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This is a first-hand review from our recent Banff trip as a Calgary-based family of four (two young kids). Everything here is based on what we actually saw, ate, and spent — not a press trip, not a sponsored stay.
Table of Contents
Banff Caribou Lodge is a reasonable family pick in Banff – not particularly luxurious, and not inexpensive, but it sits close enough to downtown that you can walk there in under ten minutes with two young kids in tow. From our experience, families who book in Canmore to cut costs often end up spending those savings on downtown Banff parking, which means the math can quietly shift in Caribou Lodge’s favour if you catch a decent nightly rate. This review covers what worked well for us with two young kids, what didn’t, and where to eat – including Anejo Cocina y Tequila, which is worth planning around.
And if you eat once at Anejo Cocina y Tequila while you’re there — ideally during happy hour — you’ll come home planning your next trip just to go back. The tacos we ordered were good enough that my wife and I looked at each other mid-meal and said “we’re driving back for this.” I don’t say that about many restaurants.
Banff Caribou Lodge – Family Perspective
What worked for us with two young kids
- Location, location, location. The lodge is on Banff Avenue but far enough from the heart of downtown that street noise isn’t a problem. From the room we were in, downtown Banff is a 7-10 minute walk — close enough to pop down for a coffee or quick bite without dragging the kids into a car seat war, far enough that we weren’t listening to weekend traffic at 11pm.
- Parking is free and on-site. In Banff this is actually a meaningful benefit. Downtown Banff parking in peak summer ranges from painful to nonexistent.
- The pool and hot tub. Kids burn energy in the pool after a day of hiking, then sleep like logs. This is the single most underrated amenity for family travel in the Rockies. If your hotel doesn’t have at least a pool, plan on one cranky kid per day of your trip.
- Room layout. Enough space that one kid being loud didn’t wake the other. Not common in Banff at that price point.
What didn’t work as well
- Breakfast isn’t included at the rate we booked. Which, in Banff where a family breakfast easily runs at a restaurant, is worth planning for. We ended up doing breakfast groceries at the IGA and eating in the room most mornings — coffee maker in the room, toaster in the lobby breakfast area, kids are happy with cereal.
- Walls could be thicker. The lodge is older; you will hear some hallway traffic. Bring a white noise app on your phone if your kids are light sleepers.
- Not a mountain-view lodge. If you want the kids staring out the window at Mt. Rundle while they eat breakfast, this isn’t that kind of lodge. It’s pragmatic-family lodging, not honeymoon-view lodging.
What we’d do differently next trip
Book a room with a small kitchenette if we can get one. The amount of money you save by making even 2 meals a day in-room adds up fast in Banff.
Where to eat in Banff with kids (and without): Anejo is the standout
Anejo Cocina y Tequila – yes, seriously
Anejo surprised us. Mexican food in the Canadian Rockies is not supposed to be this good. We went during happy hour — tacos priced where you can actually order three different ones and try them all instead of picking “the safe one.”
A few specifics:
- The happy hour tacos. Unreal. Smokey, genuine cooking, real corn tortillas, house-made salsas. Not the overpriced gentrified-Mexican that trades on location rather than food.
- The atmosphere. Clean, modern, authentically Mexican without being a theme park about it. Darker than a family diner but not so dim the kids couldn’t see their plate.
- Kid-friendliness. The staff were gracious about our kids, the menu has quesadillas + simple tacos that work for picky eaters, and we got out of there without a scene.
If you’re in Banff and eating ONE meal out with or without kids, and you’re OK with Mexican, Anejo is where I’d spend the money.
The other places worth hitting in Banff with kids
- Banff Avenue for ice cream after dinner. Not a meal recommendation, an experience recommendation. Multiple good ice cream shops, open late in summer, kids are elated.
- Nourish Bistro if you want plant-based and don’t mind a wait.
- Park Distillery for dinner if one adult wants a real steak and the other wants a cocktail. Kids menu exists and isn’t nuggets-and-that’s-it.
Things to do in Banff with young kids – quick hits
- Banff Upper Hot Springs. The one everybody knows and for good reason. Works with kids if you go early (before 10 AM) or late afternoon. Avoid the 12-3 crush.
- Cave and Basin National Historic Site. Older kids find the cave genuinely interesting. The boardwalks around the springs are stroller-friendly.
- Lake Minnewanka. Scenic drive + easy walking loop. Worked with our two kids as long as we timed it to avoid hunger meltdowns (always the real enemy on family trips).
- Banff Gondola. Worth it on a clear day. Kids stay fascinated for the full 8-minute ride up. Save money by skipping the Sulphur Mountain interpretive center up top if you’re on a budget — the views are the point.
- Ice skating at Banff Recreation Grounds (winter) – outdoor rink, free, and the kids can burn energy for 2 hours.
Cost breakdown for a family of four, 3 nights
Realistic ballpark of what we spent vs. alternatives:
| Item | Our cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lodging (3 nights) | ~ | Booked ahead in shoulder season |
| Meals (2 out + groceries) | ~ | Anejo + Park Distillery + IGA groceries |
| Parks pass | * | We have the Discovery Pass – covers Banff |
| Gondola (family of 4) | ~ | Summer pricing, book online to save |
| Gas from Calgary + incidentals | ~ | We’re ~90 min out |
| Total (3 nights, 4 people) | ~,270 | Achievable with planning |
* Pro tip: the annual Parks Canada Discovery Pass pays for itself after 1.5 Banff trips for a family. If you live in Alberta or BC, it’s almost a no-brainer.
Banff with kids vs without kids – quick take
Banff scales well across ages. We’ve done it as a couple (great) and now with kids (also great, just different). The things that change:
- With kids: you shift from evening hikes + fine dining to mid-day hikes + early dinners. Sunrise hikes to Moraine Lake are a HARD sell with two young ones.
- With kids: hotel pool becomes 30% of the value you’re getting from lodging.
- With kids: restaurants like Anejo that are kid-OK-but-not-kid-themed are gold.
- Without kids: you unlock early-morning mountain hikes, late dinners, romantic gondola sunsets, and staying at lodges where rooms are smaller but views are better.
Planning tips if you’re booking now
- Shoulder seasons (May-June, September-October) save 30-40% on lodging vs. July-August peak.
- Book Caribou Lodge 6-8 weeks ahead for summer weekends. They sell out.
- Get a Parks Canada Discovery Pass. .25 CAD for a family, good at every national park in Canada for 12 months. We use ours 4-6 times a year. Pays for itself after trip 2.
- Pack real food for the drive. The Canmore/Banff exits are expensive for snacks. Stock up at Co-op in Calgary before you leave.
- Tim Hortons in Banff is not faster than making coffee in your room. Summer lineups are 25+ min at the downtown one.
Would we go back?
Yes. We’re already planning the next trip, partly because we want to try Caribou Lodge again with a kitchenette room, partly because we need another round of Anejo tacos. The trip hit that rare sweet spot: kids had a great time, adults enjoyed the non-kid parts, and we didn’t come home feeling like we needed another vacation to recover.
If you’re a Calgary family weighing “another weekend in Banff” vs. something farther afield — the answer is still Banff. It’s 90 minutes away and consistently delivers.
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