"It was an incredible day. The guide Luis was friendly and knowledgeable, he gave us a lot of information and history along the way. He knows the spots for the best pictures 🤣 and always takes care of everyone. I am really enjoying this tour, created the unforgettable memories"
Calgary · 128 km to Banff (Town of Banff) · Banff and Lake Louise in one day · from about US$70, park admission included
Calgary: Banff in a Day, or the Shuttle From the Airport
Calgary to Banff is 128 km, about 1.5 hours by highway (Town of Banff), and no passenger train links them. This guided day leaves from Calgary, Canmore or Banff with park admission included. From 13 October two of its summer stops drop out: Moraine Lake is out of season for tours, and the Johnston Canyon trail closes for rock-slope work with no reopening date published.
From
US$70
per person
Free cancellation
- 5.0 / 5 638 reviews
- 128 km Calgary to Banff, per the Town of Banff
- Included Park Admission on This Day Trip
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Banff and Lake Louise Day Includes
Meals and drinks are not included, and Moraine Lake is a summer stop: it is closed to the tour from 13 October to 31 May.
Highlights
- Lake Louise, Moraine Lake & Banff's must-see attractions
- Opportunities to spot wildlife in their natural habitat
- Relaxed lunch break in the heart of Banff Town
- Family-owned & guided by certified local experts
- Summer months feature itinerary adjustments
What's Included
- Parks admissions
- Round-trip Travel
- Bottled water
- Crampons (Winter)
- Certified Guide
Good to know: You will receive an EMAIL with exact meeting details directly from the tour operator. · This Tour will take place rain, snow or shine. (refund or alternate date will be offered for severe weather conditions). · Not suitable for: Children under 5 years, People over 95 years · Not Included: Meals and drinks
How the Day Trip Runs
Four steps, from the morning meeting point to the drop-off.
Start in Calgary, Canmore or Banff
Choose your starting town when you book; the operator emails the exact meeting point. The listing shows a short pass through Canmore before you enter Banff National Park, and park admission, a certified guide and bottled water are included in the price.
Johnston Canyon and Lake Louise
The summer itinerary gives an hour's guided walk at Johnston Canyon and an hour of free time at Lake Louise. From 13 October 2026 the Johnston Canyon trail to the Lower and Upper Falls viewpoints, its main parking lot and its washrooms are closed for rock-slope work, and Parks Canada has published no reopening date, so ask the operator what the day does instead.
Moraine Lake, in Season
An hour at Moraine Lake, whose road is closed to private cars all year. Tours may use it in summer only: the 2026 season runs from 1 June to 12 October, and the operator lists the lake as closed to the tour from 13 October to 31 May.
Banff Town and the Drive Back
About two hours on Banff Avenue for lunch at your own cost, then Bow Falls, the Surprise Corner viewpoint and Lake Minnewanka before the drive back to your drop-off point. The day is not suitable for children under 5, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
Photo Gallery
The Banff and Lake Louise Day in Photos
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. The listing's terms: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
From Calgary: Three Ways to Book
The Banff and Lake Louise day trip on this page against the shared airport shuttle to Banff and a longer day with the Banff Gondola included. Prices were checked in October 2026.
| Feature | THIS PAGE'S CALENDAR Banff National Park and Lake Louise Day Trip (Rocky Mountain Trips) | YYC Airport Shared Shuttle to Banff (The Fairy Bus) | Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise, Gondola Included (Banff DayTrips) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$70 per person; park admission included, meals extra | From US$42 per person, one way (usually US$46; October 2026) | From US$146 per person; the Banff Gondola ticket included, meals extra |
| Rating | 5.0 / 5 from 638 reviews | 4.5 / 5 from 300 reviews | 4.6 / 5 from 55 reviews |
| Where It Starts | Calgary, Canmore or Banff, your choice; the operator emails the exact meeting point | Pillar 15, opposite exit doors 3 and 4, domestic arrivals, Calgary International Airport | Hotel pickup in most Calgary areas (about 7:30 to 8 am) and in Canmore (about 9 to 9:15 am) |
| The Day | Guided stops at Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake (summer only), Banff Avenue, Bow Falls, Surprise Corner and Lake Minnewanka | A shared ride of about 2 hours with a couple of stops, ending in the centre of Banff | 10 to 12 hours: Canmore, about 2 hours at Lake Louise, Banff Avenue and the gondola; 12 guests at most |
| Good to Know | The Johnston Canyon trail is closed from 13 October 2026 (no reopening date), and the operator drops Moraine Lake from 13 October to 31 May; not for children under 5 | Not suitable for wheelchair users; no drinks in the vehicle; be at the pillar 5 minutes before departure | Not for people afraid of heights; not wheelchair or stroller accessible; the gondola is closed 17 to 19 November 2026 |
| Free Cancellation | Up to 24 hours before | Up to 24 hours before | Up to 24 hours before |
| Best For | Banff and Lake Louise in one guided day from a Calgary base | Getting from the airport to a Banff hotel without driving | A long day with the gondola ride paid for, from a Calgary or Canmore hotel |
| Check Dates | See the Shuttle | See the Gondola Day |
Four More Ways From Calgary
Airport Shuttles and Longer Days Out
Two shared shuttles from Calgary International Airport to Banff, a long day with the Banff Gondola included, and a three-day tour from Calgary, Canmore or Banff. Prices move over time.
YYC TO CENTRAL BANFF, ABOUT 2 HOURSCalgary: YYC Airport Shared Shuttle to Banff
A shared shuttle from Calgary International Airport to the centre of Banff, about two hours with a couple of stops, boarding at Pillar 15 opposite Exit Door 3 or 4 on the domestic arrivals level.
DROPS OFF IN BANFF OR CANMOREFrom Calgary Airport: Affordable Shared Shuttle Bus to Banff
A one-way shared shuttle from Calgary International Airport to Banff or Canmore, about 1.5 to 2 hours, checking in at the Banff Explorer counter between Doors 4 and 5 on the domestic arrivals level.
BANFF GONDOLA TICKET INCLUDEDCalgary: Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise - Gondola Included
A day for up to 12 guests from Calgary hotels or Canmore: a Canmore stop, two hours at Lake Louise, free time on Banff Avenue, Bow Falls and a Banff Gondola ride, with the gondola ticket included.
THREE DAYS, HOTELS NOT INCLUDEDCalgary: 3-Day Lake Louise, Moraine, Emerald, Yoho, Icefield
Three guided days from Calgary, Canmore or Banff, hotel not included: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake or Marble Canyon and Emerald Lake; Johnston Canyon and Banff; then the Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Icefield.
Calgary, October 2026
Calgary as the Way In: the Drive, the Coaches and the Day Trips
How far Banff is, why there is no train, the scheduled coaches and their 2026 fares, what driving costs in the park, when to stay in the mountains instead, the Stampede, and the tours.
For Banff, Calgary is the way in: Banff & Lake Louise Tourism calls Calgary International Airport (YYC) “the closest international gateway”, and the Town of Banff puts Banff 128 km west of Calgary, about 1.5 hours on the highway. From the airport it is 144 km, by Travel Alberta’s figure.
There is no passenger train between Calgary and Banff. The Town of Banff’s list of scheduled options is all buses and shuttles, and VIA Rail serves Jasper, not Banff. The Rocky Mountaineer is a daylight tourist train with hotel overnights in Kamloops, running from April to October; it is not a transfer, and its Banff stop has no public access. A private Calgary-Banff rail proposal went back to the Alberta government in September 2026, but nothing runs yet.
The scheduled coaches, and their 2026 fares
The Town of Banff’s 2026 list names seven operators on the Calgary-Banff run: AbestX, Banff Airporter, Brewster Express, The Fairy Bus, FlixBus, Discover Banff Tours and Vivo Green, with fares “ranging from $15 to $80 per trip” in Canadian dollars, depending on the season, the day and how early you book. Three operators publish their own fares:
- Brewster Express, part of Pursuit’s Banff Jasper Collection: from CA$66.75 an adult one way, based on a round-trip fare, with taxes and fees extra. It runs to Jasper until 17 October (Calgary to Jasper) and 18 October (back), and its winter timetable from 1 November 2026 covers Banff and Lake Louise only.
- Banff Airporter: CA$91.56 an adult one way to Banff (checked October 2026), GST extra and fuel surcharges may apply, about 2 hours by its timetable, with no scheduled service to Lake Louise.
- FlixBus: trips from Banff from CA$10.98 on its booking page; the Town of Banff says its daily Calgary-Banff service launched in 2024.
The seasonal On-It bus from Calgary did not run in 2026. Two shared shuttles from the airport are also listed below, from The Fairy Bus and Banff Explorer®.
Driving: the pass, the parking and the lakes
If you drive, a few costs are fixed. Banff National Park needs a pass for any stop, CA$12.25 an adult a day or CA$24.50 for up to seven people in one vehicle in 2026, sold at the East Gate on Highway 1. Under a Superintendent’s order of 8 September 2026, only driving straight through on Highways 1 and 93 South is exempt. In town, Banff charges CA$12 an hour to park from May to October and CA$7 from November to April, between 8 am and 8 pm, and a park pass does not cover it; the train station lot has 500 free stalls for up to nine hours.
Moraine Lake Road is closed to private cars all year, and Parks Canada says the Lake Louise Lakeshore lot “fills by sunrise” in summer, so in summer a shuttle, Roam’s 8X bus to Lake Louise or a tour is the practical way to both lakes. How to get to Moraine Lake sets out the options, and Calgary to Banff compares driving with every coach and shuttle.
Stay in Calgary, or in the mountains?
For a single day, Calgary works: the day trip on this page leaves from the city, and the Gondola day below collects from most Calgary hotels. Beyond that, each day based in Calgary adds about three hours on the road. Banff & Lake Louise Tourism’s sample itineraries split their nights between Banff and Lake Louise, and Lonely Planet’s tip for cheaper rooms is Canmore, “just outside the park gates”. Parks Canada’s own seven-day Banff and Jasper itinerary starts and ends in Calgary, 945 km there and back.
Calgary itself
The Calgary Stampede runs from 9 to 18 July 2027. It calls itself “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”, and its organizers estimated more than 1.4 million guests in 2026, CBC reported. The Calgary Tower, 190.8 m tall, was completed in 1968, opened as the Husky Tower and took its present name in 1971; a glass floor was added to its observation deck in 2005.
When to go
The day trip on this page had October dates on sale when we checked; its summer version adds Moraine Lake, whose 2026 tour season runs to 12 October. For the year month by month, from the lake thaw to the ski openings in early November, read the best time to visit Banff, and for the longer stays, the Banff itinerary.
The tours here
The day on this page is Rocky Mountain Trips’ Banff National Park and Lake Louise day trip, from US$70 as of October 2026 and rated 5.0 from 638 reviews. You choose Calgary, Canmore or Banff as the start, and the operator emails the exact meeting point. Park admission, a guide, water and, in winter, crampons are included; meals and drinks are not.
Its summer itinerary runs from Johnston Canyon and Lake Louise to Moraine Lake, two hours on Banff Avenue, Bow Falls, the Surprise Corner viewpoint and Lake Minnewanka. Two of those stops change from 13 October. The operator lists Moraine Lake as closed to the tour from 13 October to 31 May, and that same day Parks Canada closes the Johnston Canyon trail to the falls viewpoints for rock-slope work, with no reopening date; ask the operator what replaces it. It is not suitable for children under 5, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
If you are staying in Calgary and want Banff and Lake Louise in one guided day without driving, this is the day to book.
calgaryairporttobanff.com goes through the airport options in more detail, from what each shuttle costs to late-night arrivals and the drive to Lake Louise.
The Fairy Bus’s shared shuttle (from US$42, usually US$46, 4.5 from 300 reviews, October 2026) meets at pillar 15, opposite exit doors 3 and 4 of the domestic arrivals level, takes about 2 hours with a couple of stops and ends in the centre of Banff; it is not suitable for wheelchair users. Banff Explorer®’s shuttle (from US$85, 4.7 from 107, October 2026) checks in at its counter between doors 4 and 5 at domestic arrivals, 15 minutes before departure, and drops off in Banff and Canmore after 1.5 to 2 hours. Each passenger gets one suitcase and one carry-on, and oversized luggage such as skis or bikes costs $25 extra.
Banff DayTrips’ Gondola day (from US$146, 4.6 from 55) includes the Banff Gondola ticket, collects from most Calgary areas around 7:30 to 8 am and from Canmore around 9 to 9:15, and lasts 10 to 12 hours, with about two hours at Lake Louise and 12 guests at most. It is not for anyone afraid of heights, and the gondola itself closes from 17 to 19 November 2026.
Banff ToDo’s three-day tour (from US$210, 4.7 from 42) is three days out, with pickup and drop-off at set points in Calgary, Canmore and Banff; hotels are not included. The Ice Explorer, the Skywalk and the gondola are optional tickets on top, and the third day centres on the Columbia Icefield, whose Ice Explorer and Skywalk have a 2026 season of 1 May to 12 October. Its listing swaps Moraine Lake for Marble Canyon from 13 October, and its second day starts at Johnston Canyon, closed from 13 October 2026.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say
5.0/5
from 638 verified guests
"It was an incredible day with outstanding views and scenery. Our guide Luis was very knowledgeable about the area and was enjoyable to listen to . He did a fantastic job keeping us on tract. Thanks Luis"
"We had a perfect day. Luis was friendly, knowledgeable and very upbeat. Even with some heavy rain he made each stop fun. He had a lot of information all along the way and we appreciated his tips and recommendations. Scenery amazing and bus comfortable. Would not hesitate to recommend or take another tour with Rocky Mountain."
"The trip was great. Had the best guide (Angel). He was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Would definitely book another tour with Rocky Mountain Trips."
"The guide Luis was very kind and knowledgeable. Luis is also a great photographer. His knowledge about history, nature and science made the trip more memorable. Everything was arranged so perfectly. The lakes and mountains are so beautiful. The transport was very smooth that we didn’t feel and rocky feeling. Really worthy the money. So glad I chose Rocky Mountains tour company."
"The guide was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. i would highly recommend this company!"
"Mario was an excellent and informative guide! Had a wonderful experience."
"Great tour with Luis, you can see that the company takes great care to make sure the tour is enjoyable, fun and safe. highly recommended"
Read all 638 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Banff and Lake Louise Day Trip
Rocky Mountain Trips' guided day from Calgary, Canmore or Banff, rated 5.0 from 638 reviews, with park admission, a guide and water included and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Moraine Lake is on the itinerary in summer only, and meals are extra. Starting from US$70 per person.
Check Availability & BookCan't Make These Dates?
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More tours in this area. Each listing states its own cancellation terms.
Calgary to Banff FAQ
The questions people type about getting from Calgary to Banff, answered in the first sentence. Fares, fees and rules are as of early October 2026, in Canadian dollars where marked CA$; tour details come from each operator's listing.
Yes: Banff is 128 km from Calgary, about 1.5 hours each way on the highway (Town of Banff). The day trip on this page leaves from Calgary, Canmore or Banff with park admission included, gives about two hours on Banff Avenue and stops at Lake Louise, Bow Falls, Surprise Corner and Lake Minnewanka. Moraine Lake is on it in summer only, and the Johnston Canyon trail on its itinerary is closed from 13 October 2026. If you drive yourself, the park pass costs CA$12.25 an adult a day in 2026.
None of the scheduled services on the Town of Banff's 2026 list is free. It names AbestX, Banff Airporter, Brewster Express, The Fairy Bus, FlixBus, Discover Banff Tours and Vivo Green, with fares 'ranging from $15 to $80 per trip' in Canadian dollars. The operators' own 2026 fares: Brewster Express from CA$66.75 an adult one way on a round-trip fare, taxes extra, and Banff Airporter CA$91.56 (checked October 2026), GST extra; FlixBus lists trips from Banff from CA$10.98. The seasonal On-It bus did not run in 2026, and there is no passenger train.
Calgary International Airport (YYC), 144 km from Banff by Travel Alberta's figure. Banff & Lake Louise Tourism calls it 'the closest international gateway'. From the airport, scheduled coaches and shared shuttles run to Banff (Banff Airporter's timetable gives about 2 hours), or you can rent a car; no passenger train runs. The two shared shuttles on this page meet at the domestic arrivals level.
Banff & Lake Louise Tourism calls the run from the airport 'a short and very scenic 90 minute' drive. From the city it is 128 km on the Trans-Canada Highway, about 1.5 hours (Town of Banff), past Canmore and into Banff National Park at the East Gate, about 5 km beyond Canmore (Parks Canada). Once you stop in the park you need a pass, CA$12.25 an adult a day in 2026, and parking in the town of Banff costs CA$12 an hour from May to October.
For one day, Calgary works; for more, staying in the mountains saves about three hours on the road each day. Banff is 128 km and about 1.5 hours from Calgary each way (Town of Banff). Banff & Lake Louise Tourism's sample itineraries split their nights between Banff and Lake Louise, and Lonely Planet's tip for cheaper rooms is Canmore, 'just outside the park gates'. Parks Canada's own seven-day Banff and Jasper itinerary starts and ends in Calgary.
They are different places, 55 km apart (Parks Canada), and the day trip on this page visits both. Banff is a town of 8,305 people (2021 Census), with Banff Avenue and the Banff Gondola. Lake Louise is a small community, about 500 people in Parks Canada's round figure, 4 km by road below the lake itself; Travel Alberta calls it 'Canada's highest alpine community'. Banff & Lake Louise Tourism's own itineraries split the nights between the two.
Banff & Lake Louise Tourism calls five days 'the ideal length of stay for first-time visitors', and Lonely Planet says you need 'at least three days' to see beyond the townsite. Parks Canada's seven-day Banff and Jasper itinerary gives three days to Banff and Lake Louise. A day trip from Calgary, like the one on this page, allows about an hour at each lake and two hours in town. The Banff itinerary lays out one to five days.
It depends on what you came for. July is the warmest month in Banff by Environment Canada's 1991-2020 normals (mean daily maximum 22.5°C), and Parks Canada says visits peak in July and August. Parks Canada says Lake Louise and Moraine Lake usually melt by late May, while Banff & Lake Louise Tourism says the turquoise colour 'starts appearing in late June'. The ski resorts open in early November 2026. The month-by-month guide sets out the rest.
It can be: 'Compared to other parts of Canada, Banff isn't cheap', says Lonely Planet, because high demand and a limited number of hotels push prices up, especially in summer. The fixed costs in 2026: the park pass at CA$12.25 an adult a day or CA$83.50 for the annual Discovery Pass, and parking in town at CA$12 an hour from May to October (CA$7 the rest of the year), though the train station lot is free for up to nine hours. Lonely Planet's tip for cheaper rooms is Canmore.
Parks Canada's bear rules are at their tightest from midsummer into September, when the berries ripen. On the Lake Minnewanka trail, hikers must stay in groups of four and carry bear spray from 10 July to 15 September every year, because buffaloberries are 'usually ripe from mid-July through September', and off-trail travel around Sunshine Meadows is banned from 1 June to 15 October 2026 to protect grizzly habitat. Keep 100 m from bears and never feed wildlife: fines reach CA$25,000.
Still have questions? Email us at info@canadian-rockies.com