36 Hours of Things to do in Banff (in June) 2023

Are you looking for things to do in Banff Canada in June? Check out how to make the most of your visit in 36 hours or less!

Planning a trip to Banff Canada and Banff National Park is super exciting! If you’re anything like me, you’re here because you love to research and plan your trip ahead of time. As someone who loves to travel and explore the outdoors, there is something truly magical about this national park. 

Surrounded by the breathtaking Canadian Rockies, incredibly blue-green glacier lakes, lush green trees, and wildlife, Banff National Park is stunning. In this post you will learn about several lakes to visit like Lake Minnewanka, Moraine Lake, and Lake Louise, as well as other fun outdoor activities and shopping. After learning about these places, you are going to be ready for your next Canadian travel adventure!

This post is all about 36 hours of things to do in Banff (in June) 2023.

Day One: Lake Minnewanka, Bow Falls, and Banff Springs 

Lake Minnewanka

Our first stop was Lake Minnewanka. This is one of the many glacier lakes in the park. Compared to other lakes we visited later on, this one was much less crowded. It’s a great lake for picnics, hikes, and water activities like canoeing and boating. It’s the only lake in the park that allows power boats, and a boat tour is offered! 

Bow Falls

Next, we drove to Bow Falls. These falls are super cool! Not too big height-wise, but still spectacular. I just love the sound of waterfalls. It’s a great scenic location for a photo-op, and close to Banff Springs. 

Banff Springs & Downtown Banff

Even if you don’t plan to stay in the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, I highly recommend walking through it. We chose to have lunch here, and the views are stunning as you’re surrounded by the Canadian Rockies, with a view of Bow River running through them. If you’re a golfer, there’s a gorgeous golf course on site.

In downtown Banff, you’ll find shopping and more dining. There are several unique stores and trade posts that carry Canadian made items and souvenirs as well as major brands like Canada Goose. I enjoyed spending the late afternoon strolling through this area.

Day Two: Lake Louise and Lake Agnes Tea House

Sunrise on Lake Louise 

If you have the chance, I recommend staying at the Fairmont Chateau on Lake Louise in order to take advantage of seeing the sunrise here. We woke up around 5:00 am and headed down to the lake. There was hardly anyone out, so we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves! Although the mountains are west facing, it’s a sight to see the sun shining directly onto the mountains. The morning light gives them a completely different look than the afternoon sun or sunset. 

Lake Agnes Tea House

Around 7:45 am, we started our hike to the Lake Agnes Tea House. The Lake Agnes trail is a 7.4km, moderate hike. It took us just over an hour to get to the tea house, and then another hour to return. Along the way, we stopped at Mirror Lake. I recommend starting the hike a bit before 8:00am, when the tea house opens. We didn’t see many people on our way up, but saw a lot more people making their way as we were coming down. 

The tea house sits on Lake Agnes. We were there in mid-June, and the lake was just thawing, the surrounding mountains still covered in snow. It was nice to get an idea of what it would look like in the winter, compared to the fully thawed Lake Louise below. 

For the tea house, it was recommended that we bring cash. However, they now accept credit cards. This is a nice option if you only have U.S. dollars as the exchange rate is not great for cash. You can choose to “dine in” or get your items to go. There are a few tables outside of the tea house, and a few more inside. It is very small. We were seated outside. I highly recommend ordering tea, but bring your own snacks. The food items on their menu are not anything special. All of the supplies are carried in and there is no running water or electricity. As it’s a carry in, carry out establishment, it’s always encouraged to carry a small bag of trash with you on the hike down! 

Lake Louise Canoeing

Around 4:00 pm, we went down to Lake Louise for canoeing. Note that the boat house does not take reservations. If you are a guest of the Fairmont Chateau, you get first priority in line! You’ll also receive a discount on the canoe rental. We waited in line for maybe five to ten minutes. They offer a 30 minute or an hour long session. Definitely go for the hour long option, as it takes almost 30 minutes to get to one end of the lake. 

The views of the mountains from the lake are breathtaking. Every five minutes we were saying “this is so beautiful”, “this is the most beautiful place we’ve ever been”, “wow”. You get the idea. We were told we may see mountain goats or bears while out on the lake. We didn’t see any, but you never know! I highly recommend adding renting a canoe on Lake Louise to your list of things to do in Banff in June. 

Lake Louise Lakeshore Trail 

In the evening, Lake Louise closes to the public at 7:00pm. Since we were staying at the hotel, we were able to go back out after dinner and enjoy the peacefulness of the lake with zero crowds. It was magical. There is a small, 2km long trail that follows the lakeshore. We did a nice evening stroll before heading to bed.

Day Three: Moraine Lake, Banff Gondola, Johnston Canyon 

Moraine Lake

Leaving Lake Louise, we stopped to see Moraine Lake. Note that if the parking lots are full, they will not accept visitors. As we drove by, the park was closed. We decided to make a loop around and see if it would open up again (as people left). We were very lucky, and were allowed into the park! Set in the valley of the 10 peaks mountain range, Moraine Lake is another glacier fed lake. If we had more time, I would have liked to spend more time here exploring and hiking. They offer canoes for the lake here too!

Banff Gondola 

Next, we made the last minute decision to do Banff Gondola. You can purchase tickets online in advance or at the ticket counter upon arrival. We waited in line for maybe 15 minutes to purchase tickets in person and didn’t have to wait to get on the gondola. 

Once at the top of Sulphur Mountain, we walked along the boardwalk toward Cosmic Ray Station. It’s so cool seeing the mountains from high above and seeing several different mountain ranges of the Canadian Rockies. It can get busy during the day in the summer, so they offer a free shuttle from downtown Banff. 

Johnston Canyon

To end our 36 hours of things to do in Banff in June, we went to Johnston Canyon. This trail  is open year round and offers several different hikes. We hiked to the lower and upper falls, for a total of 5.1km. We loved the lower falls, and I highly recommend waiting in line to walk into the cave that leads you up and close to the falls. You’ll get a little misty! If you have time for a longer hike, beyond the upper falls is another trail leading to the ink pots. It’s a total of 11.7km out-and-back. Overall, this is a great trail to check out. It’s paved, making it more of an easy to moderate hike. I enjoyed the scenery of green trees along the river, and the soothing sound of the waterfalls. 

If you’re looking for a more detailed itinerary for Banff National Park that includes tips for transportation and accommodations check out my 3 Day Banff Summer Itinerary post.

This post is all about 36 hours of things to do in Banff (in June) 2023.