Lake Louise is one of the most popular spots in the Canadian Rockies—and for good reason! Its milky blue waters and the dramatic surrounding mountains look like something out of a movie.
But one of the coolest things about Lake Louise is a bit hidden. It actually is home to the oldest tea house in all of Canada, complete with steaming pots of chai and hearty soups, tucked way up in the mountains (1,300 feet, to be exact!). So if you want to have one of the most unique experiences in the Canadian Rockies for yourself, here’s everything you need to know about the Lake Agnes Tea House hike.
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About the Lake Agnes Tea House Hike
- Length: 4.6 miles (7.4 km)
- Elevation gain: 1,646 feet (502 meters)
- Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
- Dog-friendly? Your furry best friend is welcome on the trail and on the tea house’s patio, but must stay on a leash.
- Trail map
History of Lake Agnes Tea House
It’s not every day that you climb up a mountain and find a cute and cozy log cabin, serving piping hot tea to hikers. So how did the Lake Agnes Tea House come to be?
Lake Agnes got its name from the very first First Lady of Canada, Agnes McDonald, who fell in love with this stunning lake when she visited in 1886.
After building a railroad system that connected the country’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts during the late 19th century, the Canadian Pacific Railway wanted to develop areas to serve as rest stops for its guests, as well as to attract new passengers. Accordingly, in 1890, a hotel, now known as the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, was constructed on the shores of Lake Louise.
By 1901, the Canadian Pacific Railway erected a log cabin structure by Lake Agnes to serve as a refuge for hikers that were exploring the nearby trails, and started serving tea just four years later. And the rest is history!
The structure was almost totally rebuilt in 1981, but much of the original furnishings and windows were retained, helping the tea house keep its historic and rustic charm. There are some more modern updates to the teahouse, though—like, they currently accept ApplePay and credit cards!
How to Get to the Lake Agnes Tea House Trailhead
The trailhead for the Lake Agnes Tea House hike (also just called the “Lake Agnes Trail”) is located along the northern shoreline of Lake Louise in Canada’s Banff National Park.
Getting from Calgary to Banff
The closest large city and international airport to Banff is Calgary, Alberta, about two hours east of the national park. If you’re flying into Calgary, I’d definitely recommend renting a car, so that you can easily get to and around the park.
You can, however, get all the way from downtown Calgary to the town of Banff on On-It Transit. Alternatively, there’s several private shuttle services that offer transportation from Calgary, like this shared option or this private option.
Getting from Banff to Lake Louise
Once you’re in Banff or the neighboring towns (we always stay in Canmore, because it’s cheaper!), there’s several ways that you can get to Lake Louise.
Park in the Lake Louise parking lot
Theoretically, you can just drive to Lake Louise’s paid parking lot. However, this is definitely a gamble.
During busier periods, like Banff in the summer and fall, the parking lot can fill up well before sunrise. And, unless there’s ample parking spots available, cars will be turned away from the lot.
We originally visited Banff in 2019 and had no issue finding a parking spot on the Fourth of July weekend around 8 AM. And, even though Banff has exploded in popularity since then, I’ve still heard that it’s easy enough to find a parking spot in the morning during slower periods or the shoulder seasons (e.g., outside of June through October).
Still, if you plan on driving here with a personal vehicle but are turned away because the parking lot is full, you won’t really have any alternatives to get to Lake Louise.
If you have some flexibility in your budget, you could consider staying at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, during your time exploring Banff. Not only does it look like a literal castle on the shores of Lake Louise (plus has a hot tub AND a restaurant where you can get chocolate fondue!), but there’s also reserved paid parking for guests. Plus, you’ll literally be staying a few hundred feet from the Lake Agnes Tea House trailhead!
Take public transit to Lake Louise
If you don’t want a 3 AM wake up call or to risk it with Lake Louise’s parking lot, you can alternatively take public transit instead.
Parks Canada Shuttles to Lake Louise
From May through October, Parks Canada offers a paid shuttle from the Lake Louise Park and Ride to Lake Louise.
Tickets for these shuttles can actually be kind of hard to snag, especially if you’re visiting during a busier period (like a weekend in the summertime). Forty percent of tickets go on sale on this site on April 16 at 8 AM, whereas the rest of the tickets go on sale two days beforehand, at 8 AM.
The last time we went to Banff, this is how we got to Lake Louise. For what it’s worth, we visited slightly outside of peak season (early October) on a weekday and didn’t have any issues snagging one of these tickets a few days beforehand.
Roam Transit Busses to Lake Louise
If you happen to be staying in the town of Banff itself, you can alternatively take Roam Public transit to Lake Louise.
In fact, if you’re planning on going to Moraine Lake on the same day, Roam also offers a Reservable Super Pass, from the beginning of June through mid-October, that allows you access to a shuttle that will also take you from Lake Louise to Moraine Lake.
What to Expect Along the Lake Agnes Tea House Hike
Lake Louise parking lot to the switchbacks
From the parking lot, you’ll follow the paved pathways along the northeastern shoreline of Lake Louise, where you’ll follow signs for “Lake Agnes” or “Little Beehive.” About 0.3 miles from the parking lot, the path will start to gradually climb uphill and veer off into the forest.
Switchbacks
For almost a mile, you’ll continue straight along this wide dirt path, which climbs steeply through the forest.
To be honest, there are limited views along this section, other than the surrounding towering pine trees. As you near the first switchback along the trail, after about 1.3 miles, you’ll get your first glimpse of the electric blue water of Lake Louise below.
As you continue past this viewpoint, you’ll encounter a series of shorter switchbacks, which will take you to the shores of Mirror Lake, a small, but picturesque lake that sits at the base of Big Beehive.
The trail steepens here as you make your last push up to the Tea House. Shortly before reaching your destination, there’s a small waterfall down a rocky cliff and, to the righthand side, a set of metal stairs that will take you up to the Tea House.
Be extra careful going up these stairs, if it’s been raining and during the colder months. When we visited the Tea House in early October, these stairs were SUPER icy and we saw several people slip on them—definitely not what you want to do right before reaching your final destination!
Lake Agnes Tea House
Finally, you’ll reach the shores of stunning Lake Agnes, with Big Beehive, on your lefthand side, and Mount Whyte and the Devil’s Thumb, towering to the right.
You’ll be just a few steps away from the teahouse, which is open from the beginning of June through mid-October from 8 AM to 5 PM every day.
You should ABSOLUTELY pop in for a cup of tea and some cookies, but there’s also a number of other trails you can continue on. The two most popular options are:
Little Beehive
If you only want to add a bit on to your journey, Little Beehive is an excellent option. This trail adds an additional 1.5 miles and 320 feet of an elevation gain roundtrip, as you climb up to the summit of Little Beehive.
From the top, you have a birds-eye view of the milky turquoise water of Lake Louise sprawling below.
We tried to hike up to Little Beehive during our last trip to the Tea House.
Unfortunately, it was incredibly steep and icy and we had forgotten our microspikes, so we wound up turning around not too far into the trail. So if you’re visiting earlier or later in the season, be sure to come prepared with the appropriate gear!
Big Beehive
For a little bit of an extra challenge, you can hike to Big Beehive instead, which adds an additional 2 miles and 1,125 feet of elevation gain roundtrip. This hike leads you up to a viewpoint, with an even better view of Lake Louise below.
Just be careful if you’re hiking on this when there’s ice and snow on the ground—there’s some really steep drop-offs along the trail, so it can potentially be dangerous when slippery.
When to visit the Lake Agnes Tea House Trail
The trail is technically open year round, but it’s best to visit from early June through mid-October, when the tea house is open and the trail is relatively ice- and snow-free.
As mentioned above, our last visit was at the very beginning of October, and we encountered quite a bit of ice and snow on the trail. So if you’re visiting close to these shoulder seasons, I’d highly recommend bringing along some microspikes and trekking poles for additional traction and stability.
You can hike to Lake Agnes during the winter months, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it, as there’s several avalanche chutes along the trail. If you do hike it during this timeframe, I’d suggest being appropriately trained in avalanche safety and having the appropriate gear, including an avalanche safety kit.
Tips for the Lake Agnes Tea House Hike
Go early
Even if you’re not going to attempt to park in the Lake Louise lot, I’d strongly advise hitting the trail bright and early.
Other than the Johnston Canyon Trail, the Lake Agnes Tea House hike is the most popular trail in Banff. So, the earlier you get on the trail, the less crowds you’ll have to face.
Additionally, the lines for the Tea House itself can get CRAZY long as the day wears on.
The first time we visited, we came in the early morning at the beginning of July. By the time we had finished up our food and drinks (probably around 10 AM), the line for the Tea House was already several hours long.
Bring cash
Nowadays, they usually take credit cards, but, given there’s no electricity, I wouldn’t necessarily count on it. Luckily, though, they do accept either U.S. or Canadian dollars.
Go to bathroom at the trailhead
There’s an outhouse near the tea house. However, from both of our experiences here, it’s one of the smelliest outhouses I’ve ever encountered (which, considering how much we hike, is saying a LOT)—my eyes are watering just thinking about the smells that are omitted from that thing!
Instead, there’s a nice, heated bathroom with flush toilets and no scary smells, right by the trailhead.
Enjoy the Lake Agnes Tea House hike—despite the crowds, it’s one of the coolest and most unique trails we’ve ever been on! Do you have any questions about this hike? Let us know in the comments below!
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