has epic off-piste freeride terrain and Lake Louise is generally more suited toward advanced skiers overall.

Which ski resort in Banff should I get a season pass for?

If you’re looking to ski a combination of resorts, the SkiBig3 pass is best. If you’re focused solely on riding, the Lake Louise season pass is best. For skiers looking for an all-around experience, they should opt for the Sunshine Village season pass.

Should I buy SkiBig3 lift tickets for Banff?

You should ONLY buy a SkiBig3 lift ticket if you’re skiing in Banff for multiple days with no plan for what days you’ll hit each resort. This way you can avoid purchasing lift tickets each morning and hit the slopes right away.

Which Banff ski resort has the best snow?

Sunshine Village has the best snow in Banff.

What are the best months to ski in Banff?

I outline the best months to ski in Banff above.

What hotel should I stay in when in ski in Banff?

I outline the best places to lodge in Banff and Lake Louise above.

Do I need a parks pass for the ski resorts in Banff?

Yes you need a national park pass in addition to your lift ticket if you plan to ski in Banff. All three Banff ski resorts lie within the national park boundary.

What ski resort in Banff is best for snowboarders?

Lake Louise is the best ski resort in Banff for snowboarders. This is due to the varied terrain and lack of flat spots.

Is Norquay worth skiing?

Norquay is definitely worth skiing even though it’s the smallest ski resort in Banff. The lack of lift lines and steep runs, tubing, and night skiing are appealing to travellers.

Where do most locals ski in Banff?

Most locals have a Sunshine Village season pass, however many purchase a season pass at Lake Louise too. Often times Banff locals will purchase a ski pass at one resort and a Super Card for the other for the odd day they want to switch it up.

best season pass for skiing in banff

Banff Google Map: 600+ Pins

Don’t feel like scrolling through blog posts trying to find things to do in Banff?

Then my Banff map is for you!

Get my 600+ recommendations for hiking trails, viewpoints, can’t-miss spots, and unique activities all in once place.

Full of LOCAL hidden gems & insider travel tips!

Once click and the map is autosaved to your Google Maps app – a digital tour guide that fits in your pocket.

DOWNLOAD MAP

What is the best ski resort in Banff?

BANFF BLOGS
WORK AT SUNSHINE
SUNSHINE SKI GUIDE

Happy adventuring!

Taylor ♡

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About the Author

HI, I’m Taylor – the voice behind The Holistic Backpacker.

After moving to Banff National Park in 2020 I became an outdoor adventure enthusiast and vowed to never stop exploring.

I now spend my days travelling the world, climbing mountains, and spending nights under the stars in the Canadian Rockies backcountry.

I created The Holistic Backpacker so I could share my adventures and help connect people like you with the same amazing experiences.

GET TO KNOW ME | WORK WITH ME

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