Lake Louise & Banff Travel Guide + Outfit Roundup

Lake Louise and Banff travel guide outfits hapatime

Alo yoga crop sweatshirt | Leggings | Converse

Lake Louise and Banff travel guide outfits hapatime

Nike top | Joggers | Shop suitcases | Madewell bag

I recently got back from my Canada trip with Revolve and it was truly one of the most beautiful and amazing trips! We went to Lake Louise and Banff and those places have been on my bucket list for years!! I’ve rounded all my outfits from my trip and below is my Banff & Lake Louise travel guide based on what we did!

Lake Louise and Banff travel guide in the fall outfits hapatime

Brixton hat | Tularosa cardigan | HoH sweater | Topshop jeans | Sophiya necklace | Shop booties

Lake Louise and Banff travel guide in the fall outfits hapatime

Brixton hat | Tularosa sweater dress | OTK boots

Lake Louise and Banff travel guide in the fall outfits hapatime

On me: Cardigan | Turtleneck | AGOLDE jeans | OTK boots | Shop backpacks

On Jasmine: Brixton hat | Sweater | YSL bag | Jeans | Similar booties 

Lake Louise and Banff travel guide in the fall outfits hapatime

The view at top of the Banff gondola

SweaterAGOLDE jeans | OTK boots

Sweater | Jeans | Converse

Camila Coelho dress

Banff & Lake Louise Travel Guide/Tips

Airport: The closest airport is the Calgary International Aiport (YYC). There are some non-stop flights from SJC but we flew out of SFO and it was only a 2.5 hour direct flight!

Getting around: We were with a large group who organized shuttles for everyone so we didn’t rent a car, but you will definitely need to rent a car to get around. The drive to get to Banff and Lake Louise is really easy and flat. Since we were there at the end of summer, there wasn’t any snow on the roads, but I’m sure road closure and snow storms are something you will have to worry about in the winter.

Where to stay: My sister and I arrived a day early to settle in before our whole group was there and we stayed at the Mountaineer Lodge our first night. This was a great hotel about a mile down the road from Lake Louise and the Fairmont and it was right across from the only shopping/restaurants. The inside was recently remodeled and the beds were very cozy!

We then moved to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise for the remainder of our trip and it is truly a spectacular hotel with the most amazing view overlooking Lake Louise. The Fairmont Chateau often gets booked way in advance so don’t forget to book early (the hotel was already sold out the first night we arrived and it was a Tuesday!). It is a luxury hotel (about $600/night) so the Mountaineer Lodge is a great budget-friendly option. There are also a few hotels within walking distance of the Fairmont/Lake Louise and those also would be great options since there can be a lot of traffic and tour buses in that area trying to get to Lake Louise.

While we stayed at the Fairmont Lake Louise our entire trip, I also recommend splitting up your trip and staying at the Fairmont Banff. We spent the day there enjoying lunch and exploring downtown and this hotel was also amazing. It was like staying at Hogwarts! There is lots to do and see in downtown Banff and it’s about an hour drive from Lake Louise so it would save you some time driving back and forth.

Food: The first night in Lake Louise we stayed at the Mountaineer Lodge which was right next to a few restaurants and shopping center. We tried the Mountain Restaurant which was a quick 5 min walk from our hotel. It was really delicious!! I definitely recommend the quinoa bowl for something light and delicious or the shrimp pasta for something heavier and comforting 🙂 We also stopped by the Village Market across the street for snacks and I got some yummy trail mixes. They also have ice cream and candy at the store near by which honestly looked amazing!

Once we got to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise however, we ate almost every meal at the hotel. My sister and I loved the Summer Salad (added chicken) at the Lakeview restaurant. We also enjoyed breakfast at the Poppy Brassiere where you can choose buffet or from a menu. In room dining was great, though we only tried the Eggs Benedict 2 of the morning we were there.

Revolve took us to downtown Banff to try some other restaurants such as the Park Distillery, which was really amazing! We may have had a special menu since we had such a big group but I decided to go plant based and non dairy for that meal and they served me this amazing hummus, egg, quinoa dish!

We also ate at the Fairmont Banff, though again we had a large group so I believe we had a custom meal. The Fairmont Banff is seriously stunning and magical so I would have loved to stay there for a few nights and explore the property more.

The Sky Bistro was another spot that Revolve took us to, and I’m not sure if there is any way to get to it other than the gondola. The gondola is super fun though and the views are amazing so I really do recommend it! They had a cute little outdoor spot at the very top of the building with some great music and hot food and drinks. I took a story for Instagram up there and a lot of people asked what this place was called but I have no idea!

Activities: There are a ton of hikes in Lake Louise and Banff, with incredible views! I mean I keep talking about the views, but really that is the most spectacular thing about Banff! The one day we had a hike planned it rained however, and so maybe next time! You can also go canoeing on Lake Louise or take a boat cruise on Lake Minnewanka. I feel like during the winter there are more activities like skiing, dog sledding, ice skating, etc! Lake Louise does freeze up in the winter and I’m not sure its still as photogenic… you know there are plusses and negatives to everything!

If you are into shopping, downtown Banff has so many shops, ranging from traditional souvenirs, jewelry, home goods to candied apples. We didn’t have time to really stop at any but I know if I ever make it back, I would love to spend a whole day checking out each store!

All in all, our trip to Canada was soooo fun and full of really cute clothes, yummy food and some fab people. Thanks to Revolve for a wonderful trip!!

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5 Comments

  1. Adam Christopherson
    September 11, 2019 / 12:57 pm

    This was a super great read, thanks! After having been there this June, it was a pleasure to have those memories brought back through your blog. I agree with everything you highlighted, and even though I didn’t have the same food destinations, my experiences tell me that where you ate was as good as you say. The ice cream in Banff is worth the wait if you go again.

    In June, it was slightly colder and it was towards the last melt on the lakes, so it was cool to see ice and slush floating around the lake still. Could have stayed there for dayzzzzz…Gorgeous. I stayed in Calgary for 5 days but having rented a car and bought the park permit (which you need for the entire Banff region), I drove in and out over two days because I needed more views. By the way, the car permit there is good from the purchase day to 4pm the next day. Driving to Lake Louise there’s also an overflow parking lot about 20 minutes out with a free shuttle, but despite visitor center advice, I tempted fate and found parking at Lake Louis even though it was incredibly busy. One thing I can also confirm, as heard from a local, is the wetter seasons can, and have brought floods that have washed out roads and created supply issues. I don’t imagine mountains would be as majestic if they weren’t inherently so moody and unpredictable.

  2. September 11, 2019 / 2:30 pm

    The views are sooo unreal <3 🙂 I love all of these photos so much! Hope you had an amazing time!

    XO, Elizabeth T.
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  3. September 12, 2019 / 7:08 am

    Fantastic outfits and photos! 🙂

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