Which option offers better views?

For most visitors, the open-air chairlift offers the better viewing experience at the Lake Louise Summer Sightseeing Gondola. Both lifts travel through the same general mountain environment, but the chairlift places nothing between you and the scenery.

On the open chairlift, there are no windows or cabin walls to obstruct your view. You get a more immersive perspective of Whitehorn Mountain, the Bow Valley, Lake Louise in the distance, Victoria Glacier, and the surrounding peaks. You can also look directly down onto the slopes and forest openings below.

The chairlift is particularly good for photography and wildlife watching. Without glass, you don't have to deal with reflections, glare, fingerprints, or shooting through a window. If wildlife appears on the slopes below, the open chair can provide an excellent vantage point, although sightings are never guaranteed.

The enclosed gondola still provides very good views, especially through its large windows. It is also much more comfortable when conditions are cold, windy, or rainy. On a poor-weather day, the gondola may actually provide the more enjoyable sightseeing experience because you can concentrate on the scenery without being exposed to the elements.

If the weather is warm, clear, and calm, I would choose the open-air chairlift for the best views. If it's cold, windy, or wet, choose the enclosed gondola for comfort.

And if both are operating, one of the best ways to experience Lake Louise is to take the chairlift in one direction and the gondola in the other. That gives you the unobstructed open-air views as well as the enclosed gondola experience. 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