(Updated on February 12, 2023)

When you only have a few hours before a flight out of Calgary, what do you do?  We jumped in a rental car and headed to Banff to see two of the most iconic places in Canada – Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.

The drive from Calgary to Banff was beautiful. Enough said.

Ideally, we would have had the time to hike around Lake Louise to get different views but due to our timing we were limited to taking the same photo that millions of other tourists have shot. Still breathtaking.

Between the two lakes, Moraine Lake is my favourite as the view of the mountains in the background are majestic and awe inspiring.  Both lakes are glacier fed, so the water was icy cold, and was a beautiful clear green-blue colour.

Due to high demand, visiting Lake Louise and Moraine Lake requires planning. Parking lots fill up before sunrise and remain full until sunset. Taking transit or booking a Parks Canada shuttle is easy, stress-free and the only way to ensure you see these iconic lakes. Booking your shuttle in advance is required. Learn more about booking a shuttle to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.

We made a quick stop and walked down the main street in the village of Banff, and enjoyed another Canadian treat – the Beaver Tail!

We stopped to take this lovely photo of yet another Canadian Icon – a CP Rail station – and loved how the perspective turned out.

Proud to be Canadian!