The sightseeing lift climbs to 2,101 m above the valley, and the 2026 summer season ran daily from June 5 to October 11, with a return scheduled for spring 2027.
Updated 24 October 2026
In shortThe Lake Louise Summer Gondola is a self-paced ride to 2,101 m, with the Wildlife Interpretive Centre included with the ticket; it is rated 4.3 ★ (78 reviews) and most people spend 1 to 5 hours up there. Interpretation on site is in English. It suits travellers with half a day to spare, families who want height without a climb, and anyone whose priority is seeing grizzly bears, black bears, lynx, moose, mountain goats, elk and deer from the cabins and open chairs.
1–5 htour length
from CAD 64per adult
★ 4.378 reviews
What the Lake Louise gondola ride gives you
The Lake Louise gondola takes you from the base area to 2,101 m in a few minutes, which is the shortest way on this site to get high above the Bow Valley. The summer sightseeing season ran daily 9:00 am to 4:30 pm from June 5 to October 11, 2026, and the ride is scheduled to return in spring 2027; nothing is running at the sightseeing times right now, so treat this as a plan for next season and check availability for dates. Tickets start from CAD 64, the rating is 4.3 ★ (78 reviews), and the duration on the booking page is 1 to 5 hours because you decide how long to stay at the top.
Wildlife draws many of the riders. The operator promotes grizzly bears, black bears, lynx, moose, mountain goats, elk and deer from the slopes, with cougars, wolves, wolverines and bighorn sheep on the sightings calendar, and bear viewing runs from early April through November, heaviest from September to November when the animals feed hardest. Parks Canada estimates about 65 grizzly bears live in Banff National Park; meat is roughly 15 percent of their diet, they leave their dens between late March and mid-May, and shrub berries ripen from about mid-July to early August. Grizzlies are watched from enclosed cabins and open chairs, and two rules apply on the lift: drop nothing from the gondola and keep your food away from animals.
At the top, the Wildlife Interpretive Centre sits in Whitehorn Lodge, a short walk from the upper station, and it is included with a summer gondola ticket. Dining rooms and outdoor patios are up there too, so a ride can be a two-hour look around or a long lunch with the glaciers in front of you. Park rules still apply wherever you walk: stay at least 30 metres from deer, elk, sheep and moose and 100 metres from bears, wolves, cougars and coyotes, and never feed or entice an animal, which is illegal and can bring charges and fines of up to CAD 25,000.
Winter is a different operation on the same mountain. The lifts run 9:30 am to 4:30 pm and the sightseeing gondola 10:30 am to 4:00 pm, conditions permitting, with the 2026-27 ski season opening tentatively on November 6 and season passes valid to May 2, 2027. The resort reaches 2,637 m at its highest point, with 991 m of vertical, 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres), 170 named runs, 13 lifts and an 8 km longest run; cross-country trails operate November 1 to April 30. Pack for the mountain and not for the valley floor: November averages run from -8 to 1 C, December -14 to -5 C and January -14 to -4 C, with average lows near -15 C in January.
Lake Louise Summer Gondola
A ride to 2,101 m at your own pace, with the Wildlife Interpretive Centre in Whitehorn Lodge included with the ticket. The summer sightseeing season ran 9:00 am to 4:30 pm daily from June 5 to October 11, 2026 and is scheduled to return in spring 2027, so check availability for the next season's dates.
Lake Louise Sightseeing Gondola Little effort for a lot of height: the lift climbs from the base area to 2,101 m, with a choice of an enclosed cabin or an open chair. You load when you like inside the operating hours, and the alpine ground at the top is open, below the peaks and glaciers, with the Victoria Glacier side of the valley in view across the way. Scan the avalanche paths and open slopes from the cabin on the way up, since that is where bears feed. Allow an hour if you only want the view, two or three if you plan to walk to the Wildlife Interpretive Centre in Whitehorn Lodge and eat at the top. Snow can fall on the alpine trails at any time, even in July, so carry a warm layer: July averages 21/5 C, September 15/0 C and October 8/-5 C.
Photos: ours and the tour operator's
What is included
Included
Sightseeing ride to 2,101 m, in an enclosed cabin or an open chair
Entry to the Wildlife Interpretive Centre in Whitehorn Lodge, included with a summer gondola ticket
Not included
Food and drinks at the summit dining rooms and patios
Transport to and from the base area
Meeting point, pickup and cancellation
Meeting point: the Lake Louise Sightseeing Gondola base area, 4 km from the lakeshore side of the village. Getting to the base area is arranged separately from the ticket.
Summer sightseeing hours: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm daily, June 5 to October 11, 2026, with the ride scheduled to return in spring 2027.
Winter hours on the same mountain: lifts 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, sightseeing gondola 10:30 am to 4:00 pm, conditions permitting.
Plan 1 to 5 hours on the mountain; the Wildlife Interpretive Centre is a short walk from the top station.
Cancellation: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
The ride on this page is the short, flexible option: one mountain, your own pace, from CAD 64. The others in the table are full days of 8 to 10 hours that pair a lift ride with Lake Louise, Moraine Lake or Johnston Canyon, which makes sense if you have one day in the park and no car. Compare the length, the stops and the rating, then check availability for the dates you want.
Plan your Lake Louise gondola ride for the next season
The summer sightseeing season closed on October 11, 2026 and is scheduled to return in spring 2027, with hours of 9:00 am to 4:30 pm and tickets from CAD 64. Check availability for the 2027 dates, which include the Wildlife Interpretive Centre with the ticket.
