Banff 📍 Canadian Rockies Alpine Lake Journey

I spent late August—late summer—in Canada’s Rockies, and the emerald alpine lakes have stayed with me ever since. It’s easily one of the most wonderful little trips I’ve ever taken 🥰. First, I flew to Calgary, Canada, picked up a car at the airport, and drove to Banff Town. I chose to stay in Banff Town instead of nearby Canmore. Since parking in Banff is tricky and I didn’t want to spend too much time hunting for a spot, we parked the car at the hotel. That way, we had more time to savor the town at a leisurely pace. 1️⃣ Day 1: Wandering around Banff Town Bow River Cascade Garden Banff Town isn’t big—most spots are within walking distance. There are tons of cute shops, restaurants, cafés, and bars. A special recommendation: Canada Icecream! Their banana-flavored ice cream is so good 🤤. 2️⃣ Day 2: Banff Gondola-Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk Continuing to explore the town 3️⃣ Day 3: Lake Louise It’s super popular, so we got to the parking lot early in the morning to snag a spot. We watched a beautiful sunrise—the mountain tops were golden, and the lake wasn’t the usual emerald green. Instead, it was crystal clear in the sunlight, so clear we could see the stones at the bottom. We went kayaking on Lake Louise. We also hiked the famous Big Beehive Trail—you get a panoramic view of Lake Louise from the top. Highly recommended! 4️⃣ Day 4: The famous Moraine Lake Again, we arrived at the parking lot before dawn—this lake’s lot is even smaller, so it fills up earlier. When we got there (before 5 AM), the lot was already 80% full. We saw a stunning sunrise here, with red light glowing on the mountain tops. We even spotted a cute cat playing by Moraine Lake! The lake’s color is a rich, vivid blue—so beautiful it left me speechless. I’ve thought about it constantly since seeing it… 5️⃣ Day 5: Bow Lake, then drove to Jasper National Park Abraham Lake + Athabasca Falls 6️⃣ Day 6: Patricia & Pyramid Lakes (can skip—nothing too impressive) Maligne Canyon Spirit Island (Recommended: Take a boat to Spirit Island for a different perspective of the lake!) 7️⃣ Day 7: Yoho National Park Emerald Lake Takakkaw Falls and the Yoho Valley Drove back to Calgary, then flew home the next day. #banff #banffguide #BanffNationalPark #Banff #Canada