Time to explore Banff & Lake Louise in summer. In Partnership with Banff and Lake Louise Tourism, Fred and I packed our bags and drove from Pemberton, BC, to the alpine towns of Banff and Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies.
In this post, I’m going to share what our itinerary looked like on those 5five days, as well as the gorgeous places we visited, such as Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, and all the fantastic activities we were able to enjoy, which included excellent local cuisine, biking in and around the town of Banff, horseback riding around the beautiful views of Bow Lake Valley and a visit to Lake Louise gondola.
Day 1 of Banff & Lake Louise in summer
We started our trip at 6:30 in the morning, driving from Pemberton towards Banff. We packed sandwiches, fruits, and granola bars for our exciting journey. As Fred and I are just about to move out of Canada after calling this place home for the past three years, this was the perfect farewell!
It took us a total of 9 hours to get to Banff. As we had food in the car, we didn’t stop much but only three times to use the bathroom.
Getting there
When we were just about to arrive in Banff, we got to see three elks just by the side of the road. It was a great way to be welcomed by the cutest town, and we felt our adventure was about to start.
On our first night, we stayed at the Mount Royal Hotel, located on Banff Main Street. After doing our check-in, we went for a walk and stopped for drinks and food at the Block Kitchen & Bar, which it’s a great place to get a cheeseboard and try some delicious local food such as their yummy Smoked Bison Flatbread.
After dinner, we headed to Lake Vermilion for sunset. This lake is the closest to town, and the evening there is gorgeous!! On our way back to the hotel, we saw a few deers walking around the neighborhood.
Day 2
Our day’s first stop was Emerald Lake, located in Yoho National Park. We wanted to get shots there at sunrise, so we woke up at 3:45 am. Unfortunately, when we got to Emerald Lake, it was rainy and cloudy, so we couldn’t see the sunrise, but that place itself is so gorgeous with or without daylight!! Check out the pictures from there below.
After Emerald Lake, we went to Bow Lake, located on the Icefields Parkway, one of the most scenic roads in the world! The drive there is gorgeous, and Bow Lake is stunning! I’ll leave you with the pictures below so you can know what I’m talking about.
To finish up this fantastic day, we checked in at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge – click here to check it out – a peaceful mountain retreat located on Tunnel Mountain. Our lovely room had that lodge style with high open ceilings, a great (real) fireplace, the perfect bathtub, and a great balcony with a view of Sulphur Mountain. What more on Earth could we ask for?
Relaxing time
We checked in and had the most relaxing bath. We headed to the Buffalo Mountain Lodge restaurant for the best meal we would have on our trip!! The food was delicious, and the wine selection was terrific, with the world’s finest wines. It’s not a surprise that the restaurant won gold at Vancouver International Wine Awards.
Time to eat!
For dinner, we started with a fantastic cheese and charcuterie board which included so many different options of cheese and charcuterie. They had boar pate and duck prosciutto on it!! So unique!
Main Courses
And as for main courses, we decided to try local dishes, so Fred had the Elk Tenderloin Medallions, and I got the Bison Burger. It was our first time trying elks, and they are delicious! Bison’s one of my favorite meats, and the burger was delicious.
For dessert, we decided to take a vanilla cheesecake with dulce de Leche to our room. Y-U-M-M-Y!
Day 3
Our first stop of the day was the famous Moraine Lake and the one we were most excited about! Moraine Lake is one of the most popular lakes in Banff.
We wanted to ensure we were there for sunrise as we wanted to see the lake reflections on the water and get the most amazing shots. The day was supposed to be sunny, and it would have looked amazing if it weren’t for the high winds.
So Windy!
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the reflections, but as you can visit from the pictures below, it was still so gorgeous!!
We arrived there at 5 am, and it was already packed with people wanting to see the sunrise. It is truly a must-do when visiting Banff.
Lake Louise
As we left Moraine Lake, we headed to the famous Lake Louise. We rented a canoe and went for a paddle at one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. We have visited Louise multiple times, and this was the second one we canoed; to be honest, it never gets old!
A tourist thing to do, and it’s a little bit expensive (around 125/hr,) but in our opinion, it’s worth it. Ensure you get that early, so you don’t stay in line for too long. They open at 9:30 am as of today, Summer 2020.
We then went back to the hotel to change, and it was time to depart for a lovely afternoon of horseback riding with Banff Trail Riders – click here to check it out. We made the Sundance Mountain Loop, a 2-hour trip exploring the wilderness.
Views for days!
You can expect incredible views along the way, passing through natural hot springs and riding along the magical bow lake valley. We were lucky enough to see a few elks on our way too! The horses are so friendly and funny fact; they are all male.
If you introduce a female to the fleet, the horses go after her, and nothing works! haha
After a fantastic afternoon of horseback riding, we headed to the hotel to change and went out for food and drinks at the brand new restaurant ‘The Radiant’ – click here to check it out.
Great food
The Radiant has recently opened its doors and is located on Banff’s main street in the heart of the town. We were so impressed with the dishes presentations and the food quality! They are dishes to be shared with friends and families, and you won’t regret taking your beloved ones there for a visit.
What to eat
What we’ve tried at the Radiant: Pakora Waffle, A Tuna Matata, Tandoori Chicken ’n Waffles, Quinoa Falafel and Breaded Avocado. They were all so yummy!
Day 4
We started our day renting bikes at the Snowtips-Bactrax – click here to go to their website – to explore Banff car-free. Banff National Park features some of Canadians’ most scenic roads and trails.
Two wheels are the perfect way to explore them. Mainly because of COVID, one section of the Bow Valley Parkway is closed for cars – from the Banff end of the Bow Valley Parkway to Castle Junction.
Bears on the way
Now, these sections are perfect for bikes, and if you’re lucky enough, you get to see some bears on your way. Johnson Canyon, for example, is the ideal place to go with a bike, as if you decide to drive there, you will add 6.5k on your hiking to get to the falls.
Taking the gondola
After biking for a couple of hours, we headed to Lake Louise Gondola – click here for their website -which it’s considered one of the best places to spot grizzly bears. Unfortunately, Fred and I didn’t see any grizzlies as we think the helicopter working on sight that day might have scared them off.
We took the gondola up and had lunch at the Whitehorn Bistro – click here to check it out -it’s a cozy restaurant on the top of the mountain with amazing views of the valley and Lake Louise. We had cheese fondue, an Alberta Bison Strip loin with nova Scotia Lobster Tail, Tiramisu, and Creme Brûlée as dessert.
Saying good bye
That evening it was time to say goodbye to our beautiful hotel with a gorgeous sunset.
