Lakes, Mountains & Glaciers - Front seat to natural beauty
Description
LAKES, MOUNTAINS & GLACIERS Experience Banff’s most iconic landscapes in one unforgettable day—without the rush. Get picked up at your hotel and dive straight into the Rockies: explore Lake Louise, canoe in summer or ride a horse-drawn sleigh in winter, then continue to the legendary Moraine Lake (summer only) for its world-famous viewpoint. Enjoy free time for lunch in Lake Louise Village before cruising the Icefields Parkway to the jaw-dropping Peyto Lake and the crystal-clear Bow Lake—perfect for your new profile photo. Finish in the Town of Banff with time to explore. With a maximum of 12 guests, this tour is designed for travelers who want real time at each stop, not rushed photo stops. Seats are limited—missing this means missing the Rockies at their best.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Join Banff Day Trips for a day of iconic mountain scenery—complete with convenient hotel pickup and drop‑off right at your hotel's front door. (see list of hotels)
This scenic drive through Kananaskis Country on our way to Canmore will leave you wishing you could stay a little longer—there’s just so much to see and experience in this beautiful corner of the Rockies.
Quick restrooms stop, plus we'll get the rest of our group here. From Monday through Saturday, we'll stop here to get our lunch to go! On Sundays, we'll stop at the Lake Louise Village instead.
Our first stop is Lake Louise, where you’ll have ample time to explore. In summer, guests can choose to rent a canoe; in winter, you can enjoy a horse‑drawn sleigh ride across the frozen lake. No matter the season, expect breathtaking views and the option for a short, scenic hike.
*** Summer Months ONLY *** In summer, we continue to the majestic Moraine Lake, surrounded by glaciers and towering peaks. You’ll have time to hike the Rockpile for its world‑famous viewpoint or simply relax along the shoreline and soak in the fresh alpine air.
Icefields Parkway is one of the most scenic drives in North America, filled with glaciers, mountains, lakes, and wildlife during the summer months. A great place to feel as if you are in a movie, looking through the window, thinking about how lucky you are to be there.
Next, you’ll follow the stunning Icefields Parkway all the way to Peyto Lake, where we’ll take a short walk up to the new viewing platform. This wolf‑shaped, glacier‑fed lake is so striking you’ll wish you could stay there all day.
Fall, Winter, Summer, and Spring, this is a crowd pleaser if you get the chance to get here. Bow Lake—one of those rare places where it’s truly impossible to take a bad photo. Get ready for your next profile picture. Bring a charger for your phone and a small towel if you’d like to dip your feet into the refreshing glacier‑fed water.
We'll see many glaciers along the Parkway, during winter months we'll drive by Crowfoot Glacier as the parking lot does not get plowed and is covered in snow. We will stop during the summer months.
Our final stop is the Town of Banff, where you’ll have time to stretch your legs, grab a coffee, or browse for souvenirs before we return you to your original meeting point.
Time to get you home! Let us know if you need an airport drop-off at the end of the day. Not all vehicles have luggage capacity, please let us know ahead of time so we can accommodate your request.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Your adventure kicks off as soon as we meet you! We'll send you the exact pickup/drop-off time the day before your trip. Calgary pickups start at 7:30-8am, and Canmore between 9-9:15am. Need a drop-off in Banff or Canmore after your journey? Let us know in the comments to make sure there's room for your carry-ons. If your hotel isn't on the list, just add its name and address in the special request section. We'll then confirm your pick-up/drop-off time or arrange a meeting point if it's outside our service area.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Recommended for guests over 4 years of age
Reviews(58)
Trip is excellent, Mr Kevin guide cum driver is too good and good knowledge, I really enjoyed this trip.
Thank you for joining us and for the kind words about Kevin. It’s great to hear you enjoyed the day and felt well guided throughout the trip. We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the Rockies.
Gordon was great, careful driver. Downside to the day was SNOW & underdressed for it. Van could use new rear shocks.
Thank you for joining us and for the kind words about Gordon. He’ll be glad to hear you felt well taken care of on the drive. The snowfall definitely surprised a lot of guests that day, and being underdressed never makes it easy, so we appreciate you pushing through the conditions with us.
Great tour for up close to scenic sights. Patrick was fantastic guide with good knowledge and humour. Thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Dan was my tour guide for this trip. He is very knowledgeable about Banff and provided very insightful introduction and explanation along the way. He is very passionate about his role and answered a lot of our questions with great patience. He also offered 2 extra places for us to visit since our group was right on top of the schedule. He did above and beyond and I truly recommend everyone to take Banff Trip with this provider.
It was enjoyable and beautiful. First we were picked up by Murray downtown and off we went to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. The drive is so scenic and the weather was gorgeous. Later on we transferred into another van. Rick was our driver. He took us to Peyto Lake and Bow Lake. These lakes are totally different from the other two. The views were breathtaking. At the end we spent 90 minutes in Banff which is a beautiful village with lots of restaurants and stores. I recommend this tour. Just wish they had picked us ip and dropped off at our downtown hotel. I found out at tge end of the tour that the do stop at our hotel.
Lots of driving but well worth the views. The down side is you can’t make any unscheduled stops. If you see wildlife while driving you will pass it by. We also lost about 1/2 an hour while we waited on sandwiches. I would suggest to the tour group that you pre order and have ready so you can get on the road sooner. We didn’t really have a lot of time at each stop. Also, you cannot eat on the bus. Just FYI
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. We’re thrilled that the views made the journey worthwhile—there’s truly nothing like the Rockies to leave a lasting impression. That day, we had a newly assigned driver/guide, and while they did their best to keep things on track, we recognize that some logistical hiccups impacted the flow of the day. We’re working closely with our team to improve time management and ensure smoother experiences going forward. As for wildlife sightings, we understand how special those moments can be, and we stop when is safe to do so, we love those moments as well! Thanks again for your insights, we value your opinion, and we'll work on improving our tour with it in mind.
Not a good experience including last min pick up time change, different order of itineraries than “what to expect”, last min notice of vehicle change plan and not feeling safe driver skill-tailgating, frequent lane changes without signal, doing something else while driving, lastly unbearable music selections only the driver dancing while driving. Downtown Banff for only an hour was not enough. Lunch pick up and Bow lake/Peyto lake takes a lot of time and wouldn’t cover these unpleasant experiences. Rather I would pick less spots for longer stay for each. Started at 7:50 am and ended at 9pm. Many pickups/drop off options take more time as well.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I’m truly sorry to hear that the tour didn’t meet your expectations, and I appreciate you taking the time to provide such detailed feedback. We understand how disruptive last-minute changes can be, and I want to acknowledge that this particular tour included a newly assigned driver. While we always aim to maintain high standards, it’s clear that this transition impacted your experience, especially in terms of driving behavior and overall comfort. Your concerns about safety and music selection are taken seriously, and we’ll be addressing them directly with our team. I regret that your day felt the way it did, and I hope we’ll have the opportunity to make it right. Please let us know when you visit the area again and we'll share a tour with you with one of our senior guides.
Fantastic day out with Dair! He made the experience even better and was very knowledgeable and made sure everyone had a great time!
Sergiy is a wonderful tour guide! He is very knowledgeable, a safe driver & very friendly! Mountains & Lakes are absolutely gorgeous!! A must do tour!
Visiting the glaciers, mountains & the Great Lakes near Calgary was truly unforgettable. What made it even more special was our guide, Patrick. He’s not only knowledgeable but also incredibly engaging—blending science, a touch of fiction, and fascinating history into every story he shares. His energy and passion kept us inspired throughout the journey, making each stop feel alive with meaning. It wasn’t just sightseeing—it was learning, laughing, and being motivated all at once.
