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Sunshine Village Ski Holidays

At a glance

  • Snowsure
  • Banff ski resort
  • Gorgeous natural setting

Great for

  • Experts
  • Families
  • Off-piste

Ski Holidays in Sunshine Village

The highest and the snowiest of the resorts in Banff’s Big 3, Sunshine is also the only Banff resort with slopeside accommodation. This and its world-renowned off-piste means it attracts more serious skiers. But in other respects it’s just like its neighbours, with the kind of stirring scenery and remote woodlands that will leave you at a loss for words.

  • Flight Time
  • 9 hours
  • From London
  • Nearest Airports
  • Calgary, Montreal
  • Vancouver
  • Time zone
  • GMT - 3.5 to -8 hours
  • Language
  • English, French
  • Currency
  • Canadian Dollar
  • Ski Season
  • Dec - April

Sunshine Village Stats

Top Altitude
2730m
Bottom Altitude
1658m
Resort Altitude
1658m
Total Piste
115 runs, 78km
Longest Run
8km
Slope Orientation
Vertical Drop
Skiable Vertical
1070.8m
Night Skiing
No
Glacier Skiing
No

Opening its doors in 1934, Sunshine Village is officially one of the oldest ski resorts in North America, and some of its buildings even date back that far. Despite its venerable old age, they’ve clearly embraced the modern era here - having the first Canadian high-speed quad with heated seats and bubbles (a 2015 addition).

It’s one of three resorts in Banff’s Big 3 Ski area (alongside Lake Louise and Norquay), and takes the prize as the snowiest of the lot. It averages 360 inches of the white stuff a season and is known for its superbly “grippy” snow on the piste.

Varied and interesting, the skiing covers three separate mountains, Mt. Standish, Goat’s Eye and Look Out Mountain, offering terrain that faces all points on the compass. While runs favour the intermediate and advanced, the solitude of the resort – by European standards, at any rate - and the grippiness of the snow lends itself to those just starting out.

Named one of the top 10 off-piste areas in the world, Delirium Dive is another of this resort’s big draws. You need an avalanche transceiver just to access it (through snazzy electronic gates).

Another catch - this is the only resort in the Banff National Park to offer ski-in ski out accommodation. The Sunshine Mountain Lodge and a handful of rustic-style restaurants and shops are pretty much the extent of the amenities here, but this can be a big plus if remote woodlands and stunning scenery are your vibe.

Meanwhile, if the thought of an early night leaves you shuddering, pitching camp in nearby Banff town will mean access to as many bars and hotels as you could wish for. The shuttle to Sunshine is free on a Tri-Area pass, takes just 15 minutes and passes some of the most stunning mountain scenes you’ll ever set eyes on.

Winter Sports Ratings

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboarding

Sunshine Village Transfer Times

Calgary International Airport 2 hours

The nearest airport to Sunshine Village is Calgary at 135 km or about 2 hours 30 minutes by car

What's the ski area like in Sunshine Village?

With a mix of quiet beginner slopes, terrain above the tree-line for intermediates and strong expert offerings, Sunshine Village is a good all-rounder of a resort. Throw in backcountry such as 'Wawa Ridge' and freeride zones like Delirium’s Dive and it earns international attention.

Yes, only 15% of the runs here are beginner friendly, but in the early days, mile on mile of terrain is not what’s needed. Brush up on the runs around the Mighty Might Carpet, before moving on to the Strawberry Express quad for the most popular greens, Dell Valley and Rock Isle Road. Most of the speedsters leave this area in peace, so you’re left to learn without being cut up on the piste.

With plenty of intermediate trails from the towering peaks of both the Lookout and Goat’s Eye Mountains, skiers can schuss beside the black diamond runs with the same far-reaching views out above the tree-line. Tin Can Alley is our favourite blue, with unbeatable views of Goats Eye when the weather’s good.

“Extreme areas” Delirium Dive and Wild West tend to hog the spotlight, known to have hosted some of the ski elite’s “best powder days ever”. The park authorities here are serious about their avalanche-risks and you may arrive to find these closed. Fortunately, there are still plenty of sheer double black diamonds from Goat’s Eye to test your skills on.

See if the resort still offers free daily guided tours with their SnowHosts, who’ll point out the best places to go and let you in on some of Sunshine’s secrets.

Which other ski resorts are near to Sunshine Village?

The nearest ski resorts to Sunshine Village include Lake Louise, Banff.

Ski Area Facts

LocationAlberta, Canada
Established1934
Downhill115 runs, 78km
Lift Pass$99 (adult pass per day)

Beginner Slopes

15%

Intermediate Skiing

37%

Advance & Expert Terrain

47%

Snowboarding Trails

115 runs, 78km100%

Sunshine Village Restaurants

Sunshine Village Après Ski

Sunshine Village Activites for Non-skiers

Clothing Food & Souvenir Shops

In common with other ski towns, Banff has great shopping, with more than 200 speciality stoes to choose from. For local artwork and crafts Canada House retails Inuit, Native, wildlife, landscape art and jewellery. Additionally The Gallery at the Springs sells mountain art by Canadian artists, with an emphasis on works by artists living and working in the Bow Valley. The Quest is another place to purchase Canadian crafts and art in a variety of media whilst The Banff Indian Trading Post provides an outlet for the Stoney Indians of Morley to sell their handicrafts as it has for over a century. Today, the selection has been expanded to include true native artworks from tribes across Canada. The Sedna Art Gallery features Inuit sculptures and Native paintings.

Best Time to Visit Sunshine Village

Temperatures of -20°C are not uncommon on the slopes, so if you’re susceptible to the chill, hold out for a trip later in the season. In March and April, temperatures rise to above the minuses and the snow usually shows no signs of flagging, making this a great time to ski.

Despite its name, Sunshine really isn’t regularly drenched in sunlight – fantastic news, as it means snow’s kept in tip-top condition for ages after a dump. The season here often runs well into May (one of the few resorts to last this long without a glacier).

The snow record tends to see fairly even coverage month by month, so any time in the season’s likely to have a good layer. Thanks to an altitude of 7200ft, this resort can receive up to 9m of the stuff in a season – and all of it the kind of blissful champagne powder so dry its actually hard to make snowballs with.

What's Sunshine Village like at Christmas?

With everything from treasure hunts and parades to skiing with Santa Christmas in Sunshine Village will be a hard one to top.

What's Sunshine Village like in the New Year?

Snuggle up warm at the Mountain Lodge for a heartwarming New Year in Sunshine Village, or go big with the street parties and galas down in Banff.

What's Sunshine Village like in Half-Term?

While Canada’s a little further afield than Austria or France, when lift lines are this few and runs this peaceful, you’ll agree a Half Term in Sunshine Village was well worth the trip.

What's Sunshine Village like at Easter?

Traditionally the Easter bunny puts in an appearance at Easter in Sunshine Village, hiding chocolate eggs around the mountain.

Sunshine Village Snow Conditions

Snow Report, History & Forecast

View our detailed Sunshine Village snow report to see skiing confitions now. Our Sunshine Village snow history shows you what snow depths have been in recent years month-by-month. If you're visiting soon, use the Sunshine Village snow forecast to see predicted snowfall over the coming days.

  • Light snow Today
  • Light snow Sunday
  • Moderate or heavy snow showers Monday
  • Light snow Tuesday
  • Cloudy skies Wednesday
  • Cloudy skies Thursday
  • Current snow depth at top
    127 cm
  • Alternate Text
  • Current snow depth at base
    60 cm

With a variety of runs and the remote, relaxed feel of the resort, a trip to Sunshine has all the makings of a restorative family break. If your young ones are seasoned skiers, book them in for a full or half day with the talented instructors at the Kids Kampus ski school. Or if they’re too young to ski, Tiny Tigers Day Care will ensure everyone’s having fun.

The Mountain Lodge here specializes in low-key activities that keep the fun going, with an activity room (where we spotted bubble hockey, a pool table and Wii console), film screenings and frequent transformation of the surrounding trails into night-time toboggan runs.

Down in Banff, the possibilities are livelier and more extensive. Many of the area's accommodations have special child-friendly features and facilities. Though this involves a short commute to Sunshine, the kids won’t fail to be won over by activities like dog sledding, snowmobiling, sleigh rides and ice hockey down in the historic town.

Sunshine Village’s varied, snowsure terrain is just the ticket for a mixed ability ski group, with descents like Delirium Dive for plenty of bragging rights at close of day.

Rolling out the welcome for groups, the resort has previously set up private fire pits and S’mores on request, and hosted customized races to bring out a little friendly competition.

If there are party animals or food fans among you, set your sights on the accommodation in Banff for a selection of over 60 different restaurants and oodles of ski bars.

Sunshine Village
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Ski Extras

How much is a ski pass in Sunshine Village

Maximum and minimum adult Sunshine Village lift pass prices ranged from C$? to C$? for 6 days access to the Sunshine Village ski lift system at the start of the 2025 winter season. Our lift passes are part of a packaged Sunshine Village holiday with accommodation, so prices vary depending on chalet or hotel suppliers. Confirm price for the lift ticket before booking your holiday.

Lift Tickets Child Adult Senior
1 Day Price N / A N / A N / A
6 Day Price N / A N / A N / A
Age Range 6 - 12 18 - 64 65+

Getting to Sunshine Village

Most of our ski holidays to Sunshine Village packaged with flights include airport transfers. We can also arrange private transfers to Sunshine Village from nearby airports

How long does it take to fly to Sunshine Village from the UK?

Flights from London take about 9 hours to Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver. This table shows approximate transfer times to Sunshine Village from the nearest airports, smaller airports can be more prone to delays.

Airport Distance Transfer Time
Calgary 135 km 2 hours 30 minutes

How long is the transfer from nearest Canada train station to Sunshine Village?

The transfer time from alpine train stations are generally shorter than from airports, Call us for details of Sunshine Village transfers.

Station Distance Transfer Time
Edmonton ? km ?

Sunshine Village Maps

Sunshine Village piste map
Click to Enlarge

Sunshine Village Ski Holiday Resources

Need help choose your Sunshine Village ski holiday? Call us on 020 7770 6888 or click Enquire - we love to help!

Enquire

Similar Ski Resorts to Sunshine Village in Canada


Every Sno holiday packaged with flights is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. All our suppliers are ATOL bonded, so your money is safe. In addition to this, payments for your holiday are held in trust, by NatWest bank and the Travel Trust, who insure every booking against supplier failure.

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© 2025 SNO Group Ltd • company no. 5995288 • VAT no. 946 9394 63 SNO, Apsley House, 176 Upper Richmond Road, London, SW15 2SH.

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