Top 5 Things To Do In Lake Louise: A First Timers Guide

Visiting Lake Louise in Alberta Canada is an absolute must, especially if it’s your first time in the Canadian Rockies.

There’s actually more than enough things to do in Lake Louise (and around it) that I recommend spending at least one night here, if not more (p.s. this way you can also visit Lake Louise at the best time (without the crowds!).

Here’s everything you need to know for your first visit to Lake Louise: from what to do in Lake Louise, to how to get there, and even where to park!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Why Lake Louise Is A Must On Your Banff Itinerary

Lake Louise is beautiful, from the colour of the water to the larger than life mountains in the background. And don’t even get me started on the more than perfect symmetrical reflection when there’s no wind!

I saw many jaw-dropping lakes in Banff National Park but Lake Louise blew them all away!

So needless to say, if it’s your first time in Banff National Park, you have to visit Lake Louise.

P.S. Skip ahead to my top things to do in Lake Louise.

The Logistics Of Visiting Lake Louise

There are a few logistics to know before visiting Lake Louise. From how to from Calgary or Banff to Lake Louise, to how long you need, and why I recommend staying as close to the Lake as possible – at least for one night!

Where Is Lake Louise?

Lake Louise is in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies (in the province of Alberta). It’s about 45 minutes from Banff to Lake Louise and about 2 hours from Calgary by car.

How Long Do You Need In Lake Louise?

You can spend as short as a half a day to as long as a week in Lake Louise. It all depends what you’re interested in doing while you’re there.

If you’re only interested in the lake, then a half a day is more than enough time for a quick canoe ride and all your pictures.

But, if you’re interested in some hikes, visiting Moraine Lake, and driving the Icefields Parkway you’ll want to spend more time near the lake.

We stayed at the Deer Lodge for 3 nights and although it was a good amount of time, we did miss out on some of things to do in Lake Louise.

Honestly, the biggest issue with staying any longer is that there were no more restaurants to eat at – the village is quite small.

How To Get To From Calgary Or Banff To Lake Louise

There are a few ways to get from Calgary or Banff to Lake Louise.

Renting A Car (& Dealing With Lake Louise Parking)

The most flexible option is to rent a car and drive. It’s pretty much one highway that takes you all the way there. We rented our car at the Calgary Airport from Avis.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Avis, but you might not have another option… We always like renting from Enterprise and have never had an issue, but they didn’t have any cars left (or what they did have was insanely expensive!).

If you’re renting from Banff, you won’t have an option either. There’s only an Avis or a Hertz to rent a car.

Check availability and prices with Enterprise.
Or check cars and prices with Avis.

Once you arrive in Lake Louise, you’ll also have to park. If you’r only coming for the day, there are two options for Lake Louise parking lots.

There is a paid parking lot next to the Lake, but it might already be full by the time you arrive. If that’s the case, you can park in the Samson Mall or the Lake Louise Gondola (at the Park & Ride) and take the shuttle but to the Lake.

You also need a park pass to enter the park! Buy it in advance from Parks Canada.

Shuttle From Calgary Or Banff To Lake Louise

If you don’t want to rent a car and drive, you can also take a shuttle bus. Shuttle services leave from both Banff and Calgary. Book through Brewster Expeditions, or through Viator.

Organized Tour From Banff To Lake Louise

If you want a stress free visit, you can also go on an organized day tour from Banff to Lake Louise.

P.S. It’s also about the same price as a round trip shuttle bus and your day is already fully planned for you!

There are different organized tours through Viator.

You Could Also Take Public Transit

Even though you’re in the mountains, Banff National Park surprisingly has their own public transit system called Roam.

If you’re coming straight from Calgary… I wouldn’t. It could take you almost 4 hours by public transit. That’s because you have to transfer.

But, if you’re already in Banff, it’s the same amount of time all on one bus. Plus, it’s cheaper, and you don’t have to worry about a Lake Louise parking ordeal. You obviously loose some flexibility and have to plan your day a bit more because they don’t exactly come very often!

Plan your route with Roam.

I Recommend Actually Staying In Lake Louise

If you’re able to, I recommend staying at least one night at Lake Louise. This is the only way to truly appreciate it and make the most of your time there.

If you stay at one of the hotels by the lake, you can enjoy the lake without any of the crowds. You can go early in the morning and stay later at night for an evening stroll. This was magical, we felt like we had lake Louise to ourselves.

Read more about the benefits and where to stay in Lake Louise in my post here.

You can also book an early bird tour to Lake Louise to beat the crowds (with a sunrise at Moraine Lake), see the tour on Viator.

Top Things To Do In Lake Louise?

There’s surprisingly quite a bit of things to do in Lake Louise and the surrounding area, especially if you’re in to gorgeous views, hiking, and tea!

Canoe On The Emerald Lake

A classic thing to do in Lake Louise is to rent a canoe and float above crystal clear water!

You can’t reserve a canoe in advance, it’s on a first come first serve basis at the boathouse(unless you’re a guess of the Fairmont).

You have two rental options. You can rent one canoe for yourself (holds 3 adults or 2 adults with 2 kids). Or, you can go on a Voyageur Canoe Experience for a guided tour on the water.

Lake Louise Hikes To Do

There are so many Lake Louise hikes you can do, no matter your level. And I recommend doing at least one!

Easy: Lakeshore Trail

The Lakeshore Trail is more of a walk rather than a hike that takes you around Lake Louise. It’s a well groomed, flat path that’s about 30 minutes each way. It takes you from the Fairmont all the way to the base of the Victoria Glacier (and the start of the Plain of Six Glaciers trail).

I recommend this hike for everyone, it’s easy and you get a great view of the Fairmont with the lake. Plus a closeup of the mountains and glaciers at the end!

This also made a wonderful after dinner walk!

Most Popular: Lake Agnes Teahouse Trail

One of the most popular Lake Louise hikes is to the Lake Agnes tea house. You can read my full post on what to expect to know if it’s for you!

Moderate: Fairview Lookout

Another short, but moderate hike is to the Fairview lookout. The hike brings you to the ultimate lookout out of Lake Louise from above.

You can see the lake with the Fairmont and the ski hill in the background.

Difficult: Plain Of Six Glaciers Tea House

If you’re up for a bit more of a hike and for a tea house with a bit less people, you can hike to the Plain if Six Glaciers.

It’s closer to a full day hike, and you can continue past the tea house to the Plain of Six Glaciers.

Related

Do You Need To Visit Lake Louise (& When Is The Best Time To Visit?)

The High Line Hike

If you’re up for a real challenge, and a real full day hike, combine both tea houses in one hike. You start with the Lake Agnes and then head to the Plain of Six Glaciers.

Enjoy Lunch Or Tea At The Château Fairmont Lake Louise For The Best View

Even if you can’t stay at the Château, you should still come here for the view alone (in my mind, it has the best view of the lake because you’re a bit higher up!).

We opted for afternoon tea because you can make a reservation in advance.

But, if you’re able to get an outdoor table at the Lakeview restaurant, it’s even better. It’s a lot cheaper than afternoon tea, plus, you can still order tea if you want!

The only problem is you can’t make a reservation, it’s on a first come first serve basis If you plan to arrive early enough though, you shouldn’t have a problem getting a seat. The restaurant opens at 11:00., we were the second people in line at 10:40 A.M ( but I don’t want to make any promises for what high season will be like!).

P.S. If you’re considering traveling during low season to Banff, see what it’s like visiting in June.

Spend At Afternoon At Moraine Lake

One of the top things to do in Lake Louise is to go to Moraine Lake.

In 2023, they closed the road to drivers. So, now the only way to get there is by shuttle, but it’s worth the struggle getting there.

You can book a shuttle through parks Canada (cheapest), book a private shuttle (least stressful), hike it, bike it, or stay in the lodge (most expensive!).

But, as I said, if you’re coming from Banff, you could also book an organized tour that takes you to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in the same day, like this one on Viator.

Read my full guide to Moraine Lake.

Spend The Day Driving & Exploring The Icefields Parkway

Lake Louise is also a great starting point to drive the Icefields Parkway – the most scenic drive in Canada!

The drive brings you all the way to Jasper National Park and is about two and a half hours total. But, you don’t have to drive the entire road.

We drove from Lake Louise to the Columbia Icefields (about an hour and a half from Lake Louise) and then made our way back. Read about my full route and tips here, or book an organized tour to Lake Louise and the Icefields Parkway on Viator here.

Skippable: The Lake Louise Gondola

If you want to see Lake Louise, the Fairmont, mountains, and glacier all in one view, then you can go up the Lake Louise gondola.

But that’s pretty much all that’s there.

You can also maybe spot a bear at the top… behind a fence.

There aren’t any hikes though, it’s a small fenced off area with a restaurant. So we opted against it because it’s expensive and locals were saying the Banff gondola was better (which we did, and recommend doing!).

Restaurant You Have To Eat At: Lake Louise Train Station

So it’s not a train station anymore, but the old train station that’s been converted into a restaurant. On top of being a historical building (one of the last remaining log train stations in Canada) but they also serve delicious food!

Plus, you might even get to eat in one of the historical dinner cars and see a train go by (on the new tracks!).

They do take reservations so you can make one in advance.

Where To Stay In Lake Louise

Hotels in Lake Louise book fast and are expensive and there aren’t that many options! We booked our hotel for June in February of that year and we were already late.

The place to stay is the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise – but it will cost you (see current rates). Instead of staying the night, we opted to enjoy an afternoon tea at the hotel.

We stayed at the Deer Lodge which was a 5 minute walk to Lake Louise . Despite the lower reviews, it is in the middle of renovations so we booked a newly renovated rooms and it was perfect! They provide breakfast and pre-made sandwiches that we bought for lunch before we headed out every day! See it on Booking.com.

For a more budget friendly option, in the town of Lake Louise, stay at HI Lake Louise Alpine Hostel. The common room screams cozy cabin vibes! View updated room rates and availability on Booking.com.

My Banff National Park Amazon Must Haves

Read More Related Posts

• Do You Need To Visit Lake Louise (& When Is The Best Time To Visit?)
• Is Moraine Lake Worth It? The Ultimate Visitors Guide
• Lake Agnes Tea House: It’s Harder Than You Think (What To Expect!)
• Should You Stay At The Deer Lodge Lake Louise? An Honest Review

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Last update on 2024-05-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API