We recently crossed off two places that have been on our bucket list: Glacier National Park, and Banff, Canada! We spent 10 days traveling to both with our boys, ages 6 and 8. I’m sharing our itinerary below, including things we would have done differently (in the hopes it will help you)!

Flying into Kalispell, MT and travel to Glacier National Park

We flew into Kalispell from Jacksonville, FL (and had a quick layover in TX). Kalispell is about an hour from the west entrance to Glacier and our AirBnb. We stayed in a 2-bedroom cabin that was just off the main road.

I did check for lodging within Glacier National Park but everything was already booked 6 months prior to our trip. I recommend calling hotels within the park and finding out *when* the booking windows open if that’s something you’re interested in!

Touring Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is just over 1 million acres in size and we knew we wanted to take a tour to make the most of our time. On our first full day there, we booked a Red Bus Tour on the East side of the park. This was around a 90-minute drive to get there. Pickup was at the St. Mary’s Lodge and we stopped to grab a coffee and use the restrooms before our tour started.

It was rather cold and rainy in Glacier, which we’re told is highly unusual for this time of year (late July). Due to the weather, we were unable to have the top off of our bus, which is part of the reason we booked it. I think on a sunny day, it would have been a much better experience!

The Secret Valley Tour took us to the Running Eagle waterfall and another brief stop to Two Medicine Lake. It was a lot of time on the bus and I didn’t realize there would only be two quick stops. The waterfall was a very cool experience but overall, I’d book a different tour if I had the chance to do it again.

My OOTD is below!

The Bear Spray Incident

A trip to a health clinic definitely wasn’t on our bingo card for the next day, but it got off to a rough start when our bear spray accidentally went off moments before we got on a tour bus to see the West side of Glacier. Somehow, the safety clip fell off of the can between our car and trip to the restroom. We still aren’t sure how it happened but it sprayed my husband and kids. After a trip to Logan Health clinic (just outside of the park), several showers and a change of clothes, we tried to make the most out of the rest of the day!

We stopped for a late breakfast at Amazing Crepes in Whitefish. They have a vegan batter that is delicious! I ordered the root veggie crepe with pesto and omitted the cheese and egg.

Riding the Gondola at Whitefish Mountain Resort

The weather was still rainy so we made our way over to Whitefish Mountain Resort to take the Gondola up to the top of the mountain. The kids enjoyed it and it gave us something to do for a couple of hours!

My OOTD is below!

Exploring the West side of Glacier and Going To The Sun Road

The next day, we decided to explore the West side of Glacier, including Going To The Sun Road. This road *is not* open year-round due to snow so double-check when booking your trip if this is something you want to see. It typically doesn’t open until middle/late June. You need a time entry vehicle registration, in addition to a park pass, to see this part of the park from the West entrance if visiting between June 13-Sept 28 between 7am-3pm. You can find more information about that here.

One easy way around this is to take a tour *or* use the park’s shuttle system to travel throughout the park. Looking back, we would have A) Gone into the park earlier (maybe 6am to beat the crowds) and B) utilized the shuttle system. It was incredibly busy and hard to find parking at some of the stops we wanted to visit, including Logan’s Pass.

We were able to stop and see the Weeping Wall and also do a 4.5 mile hike on Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake. This hike was one of the highlights on the entire trip! It was truly magical once we reached the lake!

We did stop along the way because it ended up being further than we thought and the boys needed to take a couple of breaks. Afterwards, we made our way into Kalispell and stopped at North Fork Pizza for an early dinner. This place is incredible and has vegan cheese, too! I got the calzone with vegan cheese, spinach, garlic and pepperoncini.

My OOTD is below!

Traveling to Banff from Glacier National Park

The next morning, we packed up for Canada and stopped at Folklore Coffee in Whitefish on the way out. This was possibly the best avocado toast I’ve ever had!

My OOTD is below!

The drive to Banff is about 5-5.5 hours from Glacier National Park. A better option would have been to fly into Calgary from Kalispell and then fly to Florida from Calgary. I’m not sure why I decided we needed to fly home from Montana when we were ending in Canada. LOL. 

We have heard so many stories about the beauty of Banff and everyone is 100% right! It’s truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

We grabbed dinner on our way into town at Nourish Bistro and had some of the best vegan food we have ever had. The town is extremely clean and everyone was very friendly and helpful.

We stayed at the historic Fairmont Springs in Banff, which opened in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway. It looks like a castle when you’re driving up to it; the architecture and views are incredible!

Touring the Cascade of Time Gardens and Sulphur Mountain

On our first full day in Banff, we walked over to the Cascade of Time Gardens, which isn’t far from the hotel. Like the town, the grounds are immaculately kept! The kids enjoyed looking around at the different kinds of flowers and there are a lot of places to sit down, too.

Afterwards, we went over to the Banff Gondola, which takes you to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Several of you recommended we do this! You could easily spend the day here if you took advantage of the surrounding hikes. We loved the 360 degree boardwalk! There is also a restaurant at the top that has the most incredible views but you do need a reservation (I’d book as soon as the window opens).

My OOTD is below!

We went to dinner at LUPO Italian which was recommended to us by people in Montana. This has to be the best Italian food we have ever had. Virtually everything is made in-house! 10/10 recommend!

My dinner outfit is below!

Hiking the Lower Bankhead Trail and Johnston Canyon

The next day, we drove over to the Lower Bankhead trail for an easy, kid-friendly hike through an abandoned coal mining town. After, we drove over to Johnston Canyon (a recommendation from our waiter) and walked along the suspended catwalks to see the Lower Falls. The kids really enjoyed walking into the cave at the end to see the waterfalls!

For dinner, we did a quick change at the hotel and made our way over to Brazen. There were several vegan options for myself and the food was delicious! It is a nicer spot (dinner took almost 2 hours) and I don’t know that I’d go back with kids. The kids loved their food but it was just a long time to sit for them!

My dinner outfit is below! 

We started every morning with the breakfast buffet at our hotel and it’s probably the best buffet food I have ever had! Tons of vegan-friendly options and we loved the convenience.

Touring Lake Louise and Moraine Lake

For our last full day in Banff, we took a half-day tour to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, two of the most visually appealing spots I’ve ever been to! The lakes are glacier-fed and freezing cold, but so blue and clear!

The Fairmont has a location in Lake Louise that overlooks the lake – I imagine this would be a gorgeous spot to stay for a few days, too! We would love to take advantage of canoeing in the lake if we come back. We didn’t have time but there were so many people out on the water and the water was very calm, too.

My OOTD is below!

We drove back to Kalispell to fly home and not realizing that there isn’t an airport in Calgary that is about an hour away from Banff. We will definitely fly into Calgary next time we visit Banff.

Let me know if you have any questions about Glacier National Park and Banff. I am happy to help in anyway I can!!

My travel OOTD is below!

Be sure to also check out Our Jackson Hole Family Vacation Itinerary + Experience!