5-Day Itinerary to SkiBig3 with a Mountain Collective Pass

You can never truly have enough time in the mountains, but with a Mountain Collective Pass, you can access TWO of the SkiBig3 resorts (Banff Sunshine and Lake Louise Ski Resort) and receive 50% off on Mt. Norquay tickets. With 2 days allocated to each resort, here is the perfect 5-day itinerary for your winter getaway to the Canadian Rockies! 

Day 1: Banff Sunshine – Riding all the Banff Gondolas  

Photo by: Reuben Krabbe and SkiBig3

• Wake up and take a walk down to Bear Street and enjoy a warm coffee and a breakfast muffin from Downtown Sally.
• Catch the free shuttle from downtown Banff and enjoy a scenic 20-minute drive up to Banff Sunshine. 
• Skip the window lines and proceed direct to the gondola with your Mountain Collective Pass. Your pass comes pre-loaded with 2-days at Banff Sunshine, and 50% off additional days. Pro tip: Be sure to pre-load your credit card to your pass to avoid the ticket window on your 50% off days. Ride the 6th longest lift in the world, Banff Sunshine’s gondola, 18 minutes to Sunshine’s Upper Village, tucked high in the alpine. 
• With 13 different lifts, enjoy hours of carving clean tracks in the white pristine powder. Remember to ride Banff Sunshine's newest 6-seater, heated bubble chair lift, Super Angel!
• Take the time to warm up and refuel at Nikko Ramen. Sit down and enjoy 1 of 4 original Sunshine ramen flavors. 
• After a day of riding or skiing, head back in Banff, enjoy a modern Italian meal at The Fat Ox, followed by a trip up the Banff Gondola to see the town light up from below.  

Day 2: Après and Pampering

Photo by: Rajiv Dhaliwal at Banff Sunshine (Mad Trappers)

• Before heading back out to Banff Sunshine, indulge in a delicious breakfast at Farm & Fire.  
• Take the day to explore the runs you missed or perfect your favorites from the day before. For our daredevils, take a trip out to Delirium Dive or The Wild west, for the ultimate untouched free ride runs. *Note both require avalanche gear, beacons and a buddy!  
• Finish up early and enjoy Après outside at Mad Trappers. Giving a retro ski vibe, there will be music and good vibes to finish your time at Banff sunshine.
• Once you’ve settled back in town, take a walk over to Three Bears Brewery. Enjoy a cozy restaurant feel, complimented with gourmet pizza and house brewed beer.  
• Wind down the night with a soak in the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Adult day tickets are as cheap as $17.50. 

Day 3: Lake Louise - Back Bowls and Bowling

Photo by:  Jill Tester where possible/Rider: Stef Babiak

• Skip breakfast and head straight to Lake Louise Ski Resort (use the free shuttle)
• Before heading out for the day, head to Slopeside Coffee for a warm drink and a baked good.
• For our more advanced skiers and riders, we recommend exploring West Bowl, Lake Louise Ski Resort’s free ride zone. Opening in the 2020/2021 winter season, West Bowl is a huge area (like 480 acres huge) of new terrain on the west face of Whitehorn Mountain. And yes, you’ll need a full day to explore - it has more powder stashes than you can count! Enjoy getting up to West Bowl in the new 6-seater, heated bubble Pipestone Express Chairlift.
• Take a break in between runs and enjoy lunch with a view at the Powder Keg Lounge. 
• Once you’ve returned to Banff, head to High Rollers for a friendly game of bowling, pizza and the choice of 48 different craft beers on tap. Be sure to make a reservation!  

Day 4: Lake Louise – Friendly runs and tubing

Photo by: Reuben Krabbe

• Take a stroll down to the center of Banff Ave. and head into Wild Flower Bakery for some of Banff's best baked goods.  
• Take the day to explore the rest of “Canada’s Friendly Giant – Lake Louise” taking advantage of a variety of gentle slopes and long cruising runs, glades, and chutes.
• A must-try restaurant for lunch is Whitehorn Bistro. Enjoy a gourmet menu and a carefully crafted cocktail, that will perfectly tie up your time at Lake Louise Ski Resort. 
• Head back to Banff and enjoy happy hour Après at Bluebird. If you're around for a Friday, enjoy a live DJ and an extra hour of deals. Ski racks on site allow you to hop off the shuttle and right into the party! Enjoy resort inspired cocktails retro ski vibes, and 50% off fondue from 4:00 - 5:00 pm Saturday to Thursday, and 3:00 - 5:00 pm on Fridays. 
• If your up for an adventurous evening, catch a short bus up to Mt. Norquay and experience the largest tube park in the Canadian Rockies! Tubing at Norquay is free with your Mountain Collective Pass. 

Day 5: A Day for you to Explore Mt. Norquay

Photo by: Jillian Tester/Skier: Gabriella Dufour Leonard 

By now you would have used up your 2 days at each resort; which means at 50% off the ticketed price, you can choose whether you’d like to explore Banff Sunshine or Lake Louise Ski Resort again or try Mt. Norquay.

• Enjoy a slower start to your morning, with a brunch style breakfast at Brazen.  
• We recommend that you take the day to explore Mt. Norquay. Known as “Banff’s Back Yard”, Mt. Norquay is famous for being the training ground of Olympic and World Cup athletes, with excellent beginner terrain as well as some of the steepest runs in Banff off the famous North American chair.
• Take a break between exploring the mountain, to have a delicious lunch at Lone Pine. Lone Pine offers a mix of traditional and contemporary pub grub, that is sure to fill you up.
• Head back to Banff and enjoy your last night exploring the nightlife around Banff. Banff Ave. is filled with shopping, bars and other entertainment. Check out local’s favourite The Rose and Crown for laid back pints or the new Moxy Hotel Lounge for elevated cocktails and cozy firepits.  

Are you getting excited?

The beauty of a Mountain Collective Pass is that YOU can choose where you want to go and what you want to explore. If you are ready for the trip of a lifetime, then we are here to help! Mountain Collective pass holders can access all Ski & Stay discounts with SkiBig3 without the lift ticket bundling requirement. To book your winter ski vacation  call 1-844-754-2443 to speak with a reservation specialist or go online to access some exceptional Ski & Stay Package deals.