About Banff & Lake Louise
Explore Canada
Overview
Western Canada is truly one of the world’s final frontiers, and Alberta’s naturally exquisite Banff and Lake Louise lie at the forefront. Boasting the stellar Banff Natural Park and stunningly clear blue Lake Louise, Alberta offers some of the most beautiful vistas on earth. The town of Banff lies entirely within Banff National Park. Should one decide to forgo the outdoors for a few hours, there are plenty of cultural, culinary and shopping opportunities awaiting in Banff. Taste the local cuisine and stroll amid the chic shops along Banff Avenue. There’s a sense of wonder on the faces of the people you meet. Even the air feels different here. The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity hosts myriad programs and events throughout the year. The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies highlights paintings, photographs and other exhibits that focus on this breathtaking region. Although Lake Louise is one of the most photographed lakes in the world, nothing can fully depict this rugged Canadian Rockies landscape in all its magnificent glory. A simple hike beside verdant forests, the sheer cliffs of Mt. Rundle and Mt. Cascade, and shimmering mountain lakes will explain far more than a picture ever could.
What To Do
Get out and explore the region’s natural wonders. Enjoy brunch or dinner at the only resort, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, overlooking this magnificent lake. Soak away all your cares in the soothing waters of Banff Hot Springs. Rent a canoe, kayak or stand up paddleboard on serene Lake Louise. During the long Canadian winter, you can actually ice skate on the lake, named one of the 10 most beautiful ice skating rinks in the world by CNN Travel.
Each year for more than a week in January, expert ice sculptors compete during the Ice Magic Festival at Lake Louise. Golf in the summer and ski Banff in the winter. During warmer months, ride a bike across Banff’s glorious scenery. Take an amazing train ride from Vancouver to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper for the ultimate off-road trip.
Stroll through the town’s fun shops and cultural attractions, such as the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Ride a gondola above the peaks and alpine meadows of Banff for an unbelievable birds-eye view.
Drive from Banff to Jasper along the incredible Icefields Parkway, stopping at nearby glaciers along the way. Take plenty of photos of the incredible wildlife and wilderness you discover amid Banff and Lake Louise.
When to Go
December to March are the best months for skiers who can handle temperatures dipping below freezing. Others should explore this vast mountain wilderness in the warmer late spring and summer months from June to August, when temperatures hover between 40 F in the evening and at higher elevations, and 70 lovely degrees.
Fast Facts
Banff became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Three men working on the railway came upon a cave on Sulphur Mountain’s lower slopes in 1883. To their amazement, they discovered that nine bubbling hot springs existed here. People have flocked here ever since for the curative properties of these mineral-rich waters. Banff Upper Hot Springs are the last remaining springs open to the public.
The stunning 144-mile Icefields Parkway passes through the center of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site, past two national parks, Banff and Jasper, icy-blue glaciers and some of the most incredible mountain scenery in the world. Banff National Park is Canada‘s second largest, and the country’s oldest, national park, founded in 1885. It is also the third-oldest national park on the planet.
Lake Louise has been called Canada’s “Diamond in the Wilderness,” and the “Hiking Capital of Canada.”
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