Lake Louise Shopping and Districts

(Lake Louise, Alberta - AB, Canada)



Picture of the Fairmont ChateauWithin Lake Louise Village itself, the shopping scene is surprisingly well developed. The centre is home to a reasonable selection of shops, including a handy grocery store, a popular bakery, art galleries, and various outlets selling outdoor gear, suiting those intending to fish, rock climb, ski or snowboard.

Located off the Trans Canada Highway and along the Lake Louise Drive, two main shopping opportunities present themselves. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is home to a surprisingly good selection of stores, as is the very popular Samson Mall. In the busy summer months, shopping hours are long, with many stores being open daily, between 09:00 and 20:00.


Photo of the gondola complex

Where to Shop

The Samson Mall is an open-air shopping center, with a large parking lot and around 15 different outlets in total, including stores selling gifts, clothing, books, camera and homemade sweets. Within Samson Mall, many visitors head straight for Wilson Mountain Sports, which is the biggest sportswear shop in the Lake Louise area and both rents and sells a variety of sporting and camping equipment. Travel guides, maps and postcards are readily available at Woodruff and Blum Booksellers, while also in the Samson Mall is Pipestone Photo and its self-service digital printing kiosks, and the Olde Tyme Candy Shoppe, where Canadian maple syrup makes the perfect souvenir.

Image showing local storeRelatively close by and next to the lakefront, the very famous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is much more than just a hotel. Step inside and head to the upper level, and you will find plenty of shopping options. Of note at the Fairmont Chateau are the books about the Canadian Rockies at Mountain Lights, the casual clothing and hiking gear at Monod Sports, the delicate jewellery and gems at Stone's Jewellery (in the lobby), Inuit sculptures at Images of the North, and local Canadian handicrafts, which are sold at Creek Side Gifts.

Lake viewFor shopping is to be found at the Station Shop / Restaurant on Sentinel Road, on the Village Road and close to the Mountain Restaurant, and at the Lake Louise Ski Area, where Sports Alpine offers all the necessary skiing and snowboarding accessories to make any winter break an enjoyable one. Also consider visiting nearby Canmore or Banff, where further shopping awaits in the form of the Bison Courtyard, the Cascade Plaza and the Sundance Mall.

Information about Banff shopping.