20241009_080657Fairmont Banff Springs in the fall (October 2024)

Following a long day trip to Jasper National Park, my friend “A” and I spent the last one-and-a-half nights taking it easy in-and-around Banff. We spent the rest of our time doing a few haphazard activities, and overall enjoying the last of the beauty in this part of Canada. Without further ado, here are the things we did:

Banff Gondola

I woke up early after our second night in Banff, and headed out to catch the town bus over to the Banff Gondola. “A” and I had purchased our timed tickets for it in advance, but “A” ended up not going, as she was too tired from the all-day excursion to Jasper the day before. That said, I headed off, catching the Line 1 bus to the gondola entrance, located at the base of Sulphur Mountain.

I had my timed tickets for 9h30, and I hopped on the gondola up to the summit. Thankfully, it was early enough that there weren’t many people in line, and I had the car all to myself. The journey took eight minutes as the gondola ascended above the trees and trails (where I saw people hiking!), and soon enough, I arrived at the top of Sulphur Mountain.

20241008_092521Taking the gondola up…

It was a clear and beautiful blue-sky morning, which made for stunning views of Banff Town, the Bow Valley, and the Rocky Mountains. It was also a bit chilly and windy, as Sulphur Mountain is situated at over 8000 feet (2400 meters) above sea level. There was also the Banff Gondola Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk at the summit, a 0.6-mile (1 kilometer) promenade up to the highest part of Sulphur Mountain, where the historic Cosmic Ray Station is located.

20241008_093720Views from Sulphur Mountain (Banff Town is down below)

20241008_100917On the boardwalk

After spending about 75 to 90 minutes at the summit, I took the gondola ride back down to the mountain base and caught the following Line 1 bus back into Banff, where I enjoyed a scenic stroll through town and got iconic views of the towering Mount Rundle in the distance. Also bought and tried ketchup chips from a convenience store– apparently, they’re a Canadian-exclusive flavor, and while I found it a bit too sweet and tangy for my taste, it was worth a go!

20241008_112345Banff Town (with Mount Rundle in the distance)

Afternoon tea at Fairmont Château Lake Louise

That same day, I met up with “A” in Banff Town to catch bus 8X to Lake Louise, where we’d booked an afternoon tea at the Fairmont Château. It’s important to note that timed tickets are strongly-recommended for bus 8X, as they fill up quickly, and one cannot be guaranteed a spot as a walk-up. “A” and I had booked our timed tickets to and from Lake Louise for the day, so we got on the *packed* bus for the hour-long journey over.

“A” and I made it to Lake Louise around 13h30, and our afternoon tea reservation was at 14h00. After walking around the lake a little bit, we headed inside the fancy Fairmont Château Lake Louise to the Fairview Restaurant, where afternoon tea took place. We got there early and managed to get a window seating overlooking the turquoise lake and mountains. The views were absolutely stunning, and it was a dream come true!

20241008_154911Inside the Fairmont Château Lake Louise

The afternoon tea itself was pretty good, with excellent service and a huge assortment of cakes, scones, and sandwiches that were arranged elegantly on a three-tiered stand. We also chose our respective teas; I opted for the “Ice wine” tea, which isn’t actually alcoholic, but rather evoked the fruitiness of wine and was one of the less-caffeinated choices (for me, personally). “A” and I were absolutely stuffed in the end, but overall, it was a fun experience that truly made us feel posh!

20241008_141543Three-tiered stand with Lake Louise views

20241008_142851“Ice Wine” tea

Afterwards, “A” and I had a little look-around the Fairmont Château’s lobby and gift shops. Seeing it would’ve cost us $1000 USD ($1390 CAD) per night to stay there, we were happy just visiting the inside. Just before returning to Banff at 16h30, we also took one last gander along Lake Louise, all the while *quietly* listening to “Lake Louise,” a beautiful song by Canadian musician Andrew Huang. “A” introduced me to it, and it was really atmospheric walking and feeling the emotion of Huang’s love for the lake. Here’s the song, if you want to give it a listen!

Surprise Corner Hike to Fairmont Banff Springs

On our last half-day in Banff, I woke up early once more to do a short, but scenic hike in the town’s vicinity. “A” stayed in the hotel to catch up on sleep as I headed out by 7h00 and it was about a 1.3-mile (2.2 kilometer) walk through Banff Town and a bit of the residential area before I got on the actual road/trail. As it was early morning, there were virtually no cars and no people out and about, which made for a peaceful walk.

Soon enough, I saw the powerful, coursing Bow River, and I walked parallel to it before views of the Fairmont Banff Springs, another posh hotel (which is also a part of the luxurious Fairmont Hotels found all over Canada) perched on top of a hill overlooking the water. The sun was just about coming up as I reached Surprise Corner, a notable viewpoint with unobstructed views of the hotel and surrounding nature. As I’d visited in October, I saw fall foliage in the foreground, which made for some breathtaking photos!

20241009_080657Views from Surprise Corner

20241009_082247Bow River

After pausing to admire the beauty, I headed back and all the way across town to check out the iconic “Banff” entrance sign, welcoming visitors into town and a popular stop for photos. As the sign is located on the side of a busy road, cars need to pull to the side to quickly snap photos before leaving– as I was traveling on foot, I didn’t have to worry about pulling to the side (let alone driving a car) and got photos of the sign with ease.

20241009_085430Banff entrance sign

On my way back to the hotel, I stopped by a café to grab some lattes and pastries to bring back for me and “A.” Unfortunately, the food was sub-par, but in any case, we had our breakfast and started packing up to check out of our hotel. We caught our (prepaid) shuttle at noon back to Calgary, where we would stay one night in town before continuing our journey elsewhere in Canada.

Our three-night stay in Banff was short, but pleasant. “A” and I got to see the highlights of the area. From the many lakes to mountains to glaciers, we saw so many beautiful sights in Banff National Park that we were blessed to have visited in our lives so far. Not only that, but we also managed to check out two other nearby national parks– Jasper and Yoho! All in all, this is definitely a trip I’ll remember in the years to come.

Stay tuned for the last of our Canada series in: Vancouver! Thanks for reading 🙂

— Rebecca

Unknown's avatar

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

50 thoughts on “Destination: Banff, Canada (Taking the Banff Gondola, Afternoon Tea at Lake Louise, & Hike to Surprise Corner– DAY 2)”

    1. Absolutely! Going early certainly has its perks. It was a lovely end to our time in Banff and its surroundings– a bit of nature before returning to the city!

      Like

      Reply

  6. What a great second half of your time in the Canadian Rockies! I’ve never taken the gondola, but it looks well worth the ride. The afternoon tea at Lake Louise also sounds fun.

    Like

    Reply

  8. Wow again you saw the sights, Rebecca. The views form Sulphur Mountain absolutely stunning. It looked like the weather was on your side for this trip. The afternoon tea looked like such a treat and sounded like you really enjoyed it. What a view too! When you did your reservation, did you get to pick the table with the view? 😍

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Mabel! There are no bad views in Banff, that’s for sure. Afternoon tea was a delight, and the perfect end to our time spent in the area. I’d reserved tea time a month or two in advance, and I’d written my request for a window view, which was honored! Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime dream 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. Your tea experience is something I would definitely be up for, especially with those views. One of the things I distinctly remember about my brief time in Banff is that view of Mount Rundle from the town. Exquisite. I’d love to live in just about any mountain town, but it’s not often that a single peak just seems to rise up at the end of a main street.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I know! The view of Mount Rundle from Banff Town is picture-perfect! It’s incredible that a small town can be nestled in the middle of so much natural beauty, but here it is! Thanks for reading 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  14. That shot you took from Sulphur Mountain is spectacular! I love how some of the snow-capped peaks are in light, and others in shadow — they look dramatic. It’s also a good decision for you to visit the Fairview Restaurant as it seems to have really nice views of Lake Louise. What an experience!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. The views from the boardwalk look incredible. How relaxing it must have been to have had those views during afternoon tea! I’ll definitely listen to the “Lake Louise” song! Thanks for sharing your experience visiting Banff National Park, Rebecca!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  23. Everything I’ve ever seen from Banff looks stunning and your post certainly backs that up. It’s hard to pick a favourite view from all the gorgeous vistas showcased in this article, but the vista through the windows at the chateau is quite spectacular. That’s how you justify 1000 dollars a night, lordy. The afternoon tea looked delicious and decadent too. I like the shades of light in the Mount Rundle shot from the town.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Leighton! However brief it was, it was a dream staying in Banff and visiting its surroundings. Couldn’t have asked for a more-perfect end to our time than with afternoon tea at Fairmont Château Lake Louise! Such a beautiful part of this Earth and definitely worth visiting in one’s lifetime 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  24. My visit to Lake Louise is also one of my fond memories of my stay in Banff. I walked along the shore to the start of the trail leading up to the glacier. From the other end of the lake, Château Lake Louise looks older than it is. On my way back, I also browsed the opulent lounges, where it must be nice to take refuge by the fire in bad weather.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Lovely! A walk along Lake Louise is so picturesque, no matter the time of year. Fairmont Château Lake Louise is gorgeous as well, and it’d be the dream to stay in it some day! Thanks for reading the Banff series 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  25. A great way to see the park from above! It’s a shame we need to reserve all those timed entries these days. I’m always reluctant to do that, but I know they are the only way to see many of these places now.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It’s understandable, given how crowded the national parks have gotten over the years. It’s a delicate balance between tourism and preserving nature, so I don’t mind having timed tickets to these gorgeous sites!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment