How to Explore Banff Without a Car and Still See Lake Louise and Moraine Lake

Today we'll answer the big question: Do you need a car to visit Banff Of course not, and we'll tell you why. The important thing to know is that you can visit many of the places that someone visiting Banff for the first time would want to see without a car, and that includes Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. We have visited Banff many times. We've done it by car, we 've done it on foot, and we've done it through guided tours. We have a lot of experience in different travel styles. In this video, we'll talk about what works, what doesn't, and when you need a car. Stay until the end and we'll tell you everything. The first problem we need to solve is how to get from Calgary to Banff if you don't plan on

renting a car. Fortunately, there are many options. We have had experience with the Fair bus and the Banff Airporter, but there are many different companies which I will list here on the screen. Yes. Basically, most first-time visitors will arrive at Calgary Airport. You'll notice that Calgary looks a little flatter than a pancake. And then they will see mountains in the distance. And friends, they have a beautiful scenic route. It's not that long, just a little over an hour, and they go directly from the flatlands to the mountains. And it's a great trip, believe me. It's truly beautiful. I'm always awake for the trip from Calgary to Banff, but then I usually sleep from Banff

to Calgary because it's like the mountains are behind me. I've already seen the view. Yes. You've already done it. Yes, exactly. You've already had your best moments in the mountains and then it's a bit sad to leave, it really is. Next point: if you don't plan on renting a car to visit Banff, where you stay is very important. That's why you need to pay attention to where you book your accommodation. The first option would be the city of Banff, since you are in the city center. You can catch the buses very easily. The only downside is that it's going to be a bit expensive. You'll have to be willing to spend a little more money. The alternative, which we have done before, is to stay in Canmore and then take the

bus from Canmore to Banff. It's a 25- minute trip. Yes, you're very close. So we discovered that when we stayed in Canmore, we were able to do everything we wanted to do in Banff. Yes. So it's a very good option. I mean, there are some disadvantages. Let's say, for example, that you like photography and want to get up very early in the morning, take a walk along the Bow River Trail and capture the sunrise in that beautiful light. You may not have as many options to do things like that. In addition, having a late dinner might be a bit compromised. Let's say you have a couple of places you'd really like to visit in Banff Town. But apart from that,

we found it was very easy to get from Canmore to Banff Town and then do whatever we had planned for the day. Yes, staying in Canmore was not a deciding factor. Therefore, we would recommend it if you need to save some money. Exactly. Next point, Banff Town is actually very easy to explore on foot. You don't need a car to get around the city because it's quite compact and very walkable. Yes. And then you have buses that connect you to places that are a little farther away, but we discovered that we could go to Banff Avenue, the Bow River, and Central Park. Yes. Cascade of Time Gardens, museums, restaurants, cafes, riverside parks, all within walking distance.

Exactly. Even for some of the excursions we took, like when we went canoeing on the Bow River, we were able to walk to the Banff Canoe Club. We were also able to walk to the Banff Trail Riders stables when we did the wagon ride and outdoor barbecue. Yes. It's very easy to get around the city. In fact, the only thing we ended up doing on public transport was to go to the cable car. Mhm. Next point. As Sam said, you don't need a car to get to the Banff cable car. There is a bus that goes from downtown Banff to Sulphur Mountain and stops at the Banff cable car and also at Upper Hot Springs.

This is bus number one. Fun fact: if you have a pre-purchased ticket to ride the Banff cable car and show it to the driver, you can ride for free. Yes, and that's exactly what we did. Yes. That's how we got there and back. We only show the ticket. I think it's a great initiative because, frankly, I prefer to save my legs for the trails in and around the city. However, if you want to walk, it's approximately an hour each way. So you could do it. It would take 2 hours of your day. Personally, I don't recommend it. I would take public transportation and save that extra time to explore the trails. And the bus only takes 15 minutes,

so you can compare 15 minutes by bus or an hour walking to the Banff cable car. Those 45 minutes times two is 90 minutes. Next, let's talk about the place everyone wants to visit, Lake Louise. Is it possible to visit Lake Louise without a car? The answer is yes, you have the Lake Louise bus number 8X Express, which takes you from downtown Banff to Lake Louise. You can get off in the town or you can also get off on the shore of the lake. It's the most convenient option if you don't plan on renting a car. In 2026, they tried something new. With the 8X bus, you could reserve seats. It was a

way to guarantee yourself a spot, and they still kept 40% of the seats available for people who arrived without a plan. The only drawback to simply arriving is that you have to wait a long time, up to two hours. It's a long time to be waiting for a bus to Lake Louise and you're wasting valuable time. Something to keep in mind. Yes of course. The days of improvising are over, and that also applies if you have a car. So make a plan. I mean, you can be flexible and try to choose a day with good weather, but don't show up thinking that everything will go smoothly if you improvise. You might be disappointed.

Yes. Next, let's talk about the other lake that everyone wants to visit from Banff: Moraine Lake. The great thing about Moraine Lake is that you can't get there by car. You cannot bring your own vehicle. So that option is ruled out. You don't even have to think, "Do I need to rent a car to go to Moraine Lake?" That decision has already been made. And let me tell you, as a personal note, that in the late 2010s you could go by car, and we did, but those days are gone and will never return. So yes. What are the options now? You can go as part of a guided tour, you can take the Parks Canada shuttle service, or you can use Roam Transit. However, bus number 10, which would normally take you to Moraine Lake, was not actually running in 2026, this year.

Therefore, the alternative was the bookable super pass. This was a round trip from Banff to the shore of Lake Louise. Then you had unlimited rides with Roam that day and you had access to the Parks Canada Lake Connector between Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. I know it's a lot of information, so I'm going to put it all on the screen because, yes, you're going to have to take several buses and several shuttles if you want to visit those two lakes in one day. But it's feasible and makes sense because they're in the same area. Yes, if you're heading to that area, it would be best to combine both plans. The only reason not to do that would be if you really want to spend a lot of time visiting a

particular lake, then you could do one per day. But I think that for most travelers, combining them is the right decision. So that answers that question. Yes, you can visit Lake Louise and Moraine Lake on the same day. Now you know. Another popular destination in Banff is Johnston Canyon. Is it possible to visit by bus? Yes, you can do that if you travel during the summer months. Bus number nine will take you there. These seats cannot be reserved, so you can just show up and get on the bus, but it's a pretty popular attraction. So, once again, you'll have to deal with potential waiting times.

Exactly. I should mention that we haven't done it yet. So, if you end up doing it, leave a comment and tell us what you thought of the experience. What did you think of the Johnston cannon? Because we'll do it the next time we go. And I should mention that this bus departs from the Banff Institute transit center and also operates 7 days a week during the summer. Next, we'll talk about Lake Minnewanka and Cascade Ponds. It's surprisingly easy to get to both without a car if you travel in the summer, when the bus is running. Well, we had already visited both places by car, so our experience was a little different.

Yes, it was a multigenerational trip. We went with your parents and it was excellent. They used to be somewhat underrated destinations. I think they're much more popular now. But the good thing is that you can visit them without a vehicle. The bus that takes you there is the summer route 6, which stops at Cascade Ponds, Johnson Lake, and also Jack Lake. So you can see quite a lot if you take that route. If you come to Banff and think, "You know what? I don't feel like taking public transport. I don't want to deal with shuttles, Lake Connectors, and all those buses," if it seems too overwhelming, you always have the option of joining a guided tour. You can take a guided group tour or a private tour and still see all these places and forget about the

logistics. Yes, it's great. Actually, it's much more time-efficient. You have an expert driver who takes you to all the different places. He knows exactly how much time you should spend on each one. There is preferential parking. You won't get lost. There are all these points of friction that you do n't experience when taking a guided tour, and you can also make much better use of your day. Exactly. I'll give another example. We took a guided tour when we visited Icefields Parkway and Columbia Icefield and it was really great because we stopped at several places along the way that we wouldn't have seen otherwise

, like Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, and then, you know, the scenery along Icefields Parkway is amazing. So that's another recommendation if you want to see these places. Something else you should think about when you're on tour is that you can simply enjoy the scenery. You look out the window. You don't have to concentrate on driving. Oh, I missed the turnoff point. You'll be able to relax, enjoy it much more, and that can be a great option. We've done it before and highly recommend it. Yes. Now that we've told you that you can visit Banff without a car, let's talk about who needs a car. Who benefits from renting a car to visit Banff? To begin with,

I would say someone who likes to stop at every little roadside attraction, someone who wants to be in control of the itinerary. Yes, because if you're the type who arrives somewhere and falls in love with the place and thinks, "Hey, I might like to spend the whole day here. I might like to come back the next day and take photos or videos early in the morning to see the sunrise or sunset." That's the type of person who will benefit from having their own vehicle. Furthermore, if you want to go further, it also gives you much more flexibility to do so Yes, I would say that if you want to visit

Kootenay National Park, if you want to explore Kananaskis, then it makes sense to have a car because you have fewer tour options that will take you to these places. Exactly. I would also say that if you're an avid hiker and have a list of trails you want to hike, and these are remote trails with little-known starting points, you're also going to need a car because a shuttle service probably won't get you there. Exactly. You're going to think, "Don't you dare rush me. I'm here to walk the whole path and do it at my own pace." Exactly. And as we've already mentioned, really avid photographers are going to want that flexibility to go very early in the morning or later

in the day when everyone else is going out to dinner. You're going to think, "I'm here to capture the sunset." And wait for the perfect sunlight to appear. You could stay there for a while. Again, a vehicle gives you that flexibility. Exactly. And finally, if you're a group of, say, four or five people, it might be a bit cheaper to split the cost between four or five people, rent your own vehicle, and get all the other advantages we 've talked about: flexibility, all that, and maybe some savings too. Now, the verdict. Do you really need a car to explore Banff? As we said, no, especially if it's your first time visiting the city and you want to visit the classic places.

If you want to see the town of Banff, ride the gondola, go to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Johnston Canyon, Lake Minnewanka, Cascade Ponds, and you happen to be visiting during the summer months when most of these transport services are running, then forget about the car. You don't even need it. Yes. We've had some of our best experiences in Banff without cars, and we highly recommend visiting Banff without a car. There's no need. Exactly. However, if you're the adventurous type, you want to go to faraway places, you want to delve into nature, then yes, a car will make a lot of sense for you. So I think the answer depends on the type of trip you want to take, but now we

've presented you with all the information so you can make an informed decision. And that's today's video. If you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe. We'll have more videos about Banff, travel tips, and Alberta in general soon. Thank you so much for watching the video. See you soon. Bye. See you soon