The beautiful blue hues of the lakes in Canadian Rockies are too good too believe, that they are often accused of being subject to human tampering. When Canadian-Pacific Railway was attracting tourists from all over the world in 1890’s to compete with the beauty of the Alps, they were accused of achieving such hues by adding dye to the lakes or by painting the lake beds as it looks too beautiful to be real. Welcome to Banff !!

Best time to visit

If you’re looking for the best weather, it’s undeniable that the best months to visit Banff & Jasper National Park are mid June through August. These are the months with the best weather – longer days – and warmest temperatures. Unfortunately, that peak season means you’ll be visiting at the same time as every other traveler.

Approximate travel time between places

• Calgary to Banff 1.5 hrs
• Banff to Johnston Canyon 26min
• Johnston - Lake Louise 24 min
• Lake Louise - Moraine lake 30 min
• Lake Louise - Emerald lake 33 min
• Lake Louise - Peyto Lake 37 min
• Peyto - maligne canyon - 3hrs

Expand the Legend on the left for all details

Above, you will find a useful map for driving around Banff and Jasper National Parks, with all of the main sights marked on it in varying colour tags. Feel free to zoom in to get a closer look at each attraction’s location one by one.

Emerald Lake is a vibrant blue-green coloured lake on the Trans-Candian Highway about 12 km from the town of Field. It is one of the “Must See” viewpoints. If you have some time, Canoes are available for rent or you can walk, the lake also has a wonderful round trail of about 5 km. There is a restaurant in Emerald Lake Lodge and a cafe at the Lake