- Lake Minnewanka
It sounds like a movie. If you visit this lake you will discover that it is just like a movie that you end up in. We have been to Canada in May. We found the lake still partly frozen. This created breathtaking views. In the morning it was cold, but as soon as the afternoon started we could quickly change in summer clothes. You better use sunscreen. You might think that you don't burn quickly, but the sunpower is huge. After all, you are in the mountains / snow and by the water. This ensures that the sun power is increased. You can hike the Minnewanka trail. This is a trail around the lake. This route is approximately 17 kilometers. Before you start this route, get information about the bears in the area. Carrying a bear spray with you is recommended and will certainly also be useful for the rest of the journey. Lake Minnewanka is located between the mountains and forests. You are constantly in a beautiful environment. The route is easy to walk. Halfway along the route you will come across a sign that says that a bear spray is a must have to continue. It also says on this board that it's recommended continue hiking with groups of at least 4 people. There are many bears in this section of the route, because there are certain berries along the route that black bears eat.
- Gondola Banff
In Banff you can visit the mountain with a Gondola. You're in a locked cabin and the ride takes about 8 minutes. On the top of the mountain you have the opportunity to eat. For this you can make a combination deal if you buy tickets for the Gondola. The tickets for the Gondola are reasonably pricey, but the view is really worth it. You have a beautiful view of Bow Valley and Banff. On top of the mountain you also have a hiking trail, which brings you even higher up the mountain. There is also a kind of museum where you can do interactive facts and give you many facts about the nature of Canada. If you want to eat at top of the mountain, please check if it's available. It's definitely worth taking the Gondola up and seeing Banff and Bow Valley from a different view.
- Surprise Corner
The surprise corner is located on the Bow Falls. You can park your car here and enjoy the view. From this place you also have a view of a large hotel that looks like a castle. You can take very nice pictures from this point. From this point you can also take a walk along the Bow Falls. Worth to take a look. During our visit in May we saw only a few tourists here.
Park Distillery Restaurant
As a true Gin fan, you can't skip this restaurant. In this restaurant they distil their own gin. You can go here for a drink, but also eat food. In the afternoon they give a free tour to show how the gin is made. Worth to take a look and taste the gin!Johnston Canyon
The Johnston Canyon is also worth to visit. You start with lower waterfalls and then you have a higher waterfall. This hike trail is easy to walk, because it is laid out. .We saw that there were very many tourists. We arrived about noon, not a great time. After about 5 kilometers walk you will arrive at the last waterfall. From this point it's possible to go on to the Ink Pots. This is another trail of approximately 3 kilometers. We decided to walk this trail and saw that we were leaving many tourists behind us. The route is quite challenging, because there are many descents and slopes. At the end of the route, the road was difficult to pass, because there was a lot of ice on the path. This was slipping and sliding, but also an exciting challenge. When you finally arrive at the Ink Pots, you have forgotten the journey, because it's breathtakingly beautiful. When we arrived at the valley we were the only people over there. You can certainly enjoy nature on her best here. Good walking shoes / snow shoes and good condition is recommended.
- Lake Louise
In all travel guides you will probably come across a picture of Lake Louise. The beautiful blue lake. We were at Lake Louis around 10 a.m. and it was as if they had unloaded buses full of tourists. It was as if we had arrived at Disney Land Paris. We were already warned about this, but unfortunately it was not possible for our planning to be present at this location earlier. Everywhere you looked were tourists. We didn't like that much. The lake was also completely frozen, but we'd like that. We have made a small hike of about 3 kilometers along the lake. Many people were also present during this hike. This did take away the special features of nature for us. This lake is so hyped that it has become too touristic for us. We didn't stay here long. We were surprised with a mini avalanche higher in the mountains. This was cool to see. The moment we wanted to drive away from lake Louise, we saw that the parking lot was also packed. Many tourist came after us for a visit. It's nice to have seen this lake, but the tip we want to give is to visit the lake really early in the morning or later in the day.
Emerald Lake
Emerald Lake is located in Yoho Park. On the route to this lake you will also come across a Natural Bridge. Definitely worth stopping here and taking a look! The Emerald Lake is also a beautiful blue lake. At least when the lake isn't frozen. This lake was also frozen in May, but it didn't make it any less! Slightly fewer tourists were found here than Lake Louise. You have a restaurant along the lake where you can eat well. If the weather is nice then you can relax on the terrace. The pizzas are highly recommended there! You will see many swallows flying around the lake. Nice to see.Ice Fields Parkway
This seems to be one of the most beautiful routes in the world. Nothing has been lied to about that either! We drove the route from Banff and drove in the direction of Jasper. We started driving a little later in the day, around 3:30 PM. This ensured that we encountered little traffic. Perhaps it was the time and perhaps it was the time of the year for the quiet traffic. The route is beautiful. Tears in my eyes and only beauty of nature for about 5 hours! It's hard to explain why this route is so beautiful and perfect. You have to experience it and see it yourself.
