Emerald Lake Tour — Yoho National Park Day Trips

Emerald Lake sits in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, reached by a paved side road about 9 km (6 mi) off the Trans-Canada Highway near the town of Field. It is roughly a 25-minute drive west of Lake Louise. You can self-drive and park at the lakeshore, or join a guided day tour that handles all the transport, driving and parking for you. See our full guide to getting to Emerald Lake.

Yes. Most guided Emerald Lake day tours pick up in Banff, Canmore or Calgary and include Emerald Lake as one stop on a Canadian Rockies loop with Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and Johnston Canyon. The featured tour on this page departs from Calgary, Banff or Canmore. Our Emerald Lake day-trips guide breaks down the routes and travel times from each city.

Guided day tours that include Emerald Lake start from about $49 per person for a half-day Banff-lakes trip and run to $274 for a premium small-group tour across three national parks. The featured full-day tour starts from $70 per person and includes round-trip transport, a local guide and your National Park pass. Compare all options in the tour comparison above.

For most Canadian Rockies visitors, yes. Emerald Lake is the largest lake in Yoho National Park and is known for its vivid green colour, created by glacial rock flour suspended in the meltwater. It is quieter than Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, has a flat 5.2 km (3.2 mi) shoreline loop, a historic lodge, and the Natural Bridge and Takakkaw Falls close by. Guests on the featured tour rate the overall experience 4.8 out of 5 across more than 1,880 reviews.

The lake is at its most vivid green on sunny days in July and August, when glacial melt feeds the most rock flour into the water. The lake is frozen roughly November to June and canoe rentals run June through mid-October. For fewer crowds, arrive early morning or late afternoon. Our best-time-to-visit guide covers the seasons month by month.

On a guided multi-stop day tour you'll typically have 30–60 minutes at Emerald Lake — enough to walk part of the shoreline, cross to the lodge and take photos. If you want to paddle a canoe or walk the full 5.2 km loop (about 1.5–2 hours at an easy pace), plan a self-drive visit or a tour focused specifically on Emerald Lake and Yoho.

All three are glacier-fed lakes in the Canadian Rockies, but Emerald Lake is in Yoho National Park (British Columbia) while Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are in Banff National Park (Alberta). Emerald Lake reads as a deep green, whereas Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are famous for turquoise-blue tones. Emerald Lake is generally the quietest of the three and, unlike Moraine Lake, you can still drive your own car right to it.

Emerald Lake is inside Yoho National Park, so a Parks Canada pass is normally required. On guided tours the park pass is included in the price. If you self-drive you buy your own — though from June 19 to September 7, 2026, Parks Canada admission is free for all visitors under the Canada Strong Pass initiative. (Verify current pass rules with Parks Canada before you travel, as these dates are time-limited.)

Yes. Canoe rentals are available at the Emerald Lake boathouse from roughly June through mid-October, at about $100 per hour per canoe. A few small-group tours also offer an optional canoe add-on at the lake. If paddling is your main goal, our sister guide Lake Louise canoe tours compares canoeing at the region's most famous lakes.

The Natural Bridge is a rock formation on the Kicking Horse River, a few minutes' drive before Emerald Lake on the same access road. Over time the river carved a channel through the rock, forming a natural stone bridge and a small waterfall. It is a quick, popular photo stop and is included on most guided Emerald Lake tours.

Some tours combine Emerald Lake with Takakkaw Falls, which is also in Yoho National Park. At 373 m (1,224 ft) Takakkaw is the second-tallest waterfall in Canada. The access road (Yoho Valley Road) is seasonal — generally open late June to early October. Tours that include Takakkaw, such as the small-group and premium options above, are noted in the things-to-do guide.

No — and in fact you can't drive your own vehicle to Moraine Lake. The Moraine Lake Road is closed to private vehicles; independent visitors must reserve the Parks Canada shuttle or use a commercial tour. Guided day tours include Moraine Lake access on the coach, which removes the shuttle-reservation scramble entirely. For a Banff-focused day, see Banff and Lake Louise day tours.

The featured tour includes pickup and drop-off in Calgary, Canmore or Banff, round-trip transport in an air-conditioned van, bus or coach, your National Park pass, a local guide, and stops at Emerald Lake, Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and Johnston Canyon with photography breaks. Tips, meals and GST are not included. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before departure.

The road to Emerald Lake stays open year-round and the lake is beautiful under snow, but the water freezes over from about November to June, so there is no canoeing and no green colour in winter. Many multi-lake tours switch their itinerary in the off-season — for example, visiting Banff town when the Moraine Lake road is closed. Check each tour's seasonal notes before booking.