The beautiful lakes and mountains of Banff

One of the best ways to see a new place in a short amount of time is to book a day tour.

You get the local knowledge, transport around to all the best sights, and – if you’re travelling alone – company for the day.

What more can I say?

We went on a day tour with Brewsters, booked through Viator, from Banff to visit some of the most gorgeous sights in the Banff area.

The first stop was the picturesque Johnston Canyon.

Tip: Don’t attempt to hike to the upper falls if you’ve got a short time spare. You won’t make it.

Trust me – I tried, bypassing the lower falls, thinking “I’ll stop at them on the way back”, while rushing towards the upper falls, thinking they couldn’t be THAT far away.

They were.

And at one point I realised I only had twenty minutes to get back to the bus, so, without having even made it to the upper falls, and having missed seeing the lower falls too, I had to run (yes, literally run) back to the bus and be that shameful last person on the tour back.

So while I didn’t actually get to see the falls properly, I did get to check out the beautiful canyon – and take some lovely photos on the way.

Next stop was Lake Louise, one of (in my opinion) the most beautiful lakes in the world.

If you haven’t seen a photo of this unbelievably blue glacier-fed lake on a travel website, instagram, or blog before, well I don’t know where you’ve been hiding.

To me, it was a bucket-list item, and I was so pleased to finally get to stand in front of it.

However, then we arrived at Moraine Lake.

Oh yes, there are many lakes around Alberta, especially around Banff, and they are all undeniably beautiful.

Having stood looking over Lake Moraine from the top vantage point, I have to say: Moraine might just be even more beautiful than Louise.

*Gasp*

I know right?

But honestly, look at it and tell me what you think:

Takakkow Falls was our last stop of the day, and a lovely one to finish at.

From the rough rock face of the cliff, to the powerful spilling water, to the green forest sprawling over the land, to the blue, sediment-filled creek lying on the walk to the bottom of the falls, it’s impossible to deny the allure of this place.

It wasn’t on my radar before this trip, but now I would tell anyone headed to Alberta that it’s a “must-visit”.

Our last day in Banff we spent getting active.

We headed up to Sunshine Meadows to take on a hike and take in the scenery.

I instantly had my breath taken away.

Not just by the physical exertion, but by the amazing sights that greeted us as we marched through the fields.

During winter, Sunshine Meadows is Sunshine Village – ski fields.

But I think the summer activities here are a fine contender.

If you’ve visited Sunshine Village in the winter, I would love to hear what you think about what it looks like in the summer:

Banff:

Where we stayed: HI Banff Alpine Centre

Where we went: Mountains Lakes and Waterfalls Day Trip with Viator and Sunshine Meadows

Where we ate: Coyotes Southwestern Grill and Tommy’s Neighbourhood Pub

How we got around: Banff’s public buses – Roam Transit (When you stay at the HI, you get a free bus pass!)

Note: I am not partnered with any of the above mentioned companies, nor was I paid to mention them, it just turns out that when I organised this holiday I went with these.