The brief: two women, six days in the Canadian Rockies — based in Canmore with skiing across three of the most iconic mountains in North America. Lake Louise twice, Banff Sunshine once, Mount Norquay once. The drive from Calgary sets the tone immediately and never really stops being extraordinary — the Rockies announce themselves on the highway and don't let go for the rest of the trip. Day five belongs to Canmore itself and a proper visit to the town of Banff, which between them offer everything the mountains don't.
Feb 8 — Arrive Calgary, Drive to Canmore, Town of Banff
Land in Calgary and collect the rental car — the drive west on the Trans-Canada Highway toward the mountains takes just over an hour and is the beginning of the trip in the best possible way. The Rockies appear on the horizon well before you reach them, and by the time you pass through the park gates the landscape has become something else entirely.
Rather than going straight to Canmore, continue on to Banff townsite first — a town that has been welcoming people into these mountains for well over a century. Banff Avenue for a walk, the Bow River for a first look at what surrounds it all, a coffee or an early lunch before the twenty-minute drive back to check in at Canmore.
First evening in Canmore rewards a walk: the main street, the peaks visible in every direction, dinner at one of the restaurants that make this small town's food scene genuinely worth paying attention to.
Feb 9 — Lake Louise
The drive from Canmore to Lake Louise takes under an hour through mountain scenery that makes it impossible to stay in a conversation — someone will stop mid-sentence to point at something out the window. Lake Louise Ski Resort sits above the lake with terrain that spreads across four mountain faces and views that are genuinely distracting on the lift.
A full day on the mountain, lunch mid-slope, and then après-ski at the Lodge of Ten Peaks — one of the great ski lodges in North America, warm and unhurried, the kind of place where one drink becomes two without anyone noticing. Drive back to Canmore as the last light leaves the peaks.
Feb 10 — Banff Sunshine
Banff Sunshine sits high enough that the skiing is reliable and the views reach into three provinces on a clear day. The gondola ride up is itself worth the trip. Different terrain and a different character from Lake Louise — more open bowls, big sky, the kind of skiing that makes you feel like the mountain is larger than it has any right to be.
Après-ski at the Creekside Bar in the Sunshine Mountain Lodge — cozy, right at the base, no reason to rush back down. The drive back through Banff townsite offers a reason to stop if anything catches the eye.
Feb 11 — Lake Louise Again
Back to Lake Louise for a second day — which on a mountain this size feels less like a repeat and more like a continuation. Different runs, different light, the same extraordinary views. There is always more mountain than one day can cover at Lake Louise, and the second visit proves it. Lunch on the mountain again because there is no good reason not to.
Après-ski at the Lodge of Ten Peaks once more — some places earn a return visit within the same trip. Drive back to Canmore for a late afternoon visit to the Nordic spa and a last dinner out.
Feb 12 — Mount Norquay, Canmore
Morning at Mount Norquay — the smallest of the three mountains and the most local, sitting directly above Banff townsite and running since 1926. Steep runs, a no-nonsense atmosphere, and views down over Banff and the Bow Valley that are among the best of the trip.
Après-ski at the Cliffhouse Bistro — a restored 1950s tea house perched on the mountain with panoramic views and a warm room that feels like it belongs to another era.
Back to Canmore by mid-afternoon with enough time left to give the town its due — a walk along the Bow River, the independent shops on Main Street, the Three Sisters framing everything from every angle. A final dinner somewhere worth marking the last night, bags packed before bed.
Feb 13 — Drive to Calgary, Fly Home
Early morning drive back to Calgary on the Trans-Canada — the mountains receding in the mirror, the Rockies doing what they do right up until the prairie takes over. Return the rental car, clear the airport, fly home with the particular satisfaction of a trip that delivered everything it promised.
