After the town of Banff, Lake Louise is the other main centre in Banff National Park, yet it's tiny in comparison.

It's named for a picture-postcard body of water – Lake Louise – but the name also commonly refers to Lake Louise Village. This is little more than a small mall and a gathering of hotels beside the Trans-Canada Highway, some 4km to the west of the lake.

To add to the confusion there's also the enormous Lake Louise Ski Resort that's generally just referred to as "Lake Louise", which lies about 3km northeast of the Village.

Crowds

A trip to the lake itself is usually considered a must on any Canadian Rockies itinerary. The consequences are often heavy traffic, difficult parking and lakeside crowds. Avoid these by visiting early or late in the day, taking a shuttle bus, or by simply avoiding it. Moraine Lake, a turn off en-route, is very similar in terms of scenic beauty and often a little less crowded.