One EPIC day in Banff & Yoho: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake and more!
Short on time but craving the best of Banff and Yoho? This one-day itinerary is your ultimate Rockies road trip. Starting in Yoho for the Natural Bridge and the glassy waters of Emerald Lake. Then on to the icons, Lake Louise and the postcard-perfect Moraine Lake, and ending at Johnston Canyon. It’s the perfect route to check off the most iconic spots without feeling rushed.
Originally, we had a tour booked that was going to take us to all these places; however, at 7pm the night before they cancelled the tour on us. So we panicked, crossed our fingers, and hopped on the Parks Canada website to see if there were any available shuttle slots for the following day. Somehow we managed to grab a 1:30pm shuttle ticket for Lake Louise & Moraine Lake.
In order to get to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, you need to book a shuttle. This is the only way to get to Moraine Lake without a tour or without hiking which is not advised, as the road is closed off year-round to personal vehicles. You can park at the Lake Louise Lakeshore lot if you get there super early. Parking is limited and spots fill up fast so you'll likely need to be there before 6-7am to get a spot during high season.
ITINERARY
Since we couldn't get to Lake Louise or Moraine Lake until 1:30pm due to our shuttle time, we started our day at Emerald Lake & Natural Bridge, stopping in Field, B.C. for lunch. Then we circled back to the Lake Louise park-and-ride located at the Lake Louise Ski Resort to take the shuttle bus to Lake Louise.
Once we got off the 10 minute shuttle from the park-and-ride to Lake Louise, we made a beeline for the Moraine Lake shuttle. We took the 30 minute shuttle to Moraine Lake, explored then took the shuttle back to Lake Louise, explored Lake Louise before taking the shuttle back to the park-and-ride to pick up our car.
If you have time at the end of your day, you can make a stop at the Continental Divide, Castle Mountain, Mount Norquay Lookout, and Johnston Canyon.
EMERALD LAKE
We arrived at Emerald Lake around 9:30am after about an hour drive from Banff. Parking was already pretty full but miraculously, we managed to get a front row parking spot. We headed straight for the canoe line. The canoe rentals open at 10am and there was already a pretty decent line forming at 9:30am. We wanted to make sure we got in the first round of rentals for the day - which we did!
Canoe rentals here cost $100 per hour with a 3 person max (no tax, no tip required). This might seem expensive (and it is) but it is the cheapest canoe rental of the 3 lakes. Rentals at Moraine Lake cost $160 per hour (plus tax and tip). Rentals at Lake Louise cost $170 per hour (plus tax and tip). We spent an hour in our canoe then wandered around the lake for a bit.
NATURAL BRIDGE
After Emerald Lake, we drove 10 minutes to Natural Bridge. Prior to stopping here, I assumed this was a stop for most people solely because you pass it on the way t0/from Emerald Lake. And it is but it was SO much more beautiful than I was anticipating. The sheer power and beauty left me completely captivated. Watching the rushing Kicking Horse River carve its way through solid rock, I couldn’t help but be in awe of how nature creates something so fierce yet breathtakingly beautiful.
TRUFFLE PIGS
When a restaurant has a name like, Truffle Pigs, we find it hard to resist 😂. This restaurant is just a 10 minute drive from the Natural Bridge, located in Field, B.C. I got the burger and it was incredible.
MORAINE LAKE
After lunch at Truffle Pigs, we drove 30 minutes to the Lake Louise park-and-ride, parked and got on the short 10 minute shuttle bus to Lake Louise! Once we arrived at Lake Louise, we decided to go straight to Moraine Lake first since it's harder to get to than Lake Louise.
When you book your shuttle ticket for Lake Louise, it includes the shuttle to Moraine Lake, regardless if you chose the Moraine Lake option at booking. The shuttle bus for Moraine Lake is in the parking area where you get dropped off by the shuttle bus, just look for the Moraine Lake tent and queue up. It takes about 30 minutes on the shuttle from Lake Louise to Moraine Lake. For reference, we got to the park-and-ride at 1:20pm (we had 1:30pm shuttle tickets) and got to Moraine Lake at 2:15pm.
Once we got off the bus, we headed straight up the Moraine Lake Rockpile Trail. This is where you will get that iconic viewpoint of Moraine Lake. It's quite big at the top so it’s not too hard to find your own little space. It’s a short 250 meter trail, straight up, and took us about 10 minutes.
We spent about an hour here utterly captivated by the mind-blowing beauty right in front of our eyes. Photos don’t prepare you for the moment you see Moraine Lake with your own eyes. The color is so vivid, so impossibly blue, it almost doesn’t feel real. Surrounded by the Valley of the Ten Peaks, we felt like we'd stepped into a painting - only this was alive, breathing, and more beautiful than anything we'd ever imagined. We even saw 2 weddings happening in the short time we were there!
LAKE LOUISE
After we were done soaking in the views of Moraine Lake, we took the 30 minute shuttle back to Lake Louise. Lake Louise is breathtaking in every sense of the word - the turquoise water framed by jagged peaks and the Victoria Glacier glinting in the sun feels almost unreal. To top it off, the short but steep hike to Fairview Lookout rewards every ounce of effort with a panoramic view that makes your heart skip a beat. From above, the lake stretches like a jewel below you, the surrounding mountains rising dramatically around it, and for a moment, it feels like you’re standing at the edge of the world, completely immersed in the grandeur of the Rockies.
The hike to Fairview Lookout took us about 20-30 minutes and was worth every agonizing minute 😂 It's a great way to get an incredible view of Lake Louise without the hoards of people everywhere.
ADDITIONAL STOPS ON YOUR WAY BACK TO BANFF (IF TIME ALLOWS)
We're including four additional experiences to add on to your day if you have the time and if not, these are great options to add on to another day. These are all on the way back from Lake Louise so they sit between Lake Louise and Banff.
Continental DIVIDE
The first stop you can make on your way back from Lake Louise is the Continental Divide in B.C. This is about 30 minutes from lake Louise and is a quick stop to make on your way back to Banff. It's only about a 10 minute detour from the Trans Canadian Highway. On one side, waters rush toward the Pacific; on the other, they begin a journey to the Arctic or Atlantic. The air is crisp, the peaks dramatic, and the sense of scale humbling, as if you’re perched at the very threshold where geography dictates the flow of rivers and the fate of landscapes. Every step here is a reminder of nature’s quiet power and the invisible lines that shape the world around us.
CASTLE MOUNTAIN
Just a 10 minute drive from the Continental Divide, is Castle Cliff Viewpoint where you get an amazing view of Castle Mountain. This is a view that demands you pause, breathe and simply take it all in.
JOHNSTON CANYON
A 10 minute drive from the Castle Mountain Viewpoint, is Johnston Canyon. It's an easy flat trail to the Lower Falls which is about 1 mile roundtrip but if you want, you can hike the additional 1.5 miles (3 miles roundtrip) to the Upper Falls. The views along the way are incredible. If you are short on time or aren't able to hike to the upper falls, don't worry! Some of my favorite sights were on the lower falls trail; however, Craig highly recommends hiking to both the Lower and Upper Falls.
Whichever trail you choose, just make sure you add Johnston Canyon to your itinerary. Walking through Johnston Canyon feels like stepping into the world of FernGully. Towering moss-covered cliffs and lush ferns line the winding trail while waterfalls tumble into crystal-clear pools, sending mist into the air that makes the whole canyon shimmer with magic. And the earthy scent of damp foliage fills your senses, making every step feel like you’ve wandered into an enchanted forest untouched by time. It’s a place where nature’s whimsy and power coexist, and it’s impossible not to feel like a tiny adventurer in a living fairy tale.
Mount Norquay Lookout
And last but not least is the Mount Norquay Lookout, which is 30 minutes from Johnston Canyon and 15 minutes outside of downtown Banff. Here you'll get a beautiful view of Banff with the surrounding mountains - and if you're lucky, you may spot prairie dogs scampering playfully across the fields, adding charm to the sweeping landscape.
SHUTTLE INFORMATION
Parks Canada releases 40% of Lake Louise/Moraine Lake shuttle tickets mid-April so if you know your itinerary at that point, I would suggest purchasing your tickets in April. However, if you are like us and don't have a solid plan laid out yet, you'll have to wait until 2 days prior which is when they release the remaining 60% of shuttle tickets. Not going to lie, this is pretty stressful as tickets tend to sell out within seconds. Reservations are mandatory and this is the only way of getting to Moraine Lake on your own.
If you aren't able to snag shuttle tickets, you can always try to get to Lake Louise Lakeshore parking ($36 per day) super early in the morning so you'll at least have access to Lake Louise and the surrounding hikes. Additionally, you can book a day tour which will take you to the lakes. This option is much more expensive than the shuttle. Shuttle tickets only cost about $10 per person and a tour will cost you upwards of $100 per person.
TIPS
Plan ahead-book shuttles months in advance if possible.
Parking fills early at popular places-use shuttles whenever possible.
Visit both Moraine Lake & Lake Louise in one day using the Lake Connector shuttle.
Check road closures-especially Moraine Lake and Icefields Parkway.
Wear layers-you can experience all 4 seasons in a single day!
Download offline maps-cell service is spotty.
Think in terms of "options, not plans"- Instead of locking yourself into one rigid plan, always give yourself at least 2 backup options. You're in the Rockies after all, and weather can shift on a dime.
Let us know in the comments if you plan on going to any of these places or if you've already been and what your favorite was ☺️
For more inspiration, check out our other Canadian Rockies travel guides:
The Ultimate Guide to Driving the Icefields Parkway
Things to do in Banff: No Car Required
The Ultimate Jasper National Park Guide: What to See and Do (post 2024 wildfires)
If you would like to see more things to do in Banff, check out our YouTube video ↓
If you got this far, thanks for reading and remember to STAY CLASSLESS 😉
