How To Get To Lake Louise: Parking, Transit & Tours (2026 Guide)

Last updated 2026-09-08

Quick Summary

Parking is nearly impossible: The Lakefront lot fills before sunrise in summer and stays full all day, so don't count on driving straight there
Parks Canada Shuttles (free): Park at the Lake Louise Park and Ride and ride up to Lake Louise and/or Moraine Lake; reservations open April 15th and go fast, with more seats released 48 hours ahead
Roam Public Transit (paid): The Lake Louise Express runs from Banff year-round; reserve ahead in summer ($12.50 to $30 depending on the pass), or try for one of the first-come, first-served spots (waits up to 2 hours in July/August)
Tours: A stress-free option that usually combines Lake Louise with Moraine Lake and sometimes other stops, with several reputable operators to choose from depending on how much time you want at each spot
Hiking or biking: Technically possible (28km round trip) but long, unremarkable, and shares the road with tour buses, so it's not recommended
Bottom line: Book your shuttle or transit reservation as early as possible, and have a tour as your backup plan if you strike out

Parks Canada Shuttles

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This is the best way to get to Lake Louise, in my opinion. You park at the Lake Louise Park and Ride parking lot, and the shuttle takes you up to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake and then back down to your car.

And the best part is, it's free!

The first shuttle of the day leaves at 6:30 am, then from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm they run once an hour on the hour.

The shuttle to Lake Louise Lakeshore runs from May 15 to October 12, and goes to Moraine Lake from June 1 to October 12. The Moraine Lake shuttle can sometimes be affected by weather. Sometimes an early snowfall closes down the road to Moraine Lake.

It's almost too good to be true, so of course there is a catch. The catch is that you need to reserve your time in advance, and during the peak times the shuttles book up fast.

The launch day for reservations is April 15. So if you already know when you want to visit, make sure to get your reservation in right away on the 15th.

And if you don't get a spot on the 15th, don't worry. Parks Canada also releases more seats that can be booked 48 hours in advance.

So either book way ahead on the 15th, or wait and book 2 days ahead.

In July and August, it can be tricky to get a reservation, but it gets a bit easier once September rolls around.

Parks Canada has a great guide that explains the best way to prepare for 'Launch Day' (which is when the reservations become available)

https://parks.canada.ca/voyage-travel/reserve/instructions

Roam Public Transit

And if you weren't able to get a Parks Canada Reservation, or if you're travelling without a car and can't make it to the Park and Ride, taking public transit from Banff is the move.

The Lake Louise Express runs year-round, but in the summer months you will want to reserve your ride ahead of time.

Between June 1st and October 12th, you have 2 reservation options:

The Reservable Super Pass, which takes you to both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
The Lake Louise Round Trip reservation, which just takes you to Lake Louise and then back to town.

There are multiple launch days for these reservations:

June reservations open at 9 am on April 23rd
July reservations open at 9 am on May 25th
August reservations open at 9 am on June 22nd
September and October reservations open at 9 am on July 27th

These reservations are not free, but they are very reasonably priced.

The Super Pass that takes you to both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake is $30 for adults and $15 for seniors and youth. Seniors are considered 65+, youth 13-18, and children 12 and under are free, but still need a reservation.

The Lake Louise only pass is $12.50 for adults and $6.25 for youth and seniors.

If you weren't able to get a reservation, don't give up hope yet. 40% of each departure is first-come, first-served. You can queue up and cross your fingers for a spot. Wait times can be up to 2 hours in July and August, and if you are taking a first-come, first-served seat, it does NOT come with access to Moraine Lake.

https://roamtransit.com/fares/reservations/

The Lake Louise Express departs from the Banff High School Transit Hub. There is no parking at this transit hub, so your best bet is to park at the free parking lot by the Banff train station, and then just walk over to the Transit Hub. It's about a 10-minute walk.

Tours

If you can't get a reservation on the Parks Canada Shuttles or on the Roam Public Transit buses, or if you just don't want to mess around with figuring out all the logistics yourself, a tour is a great option.

The tours take all the stress off you because you will have a guide and a driver taking care of everything for you and also sharing some extra information about the lake.

Most tours combine a visit to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake into the same day, and I think this is a great choice.

We did a tour that took us to both lakes, and it was honestly really nice to be able to relax and just focus on enjoying our time and getting our photos, rather than keeping track of the time and figuring out transit schedules.

There are a ton of different tour options, and for the most part they are all great. All the tour operators here are professional and trustworthy, so you mostly just need to decide what type of tour works best for you, since they are all slightly different.

The tour with Cool Banff Tours & Transportation gives you 1.5 hours of free time at each lake. This one is perfect for people who like to take their time and don't want to be rushed along. You can book it here.

If that seems like a bit too much time, Rockies Journey Inc runs a similar tour but only stops for 1 hour at each lake. You can book it here.

If timing your visit with beautiful lighting is your priority, this option with Via Via takes you to Moraine Lake for sunrise and Lake Louise at golden hour. You can book it here.

If you really want to make the most of your day, Banff Tours and Travels offers a tour that visits Moraine Lake, Lost Lake, Johnston Canyon, and Emerald Lake all in one day. It's a big day, but those are 4 of the top destinations in the national park taken care of all at once. You can book it here.

Those are the 4 I would suggest picking between, but there are other operators running similar tours. You can browse them here.

Hiking Or Biking

This would be an interesting experience, but I don't recommend it. It is a 28 km round-trip journey and not a very interesting one. It would take you all day! Cycling would be faster, but it's still a challenging ride, and I would only suggest someone with quite a bit of experience attempt this, since you are sharing the roads with all the tour buses that are also heading to the lake.

Final Thoughts

Getting to Lake Louise takes more planning than your average national park visit, but once you know your options, it's easy to pick the route that fits your trip. If you want the free option and don't mind planning ahead, snag a Parks Canada Shuttle reservation the moment they launch.

If you're without a car or missed the shuttle window, Roam Transit is a reliable (and still affordable) backup. Just budget extra time if you're going first-come, first-served.

And if you'd rather skip the logistics altogether, a tour takes care of everything and often bundles in Moraine Lake and some other stops too.

Whichever way you get there, the effort is worth it. For tips on parking, timing your visit, and which viewpoints and hikes are worth your time once you arrive, check out our Full Lake Louise Guide.

FAQ

Can you park at Lake Louise?

Parking is nearly impossible in summer. The Lakefront parking lot is small and fills up before sunrise, staying full all day, so most visitors who show up hoping for a spot get turned away by park officials.

What is the best way to get to Lake Louise?

The Parks Canada shuttle is the best option since it's free and takes you to both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake from the Lake Louise Park and Ride. Reservations open April 15th and go fast, though more seats are released 48 hours before each date.

How much does the Roam Transit bus to Lake Louise cost?

The Lake Louise only pass costs $12.50 for adults and $6.25 for youth and seniors. The Super Pass, which includes both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, costs $30 for adults and $15 for seniors and youth, with children 12 and under riding free.

What if you can't get a shuttle or transit reservation to Lake Louise?

A guided tour is a good backup, since most combine Lake Louise with Moraine Lake and remove the stress of tracking schedules yourself. Alternatively, 40% of each Roam Transit departure is first come first served, though wait times can reach 2 hours in July and August.

Can you hike or bike to Lake Louise instead of taking transit?

It's technically possible but not recommended. It's a 28km round trip that takes all day on foot, and while biking is faster, it's still a challenging ride shared with the tour buses also heading to the lake.

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