Banff private tour: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake & stargazing

Watch the Rockies shift from daylight to stars, or catch Moraine Lake before anyone else arrives

A fully private, customized 5-hour tour of Banff's alpine lakes (Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Two Jack Lake and beyond) with a local guide, flexible routing and optional sunrise or evening stargazing. Your concierge team plans the route before you start, and your guide shares the landscape's geology, wildlife and history as you explore at your own pace. Stargazing tours include telescopes and heated seating. Sunrise tours provide headlamps, blankets and hand warmers. Lunch is your choice: bring your own or stop for food along the way.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Banff and nearby lakes

• Visit Lake Louise shoreline
• Optional short walks or canoeing
• Experience sunrise at Moraine Lake
• Explore Moraine Lake viewpoints
• Enjoy private stargazing at Moraine or Two Jack Lake

The experience

This is a tour built around what you want to see and when. You pick the lakes, the timing and whether you'd rather chase sunrise light or the night sky, and the concierge team sketches the route before you leave. The van holds your group alone: no strangers, no fixed stops, no schedule that doesn't bend to your pace. A local guide rides along sharing stories of the peaks, the glaciers, the animals and the geology as you move between the turquoise water of Lake Louise, the Ten Peaks framing Moraine Lake, or the quieter shoreline of Two Jack Lake.

If you choose stargazing, the guide brings telescopes and binoculars to reveal planets, star clusters and galaxies in detail. You'll sit in heated chairs wrapped in blankets with warm drinks, watching the sky open up from locations like Two Jack Lake or Moraine Lake, where the high elevation and dark skies make the Milky Way visible. A sunrise tour at Moraine Lake means arriving 45 minutes before first light with a headlamp, blanket and sit pad in hand: the guide leads you to the Rockpile viewpoint, and you watch the Ten Peaks catch the first golden light while the lake is still empty of crowds. After sunrise, you explore on your own time before heading back to the van, which stays on-site so your belongings stay secure.

The van is high-roofed with large windows, and the driver keeps a cooler for your own food and drinks. Cold beverages, light snacks, rain gear and hand warmers come with the tour. Lunch is on you. Bring what you want or ask the guide to stop somewhere along the way. A tree is planted in Canada for every booking.

What’s included

• Private van with large windows and high roof.
• local guide with in-depth knowledge of the region's geology, wildlife and history.
• cold beverages (coconut water, sports drinks, soft drinks).
• complimentary hot drinks (coffee, tea, hot chocolate).
• light snacks.
• rain protection (umbrellas, ponchos, rain jackets).
• flexible pickup location and timing.
• pre-tour concierge planning.
• stargazing gear (telescope, binoculars, heated chairs, blankets, warm drinks) for evening tours.
• sunrise gear (headlamps, blankets, sit pads, hiking poles, hand warmers) for early-morning tours.
• cooler for your own food and drinks.
• one tree planted in Canada per booking.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day13 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 21:00

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 46 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Into The Wild Tours

Is this one for you?This is a private tour, so your group explores alone with a guide who adjusts the pace and route to what you want to see: ideal if you're short on time or prefer to linger at one lake rather than rush through several. Choose a daytime tour if you want flexibility to walk and photograph at your own pace. Choose stargazing or sunrise if you want a specific moment (the night sky or first light) and the guide's expertise to make it memorable.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

Can I see Lake Louise and Moraine Lake on the same tour?

Yes. Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are both included in the customizable routing, so your guide can take you to both in the same 5-hour tour, or focus on one and explore other nearby lakes depending on what you want to see and how much time you want to spend at each stop.

What's included in the stargazing experience?

Stargazing tours include a telescope and binoculars to view planets and star clusters in detail, heated chairs, blankets, warm drinks and a guide who explains what you're looking at. The experience happens at dark-sky locations like Two Jack Lake or Moraine Lake, where light pollution is minimal and the Milky Way is often visible.

What do I get for a sunrise tour at Moraine Lake?

A sunrise tour includes pickup 45 minutes before first light, a headlamp, blanket, sit pad and hand warmers to keep you comfortable in the cold. Your guide leads you to the Rockpile viewpoint to watch the Ten Peaks light up as the sun rises, then you're free to explore and photograph at your own pace before returning to the van.

How does the pickup work?

Pickup is flexible and included in the tour price. Your concierge team coordinates a time and location that suits your group before the tour begins, so you don't have to travel to a fixed meeting point.

Is lunch included?

Lunch is not included, so you can bring your own food and snacks or ask your guide to stop at a restaurant along the route. A cooler is available on the van for your own drinks and food.