Lake Louise

The Rockpile, Lake Agnes and a canoe in one day at the two lakes

See Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in one long day by booking the earliest Parks Canada shuttle. Watch sunrise from the Rockpile over the Valley of the Ten Peaks, walk the Moraine Lake shore before coaches arrive around 8:30am, then hike to the Lake Agnes Tea House and paddle a canoe below the Victoria Glacier.

Climb the Rockpile, under a kilometre return with a short ascent, for the view over the Valley of the Ten Peaks as the first sun hits the summits.

Morning. Ride the Lake Connector to Lake Louise. Walk past the Chateau and take the trail up through forest to Mirror Lake and on to the Lake Agnes Tea House, about 3.5 km and 400 m of climbing, where tea and soup are served in a log cabin beside a hanging lake. Strong walkers carry on to the Big Beehive for a view straight down onto the turquoise water.

Afternoon. Descend and follow the lakeshore path towards the Victoria Glacier. The Plain of Six Glaciers trail continues to a second tea house below the ice; turn back at the shore if your legs are done. Rent a canoe at the boathouse if the queue is short.

Evening. After the day crowds leave, the shoreline goes quiet again. Have dinner at the Station Restaurant in the old railway building, or drive back towards Banff on the Bow Valley Parkway in the dusk, when elk and bears often graze by the road.

The Lakeview Lounge, tea houses and Bill Peyto's Cafe

Eating at Lake Louise is mostly a hotel affair. The Fairmont Chateau runs several restaurants, and its Lakeview Lounge frames the lake and the Victoria Glacier, with first-come lunch seating, so arrive early or late. Hikers eat soup at the tea houses, and Bill Peyto's Cafe in the hamlet is the casual choice for a cheaper meal.

In summer its patio is the best seat in the hamlet. Down in the village, the Post Hotel dining room is the special-occasion choice, known for its long wine list.

For something simpler, the Station Restaurant occupies the restored Canadian Pacific railway station of 1910, with a dining car beside the platform, and Samson Mall has a busy bakery and deli for sandwiches, coffee and picnic supplies. Bill Peyto's Cafe in the hostel serves filling, plain food at hostel prices, named after a famous early mountain guide.

The two tea houses are a meal in themselves. At Lake Agnes and at the Plain of Six Glaciers there is no road, so everything is carried up, and the menus stay short: loose-leaf tea, soups, biscuits and sandwiches. Both open in summer only, and both get busy by midday.

Stock up on food in Banff or Canmore if you are self-catering; the hamlet has only a small store, and prices reflect the location.

Peyto Lake, Emerald Lake and larch season around Lake Louise

Visit Lake Louise in July and August for the brightest turquoise water, or from mid-September for golden larches. At 1,600 m it is the highest community in Canada: summer highs reach about 20C, nights drop near 5C, frost can come in any month, and the lakes usually stay frozen into early June.

At 1,600 m, this is the highest community in Canada, and the seasons follow the altitude. The lakes usually stay frozen into early June; their famous colour, from glacial rock flour, peaks in July and August.

Mid-September to early October is larch season. The alpine larches in Larch Valley above Moraine Lake turn gold, nights drop below freezing, and the trail becomes the busiest in the park on weekends. Go midweek.

Winter runs from November to April, with January averaging -5C by day and -18C at night. The Lake Louise Ski Resort across the valley has a long World Cup racing history, the Chateau clears a skating rink on the frozen lake, and the Moraine Lake road closes until early summer.

For day trips, head north on the Icefields Parkway. Bow Lake is 35 km away, Peyto Lake's wolf-head viewpoint a short walk off the road beyond it, and the Columbia Icefield about two hours from the hamlet. West across the Great Divide, Yoho National Park begins 10 km away: Emerald Lake and the Takakkaw Falls road (summer only) are both under an hour. Southeast, Johnston Canyon on the Bow Valley Parkway has catwalks bolted to the canyon walls, an easy walk to two waterfalls.