Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Icefields Parkway, Peyto Lake, Johnston Canyon, Columbia Icefields? Sure, you should see them all. But also for those looking for something a little different, there are plenty of options in Banff. How about a Lantern Cave Tour, a sled dog ride, or an Evening Wildlife Safari?
Banff National Park pretty much floats on tours for tourists. Online you can find dozens of them, literally. Often they are variations on a particular activity, such as trips to Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon, and Peyto Lake. Or they are variations on a horseback ride or helicopter flight.
The overview below is random. In any case, these tours show that there is much more to Banff National Park than driving, visiting lakes, hiking, and shooting beautiful pictures for your Instagram account. Allow yourself to be surprised.
CAVEAT: Due to Covid measures, specific tours may not be able to take place or may only take place partially. It is therefore advisable to inquire in advance about the possibilities.
SUMMER TOURS
Many activities in Banff are held in the summer. In general, the choice is by far the largest in the summer. The pleasant temperatures often make the tours worthwhile.
1. Lantern Cave Tour
This tour is held at the Cave and Basin, the birthplace of Banff National Park! Here you’ll find the cave and hot spring discovered by three Canadian Pacific employees in 1883.
During the tour you will learn about the history of the hot springs and the origins of Canada’s national parks. In some places, hot water seeps through the rocks. You’ll also find several hot springs, home to the small and endangered Banff ringed snail, a species of snail found nowhere else in the world. Because the Cave and Basin location is on the flanks of Sulphur Mountain, you may experience a sulfur smell (rotten eggs). Of course you can visit the cave. A must-see when visiting Banff. You can park on-site.
General information
The tour is suitable for all ages, lasts forty minutes, and is held on Saturday evenings from June to September. The first tour starts at 6 pm, the second at 7 pm, and the third at 8 pm. Reservations are required. You can make a reservation by calling +1 403 – 845 3524.
COST
Adult: CAD 8.50
Senior: CAD 7.00
Youth: free
Tour groups, per person: CAD 7.00
Address: 311 Cave Avenue, Banff, Alberta, Canada
2. Grizzly Bear Tour
Allow a full day for this spectacular tour, because it lasts no less than ten hours. You will make a trip to Yoho National Park in British Columbia. The ultimate highlight being an encounter with grizzly bear Boo and his cousins. They live in the Grizzly Bear Refuge in Banff National Park, the world’s largest fenced grizzly bear area. A guide will tell you Boo’s personal story and give you an insight into grizzly bear behavior.
You’ll also visit the beautiful Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park and visit the second highest waterfall in Canada, the Takakkaw Falls (374 meters high (1227 feet)). A gondola ride to the top of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is also part of this spectacular tour. Once at the top, you’ll enjoy lunch at Eagle’s Eye Restaurant – Canada’s highest restaurant at 2346 meters (7700 feet) with matching views of the wilderness of the Rockies. The tour has a maximum group size of 24 people.
General Information
The tour begins at 8:30 am, lasts ten hours, is suitable for all ages, and is held daily, June through September.
Location
You will be picked up at most hotels in Banff and the Samson Mall in Lake Louise. You can choose your preferred pickup location during the booking process. If you’re staying outside the park, you can come to the pickup location at Banff’s train station (in front of the main entrance).
COST
Adult (13+): CAD 237
Child (6-12): CAD 115
Child (0-5): free
3. Evening Wildlife Safari
At sunset, when it becomes quieter in the park, wildlife often emerges—an ideal time to go out and see the local wildlife. Banff Tours offers the Evening Wildlife Safari for this purpose. The tour operator claims to encounter wildlife on 95 percent of their tours. So there’s a good chance you’ll see elk, bighorn sheep, or even a grizzly bear.
A bus ride will take you to the hotspots where you have the best chance of seeing the wildlife of the Rockies. A guide will tell you how the park protects these animals and their natural habitat from ecosystem threats.
You will stay on the bus for most of the tour, but you can get off at some places. The tour has a maximum group size of twelve people. Be sure to bring a warm sweater or jacket. The weather in the Bow Valley is unpredictable, and it can cool down quickly in the evenings.
General Information
The tour is held several times each evening, starting at 5:30 pm. It lasts two hours, is suitable for all ages and is held from April through October.
Location
You will be picked up at your hotel in Banff. Participants outside Banff can be picked up at the Mt Royal Hotel at 138 Banff Avenue.
COST
Adult (13+): CAD 58
Child (6-12): CAD 33
Child (0-5): free
Want to know more about wildlife in the park? In that case I recommend the comprehensive guide to wildlife in Banff National Park on this site.
4. Wildlife on the Bow Big Canoe Tour
Enjoy the Bow Valley from the water during the Wildlife on the Bow Big Canoe Tour. Accompanied by a guide, you’ll paddle through the fairytale landscape of the Rockies in a 12-person canoe, aiming to spot moose, bald eagles, muskrats, and other wildlife. You might also see Barry the beaver. The guide will tell you about the animals and the environment and the challenges of human and animal coexistence in the Bow Valley. Boating instruction and a life jacket are included.
General Information
The tour is held every day and begins at 6 pm (5 pm in the early and late seasons). It lasts 1.5 hours and is suitable for adults and children from the age of two.
Location
Corner of Bow Avenue and Wolf Street, Banff
COST
Adult (13+): CAD 59
Child (6-12): CAD 29
Child (2-5): free
5. Banff Ghost tour
Do you like creepy and remarkable stories about Banff? Then the Banff Ghost Tour is a must-do. Banff Tours offers you a walk in the evening exploring Banff’s hidden history on a ghost walk. Unsolved mysteries, haunted monuments and frightening encounters in hotels: it’s all covered as you stroll through Banff’s picturesque streets after dark.
Private tour
Starting at CAD 400, you can book a private tour. The private tour is available in English or French. The minimum group size is twenty people with a guide. Contact Banff Tours for more information.
Be sure to bring a warm sweater or jacket. The Bow Valley weather is unpredictable and can cool off quickly in the evening. It is also advised to bring a bottle of water and not wear open shoes or heels.
General Information
The tour is 3 km (1.86 mi) long, it begins at 7 pm each evening, lasts one hour and forty minutes, and is for participants ages eight and up.
Location
Banff Good Earth Coffeehouse, 333 Banff Avenue
COST
CAD 32
6. Banff And Bow Valley E-Bike Tour
If you don’t want to exert yourself too much but still get some exercise and enjoy the Rockies, then the Banff And Bow Valley E-bike Tour is an excellent option.
On this tour of the Bow Valley, you’ll visit Lake Minnewanka, the Banff townsite, Tunnel Mountain Road, Vermillion Lakes, the Banff Springs Golf Course, and the Bow Falls. Your guide will take the weather conditions into account for the final route.
The e-bikes can be set to different levels of support, so you can pedal in the way you like it. The bike’s low step-in frame makes it easy to get off your bike to take a picture. And riding uphill is a breeze with this kind of bike. The tour is for two to ten people.
General information
The trip lasts three hours and leaves daily at 11:00 am.
Location
327 Railway Avenue, Banff
COST
CAD 189 per person
Want to see Banff National Park from the air? I highly recommend reading the article on this website about booking a helicopter tour.
WINTER TOURS
Also in winter, you can book many tours in Banff. Ideal if you want something else than skiing or snowboarding. It’s a nice distraction, and it’s often surprising too. Beautiful white pictures of the Rockies included!
7. Dog sledding – Powder Hound 2
Everyone knows them, images of a person on a dogsled, pulled through a majestic mountain landscape by a pack of huskies. Banff Tours, with its Powder Hound 2 Tour, ensures that you can be that person on the sled. This organizer guarantees that you can ride your own sled – if you want to – in Spray Lakes Provincial Park.
You’ll hit the pristine trails of Goat Pond, hurtling through a white world of frozen lakes, valleys, mountains and hills, and a quaint little bridge here and there. You can choose from a guided sled or a self-ridden sled. Whatever you choose, a sled dog ride is a guaranteed unique experience. After guiding the huskies through the wilderness of the Rockies, you’ll end an unforgettable afternoon with warm drinks by a campfire.
Since this trip is held in winter, it goes without saying that you should dress warmly. In the Rockies it can quickly get ten degrees below zero. Therefore, all participants are asked to wear snow pants, a winter coat, a pair of winter boots, a hat, gloves, wool socks, warm undergarments, a scarf and safety glasses or sunglasses. Fortunately, the comfortable sleds are water and windproof and are equipped with warm wool blankets and padded pillows. Snow pants, winter coats and winter boots are available for rent from the organizer.
General Information
The tour is held four times a day, starting at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm, and lasts two hours. It can be booked from December through April and is open to participants of all ages.
Location
You can be picked up at your hotel in Banff for an additional fee. Otherwise, you will be expected at the Canmore office one hour before the tour begins.
COST
CAD 219 – CAD 473 per person
8. Winter E-Fat Bike Tour
An excellent opportunity to experience the Rockies in its winter coat in a memorable and enjoyable way. And afterward, you’re sure to have a bunch of enviable Instagram photos on your smartphone or still camera. The Winter E-Fat Bike Tour from Yervana lets you explore the Banff area as you race through the Bow Valley. The tour is for everyone, as no experience is necessary. Your instructor will teach you all the skills you need on these unique bikes so you can enjoy the majestic Rockies without worry and too much effort on your bike.
Besides the bike, Yervana also provides helmets and authentic homemade snacks to give you enough energy to last the ride. It goes without saying that you should dress warmly. It is also helpful to bring a backpack with (hot) water and extra clothing. Face coverings and sunglasses/goggles are also recommended.
General information
The tour is held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. It lasts two hours, and the number of participants is a minimum of three and a maximum of six.
Location
Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre, 100 Mt Norquay Road, Banff
COST
CAD 125 per person
YEAR-ROUND TOURS
Some activities in Banff you can book all year round. These activities are held indoors or they’re not too dependent on the weather.
9. Banff Sunset & Stargazing Tour
See the Rocky Mountains at sunset and in the dark. A local guide will make sure you visit the most beautiful places to experience this spectacle. See how the stars appear in the sky. If you book this tour in winter, you can also see the northern lights if you’re lucky. Headlamps and lanterns are included. The tour can be booked through Yervana.
General Information
The Banff Sunset & Stargazing Tour lasts approximately two hours and has a maximum group size of twelve people. Dates and times are by arrangement with the guide.
Location
Cave and Basin, 311 Cave Avenue, Banff
COST
CAD 45 per person
10. Banff Distillery Tour
Park Distillery Restaurant & bar holds a tour of their renowned distillery every Monday and Wednesday. It won the Alberta Beverage Award, among other awards. Staff will show you around and talk about how the distillery produces its spirits, such as vanilla vodka, maple rye, and gin.
Or, as Banff Distillery puts it, you’ll see the whole process, from glacier to glass. At the end of the tour you get to try all the drinks (*hips*), and afterward, you get ten percent off products in the Park Spirits store.
General Information
The minimum group size is eight people. You must book this tour at least ten days in advance, and participants must be at least eighteen years old. The tour starts at 3:30 pm.
Location
Banff Avenue 219, Banff
COST
CAD 25 per person
11. Banff Food Tour: Eat The Castle
Yes, indeed, Banff has a castle, the Banff Springs Hotel. Okay, it’s not a real castle, but it certainly has the look of one. And that makes it a perfect setting to have a great dinner, especially with the Rockies as a breathtaking backyard. Oh, and don’t forget to bring your camera.
The remarkable thing about this tour from Alberta Food Tours is that you get to know the various catering establishments that the hotel has to offer. During this unique tour, you’ll first get some small refreshments in the lobby at STOCK Food and Drink. Think Mile zero microgreens, homemade sourdough, and house-smoked meat. Then you continue your journey of discovery at the Rundle Bar. There you’ll be presented with one of Alberta’s seven signature dishes. Next, in the Vermillion Room, you’ll be treated to exquisite French brasserie dishes with matching drinks.
Finally, you make your way to restaurant 1888 Chop House. There you will be served a dish of typical Canadian products, followed by a light dessert to conclude the tour. During your culinary tour of this immense hotel – a National Historic Site – the culinary team is at your disposal for stories about the hotel’s history, architecture, and art.
General Information
The tour is held on Fridays. It starts at 3 pm, lasts 2.5 hours, and is suitable for participants of 14 years and older. The maximum group size is twelve people.
Location
405 Spray Avenue, Banff
COST
CAD 175 per person