Can you see glaciers?

Yes. Glaciers and permanent snowfields can be seen from the Lake Louise Summer Sightseeing Gondola and the upper areas of Whitehorn Mountain, especially when visibility is clear.

The most recognizable is Victoria Glacier, which lies beyond Lake Louise beneath the Mount Victoria area along the Continental Divide. From Whitehorn Mountain, you're looking across the Bow Valley toward Lake Louise, so the glacier becomes part of a much larger panorama containing the lake, forests, mountains, and high alpine terrain.

This perspective is very different from the classic view at the Lake Louise lakeshore. From beside the lake, Victoria Glacier appears directly beyond the water. From Whitehorn Mountain, you see the entire landscape from a distance and at elevation, which gives you a better sense of the enormous scale of the surrounding Rockies.

You can also see high-elevation snowfields and ice-covered terrain among the surrounding peaks. Not every white patch visible during summer is technically a glacier - some are persistent snowfields - so it's worth distinguishing between the two.

For the clearest glacier views, choose a clear day with good long-distance visibility. Morning can be particularly attractive before haze or afternoon clouds obscure the higher peaks.

Binoculars are useful for examining the ice, while photographers will benefit from a telephoto lens. A longer focal length can make Victoria Glacier much more prominent and visually bring together Lake Louise, the glacier, and the surrounding mountains.

Glacier viewing isn't the gondola's sole attraction, but the combination of Lake Louise, Victoria Glacier, the Bow Valley, wildlife habitat, and the surrounding mountain ranges makes the upper Whitehorn Mountain viewpoint particularly impressive. Book the Banff Sunshine Village Sightseeing Gondola & Standish ChairliftBooking the Banff Sunshine Village Sightseeing Gondola & Standish Chairlift Admission includes All taxes, fees and handling charges. Banff Gondola Home