Banff and Lake Louise are two of the most beautiful places you could ever visit. They are included together in this post because you can easily visit both places in one trip, like we did. I mean, if you’re going to go to Canada you better make it count, right??
While there are plenty of fun things to do in both towns, I don’t think a lifetime is long enough to take in the immense beauty of the mountains, waterscapes and wildlife there. Being in the Northern Rockies is truly a worshipful experience.
During our trip with friends last May (2017) Lake Louise was by far my favorite. We stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and let me tell you it was worth. every. penny. Upon arrival, the kind hotel employee who checked us in told me we were being upgraded to Gold Status.
To be honest, I thought that was something they probably said to every one of their guests and I didn’t think anything of it. Especially since we had booked our trip through booking.com. I mean, whyyy would we be upgraded? In my exhausted delirium I convinced myself that every room was probably a “special” color and it wasn’t a big deal.
Oh my word, how wrong I was!
The Gold floor has a private lounge with complimentary buffet breakfast every morning (including gluten free options), snacks in the afternoons, and refreshments every evening. Our room was stocked with robes, slippers, and high end toiletries, plus turn down service every evening was a standard (and complimentary) service.
I felt like the queen!
Okay so besides the amazingness of the hotel itself, the views are simply stunning. You could seriously sit on the deck for hours and just gaze at the beauty of Lake Louise and the surrounding mountains. Photos could never do it justice.
If you haven’t already, you will want to add Lake Louise to your “Destinations to Visit” list pronto.
Banff was quite a different story. Because our visit happened to be during the first week of Banff’s high tourist season, it was…not quite the serene mountain town getaway I was expecting. It was more like busy metropolitan street corner meets the Rockies. Ugh. The only time I have ever seen so many people crammed on every corner of an intersection was in NYC. Let’s just say we high tailed it to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel as fast as we could.
That’s right. We stayed at the Beauty and the Beast looking castle in Banff. Again, worth. every. penny. Check out the view from our room:
Stunning, right?
Free Attractions
- Hiking – at Lake Louise, the hike up to Lake Agnes is absolutely beautiful. We went in May and the trail was still covered in snow. We did not get to enjoy the tea house at the top of the trail because of the snow, but the views are breathtaking and no photo could ever do it justice! In Banff National Park, we hiked
- Sight seeing – It’s almost impossible to drive anywhere in Banff without seeing something beautiful.
- Canoeing (seasonal) – Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise has canoes for visitors to enjoy the scenery from the lake itself. We didn’t get to canoe, however, because the lake was just starting to thaw. How different the month of May is back home!
Other Attractions
- Jasper National Park – The possibilities for adventures here are endless! Camping, hiking, and viewing the Northern Lights. This one is on my bucket list for next time!
- Whitewater rafting – all difficulty levels are available although I would recommend taking your trip in July or the beginning of August when temperatures are at their warmest. Don’t pay to be cold and wet.
- Gondolas – This 360 degree ride will take you to the top of Sulphur Mountain where you can view 6 mountain ranges in all their majesty.
- Fishing – Banff National Park offers a catch and release system for those who want to fish forĀ Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Lake Trout, Mountain Whitefish, and Lake Whitefish.
- Golf – Fairmont Banff Springs has a beautiful golf course for anyone who wants to play in the heart of the Rockies!
- Shopping – Banff has dozens of neat places to shop and find souvenirs.
Places to Stay
- Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
- Fairmont Banff Springs
- Moose Hotel & Suites
Dining
- Poppy Brasserie – This restaurant is located in the FCLL hotel. Definitely a special occasion kind of establishment (at least for us it was). The food was divine and they catered to our entire group’s food allergies like it was nothing.
- Eddie Burger & Bar – This establishment is the first restaurant we ate at in Banff, and it was wonderful. We sat out on the patio while we enjoyed burgers and peach ciders. Well done, Eddie. Well done.
- Nourish Bistro –Ā The day we found Nourish Bistro (day 4 of our trip) we were needing more vegetables in our lives and less “restaurant food.” Ā However, weren’t exactly looking for a vegetarian restaurant. I will admit that Hubs was skeptical at first. I mean, we are from Texas. Give us meat or give us death, right?! Ā We actually enjoyed our meal so much that we went back the next day.
- Tooloulou’s – We ate at Tooloulou’s for breakfast one morning. This Cajun themed restaurant was a welcoming atmosphere for four southerners, some of which were starting to get a little homesick. We feasted on excellent gluten free waffles, local maple syrup, eggs and coffee. It was great, and the most “home cooked” style meal we ate the entire trip.
Banff and Lake Louise make for the trip of a lifetime.
Do you plan to go to Banff or Lake Louise? What is on your bucket list of things to do there?
