When Mr. Strange and I were dating, we talked about places we wanted to visit one day. His immediate answer was “Lake Louise,” and after showing me online photos, I added it to the list. We finally made it there this year, and it was just as magical as I imagined.
Below is our planned itinerary, noting where changes were made on the fly (mainly due to a plumbing issue at the Glacier View Lodge, which caused us to reroute up to Jasper unexpectedly).
- Pick up rental car
- Drive to Banff
- Cave and Basin
- Norquay Viewpoint
- Lunch at Cliffhouse Bistro
- Lake Minnewanka Cruise
- Bow Falls
- Dinner in Banff
- Banff Gondola
- Lunch at Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen
- Upper Hot Springs
Hike Johnston Canyon– did this later in the trip
Day 4 – Columbia Icefield
- Stop at Laggan’s Mountain Bakery & Deli for picnic lunch
- Bow Lake
- Peyto Lake
- Mistaya Canyon
- Columbia Icefield Adventure – Moved from Day 5 due to lodge closure.
- Skywalk
Day 5 – Columbia Icefield
Columbia Icefield Adventure– Rescheduled to Day 4 due to lodge closure.- Maligne Lake
- Athabasca Falls
- Stanley Falls
Panther Falls– Skipped.Dinner at Chalet– Dinner at Altitude instead.
Day 6 – Lake Louise
- Emerald Lake
- Lunch at Cilantro on the Lake
Takkakaw Falls– Moved to Day 9 due to rain.Canoeing on Lake Louise– Moved to Day 7 due to rain.
Day 7 – Lake Louise
- Family photos
- Hike to Lake Agnes teahouse and Little Beehive and back
- Canoeing on Lake Louise
- Dinner at Walliser Stube (reservations)
Day 8 – Lake Louise
- Lake Louise Gondola
- Johnston Canyon
Day 9 – to Calgary
- Moraine Lake
- Takkakaw Falls
- Return car
Day 10 – Travel
- Flight home