If there’s one trail that is on almost everyone’s must do in Banff list, it’s the Lake Agnes Teahouse hike. It’s as popular with non-hikers as it is with hiking fanatics, and makes the perfect half day trip from Banff.

The reward for your efforts is of course the gorgeous teahouse, which can only be accessed on foot as well as some terrific views along the way. You don’t have to be fit to take on this trail, as long as you can walk uphill for 3.5km you can do it. After all, this is one of the best hikes in Lake Louise!

Here’s everything you need to know before you take on the Lake Agnes Teahouse hike.

The Lake Agnes Teahouse Hike

Lake Agnes Teahouse Hike stats

Distance: 4.35 miles (7km) return
Elevation: 1,312 feet (400 metres)
Type of trail: Out and back
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Before you start

The Lake Agnes Teahouse hike begins at the absolutely jaw dropping Lake Louise. If you can stomach the early start, we’d recommend arriving at the lake for sunrise when the water is at it’s calmest and you are most likely to get the beautiful reflection of the glacier.

It’s also the easiest time to get a parking spot and so you can avoid having to use the shuttle service - which often has huge delays.

*Sunrise at Lake Louise: the start of the Lake Agnes Teahouse Hike*

The other benefit of arriving early is getting up to the teahouse before the crowds show up (it gets busy from around 9am in peak season).

If you’d rather not start your day so early, you are probably best coming towards the end of the day when the crowds have thinned again (but make sure you are well before 5pm when the teahouse closes).

Starting the trail

So first things first: it’s pretty much an uphill climb on switchbacks for the entire time to reach the teahouse. Don’t let that put you off because it is never horrendously steep (well, by Rockies standards) and the path is in great condition.

The trail is a nice, wide dirt path through the forest for the majority of the way, so if you are lucky enough to be hiking on a hot day it will be well shaded. The forest is fairly dense, so there is little in the way of views for the majority of the way. However, when you get the odd break in the trees which you’ll see the shimmering blue water of Lake Louise - something that is very special.

It’s also a pretty stretch of forest and if you aren’t hiking when it’s crowded it’s very peaceful.

*The trail up to the Lake Agnes Teahouse*

You’ll know you are nearly there when you reach the aptly named Mirror Lake. We visited early morning when the reflection was perfect, but it might be a little less so if you hike later in the day. It’s a good spot for a break if you feel like you need one before the final push up to the teahouse.

Make sure you follow the signs for the Lake Agnes Teahouse from here as there is another trail which would take you to the Plain of Six Glaciers (which also has a teahouse), but is much further away.

*Lake Agnes Teahouse Hike - Mirror Lake*

From Mirror Lake continue heading uphill - make sure you ignore the sign for Little Beehive as you can visit there after the teahouse. It will takes approximately 15 minutes before you reach the wooden steps which lead directly up to Lake Agnes and the teahouse.

You’ll be rewarded for your efforts with a gorgeous view with your tea and homemade treats! Seats are at a premium so grab one of the lovely outdoor benches when you see one.

The Lake Agnes Teahouse

The historic teahouse has been serving tea to hikers since 1905 and it’s an atmospheric spot.

Everything served has either been hiked in or helicoptered up, and all trash is hiked down too, so it really makes you appreciate everything that little bit more. Especially considering there is no electricity either!

The focus is, of course, on the loose leaf tea. The menu was huge, something we didn’t expect and we were quite taken aback! It is probably the most expensive tea we have ever bought in our lives ($14 per pot), but we thought it was worth it for the experience.

Being Brits we of course had to have it with scones or as the locals call them, tea biscuits!

Make sure you bring cash as they don’t accept credit cards, and although they do accept American dollars, you will be charged the same as you would in Canadian dollars, making it even more expensive.

The beehives

If you aren’t ready to descend and are up for a bit more uphill hiking the Big and Little Beehive trails have much more beautiful views than the Lake Agnes Teahouse hike itself.

Little Beehive is the easier of the two and is just under 1km each way.

It’s another good trail and a less steep gradient than the one up to the teahouse. Even if you don’t want to go all the way we’d highly recommend hiking part of the trail where there are many openings out to some truly spectacular views of Lake Louise.

For a longer (1.6km each way) and much steeper option, you can head to the top of Big Beehive. You’ll start by walking round half of Lake Agnes, which gives you some great views looking back at the lake and teahouse. Then there is a steep ascent on switchbacks to the top Big Beehive for unbeatable views of Lake Louise.

We loved both Beehives and would highly recommend them if you still have the energy.

*The Lake Agnes Teahouse Trail: the view from Big Bee Hive*

The descent on the Lake Agnes Teahouse hike

The descent from Lake Agnes Teahouse is back the way you came, and as the path is in great condition, it should be a much quicker journey back.

If you’re hiking outside peak season with snow and ice on the trail, it would be a little more challenging, but in the warmer months it’s a very easy descent.

For a longer hike

If you wanted to make the Lake Agnes Teahouse hike into a full day walk you can combine it with the Plain of Six Glaciers trail.

This is a much bigger undertaking, but the effort is worth the reward. From Big Beehive follow the High Line Trail until you start picking up signs for the Plain of Six Glaciers track. This loop option will clock in at around 21km and 1,025m in elevation.

You can take another tea break at the second teahouse which also has amazing views.

Essential info on the Lake Agnes Teahouse hike

Best time to hike the Lake Agnes Teahouse hike

The teahouse is open between June 4th and October 10th from 8am to 5pm.

You can still hike the trail outside these times but you’ll miss out on the teahouse experience. Snow and ice can be present on the trail early and late in the season, but it is normally completely snow free in July and August.

However, this is the mountains, so it’s worth checking on conditions before you hike to see if you need traction devices. You can pick up a pair of Yak Trax for between $20 - $30 on Amazon or REI.

Bear safety on the Lake Agnes Teahouse hike

The Lake Louise area has both black and grizzly bears. This is a highly trafficked walk in peak season making it unlikely you would run into one, but if you are on the trail with no one else around it’s worth making noise at any blind corners so as not to surprise a bear.

We always carry bear spray in the Rockies and you can buy some from the outdoor shops in Banff town, from Amazon or REI. Otherwise, check with your hotel reception as many travellers leave their bear spray for others to use.

Getting to the Lake Agnes Teahouse hike

For full details on how to get to Lake Louise for the start of this trail-including a secret hack for getting a parking spot if you don’t want to do sunrise - check out our blog on the best things to do in Lake Louise.

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