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    Hydra River Guides

    4.7 (27 reviews)
    Open 8:30 am - 7:00 pm

    Hydra River Guides Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Hydra River Guides

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    My husband and I did the morning rafting trip, it was a bit chilly but they provided all of the gear to keep us warm. Our tour guide, Drew was great, it was an unforgettable experience! 10/10 recommend!

    Maritza S.

    Excellent experience. Guides are fun and professional. Beautiful scenery and kicking horse river is so much fun. Highly recommend

    Tools befit the mission
    Ben S.

    Fun, intense experience Great accommodations Safety first, and adventure according to ability The Kicking Horse River has a lot of action...Hydra was a great host for what the KHR has to offer. We made our way out from Calgary, arriving with some time to spare for the afternoon run. We threw a Frisbee around, loaded up on sunscreen, and then lined up for a tasty barbecue lunch provided as part of the experience. After a leisurely (but filling) cookout experience, we congregated for the safety overview, gear gathering, outfitting ourselves, raft groupings, and some obligatory "before" photos ($31.50 for your own USB drive with attending relaxed & action shots). Then, down to the river... From my personal experience: Jan was a supreme guide. He was engaging with solid local knowledge at the beginning as he sized up our group. As the river ceased to flow along peacefully, he eased us in with a lot of "paddle forward / paddle forward / relax" and maneuver training at the outset, followed by plenty of clear vocal guidance as we began seeing rapids, and finally - boisterous, funny, encouraging prompting through the class III/IV stuff. When my group finished the Last Waltz rapid, we felt like saluting him - facing down gaping maws of foamy water and crazy 6 degree C water temps will do that. Value = high, memorableness = high, adrenaline = high, and general capability and demeanor from the whole Hydra team equates to highest recommendation.

    Great ride through the Kicking horse river

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    11 months ago

    Great fun, lots of rapids. Our guide Bill was very informative and fun. Wetsuits kept us from getting to cold. Highly recommend

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    7 years ago

    Spent the morning rafting with Garrett. Lots of great rapids, not too much paddling required. Pure adrenaline to start the day!

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    Review Highlights - Hydra River Guides

    We had a large company trip raft the Kicking Horse river with Hydra River Guides and it was amazing!

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Rocky Mountain Raft Tours - Meeting point

    Rocky Mountain Raft Tours

    (14 reviews)

    We put personal floatation devices on and 15 of us got on each raft and floated down the Bow River…read morefor an hour. The men were very clear, competent, helpful & personable. The rafts were very comfortable, slow moving, and we remained dry. It was a sunny breezy beautiful 80° day. The water is glacier fed and about 35°. We passed hoodoo's and fabulous rock formations on the banks of the river. The landscape was spectacular!

    This was an enjoyable experience. For those looking for some blood pumping excitement of class 3 or…read more4 rapids or some super crazy "wild adventurous rapids that are super fun but makes you think you can possibly die" class 4 or 5 rapids, this isn't for you. However, if you're okay with a float and chill peaceful informative experience where you have the opportunity to view the Bow River from a different perspective, see the Banff Springs Hotel, Mt. Rundle and some other cool mountains from various viewpoints as well as some hoodoos without having to hike to them in Banff, this is right up your alley! It's perfect for all ages from the young up through the seniors. While I have experienced class 3-5 rapids and enjoyed it, this class 1 rafting was very welcoming. It's a very peaceful trip that encompasses information about the wildlife, the landscape and history of the area. Our guide, Andrew ( I think that's his name) was awesome, informative and very entertaining. He was hilarious and laidback which added to the experience. Because it's a calm float, waterproof/water resistant clothing or shoes aren't required. Just wear comfortable clothing (specifically shorts or pants depending on the weather). There is no guarantee of seeing wildlife on this tour, nor is it advertised as a wildlife sightseeing tour. But, if you do - consider yourself blessed. They have all the info you need on their website. If your question is unanswered they are highly responsive via phone or email. The entire trip from start to finish is an hour. After the raft portion is complete, you are transported back to the starting point via bus. If you're worried about the depths of the river, it only ranges from 5 inches to 5 feet max in depth (don't quote me on those exact depths) per our guide. There were some super shallow portions. The guide is the only person that is paddling, so you're free to enjoy the views without worry. Since there is no shade, be sure to wear sunglasses, a hat and some sunscreen. Of course, if you feel like your guide did an outstanding job feel free to tip!

    Banff Adventures - Horseback riding

    Banff Adventures

    (23 reviews)

    I searched around to find the best price on ski and snowboard rentals for our week in Banff and…read morethis was the best price. The quality did not disappoint either as they used a third party to fulfill our rental. We were unaware of this so went to the Banff Adventures office at first, and then was directed to the shop just down the street. I was happy that we were allowed to get fitted the day before our rental started and that they delivered the gear to our hotel free of charge. They also picked it up from our hotel when we were done. The third party was very reputable and I wrote a separate review for them. I would use Banff Adventures again for my rentals!

    My friend and I bought the "Best of Banff" adventure package well in advance of our trip. The price…read morewas so reasonable for all that we were able to do. We were so excited to ride the Banff Gondola, Horseback ride along the Bow River and Kayak on the Bow river as well. The first issue we encountered was when my friend's flight was delayed on her way to Canada and we had to push all of our scheduled activities back a day. The service at Banff adventures was excellent- we had to call a few different times to move things around but each time the attendant was patient and super helpful in helping us to reschedule our experiences. The day of our experiences, we were able to pick the times of our Gondola ride and the kayak but the Horseback riding was the only activity with a hard time. We chose to ride the Gondola first and it was so easy to check-in and ride up the Gondola. The view was spectacular and so peaceful. At the top there was a super cute cafe, which was a nice touch. We didn't eat there but it was nice to know it was there. Next we headed to our Horseback riding appointment. We arrived early so we had time to sign our waivers, get weighed and fitted for our helmets before the safety speech was given. We were each assigned a horse and given a few minutes to get acquainted with our steed. This wasn't my first rodeo, so I was ready to get on the trail right away. Once we were on the trail, it was smooth riding. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and we were given opportunities for photos with our horses at the end of the ride. Finally, we went over to the Canoe place for our kayaks. It was easy to sign in and get our kayaks. We were given our life jackets and a quick lesson in kayaking. The weather was sunny and warm which made for a perfect day out on the water. The Bow river was especially calm on this day so we really enjoyed our float up river. Overall, each activity was the perfect little adventure. Everything was within a 10-20 minute car ride of each point so it was easy to navigate. We had an amazing day. We would absolutely buy this tour again.

    Discover Banff Tours - Bow river

    Discover Banff Tours

    (63 reviews)

    We had a terrible experience with Discover Banff Tours and would never book through them again…read more We booked a dog sledding excursion for 6 people, including our family and our friends visiting from San Diego. We paid nearly $1,400 in full for 2 sleds, submitted all required guest information right away (weights, ages, etc.), and even received an email confirming that everything had been received and that we were fully confirmed for Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. Then on Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the excursion, they called asking for the same information all over again. We told them we had already submitted it and had the confirmation email to prove it. After putting us on hold, they came back and admitted there had been a miscommunication on their end and that the person who handled our booking failed to enter our information properly. Because of their mistake, our reservation was given away to someone else. So after taking our money, confirming our booking, and making us think everything was locked in, they left us with no dog sledding tour and no real solution on the only day that worked for our group. They did offer us Friday, but that did absolutely nothing for us because we leave Thursday and our friends fly home Wednesday. That is exactly why we booked this in advance the previous Friday. The kids were already excited for this experience, and we were left scrambling at the last minute trying to find another company because of their mistake. The only thing they could really offer was a refund or to push other excursions we had no interest in. That's not customer service -- that's damage control after they failed to do their job correctly. This was extremely unprofessional, careless, and a huge inconvenience during a family trip. Avoid the middleman and book directly with the actual dog sledding companies.

    We had a terrible experience with Discover Banff Tours and would never book through them again…read more We booked a dog sledding excursion for 6 people, including our family and our friends visiting from San Diego. We paid nearly $1,400 in full for 2 sleds, submitted all required guest information right away (weights, ages, etc.), and even received an email confirming that everything had been received and that we were fully confirmed for Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. Then on Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the excursion, they called asking for the same information all over again. We told them we had already submitted it and had the confirmation email to prove it. After putting us on hold, they came back and admitted there had been a miscommunication on their end and that the person who handled our booking failed to enter our information properly. Because of their mistake, our reservation was given away to someone else. So after taking our money, confirming our booking, and making us think everything was locked in, they left us with no dog sledding tour and no real solution on the only day that worked for our group. They did offer us Friday, but that did absolutely nothing for us because we leave Thursday and our friends fly home Wednesday. That is exactly why we booked this in advance the previous Friday. The kids were already excited for this experience, and we were left scrambling at the last minute trying to find another company because of their mistake. The only thing they could really offer was a refund or to push other excursions we had no interest in. That's not customer service -- that's damage control after they failed to do their job correctly. This was extremely unprofessional, careless, and a huge inconvenience during a family trip. Avoid the middleman and book directly with the actual dog sledding companies.

    Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours - Us with our dog team at the halfway mark (on the frozen lake)

    Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours

    (70 reviews)

    Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours exceeded my expectations and provided me with a bucket-list experience…read morethat will be a lasting memory. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Motorhead (retired sled dog). He was so friendly, sweet, and engaging. The shop space is open and offers a slue of gift shop items and rentable gear (snow boots and snow pants are a must!). Clean bathrooms are available because once you get to the top of the mountain, there are only porta-potties. I loved my dog team (Ghost, Poblano, Ivar, Mayday, Gomez, and Kannicky). They are definitely professionals and they commit to running. However, when we had some breaks, they were very sweet and enjoyed positive affirmation and pets. Driving the sled is more physically intense than I expected. You will need to do some running up the hill with the dogs. However, the thrill of the experience, wind in your hair, and breathtaking views is beyond words. In my experience, Snowy Owl treats their dogs well. I appreciate their use of colored collars to signal whether the dogs are shy or overly friendly. One of my tour guides for another excursion affirmed this sentiment as well and spoke of them in high regards. This is a must-do experience (expensive, but well worth it). Also, 2 printed photos available at the end for $50 canadian dollars. They will also transfer a digital file and I found this to be well worth it.

    This was SO MUCH fun. Unbelievable scenery. The guides were totally fantastic. The dogs are super…read morecute and loveable.

    Hydra River Guides - rafting - Updated May 2026

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