Banff vs Lake Louise • Which One is Right for You

One of the main questions you may ask yourself when planning your trip to Banff is whether you should stay in Banff or Lake Louise. It’s a tricky question, especially for those who haven’t visited the Canadian Rockies before and don’t know what to expect.

Banff National Park is a vast park that requires a lot of time to explore properly. Both the Town of Banff and Lake Louise are located within Banff National Park. Both Lake Louise and Banff are right off the Trans Canada Highway and easily accessible from Calgary, though Banff is much closer to Calgary than Lake Louise.

Both Banff and Lake Louise are fantastic places to stay, but if you are only looking for one over the other, we hope to make that choice easier for you. So which is better, Banff vs. Lake Louise?

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Banff vs Lake Louise – Where Should You Base Yourself?

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Staying in Banff Over Lake Louise

We’ll start with the more popular option, which is staying in Banff over Lake Louise. One would choose to stay in Banff over Lake Louise for many reasons, but the main is likely the location and more accommodation options. More competition also means slightly lower prices.

Advantages of Staying in Banff Over Lake Louise

While the town of Banff is physically further away from sights like Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, and Lake Louise Ski Resort, it is a town of almost 9000, with most living in Downtown Banff. That means you’ll have facilities you won’t have in Lake Louise. Things like excellent restaurants, bars, nightlife, a movie theater, a bowling alley, and museums all exist in Banff.

If you don’t want to go out on a hike or venture far from Banff for a day, there are plenty of things to do in the actual town. For instance you can easily spend one day in Banff strolling Banff Avenue, venturing up the Banff Gondola, walking to Bow Falls, and getting a view at Surprise Corner.

We’ll move on to the restaurants — there are a lot of them and of every cuisine, too. We head to Banff to enjoy Japanese, Vietnamese, Italian, Balkan, etc. There are nice upscale restaurants for a fancy date or casual places to hang out with friends.

There are also many coffee shops like Whitebark, Evelyns, Wildflour, and even a Starbucks to enjoy. And if your group wants to split up with some going shopping and some hiking, this is a possibility in Banff. There are plenty of stores, from high-end outdoor wear and Canada Goose Down to Lululemon, all the way to cheap & cheesy souvenir shops. See our favorite Banff restaurants and our favorite Banff coffee shops.

During the holidays or other popular times, you can always count on the Town of Banff to put on a fun event. Our favorite is around Christmas when the whole town comes alive with Christmas cheer. There are plenty of lights and festivities that will bring together the whole family around the holidays.

Banff is closer to Calgary, close to Canmore, and conveniently located near sights like Lake Minnewanka, Two Jack Lake, and Vermilion Lakes. If you plan to go hiking in Kananaskis Country, you’ll want to stay in Banff over Lake Louise. Or better yet, head to Canmore and stay there, which is almost as close to Kananaskis as you can get.

If it’s wintertime and you want to go skiing, you’ll be able to enjoy Mt. Norquay, which is just minutes away or drive to Banff Sunshine, which is less than a 20-minute drive from downtown.

Banff also has a much better nightlife scene than Lake Louise. Quite a young Australian crowd resides in Banff, a town that runs with the help of seasonal workers. Bars like the Dancing Sasquatch see people partying well into the night.

Drawbacks of Staying in Banff over Lake Louise

The main downside to staying in Banff over Lake Louise in the summer are the crowds, which don’t disappear in the summer, especially on weekends in town. If you are after a quieter experience in the park away from the hustle and bustle of a lively mountain town, you may want to consider staying away from Banff Ave and instead in one of these charming Banff cabins.

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Staying in Lake Louise Over Banff

Lake Louise is about 60 km from the Town of Banff. Most people think of Lake Louise as just the lake itself, but there is actually a little village there, called Lake Louise Village. When I refer to Lake Louise in this post, I’m talking about the entire Lake Louise area, not just the lake. This includes the ski resort, village, and lake.

There aren’t many people living in Lake Louise as full-time residents. Most of the occupants here are seasonal employees at the ski resort or some of the Lake Louise hotels in the area. There are about 1000 of these people here at any given time. While Lake Louise is more remote than Banff, it is still a great place to stay on your vacation in Banff.

Advantages of Staying in Lake Louise Over Banff

First, the upsides of staying in Lake Louise over Banff. Lake Louise is much quieter than the town of Banff, though, during the day in the summer, Lake Louise (the lake itself) is actually very busy. But at night, it’s going to be extremely laid back.

Lake Louise is much further into Banff National Park. Using Lake Louise as your base means you’re much closer to Lake Louise Ski Resort and Summer Gondola, Lake Moraine, the start of the Icefields Parkway, Yoho National Park, The Kootenays, and about an hour closer to the town of Jasper.

Although Lake Louise still sees crowds at the lake itself, the rest of the area isn’t explored so much. There are some fantastic hikes and scrambles around the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake areas (see our suggestions here and here). There will be even more hikes as you travel the Icefields Parkway towards Bow Lake and Peyto Lake.

If it’s wintertime at Lake Louise, you have easy access to ice skating on Lake Louise, snowshoeing, dog sledding, and a sleigh ride without the drive from Banff. You’re only 5 minutes away from Lake Louise Ski Resort, which is exceptionally convenient on an epic powder day, if you are a powderhound skier or boarder.

You are less than 20 km away from Yoho National Park and very close to sights like Emerald Lake. If you plan to drive some of the Icefields Parkway and drive onto Jasper, staying in Lake Louise means you are only a few km away from the entrance of the Icefields Parkway.

Downsides of Staying in Lake Louise Over Banff

Its remoteness means that accommodation is much more limited. Only a handful of hotels service the Lake Louise area, meaning they are slightly more expensive and, quite honestly, not as lovely as the Downtown Banff hotels. They get by mainly on their location and proximity to Lake Louise.

The only hotel at Lake Louise itself is the Fairmont, which is very expensive and overpriced. The few others are along Lake Louise Dr, but they book up fast in the summer, so you’ll have to book well in advance. Our favorite hotels around Lake Louise are Paradise Bungalows and The Post Hotel. There is no accommodation at Lake Louise Ski Resort.

Lake Louise Restaurants? Well, there aren’t many. There are a few places to eat in the Samson Mall (the Lake Louise village), including Lagaans and the Trailhead Cafe, but they close around 5pm after most day visitors have gone.

The cheapest place to grab a burger is Bill Peyto’s Cafe in the HI Hostel. If you miss those options, your best bet is to head up the Chateau Lake Louise for an expensive meal in their fancy restaurants. Reservations are recommended in the summer. There’s one grocery store in Lake Louise – The Village Market. It’s pretty well stocked for a small-town grocery store, but don’t come expecting a lot or for it to be inexpensive.

You won’t find much nightlife here at Lake Louise either, besides the Explorers Lounge in the Lake Louise Inn, which is full of young workers. So plan on drinking your wine at your accommodation. Don’t try venturing too far in search of food or drinks either. You won’t find it. The next town over is Field, which is 27 km away – and trust me, there’s not much there either.

Remember, just because you’re staying at a Lake Louise hotel, you don’t get special access to either Lake Louise or Moraine Lake, and you’re still going to be fighting for space while seeing these two beauties.

The advantage is you won’t have to fight for parking at Lake Louise in the summer mornings and be among the first to see Lake Louise at sunrise. Remember, that you will still have to make a plan to get to Moraine Lake!

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How Far is Lake Louise From Banff?

Lake Louise is 61 km from Banff. The drive takes about 45 minutes along the TransCanada or an hour if you take the scenic Bow Valley Parkway.

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Banff or Lake Louise – What Would I Do?

It’s a tough choice, and if I were a first-time visitor to the Canadian Rockies, I would be in a dilemma. After living here for years, I would suggest that any visitor stay in both Banff and Lake Louise, spending more time at a Banff hotel.

If I had five days, I would plan for three days in Banff, and two days around Lake Louise. If I had one week, I would plan for three days on Banff Avenue, two days at Lake Louise, and two days up in Jasper, and I would definitely make time to venture to Yoho National Park for a day while staying in Lake Louise! Hope that is helpful!

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Where to Stay in Banff

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Where to Stay in Lake Louise

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Hopefully, this helped you determine if you want to stay in Banff or Lake Louise. Whatever choice you make you won’t be disappointed. If you have any other questions leave a comment or see our Canadian Rockies travel guide for more articles about photography spots, lakes, hikes, and everything else.

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