Banff National Park Tour: Lake Louise & Moraine Lake Views

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.76 (490 reviews) 84% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/8

Duration8h–11h

GroupUp to 55

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Lake Louise and Johnston Canyon in one day, without driving yourself

A full-day guided tour of Banff National Park departing from Calgary, Canmore or Banff, with stops at Lake Louise, Moraine Lake (June–October) or Emerald Lake and Natural Bridge (October–May), Johnston Canyon, and either Banff Avenue or Bow Falls. The tour includes an air-conditioned van, a local guide who drives, and flexible pickup and drop-off at any of the three starting points; lunch is at your own expense. The itinerary may shift due to weather or attraction closures.

8h–11h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Banff National Park highlights

Depart from Calgary, Canmore, or Banff
Pass by iconic Banff mountain
Visit Lake Louise and take photos
Lunch at Lake Louise Village or Ski Resort
Visit Moraine Lake or Emerald Lake and Natural Bridge
Hike Johnston Canyon trail
Visit Vermilion Lakes (June 1 - Oct 12)
Explore Banff Avenue shops or visit Bow Falls
Return to Banff, Canmore, or Calgary for drop-off

The Experience

The drive from Calgary to Banff National Park takes roughly 90 minutes, so the tour begins with a transfer that gets you there without navigating the route yourself. Once inside the park, you stop at Lake Louise first — the turquoise glacial lake backed by Victoria Glacier and Mount Victoria, with the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Resort framing the view. This is the postcard stop, and the guide knows the angles.

After lunch at Lake Louise Village or the ski resort (on your own), the route splits by season. From June through October, you visit Moraine Lake, famous for its vivid blue water and the Valley of the Ten Peaks rising behind it. From mid-October through May, Moraine Lake closes and the tour swaps in Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park — a 30-minute stop with emerald-green water and a wooden bridge for photos — plus a 15-minute detour to Natural Bridge, a limestone arch carved by the Kicking Horse River. Either way, you're standing in front of water and mountains without having to choose the route or time the light yourself.

Johnston Canyon comes next, and this is where you walk. The trail follows Johnston Creek past dramatic waterfalls and misty cliffs; the guide leads and points out wildlife — waterfowl, the occasional moose or elk along the wetlands. In winter, crampons are provided. The final stop is your choice: Banff Avenue for shops, galleries and local food, or Bow Falls, a powerful waterfall near the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Then the van returns you to your starting point — Calgary, Canmore or Banff — with the return drive taking about 90 minutes from Banff to Calgary.

What’s included

Air-conditioned tour van.
local guide as driver.
admission to Moraine Lake and Vermilion Lakes (June 1–October 12) or Emerald Lake and Natural Bridge (October 13–May 31).
your choice of Banff Avenue or Bow Falls at the final stop.
crampons in winter.
pickup and drop-off at Calgary, Canmore or Banff.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Banff ToDo

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Johnston Canyon in a single day without renting a car or planning the route — the guide handles the driving and timing, and you choose where to start and end. If you prefer a self-guided pace or want to spend more time at one lake, a rental car or a shorter point-to-point transfer might suit you better.