If you've researched Banff National Park or met anyone who has gone before, I'm sure you've heard "You have to do the tea house hike!" To my surprise, there are TWO tea house hikes in Banff. In this post, I'll run through the history of the two tea houses, talk about the hiking experience, and end off by comparing the food. Hopefully, by the end of this, you will know which tea house hike, if not both, is best for you.
Basic Facts:
History
Lake Agnes Tea House:
The Lake Agnes Tea House is the oldest tea house in Canada and was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1901 as a refuge for hikers. It is a family-run business and was rebuilt by Cynthia Magee in 1981.
The Tea House itself has no electricity or running water. Fresh supplies for the food are trucked in from Calgary and hiked up by the staff almost every day. Since there is no electricity, they use propane-fed stoves to heat the kettles which can take up to 30 minutes! The beautiful views with the rustic kitchen make you appreciate the food and all the effort that went into each cup of tea.
Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House:
The Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House was built in 1927 by the Canadian Pacific Railway to offer food and drinks to hikers. Since 1959, it has been privately owned and operated by the same family.
Just like Lake Agnes Tea House, the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House has no electricity or running water. Supplies for the food are flown in by helicopter at the beginning of the season and then either carried up by staff or on horseback for additional supplies. The food and drinks are that much more enjoyable thinking about all the effort it took to get the supplies there.
Hike
Lake Agnes Tea House:
The Lake Agnes Tea House hike is short but steep. The hike starts on a trail to the right of Lake Louise. The path progressively increases to a steady uphill hike where I would suggest taking breaks to rest and adjust to the altitude. This will not be an easy, breezy hike, but it will be worthwhile.
Uphill hike to Lake Agnes Tea House
Walking up along the path you will get some nice peeks at Lake Louise from above until you finally reach Mirror Lake. Take a deep breath at Mirror Lake and look up at the beautiful 'Big Beehive' right above. From here, there is only a 15-20 minute hike up to Lake Agnes Tea House. Right before reaching the tea house, you will see a stunning waterfall on your left side.
Mirror Lake and Big Beehive
Views from the waterfall near Lake Agnes Tea House
At 3.5 km (2.2 miles), the Lake Agnes Tea House hike is a great moderate hike with a lovely treat at the end. The key to this hike is taking lots of breaks and adjusting to the altitude change. This is certainly not a hike to speed through.
Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House:
The Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House hike is long but with only a slight incline. My favorite part about this hike is all the change in scenery. It first starts with the lakeshore trail of Lake Louise and then goes across a rocky avalanche path and then finally the subalpine forest. Unlike the Lake Agnes Tea House hike which is only up through the forest, the different terrain to the Plain of Six Glaciers makes this hike interesting and engaging.
Hike towards Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House
With 5.5 km (3.4 miles) of trail one-way, this hike is longer, but not nearly as steep as the Lake Agnes hike. One thing to be cautious of is right off the lakeshore trail, the hiking path is pretty narrow with a cliff on one side. The narrow path (pictured above) might not be suitable for everyone.
Beautiful view of Lake Louis on Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House hike
Food
*** both tea houses are cash-only ***
Lake Agnes Tea House:
The food and drinks at Lake Agnes Tea House were better than those at the Plain of Six Glaciers. The tea came in these cute tea-pots and there was a wide selection of tea to choose from. On top of this, we asked for extra hot water and they were more than happy to provide that for us.
The food here was also outstanding! Of course, when you're hungry from an exhausting hike everything will taste good, but the soup, sandwich, and biscuits were just incredible. Everything was well-seasoned and the portion size was perfect. I would recommend getting some hot soup as it's fairly cold at that altitude even in August.
Prices and menu of Lake Agnes Tea House as of August 2019
Three teapots with a view from Lake Agnes Tea House
Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House:
The food and tea at the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House was also really good. The biggest difference is that they give you cups of tea instead of teapots. We asked for extra hot water and they were happy to provide that for us, but still the service size is larger at Lake Agnes.
As with any hike, the food is always going to be good at the end and this tea house was no exception. The quality was great and the staff was extremely friendly!
Final Thoughts
The Lake Agnes and Plain of Six Glaciers tea houses are different but are both a great experience. The breathtaking views during the hike are enough to make anyone want to go, but the tea houses at the end are an added gift. My suggestion is to do them both (even in one day if you are so brave) but if you only have time for only one, I would recommend Plain of Six Glaciers if you're looking for better views and Lake Agnes if you're looking for more of a workout.