How Hard is the Hike to Lake Agnes Tea House?
- Hike to Canada’s oldest tea house, located beside picturesque Lake Agnes.
- Distance: 7.5km (4.7 miles) round-trip
- Elevation Gain: 384m (1259 ft)
- Time Required: 3-5 hours round-trip
Hiking up to Lake Agnes Tea House is one of the classic treks of Lake Louise. The climb may test your endurance, but it’s short and accessible enough that nearly any visitor can enjoy the hike.
When you complete the trail, you’ll arrive upon a picture-perfect scene: a log-cabin tea house tucked away in a hanging valley, perched beside a waterfall and one of Banff’s most iconic lakes.
What is the Lake Agnes Tea House?
Beginning operations in 1905, the Tea House at Lake Agnes is the oldest tea house in Canada and has the charming rustic energy you’d expect. You’ll sit on the original rickety tables and chairs that have served Rockies explorers for over a century while enjoying tea and fresh-to-order food and baked goods. The view alone is worth the hike. You’ll be sitting at an elevation of 2,135m (7,004 ft), overlooking Lake Agnes and the Bow Valley.
Lake Agnes and the tea house are most easily reached via the Lake Agnes Trail. This is a 7.5 km (4.7 miles), out-and-back trail with a 384m (1259 ft) elevation gain, which begins at the Lake Louise lakeshore.
The trail is clearly marked, shaded by forest, and takes most visitors between 3 – 5 hours round-trip (not including the time you’ll spend relaxing at the tea house). The trail passes by Mirror Lake and provides a launching point for other great trails in the area, including the Beehives, the Devil’s Thumb and the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House.
How Do You Get to the Lake Agnes Trailhead?
Getting to Lake Louise: Lake Agnes Tea House is accessed via the Lake Agnes Trail, which sets off from the Lake Louise lakeshore.
Moraine Lake Bus Company offers shuttles to Lake Louise with convenient pick-up locations, numerous departure times, and insightful drivers.
Ready to start planning? Save time on your trip and book your shuttle today.
Tea House Hours and Seasonal Access
Tea times: The tea house typically opens in early June, depending on the conditions of the snowmelt. It stays open through the summer season, from 8 am to 5 pm daily.
Set out early: The best piece of advice for the Lake Agnes Trail is to leave early. Not only will you avoid the high-noon heat, but the trail can be very popular from midday onward.
A Local’s Tips for Visiting the Lake Agnes Tea House
Bring cash: Due to limited cell service, Canadian cash is the best payment option. The tea house will accept U.S. cash but doesn’t exchange between currencies. So, if you need to pay with USD, your meal will be a little more expensive. Credit card payments are sometimes possible with a service charge, just don’t count on it.
Worth the wait: Part of the charm of Lake Agnes Tea House is that it operates very much the same as it did way back in 1905. The tea house doesn’t have electricity or running water and uses barbecues and a propane stove to prepare all fresh-to-order goods.
This takes time, so you’ll likely have to wait for service. The staff is incredibly cheerful, so follow their lead and enjoy your time up on the mountain if there is a wait.
Respect the locals: Banff National Park is home to creatures big and small. To maintain their well-being, it’s important to leave no trace while trekking. Only observe wildlife from a distance (ensuring you never feed them) and make sure you’re up-to-date with bear safety.
“The Lake of the Little Fishes”: For millennia, Canada’s First Nations people have lived in the area around Lake Louise, with the Stoney Nakoda people naming the lake Horâ Juthin Îmne (Pronounced Ho-run-num-nay) or “Lake of the Little Fishes.”
Saddle up: The Lake Agnes Trail is also a popular horse trail. If you’re not as excited to hike and fancy riding into the wilderness on horseback instead, there are multiple stables to book a ride with around the Lake Louise lakeshore. Either way, you’re likely to pass a few steeds on the journey.
Lake Agnes Tea House Trail Guide & Photos
- Tea House takeoff: Take a right at the Lake Louise Lakeshore and follow the trail past Chateau Lake Louise until you reach the Lake Agnes trailhead, which is clearly marked and begins with a wooden staircase.
- Lake Agnes Tea House Trail: From the trailhead, the trail gradient immediately increases as you traverse the hill around Lake Louise. It is a challenging incline, but the road is well-graded and well-marked.
- Switchback: Eventually you’ll reach a switchback, which is a popular spot to refresh, rehydrate, and take some photos. The trees are clear partway down to the Lake, so you’ll get a great view of the milky blue hues below.
- Towards Mirror Lake: After you follow the switchback turn, you’ll begin to veer away from Lake Louise towards Mirror Lake and the trail becomes more gradual.
- Mirror Lake: Mirror Lake sits right below the Big Beehive Mountain. The lake is named for its glassy, reflective water and the Big Beehive got its name because, as you probably guessed, it resembles a beehive. This is another great spot to catch your breath, have a bite, rehydrate, and enjoy the mountain scenery before you complete the final climb to Lake Agnes.
- Junction to final climb: Mirror Lake also represents the major junction of the Lake Agnes Trail, with two options for reaching the tea house. Both are clearly marked by signage at Mirror Lake lakeshore.The right-side trail passes by the Little Beehive Trail, while the left passes the Lake Louise Highline Trail.
Ensure you follow signs to Lake Agnes to avoid an unintended detour.
Both are similar gradient, but the left side trail offers a great view of Fairview Mountain in the distance and ends on a staircase that might make the journey a little easier.
- Lake Agnes Arrival: Tea and treats probably sound pretty good right now, but take a moment to enjoy one of Banff’s most iconic views before settling to savor the snacks at the Lake Agnes Tea House.You could amble around the lakeshore path on the Big Beehive Trail, potentially even climbing all the way to the top. Take a photo of the tea house reflected in the water with the Bow Valley in the background. Or, if you can handle the icy temperature, take a dip.
- Make your order: The entry to the tea house—and line to be served—faces the lake.Dine-in customers are asked to stand to the right while the takeaway line is to the left.If you have reception, there are QR Codes displayed that’ll lead you to a web page detailing the tea house’s history and menu. Meanwhile, a server will regularly come outside to give an introduction to the Tea House as you wait.Remember to be patient and treat the workers kindly; the experience is well worth the wait.If needed, there are restrooms (outhouses) slightly up the trail on the Little Beehive side.
- Tea house helpers: Shocking, but there is no waste disposal facility at this 2,135m (7,004 ft) high tea house. All rubbish must be hiked down the hill. So, it’s a huge help to the staff if you offer to carry a bag or two down to Lake Louise after your visit.
Ready to Go? Get There with Moraine Lake Bus Co.
If this all sounds like your cup of tea, let us get you to the trailhead! Book your Moraine Lake Bus Company shuttle now, and get ready for an unforgettable journey on the Lake Agnes Tea House trail.
