Lake Louise in a Day: Sunrise, Trails, and Breathtaking Views

Lake Louise is one of the most iconic and breathtaking destinations within Banff National Park, located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. The lake’s surface is a brilliant blue-green color which reflects the surrounding mountains and trees leaving nothing but breathtaking views and amazing photo opportunities.

Planning

Lake Louise is about 60km or 44 minutes from the city of Banff, just a few minutes off of Highway 1. The lake has limited parking and being such a popular tourist destination, the parking lot fills up quickly. It also cost to park at Lake Louise, check out their website to learn more. Since we went at the end of June, the sunrises are very early (peak solstice) and tourism is at its peak, we arrived at the park before 6am to avoid the rush and arrive before sunrise. Plan accordingly depending on what time of the year you plan on going.

Popular Hikes

Lake Louise offers some of the most breathtaking views and I highlight some of those with my photos below. I like to joke that you can take a photo almost anywhere and make a post card out of it. In addition to take beautiful photos there is some amazing hiking at Lake Louise as well.

The hikes I am going to cover are the following:

• Lake Louise Lakeshore Trail (Easy – 2.8 miles round trip) A flat and scenic walk along the shoreline of Lake Louise, perfect for beginners and families.
• Lake Agnes Tea House Trail (Moderate – 4.7 miles round trip) A popular uphill hike leading to a charming tea house overlooking Lake Agnes with stunning views of the surrounding peaks.
• Big Beehive Trail (Difficult – 6.4 miles round trip) A steep climb from Lake Agnes that rewards hikers with a panoramic view of Lake Louise and the valley below.
• Note: The Lake Agnes Tea House trail is a subset of the Big Beehive Trail.

Tips for Hiking at Lake Louise:

• Start early – Trails get crowded, especially during peak summer months.
• Dress in layers – Weather can change quickly in the mountains.
• Bring plenty of water & snacks – Some trails are long and strenuous.
• Be bear aware – Carry bear spray and make noise on the trails.
• Check conditions – Some hikes may be snowy or closed in early summer.

Photos from the lakeshore

I will talk a little more about hiking below, but lets start with some photos of the lake:

As I mentioned we got there early, it was cold that morning, somewhere around 40f, but just sat watching the sun rise on the mountains and lake.

We ended up coming back another day to take couple’s photos and was able to get a really clear photo with no clouds.

Here is a quick video that pans the view of Lake Louise

You can rent a kayak or canoe and navigate on the lake. They are pretty pricey to rent here, travel tip is rent a canoe at Emerald Lake for much cheaper and just as good of views.

Hiking

Lake Agnes Tea House Trail

While we could have sat here all day, we figured after watching the sunrise for an hour and a half (90 minutes), we wanted to see more of what Lake Louise offered and started our hiking adventure. We will be going to the Lake Agnes Tea House and from there I head up to the top of the Big Beehive.

Here is our first sneak peak of the lake from a higher elevation.

A little under two miles into the hike, you’ll come across the picturesque Mirror Lake. In the background you can see the big beehive, I will be going up that later in my hike.

After a little more hiking, right around 2.3 Miles, we arrived at the iconic Lake Agnes Tea House. For some reason I never took a picture of the tea house just photos of the lake.

Tea House travel tips and facts

• Bring cash (they don’t take credit card)
• They have a small but sufficient menu, this isn’t a Starbucks.
• The staff hikes the supplies to the tea house
• The staff also hikes the garbage back down.

This is still Lake Agnes, crazy how the colors of the lake change with the sun.

This is the far side of Lake Agnes, you can see the tea house in the background.

Big Beehive Trail

Now I continued on my adventure to the top of the Big Beehive trail. This added an additional 1.7 miles onto the tea house trail.

Look at that water! This is Lake Louise again, the lake’s color shifts with the sunlight. Here, it takes on a stunning cool mint hue. This is the same lake as in the first photo!

Hello little guy (ps. I love to take photos of wildlife)

Here I was able to get a photo of Mirror lake and Lake Louise.

Here is another stunning photo of Lake Louise and you can see the historic Fairmont on the left side of the lake.

Lake Louise is really a once in a lifetime travel experience. It checks all of the boxes of breathtaking scenery, incredible hiking trails, and unforgettable experiences. If you haven’t been here yet, highly recommend adding it to your bucket list, you won’t regret it!