Hiking in Lake Louise — in Banff National Park, nestled in the Canadian Rockies — offers endlessly beautiful views plus a unique reward: a tea house to dine in. Hike up from Lake Louise to Lake Agnes and enjoy a snack (or meal) at the Lake Agnes Tea House. This is the perfect activity while in Lake Louise as it’ll only take about a half day of your vacation/trip, but you’ll leave with a long-lasting memory of amazing views, a good workout, and a time-honored tradition of visiting one of the two tea houses in the area. To make this the best experience possible, start early in the day, ideally by 8:00 am; if you wait longer, you could be sharing the trail with a lot of other hikers and be disappointed when you need to wait in a long line to enter the very popular tea house. Another option, if you have the time, is to make this a longer hike by continuing on to Big Beehive and then the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail that will you lead you to yet another tea house. (More on that option below.)
The Lake Agnes Trail
The Lake Agnes trail is about a 4.6-mile/7.4-kilometer out-and-back moderately-rated trail with an elevation gain of about 1,400 feet/435 meters. One thing that marks this as a unique hike is what awaits you at the end: a charming, rustic tea house that opened in 1905 on the shore of Lake Agnes. (Read more on the impressive historical tea house later in this post.)
The trail begins at Lake Louise. Before setting out on your trek, take a moment to soak in the breathtaking beauty of the turquoise waters of Lake Louise with the soaring peaks of several mountains framing it. Okay, now let’s get going. 😁
If you’re a guest at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, you just walk out the back of the hotel and head right at the promenade. If you’re not a guest at the hotel, you will park at the public parking lot for the lake that’s adjacent to the hotel. Arrive early to get a parking spot and begin the adventure before a lot of other hikers join you. (Later on, you’ll be happy you got up early to start the day.)
Take the marked trail to the right as you pass the hotel’s property. There’s a fork: continue on the left, and you’ll have a lakeshore stroll; veer to the right, and you’ll begin the Lake Agnes Trail. It begins as a paved trail (my husband called it a teaser!) that will soon turn into a packed earth trail up the side of the mountain. About halfway up the mountain, you’ll notice a switchback; take a moment to appreciate the view of Lake Louise (down and to the left). A perfect Kodak moment.
At about 1.75 miles/3 kilometers, you’ll arrive at tranquil Mirror Lake with the soaring Big Beehive mountain (7,450 feet/2270 meters) in view. This is a trail junction. Continue to the right to head to Lake Agnes. In a bit, you’ll see a sign pointing to Little Beehive; don’t take it now, but it could be an option to return via this connector trail after visiting Lake Agnes and then Little Beehive). Soon you’ll see a waterfall on the left. On the right? Steep wooden stairs lead to Lake Agnes — and the tea house.
Some hikers like to bring their own snacks and/or picnic to enjoy on the water’s edge here. However, we opted to visit the tea house — that was our main destination for the morning’s hike.
The Lake Agnes Tea House
In the 1890s, the Canadian Pacific Railway built a lakeside lodge (what is now the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise) to lure vacationers and customers for their railroad. The Lake Agnes Tea House was originally built in the early 1900s. It was a destination or waypoint for lodge guests who were guided through this mountainous region by expert alpine guides (who worked for the lodge). It is usually open from June through mid-October; check current days and hours of operation before your trip.
You reach the Lake Agnes Tea House by hiking from Lake Louise along the Lake Agnes Trail. This enchanting establishment offers snacks, sandwiches, soup, and a lot of options for tea (of course). Bring cash; they do accept credit cards, but there’s a charge for using them. Outside and up a hill a bit is a washroom/latrine.
When we visited, we arrived around 9:15 am, and the tea house was busy. We were told that it would be a 5 or 10-minute wait, and it was just that. Not a big deal. We knew there might be a wait, and that’s why we set out early.
Once inside, we sat at a table next to a window, read the chalkboards for the menu of food and tea, and ordered. Even though it was early in the day, we hadn’t had breakfast yet, so we opted for a hearty soup and sandwich, and finished it off with a chocolate chip pumpkin loaf (they’re known for their loaves), and tea. Delicious! That filling meal carried us through till dinner time.
Managing a Tea House on a Mountain Top
The Lake Agnes Tea House has a charm all its own — and an interesting operational model, as well. Because the tea house can’t easily source provisions due to its location and altitude, a helicopter makes multiple trips in a day to ferry heavy things (like propane, sugar, flour, and bottled water) to the tea house at the beginning of the season.
The seasonal staff (whom we found very friendly and helpful) live on the mountain — at or near the tea house. On a rotating basis, the staff members hike down garbage and recycling, and, later, hike back up with fresh produce and other necessary items. So every day or two, you might see one of the staff members hiking down or back up the mountain as part of their jobs at the tea house.
What an incredible experience for those hardworking folks who staff the tea house. They get to have a unique experience preparing food (with no electricity, but with propane ovens) for hungry hikers from all over the world. Plus, after the tea house closes in the late afternoon and they’ve readied the place for the next day, they get to enjoy the evenings, often hiking their favorite trails in the area.
Hiking Options When Leaving Lake Agnes
There are a few options once you have finished enjoying Lake Agnes and/or the tea house. Compare trail maps on the AllTrails app to find the perfect hike for your interests and ability level.
- Return to Lake Louise the way you came. As stated, that’s about a 4.6-mile/7.4-kilometer hike.
- Catch a few more spectacular views. Continue up the trail past the washrooms/restrooms to Little Beehive (a little over .5 miles or 1 kilometer). It’s a steep trail that takes most people 20-30 minutes, but the views that await you are worth it. If you plan to return to Lake Louise from Little Beehive, you can take the trail back towards the tea house, and turn left at a fork in the trail before reaching the tea house. This will take you back down to Mirror Lake, and you can continue down the rest of the trail that you hiked up earlier.
- Keep adding amazing views and distance. Continue on the trail to the north of Lake Agnes (to the left of the lake when the tea house is on your right) to Big Beehive (about 1 mile/1.6 kilometers) for more of a workout and still more gorgeous views. If you hike from the original trailhead to Big Beehive and back (out-and-back), it’ll be about 6.6 miles/11 kilometers.
- Make it a large loop trail! Continue from Big Beehive to the Plain of Six Glaciers trail and head back to the trailhead by the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise for a total of about 8 miles/13 kilometers.
Admission & Accessibility
- There’s no fee to hike the trail.
- This is not a wheelchair-accessible trail.
- This is a family-friendly trail. (We passed several families with young kids — even a 3-year-old — who enjoyed the outing.)
Tips for Your Visit
- Begin your hike early to enjoy (preferably by 8:00 am) a peaceful time without sharing the trail with many other hikers. (I can’t stress this tip enough!)
- Expect to spend 60-90 minutes to reach Lake Agnes.
- Consider using trekking poles as the trail is steep and rocky in spots.
- Download the AllTrails app for a trail map, guidance on where you are while on the trail (are we there yet?!), and more. Having the app will be even more helpful if you’re planning to continue on to the Big Beehive and/or Plain of Six Glaciers trails.
- The weather can change quickly, so dress in layers. (When we set out on our hike, it was a chilly, drizzly morning. A few hours later it was warm and sunny, so we had to shed some layers.)
- Wear shoes with good tread and support.
- Bring cash for the Lake Agnes Tea House. Although credit cards are accepted, cash is preferred (and there’s a fee for using credit cards).
- Horseback riders share part of the trail, so don’t be surprised if you smell (and have to step over) horse droppings. (You’ll notice droppings in some spots — not the whole trail.)
- Remember to bring water. There is food and tea available at the Lake Agnes Tea House, but you’ll surely appreciate the water along the hike.
- If you don’t plan on eating at the tea house, you might want to bring along snacks and/or a picnic lunch to enjoy while sitting at Mirror Lake or Lake Agnes itself.
- There are washrooms/latrines near the Lake Agnes Tea House.
- Leashed dogs are welcome to accompany you. 🐶
- Wear sunscreen and bug spray, depending on the season.
Other Lake Louise Walking/Hiking Trails
There are two other walking/hiking options from the same basic trailhead in front of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. First, the Lake Louise Lakefront Trail hugs the northern bank of the lake. Second, the Plain of Six Glaciers trail is longer with a different tea house at the end of it.
Lake Louise Lakefront Trail
Feel like more of a stroll (than a hike) while taking in the natural beauty of this amazing setting? If so, walk along this 2.8-mile/4.5-kilometer out-and-back path on fairly even terrain along the lake. This is a popular, heavily trafficked trail (but still worth enjoying).
Plain of Six Glaciers Trail
There is an option early on while on the Lake Agnes Trail hike to head towards the Plain of Six Glaciers trail that heads to a different tea house. The Plain of Six Glaciers trail is about about a 9.1-mile/14.6-kilometer out-and-back moderately rated trail with an elevation gain of about 1,929 feet/588 meters. You can also pick up the Plain of Six Glaciers trail at the end of the Lakefront Trail, noted above. Also mentioned, you could incorporate the Lake Agnes Trail, Big Beehive, and Plain of Six Glaciers trails if you wanted to create a longer, loop trail.
Vacationing in the Canadian Rockies
Lake Louise was one of the highlights of a fabulous vacation that my husband and I enjoyed in the Canadian Rockies. We were delighted with the scenic drives, invigorating hikes, two days riding on the Rocky Mountaineer train, and a leisurely stay in Vancouver. Our 13-day itinerary gave us the perfect way to appreciate the natural beauty of western Canada. Between Lake Louise and Banff is another great hiking opportunity at Johnston Canyon. Along the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper, park the car and hike the Parker Ridge Trail; the view from the top to catch an amazing view of the Saskatchewan Glacier.
Final Thoughts
Hiking the Lake Agnes Trail and visiting the Lake Agnes Tea House were great memories of our stay at Lake Louise while visiting Banff National Park. We are so thankful that a local advised us to get an early start because, doing so, enabled us to enjoy the trail with few other hikers on our way up to Lake Agnes. Once there, we had a very short wait to get a table at the tea house.
And the experience at the tea house was so relaxing. It was a chilly, damp morning, so sipping hot tea and munching on some good food in the cozy log cabin, the tea house was a comforting experience. And to think of all the other people who had hiked up the mountain and dined at the tea house for well over 100 years! After leaving the tea house, we continued for another 20-30 minutes to Little Beehive. Although a steep trek, it was well worth it as the views of surrounding mountains, valleys, and Lake Louise were spectacular (of course!).
Comments?
Please share your experiences and suggestions for other places to visit in and around Lake Louise. Your ideas could be helpful to other travelers. Thanks! 🙂
