Alpine Adventure | Lake Louise, Alberta
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As far as storybook destinations go, Lake Louise—tucked into Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada—is about as enchanting as they come. “Winter is a magical time to visit Banff and Lake Louise,” says Kim Logan, senior manager for Banff & Lake Louise Tourism. “You can do almost every winter activity imaginable from here.” She’s not kidding: skiers, snow-shoers, and even ice skaters descend on the area at the first frost. But its pièce de résistance is unequivocally the lake itself, an eye-poppingly turquoise color thanks to rock flour that’s melted into the water from surrounding glaciers.
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The best way to experience the area during the snow-dusted months, starting in October, comes courtesy of Logan: cross-country skiing. “It’s my favorite winter-time activity, and there are several easily accessible trails in Lake Louise including Moraine Lake Road—one of the first spots to open for cross-country skiing in Canada. Of course, gliding across the frozen lake and soaking in the mountain vistas is really special too.”
Landlubbers will find thrills aplenty back on shore, including sleigh rides with Brewster Adventures (December through April); come Christmas, they’ll even whirr you to a mountainside Dance Barn to sup on roast beef and strawberry rhubarb pie before a night of dancing.
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At the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise’s Fairview Bar and Restaurant, guests dine on locavore regional favorites while peeping the jaw-dropping mountain panorama. Pop over to the hotel’s Swiss-German pub Walliser Stube to indulge in the Toblerone chocolate fondue. For the coziest possible meal, locals flock to Ramen Arashi Banff for fiercely authentic Japanese noodles (order the Black Arashi Tantan Men, with pork belly, bamboo shoots, garlic, and a heady dusting of crushed peanuts and chili oil).
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Support the indigenous people of the region with a trip to Samson Native Gallery, a beloved local institution with everything from paintings to hand-beaded mukluks made by First Nations artists. Bibliophiles can pick up something to read fireside at Mountain Lights Books, which specializes in books on mountaineering, railways, the Canadian Rockies, and antiquarian tomes. It’s the type of nook where spines reach to the rafters; ask to see their shelf of out-of-print books to thumb through literal history.
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For history buffs and architecture aficionados, the grande dame resort here—Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise—is well worth a splurge. The 539-room retreat has earned its royal moniker since it was originally built in 1890; it’s hosted illustrious guests for generations. Scoot just forty-five minutes down the road to sister property Fairmont Banff Springs, where Marilyn Monroe canoodled with Joe DiMaggio in 1953 while she filmed The River of No Return. No surprise: the hotel is just as cinematic today with a Stanley Thompson-designed eighteen-hole golf course along the Bow River and a mountain-inspired spa where waterfalls plunge into whirlpools.
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When to Go: Stunning all year round, Lake Louise hosts travel-worthy wintertime events. In January, the SnowDays festival takes over, with the spectacular Ice Magic International Ice Carving Competition scheduled for January 29 through February 2, 2025.
How to Get There:
Plane: Fly into Calgary International Airport (YYC), then drive approximately 120 miles west.
Train: Insiders arrive by train via luxury train company Rocky Mountaineer, a nod to Chateau Lake Louise, which was built for travelers on the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the nineteenth century.
What to Pack: No matter when you travel, weather can get chilly here. But with January lows often hovering around 7 degrees Fahrenheit (-14 degrees Celsius), prepare to bundle up. Pack lots of cozy ski gear even if you’re not hitting the slopes—wind protection and fleecy underlayers will keep you toasty as you enjoy all the region’s outdoorsy exploits.
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YHL/ Written by Kathryn O’Shea-Evans
Photography by wanderluster/E+/Getty Images, chinaface/E+/Getty Images, Lightguard/E+/Getty Images, ronniechua/iStock/Getty Images Plus, Tiffany Carlson/E+/Getty Images.