From Banff, Add Day Trip to Kicking Horse or Spend The Night

Looking for a way to add new ski terrain to your Banff winter vacation? You can tack on an adventure at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. For day trips, a bus runs from Banff to the resort, or you can spend several days exploring the slopes with ski and stay specials.

From Banff, you can hop a bus to ski a day at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. The British Columbia resort sits 151 kilometers from Banff, a drive that usually takes about two hours. The road time shortens from Lake Louise.

But you don’t have to rent a car to get to Kicking Horse. You can hop a bus run by Discover Banff Tours and relax for a scenic ride through Banff and Yoho National Parks.

The bus picks up riders at several Banff locations, including seven hotels. Banff pickups are scheduled between 6:45-7:20 a.m. The bus stops at Lake Louise for pick ups around 8 a.m. The return bus departs Kicking Horse when the lifts close down.

A round-trip ride on the bus costs $90, plus 12% HST. That includes a full day lift ticket at Kicking Horse. You can compare the savings to a peak season lift ticket at Kicking Horse, which costs $84. Ten passengers are required to ensure the bus runs. Because of that, skiers and snowboarders should be somewhat flexible on dates. Buses to Kicking Horse run through April 7, 2013.

If you want more time at Kicking Horse, look into special ski and stay packages. The March Madness package discounts select lodging by 25 percent for four nights or more. Lift tickets, equipment rentals, and mountain school discounts are available, too. Kids can stay free. This package is available March 1- April 7, 2013.

The Midweek Powder package is designed for stays of two or more nights with arrivals on Sundays through Thursdays. The package, which includes lift tickets, starts at $68 per person per night for quad occupancy overnights in the Glacier Mountaineer Lodge in the base area.

For more information trips to Kicking Horse, go here: bus from Banff, ski and stay packages.