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Lake Louise, Moraine & Emerald Lake Day Trip from Calgary

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/10

Duration8h–11h

GroupUp to 56

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Four Lakes, One Long Morning & Afternoon

You get picked up in Calgary, Canmore, or Banff and spend eight hours moving through Lake Louise, Moraine Lake (or Marble Canyon in winter), Emerald Lake, Natural Bridge, and either Banff Avenue or Bow Falls, with admission to the seasonal lakes included and your guide handling the wheel the whole way. Lunch is your own stop, and you choose your drop-off point at the end.

8h–11h

Step-by-step itinerary

Start tour from Calgary, Canmore, or Banff
Travel to Banff National Park
Visit Moraine Lake or Marble Canyon
Explore Lake Louise and Victoria Glacier
Lunch stop at Lake Louise Village or Ski Resort
Visit Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park
See Natural Bridge in Yoho National Park
Visit Banff Avenue shops or Bow Falls
End tour with drop-off in Banff, Canmore, or Calgary

The Experience

So yeah, the drive from Calgary is ninety minutes, and then you're actually in it—the Rockies just sitting there, and the van's already moving toward Lake Louise. Your guide is driving, which means no separate driver to worry about, and the whole thing is eight hours door-to-door, which sounds like a lot until you realize you're hitting four different lakes and a waterfall without having to navigate or figure out where to park. Lake Louise comes first, the turquoise one everyone photographs, and you get time to walk down to the shore, see the Fairmont Chateau sitting up there, and catch Victoria Glacier across the water. It's crowded, but that's not a secret.

After Louise, you're heading to Moraine Lake if it's summer (June through October)—that one's famous for the Valley of the Ten Peaks behind it, and the water is so vivid it almost doesn't look real in photos. Winter months swap it for Marble Canyon instead, which is a limestone gorge carved by turquoise creek water, and honestly, it's less about the postcard moment and more about walking into a narrow canyon with walls towering above you. Then lunch is on your own at Lake Louise Village or the ski resort, so you're not sitting on the van eating a sandwich. Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park comes next—the name is literal, the water is that green—and there's a wooden bridge that's basically made for standing on and taking pictures. The Natural Bridge is right there too, this limestone arch the Kicking Horse River carved over thousands of years, and your guide will point out how the water's still doing it.

The last stop is either Banff Avenue or Bow Falls, depending on what you want. Avenue is shops and galleries and a walk around town; Bow Falls is the waterfall near the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, water dropping hard with the hotel sitting up on the cliff. Then you're done, and you pick where you want to get dropped—Banff, Canmore, or back to Calgary, which is another ninety minutes from Banff if you're heading home. The van's air-conditioned, the guide handles all the driving, and if it's winter and you're hiking near snow, crampons are provided, though you're using them at your own risk.

Weather can shift the itinerary—closures happen, roads change—so don't plan the exact sequence in your head before you leave. The eight hours includes all the driving time, so you're not getting eight hours of lake time; you're getting a full day that moves through four of them plus two bonus stops, and the van does the work.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel or meeting-point pickup in Calgary, Canmore, or Banff.
transportation in an air-conditioned van with your guide driving.
admission to Moraine Lake (summer) or Marble Canyon (winter).
stops at Lake Louise, Emerald Lake, and Natural Bridge.
a final stop at either Banff Avenue or Bow Falls.
and flexible drop-off in Banff, Canmore, or Calgary. Lunch is at your own cost and timing at Lake Louise Village or the ski resort. Crampons are provided in winter if you're hiking on snow.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Banff ToDo

Is this one for you?Right for travelers based in Calgary or staying in Banff and Canmore who want to see multiple alpine lakes without renting a car or navigating mountain roads themselves. Eight hours is a full day—plan to be out from early morning through late afternoon—and that's what lets you fit four lakes, two bonus stops, and the drive time into one trip.