Traveling with a Baby: Our Family Adventure in Banff and Lake Louise

Traveling has changed for us since welcoming our newest family member, Pierce, in May 2023! Since then, he’s been a part of all our adventures—whether it was an anniversary staycation at The Pearle in Burlington, trips to the cottage, or visits to the U.S. We decided it was time to venture a bit further, so we planned a week-long trip to Banff and Lake Louise. This felt like the perfect opportunity to test how we’d manage a flight with a baby, and Banff’s short flight made it a manageable first step.

We arrived in Calgary in the late afternoon, picked up our rental car, and drove straight to Banff. Gone are the days of back-to-back hectic, attractions packed schedules, we’ve now welcomed chilled, built-in nap schedules in our itineraries.

Travel Itinerary

Activities in Banff and Lake Louise

After escaping a less-than-ideal stay (more on that later), we spent our first day exploring Banff Village.

Banff Village: Banff Village is a charming town full of local coffee shops, gift stores, and restaurants. It’s a great place to walk around and familiarize yourself with the area, especially when traveling with a baby. However, it’s relatively small, so it won’t take long to see everything. We had lunch at Zyka Elevated Indian Restaurant Banff located on the second floor off the main road. The service was amazing, they extended their buffet lunch for a few late guests and the food was authentic and hit all the flavours.

Lake Minnewanka Loop: With a baby, sometimes it’s easier to find scenic spots to explore by car. During Pierce’s nap times, we’d drive to beautiful lookout points and make short stops along the way. This was definitely worth the drive.

Banff Upper Hot Springs: This was a perfect way to relax, take in stunning mountain views, and unwind after a day of exploring. While babies are allowed at the hot springs, Pierce and I decided to skip it. However, my parents and Carl enjoyed their time there later in the evening.

Banff Gondola: I was concerned about whether the Banff Gondola would be stroller-friendly, so we opted to carry Pierce in a baby carrier, which made things easier. Depending on your stroller size, it’s possible to navigate the gondola, but it may take more time and effort. There’s a section of the boardwalk with steps to keep in mind. Of course, they had great facilities to accommodate baby changing.

Johnston Canyon: This was another spot where I debated whether a stroller would be practical. While the path is partly paved, it’s much easier to explore with a baby carrier. This was a great, relatively short and easy stroll for the entire family (including my parents) to see the waterfall.

Lake Louise: Beautiful Lake Louise! To allow for Pierce’s nap times and give us enough time to explore, we stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise for a few nights. We had an amazing time. The facilities in the Gold Lounge were worth the extra cost for convenience, and we enjoyed walking through the shops and dining at the five restaurants inside the hotel. Of course, exploring the beautiful paths the area had to offer, right at our doorstep.

What to Pack and Where to Buy for Baby

We went to Banff around mid-October and it was warmer than normal. Sweater-weather hovering at a nice 15°C (59°F) – 18°C (64°F). Its best to pack layers so you can add on or take off. At this age, I found onesies to still be best and most convenient. And it covers their bellies better in the cooler weather.
Things to pack when traveling with a baby: body suits, sweaters, pjs, sleep sack, bibs, burp cloths, baby wash, wipes, bottles, pacifier, nail clipper, initial supply of diapers and formula (buy more when you’re there!), stroller, car seat, jacket, hats, socks, shoes (just to keep the toeies warm), Tylenol, nose sucker, sleep sack, small toy (Pierce loved the spinner toys), baby birth certificate/passport
- Other items to consider: crib sheets (some places don’t provide – it’s so weird!), swim suit (hotel pool), small floatie (we used ours to also prop him up to bathe), dish soap, bottle cleaner, disposable bottle sanitizer bags
There are many major grocery in and around Banff which will carry all your baby necessities including formula, diapers, baby food, basically all the essentials (IGA, Safeway, Save-on-Foods would be your best bets)

Reflections on Traveling with a Baby

In the end, there were no tears from any of us on the plane, and traveling with Pierce at five months old went incredibly smoothly. My parents joined us for part of the trip, which was a lovely change of pace. Pierce was content throughout—whether in his carrier, stroller, or napping on schedule.

Not that I’m at all qualified, but if I could offer any advice to families considering traveling with a baby (writing now as a mom of a 15-month-old), I would highly recommend it! While every baby is different, the 4-6 month range felt like the perfect time for us. Pierce wasn’t on solids yet, and he wasn’t super active, so he was happy to explore with us and nap on the go. The experience gave us so much confidence in traveling as a family, and soon after, we were off on our next adventure… back to Portugal!

Side Note: The Booking.com Condo Stay

A quick note of caution: We weren’t aware that Booking.com also rents out private condos, similar to VRBO. Unfortunately, the condo we rented was filthy—towels with mismatched leftovers from previous guests, greasy kitchen items, and a scaly water kettle that we didn’t even feel safe using for baby formula. Booking.com’s customer service was severely lacking. They refunded only one night of our three-night stay, and we had to fight with the owner for that. We left after the first night and found a nearby hotel before spending the remainder of our trip at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

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