Banff National Park tour: Lake Louise & Emerald Lake visit

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/36

Duration9h–12h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Stand in front of Takakkaw Falls—Canada's tallest waterfall, 373 metres of raw water crashing down a mountainside.

A full-day guided tour of Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks in Alberta, Canada, with a certified local guide, park entry included, and stops at Lake Louise, Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls (or Peyto Lake in winter), Marble Canyon and the Natural Bridge. Pickup starts from Banff town, Calgary Downtown or Canmore; the tour runs 9 to 12 hours depending on your starting point. Bottled water and crampons (when needed) are provided; bring or buy lunch at Lake Louise Village.

9h–12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay Parks

View Castle Mountain en route
Visit Lake Louise Village rest stop
Explore Lake Louise scenery
Walk Marble Canyon trail
Pass through Kootenay National Park
Visit Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park
See the Natural Bridge
Visit Takakkaw Falls or Peyto Lake

The Experience

The drive from Banff, Calgary or Canmore puts you into three national parks in a single day—something that takes real planning if you're renting a car and navigating the route yourself. A guide handles the driving, knows where to stop and how long to spend at each place, and fills the hours with the stories and wildlife sightings that turn a scenic drive into something you actually remember. You'll see Lake Louise first, the turquoise centrepiece of Banff, then cross into Yoho National Park for Emerald Lake's year-round turquoise waters and the short walk to the Natural Bridge where the Kicking Horse River has carved through ancient rock.

The signature stop is Takakkaw Falls—accessible only from mid-June through mid-October—where a short walk through the valley brings you face to face with one of Canada's tallest waterfalls dropping 373 metres. When the falls close for the season, the tour swaps in Peyto Lake along the Icefields Parkway, famous for its wolf-shaped shoreline and views of surrounding glaciers. Either way, you'll also walk the easy Marble Canyon trail in Kootenay National Park, a 40-minute loop past waterfalls and dramatic rock formations. The route passes Castle Mountain, a striking peak that dominates the landscape for an extended stretch of the drive.

Entry to all three parks is included, as is bottled water and any crampons you might need. The guide is a certified local who speaks English and knows the Rockies in detail. You'll have a rest stop at Lake Louise Village where you can buy food, snacks or souvenirs, or pick up your National Park Stamp at the Visitor Information Centre. Details arrive by email 24 hours before the tour date.

What’s included

Entry to Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks.
round-trip transport from Banff, Calgary or Canmore.
certified local guide in English.
bottled water.
crampons when required for trail conditions.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Rocky Mountain Trips

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're arriving in Banff or Calgary without a rental car, or if you'd rather not drive the mountain roads yourself—the guide navigates the route, knows where the light hits the lakes at different times, and spots wildlife you'd miss from the driver's seat. The fixed schedule means you see all three parks and both the major lakes in a single day without building the itinerary yourself.