After getting some rest from our long travel day from Toronto, we woke up excited to get exploring. With only 2 days to spend in Alberta, we had no time to waste. We planned to spend our whole weekend in the Canmore/Banff area. Canmore is a town that is just under an hour outside of Banff. We opted to stay here because it is much cheaper than finding accommodations directly in Banff, plus you really can't beat the scenic drive into the National Park. As we woke up bright and early on Saturday morning, our first stop in Banff HAD to be the picturesque LAKE LOUISE. If you've ever seen a photo of a Canadian Lake with mountains in the background and turquoise blue waters, it was most likely a shot of Lake Louise.
Lake Louise is located within Banff National Park. To get into the park you will either need a Day Pass or a Discovery Pass. The option you choose will really depend on how much time you plan on spending at the Park, and if you plan on visiting any other Canadian National Parks for Historical Sites.
- Day Pass: $10 per adult per day, gives you access to a limited amount of parks in the area
- Discovery Pass: $70 per adult, good for a year, gives you access to all National Parks and Sites in Canada
Lake Louise is BY FAR the most popular attraction in Banff National Park, and you usually need to get there pretty early to get a parking spot in the main parking area. The parking area is split into an upper and lower section, and can hold just over 300 cars usually. We were worried about getting a spot, however, when we got there we must have been incredibly lucky as the Park was almost completely empty! This may have been because the recent news about Covid making its way into Canada though, so we really can't comment if it's always like this or not in the winter.
It was a totally surreal experience to see so few people and get to take in the magnificent beauty of the frozen lake and towering mountains in the backdrop. We had the opportunity to take in the stunning views, listen to the sound of nature around us, and walk right into the middle of the lake.
While summer is the most popular destination in Banff, we highly recommend also considering winter. The area turns into a winter wonderland, with snow capped mountains, frozen lakes, and ice sculptures. Winter is also way less busy than the summer months, AND there's lot's of winter activities to keep you occupied.
Check out our experience and more details here: