Banff has been on our wishlist for years and years and we finally decided to make the trip happen this summer. If you’re unfamiliar, Banff National Park is in Alberta, Canada and is touted as one of the most beautiful places on the planet. We’re lucky enough to live 10 hours away by car!
Our trip to Banff was broken up into a Banff portion and a Lake Louise part. We stayed at a hotel in the town of Banff as a way to be in the action of the town. It was fun to be able to walk to restaurants, coffee, shops and take shuttles here and there.
Banff as a town is really quite lovely. It’s very charming and well-cared for. There are some terrific restaurants, great coffee, fun hotels and lots of shops for tourists to pop into. It’s clear that the Banff community are very environmentally focused – I noticed multiple environmental initiatives across the town, which I appreciated.
During the Banff portion of our trip, the weather left a LOT to be desired, sadly. We were pretty bummed to miss out on a lot of the outdoor activities we had planned due to persistent pouring rain. We became well acquainted with the hotel pool and the bowling alley instead.
Fortunately there were a few breaks in the weather that we were able to take advantage of. One being the Canada Day parade!
Our second day in Banff allowed some beautiful views in the morning. We took the chairlift up to Mount Norquay and had lunch up in the lodge at the top of the mountain. The views were extraordinary, though we were a bit disappointed the hiking was so unexpectedly limited up there.
On our final Banff day we boarded a power boat on Lake Minnewanka and took a toot around. We opted for the “junior cruise” which, despite the relentless pouring rain, ended up being a huge highlight of the trip. The captain and his assistant led us on a treasure hunt that taught us about the history of the lake, as well as Banff. Ben even took a turn driving the boat!
Fortunately the weather gods allowed us to have incredible weather for the Lake Louise portion of our trip. Lake Louise was absolutely spectacular and like nothing else we’ve ever experienced.
Our first day in Lake Louise was one of those core memory kind of days. You know you’re going to relish in the memory of that day forever. It was a highlight of the trip, and also a highlight of our time together as a family.
After checking into our hotel, we spent a few hours embarking on the hike to the Lake Agnes Tea House. We had the best time. It wasn’t a particularly easy hike for the kids at 5 miles round-trip and 1300 feet of elevation gain. The kids kept asking us to share stories from our childhoods, mainly about Auntie Alina, and that’s what kept us going! It was amazing seeing how resilient they were.
The tea house was such a dream. Lake Agnes is stunning, and the fact that midway through your hike there is a little house where you can take a seat, order chocolate cake, sandwiches with house-made bread and choose from a vast collection of teas is such a unique experience in this continent.
Ben and Hannah had their first canoe ride on Lake Louise – what an experience to remember!
We finished our memorable day with an absolutely incredible dinner at Waliser Stube, a Swiss-style restaurant specializing in fondue. It was absolutely perfect.
Our hotel offered lakeside s’mores, so of course we indulged in an after dinner treat.
For our final day in Lake Louise we headed to Moraine Lake, one of the most iconic lakes in Banff National Park.
The color of the water in these alpine lakes is so milky and extraordinary.
After our visit to the lake we took a scenic chair lift ride up the mountain at Lake Louise Ski Resort. We had views for days! The area is known as the “Valley of the Ten Peaks” and it’s an incredible sight to be able to look out and see each of the ten peaks.
We wrapped up our trip with some painting, indulging in the canapés and room service for dinner and swimming in the hotel pool.
All in all, we made some truly incredible memories, particularly during the Lake Louise portion of the trip, and had a really special time together.