Lake Louise tours from Banff: the Moraine Lake day trip

What the Lake Louise tours from Banff cover

This tour covers two lakes in Banff National Park and two stops in Yoho, in 8-10 hours, from CAD 79, rated 4.9 ★ (1602 reviews). Lake Louise gets 60 minutes, Moraine Lake another 60 in season, and the afternoon crosses into British Columbia for 20 minutes at Emerald Lake and 15 at the Natural Bridge. Lake Louise is 62 km from the town of Banff, so the driving is real: you sit back for it rather than hunting for a parking space that was taken before breakfast.

Moraine Lake access is the detail to check before you pick a date. Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles all year, and the permit and access fee carried by this tour applies to the June 1 to October 11 or 12 window only. Dates on or after October 13 run a different shape of day: the Spiral Tunnels and Castle Mountain pass by from your seat, and Marble Canyon in Kootenay National Park takes the hour Moraine Lake would have had.

Winter departures come with ice cleats, handed out for use at your own discretion and risk. Two extras are priced options you choose when you book, not decisions you can make on board: Bigfoot snowshoeing and afternoon tea at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Bottled water is included; lunch is the 45-minute stop at Lake Louise Village and you pay for your own.

Of the Lake Louise tours from Banff on this site, this one has the lowest entry price and the plainest departure list: 07:50 in downtown Calgary, 09:20 in Canmore, 09:45 in Banff. The vehicle is matched to the size of the group, so the feel of the day varies with how many people are booked. Guiding is in English throughout, from the driver-guide or a separate guide.

The day step by step

1. Calgary, Canmore or Banff
   Two itineraries sit under the same booking. The June 1 to October 12 version runs Banff National Park, Lake Louise for 60 minutes, Moraine Lake for 60 minutes, a 45-minute lunch stop in Lake Louise Village, then Yoho National Park for Emerald Lake and the Natural Bridge. On dates after October 12 the Moraine Lake hour moves to Marble Canyon in Kootenay National Park, with the Spiral Tunnels and Castle Mountain seen from the road.
2. Lake Louise 60 min
   An hour at the lakeshore below Mount Victoria. The flat path along the north shore is what most people walk; turn back when half your hour has gone. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is right there if you would rather spend the time over a coffee or a meal.
3. Moraine Lake 60 min
   An hour in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, on dates between June 1 and October 12. Most of it goes on the rockpile viewpoint above the car park and the shoreline trail below it. There is no cell service and only pit toilets at the lake, so send what needs sending from the village. On dates when Moraine Lake is closed the operator substitutes Vermillion Lake or Marble Canyon.
4. Lunch stop in Lake Louise Village 45 min
   45 minutes in the village, at your own expense. The shops and cafes cluster around Samson Mall, and the Lake Louise Village Grill & Bar is the sit-down option if you want a plate rather than a sandwich. Order quickly: 45 minutes goes fast in July.
5. Yoho National Park
   The drive crosses the continental divide into British Columbia. Yoho is the second national park of the day, and its lower valley holds both afternoon stops. Emerald Lake Road stays open year-round, which is why this part of the itinerary survives the winter version.
6. Lower Spiral Tunnels Viewpoint
   A drive-by at the viewpoint over the railway, where the line loops back on itself inside the mountain to lose height. No stop is scheduled here, so keep the camera on your lap rather than in the overhead rack.
7. Emerald Lake 20 min
   20 minutes at the lake, 10 km west of Field. That is enough for the bridge by the lodge and the first stretch of the 5.2 km lakeshore loop. The green colour comes from rock flour carried in by meltwater, the same process that works on Lake Louise.
8. Natural Bridge 15 min
   15 minutes above the Kicking Horse River, 4 km west of Field, where the current has cut a channel through the rock slab that once carried a waterfall. The rock is slick when wet and the drop is sheer. Stay behind the railings and watch children closely.
9. Castle Mountain, winter itinerary
   The winter itinerary, October 13 to May 31, passes Castle Mountain, a wall of layered limestone cliffs above the highway. It is seen from the vehicle, with no stop scheduled.
10. Marble Canyon 60 min
    60 minutes in Kootenay National Park on the winter itinerary. The trail crosses a narrow limestone gorge on a series of bridges, with turquoise water in the slot below. The bridges and steps ice up, which is what the cleats are for.
11. Drop-off in Banff, Canmore or Calgary
    The return runs in the same order as the morning, reversed: Banff first, then Canmore, then Calgary. If you boarded on Banff Avenue you are off the vehicle earliest, which is the main reason to prefer the 09:45 start over the 07:50 one if your hotel is in town.

What is included

Meeting point, pickup and cancellation

• Departures: 07:50 from Calgary Downtown, the bus stop in front of the Harry Hays Building on 4th Ave SE, opposite the Delta Calgary Downtown Hotel; 09:20 from Canmore, the Travel Alberta Canmore Visitor Information Centre at 2801 Bow Valley Trail; 09:45 from Banff, the Elk + Avenue Hotel at 333 Banff Ave.
• Pickup and drop-off are offered at several locations in Calgary, Canmore and Banff, and the vehicle used is matched to the size of the group.
• Cancellation: full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
• Ages: infant 0-1, child 2-11, adult 12 and over.

Other Lake Louise tours from Banff compared

Four other departures reach the same two lakes from Banff or Canmore on different clocks. The half-day tour at 4-5 hours leaves your afternoon in town; the 6-hour shuttle-style trip is the shortest full look at both lakes; the sunrise departure puts you at Moraine Lake early and runs about 8 hours; the gondola combination adds Banff Gondola and Lake Minnewanka across 8-10 hours. Compare the tours in the table below, then check which dates are open.

Tour details from the operator's listing, checked 24 October 2026. Prices and times can change; the booking page has the current ones.

More ways to plan your visit

Banff to Lake Louise: the distance and how long it takes

Banff to Lake Louise: the distance and how long it takes

Moraine Lake: access season and road rules

Moraine Lake: access season and road rules

Emerald Lake and the Yoho stops

Emerald Lake and the Yoho stops