Lake Louise 2023 - What You Need to Know
If you are making a trip to Banff National Park, Lake Louise is an absolute must! To fully enjoy the area I recommend at least a day, and ideally a day and a half.
We did our half day first when we arrived to Lake Louise from Jasper National Park. Although it was only an evening really, we were able to try one of the restaurants at the Lake Louise Fairmont, grab a dessert and cappuccino at a take-away shop in the Fairmont, and then eat it as we walked around the lake at sunset. Due to it’s spontaneity, this first evening at Lake Louise was the foam on top 🙂
This was very ideal because the next morning we wanted to get an early start for the hiking near Lake Louise, including Lake Agnes, Mirror Lake, and the Big and Little Beehive trails. Since the trailhead starts at Lake Louise for the hikes we wanted to do, it was nice to be able to speed by Lake Louise in the morning instead of seeing it for the first time, and spending time in the morning taking pictures.
Side Note: The lighting for pictures seemed better at sunset anyway. Below are our recommendations for lodging, restaurants, and hiking while in Lake Louise.
Lodging at Lake Louise: The Mountaineer
The Mountaineer was a great stay for us for multiple reasons. Firstly, the rooms were clean and newly-renovated. Second, there was a huge sauna room with a hot tub right off the main lobby which was perfect way to unwind after a day of hiking. Lastly, the breakfast was good because there were tons of options.
Eats at Lake Louise:
As per usual, I’ll start with the less expensive food options that we liked, mention one to avoid, and then I’ll end with the splurge spots. Sometimes we need our vacation splurge spots 🙂
1) The Trailhead Café
I got the chicken salad sandwich, made to order, and took it on my hike to Lake Agnes since the Tea House was not open for the season yet when we went. I really liked the rosemary focaccia bread! This spot is right on the way to Lake Louise from the Mountaineer, so it’s ideal to grab in the morning before hiking.
Even if the Tea House was open, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to grab a lunch from here because, although I haven’t tried it myself, I’ve heard the food at Lake Louise Tea House is not the best. So, perhaps getting tea and having a lunch you brought may be the best of both worlds!
2) Guide’s Pantry
Nestled within the Fairmont, this spot has take-away snacks, desserts, and espresso drinks. We really enjoyed the pistachio oatmeal cookies. But, keep in mind, they change their selections day to day, so they may not have these cookies when you go. We shamelessly went back a second evening in a row and found that some other treat had taken the cookies place for that day!
In any case, it’s a nice place to grab a sweet and a cappuccino after dinner and walk around the lake.
Spot to Avoid – Laggan’s
We got two of their sandwiches/paninis to-go for a hike and they were not very good. Even after a strenuous bike ride, when pretty much any food should have been good because we were so tired, we very much disliked our sandwiches. We tried the Italian and the Turkey sandwiches and both were stale.
We got a brownie which was okay, but it was still simple and nothing special. Definitely be careful if you end up here and maybe opt for something other than the sandwiches in the display case.
Hiking at Lake Louise:
Below is a brief list of hikes/walks to do in this area, but if you want more info, the details of each are laid-out in my Best Things to do in Banff post which lives here.
1) Hike Around the Shore of Lake Louise
2) Hike to Lake Agnes & the Tea House
The Tea House does not open until early June. However, we went in May when the Tea House was closed and just brought our own food and it was still great. Be sure to see Mirror Lake on the way.
3) From Lake Agnes, Hike the Big & Little Beehive Trails
I did both and the views were similar, but we enjoyed the whole experience. From a lookout on the Little Beehive hike you can see all three nearby lakes (Agnes, Mirror, and Louise) which is neat. It’s unmarked, but a neat little spot I discovered, so se if you can find it!
There are also multiple different ways these lakes and hikes connect, so decide which way is best for you before you go. Again, we went up to Mirror/Agnes via Lake Louise near the Fairmont, and then hiked Little Beehive as an out and back from Agnes. And ended with an out and back to Big Beehive from Agnes. Then we walked back down to Lake Louise the way we came up.
I didn’t get to do the Plain of Six Glaciers hike, but it’s on my list for next time! For more Canada trip insights visit my Canada page!
It doesn’t get more beautiful than this. 😍