5 stars for Gabriel who was our evening Wildlife tour guide. He was so awesome, knowledgeable and…read morefun and we saw lots of wildlife local to the area. Highly recommended, with several choices on where to pick up/drop off before and after. My family and I really enjoyed the entire evening!

Very informative . Our guide Buffy was great! She was able to talk about the origin of the valleys…read moreand mountain.

We chose Hop on Hop Off because of the flexibility. They have many stops and you can choose how to…read morespend your day. Many others only give you an hour per stop but we had so much time to do what we wanted. Bonus, the tour guides Lewis and Dominique are amazing! They help you customize your day. They are also a wealth of knowledge. I enjoyed the stories they told while on the bus. I highly recommend taking this tour!

If you're looking to explore just about all of Banff's greatest sights in one day...then this is…read morethe PERFECT tour for you. Not to mention you get to do it all without having to worry about driving or parking! If you're not already sold, which you should be, then keep reading along for all the tour highlights. Our two tour guides were Dominique and James and our bus drivers were Bobbie and Jeff. All of them were absolutely delightful. Dominique and James were extremely knowledgeable about Banff, it's history, it's wildlife, and the surrounding areas. They kept the bus rides entertaining and lively. Jeff and Bobbie were great animal spotters and helped us to see a fox on the morning drive and two elk on our return trip. I also spotted a black bear on the morning drive. We opted to do the full day excursion, leaving on the first bus and returning on the last. This was perfect for us to get able to see everything we wanted to. Started the day at Johnston canyon where we hiked to the top of the falls. This was a quick turnaround time so not everyone was able to make it to the top, but still a beautiful spot even if you don't go all the way up. Once done here we continued on the Bow Valley Parkway and took a stop to take in the views of Castle Mountain...an absolutely majestic sight! Next we were onto the Lake Louise ski gondola, where we rode the gondola to the top and had lunch. There was probably enough time to hike, but not enough time to have a leisurely lunch and hike. We opted for the leisurely lunch as we didn't want to have any bear encounters. Here we did see a black bear as we rode the gondola back down. Next up was Moraine Lake, due to one of the buses getting stuck behind a train we stopped in Lake Louise to pick up some others that we're heading to Moraine Lake, but it was a quick trip. At Moraine Lake we had about an hour, enough time to walk up the rock pile, enjoy the view for some time, and walk the shoreline a little bit. Next stop was Lake Louise, we were here for just under an hour. We walked around the shoreline and enjoyed some time in the fairmont hotel. This route didn't give us enough time to hike here, but they did have another schedule you could follow if you wanted to spend more time doing the hikes here or possibly even canoe. After a stop back at the Lake Louise ski gondola to pick up the last of the group, we headed back to town. It was truly an amazing experience and I'm so happy we booked it. We visited Banff without a car and there's no way we would've been able to see some of these places had we not done this tour. So happy this exists and would definitely book it again if I ever visit Banff again.

Leanne was our guide/vehicle operator and was quite pleasant and knowledgeable. We really enjoyed…read moreher banter and the tour in general

Extremely Disappointing Experience - Safety Should Never Take a Back Seat…read more My family visited the Columbia Icefield this year, and I returned for my second visit after a great experience last year. Unfortunately, this visit was very different and raised serious safety concerns. Our group had 13 people. When it was time to return from the glacier, 9 family members plus five other guests were left behind on the ice by our driver, Chad, without warning. I had already told the driver that there were people who had yet to board, and as the vehicle pulled away he could see our group waving, including children aged 5 and 11, yet he continued driving. We were stranded on the glacier for 90 minutes, exposed to cold conditions with no clear communication or emergency response. During this time, we repeatedly asked other Ice Explorer drivers for help. Despite several buses having available seats, multiple drivers refused to take us, even with young children visibly cold. It appeared that strict scheduling prevented them from assisting stranded guests, even in a clear safety situation. After 90 minutes, one compassionate driver finally stopped and brought our family back. We are very grateful to that individual for preventing an even worse outcome. This raises serious concerns about procedures and training. No guests should be left on a glacier due to scheduling constraints. A simple head count, final check, or empowering drivers to assist stranded guests could prevent this from happening again. We came back because of a great prior experience, but this visit has left us questioning whether guest safety is truly the top priority--or whether operational efficiency and profit are being placed ahead of basic safety processes.

The guides welcomed everyone as if they were family. Tour…read moredetails regarding geologic, native wildlife and human history was great; informative but not overwhelming. Personal family stories bought the area to life. We did the glacier ice field tour package and it was well worth the time. Recommend tour

Randomly found Robbie online Great tour to lake Louise,…read moremorraine lake, bow lake , Peyto lake and the athabasca glacier Highly recommend this tour if you want to pack everything into one day - didn't feel too rushed , probably took hundreds of pictures that day Robbie is honest, accommodating, professional!

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.

Surprised my girlfriend with the summer dog carting tour out of Boundary Ranch and it was awesome…read more 14 dogs showed up and they were all so sweet and lovable. The workers were friendly and knowledgeable. We got to pet the dogs, go for a ride, unharness them, and give them treats! It was all so great. We didn't care it was raining or we were getting muddy.

What an amazing time I had at this park! I am a big National Park junkie back in the U.S. and was…read moreexcited to visit my first Canadian National Park. I came with my running group and they combined our runs with various activities around the park. Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park and was established in 1885. It is known for its mountain peaks and turquoise glacial lakes (Lake Louise and Moraine are the two popular ones). Banff offers year-round outdoor adventures like hiking, wildlife viewing, cycling and skiing. The Town of Banff has lots of shopping and restaurants for those that aren't into the outdoor activities. Banff National Park is located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains and has several large glaciers and icefields. Nearby are Yoho, Jasper and Kootenay National Parks. The Town of Banff is at the center of the park in the Bow River Valley. The park itself has a variety of recorded mammal species. Banff National Park has been successful at reducing the number of animals killed on the roads by building wildlife crossings. We drove under a number of these while driving through the park. They are such a clever idea. My running company booked three runs in and around Banff National Park. The views were gorgeous as we did our trail runs. When I first arrived, we took a tour bus to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Emerald Lake (in nearby Yoho National Park). I really enjoyed the beauty of those lakes and was able to do some photography work at them. They are just as pretty in person as the pictures that you see on the internet. The huge crowds in the summer was the only downer part. For activities, we canoed down the Bow River. That was a lot of fun and we got great views of the mountain ranges while on the river. We also did the Via Ferrata at Mt Norquay. It was my first time doing one of these and it was easily one of my favorite activities. On my final day, I took the Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. You can see the whole Town of Banff from there and the breathtaking mountain ranges all around. The Town of Banff has lots of retail stores, gift shops and restaurants. I ate very well on this trip. Overall, Banff was an amazing experience for me. The flight to Calgary from Arizona wasn't too long and my running company did a great job in booking all of my activities. I look forward to a trip back someday!

We took a trip to British Colombia and Alberta this Fall to visit Canada's national parks. Out of…read morethe three we visited, Banff was by far our favorite! It's Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885. It's located in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. The highlights of our time in Banff included Lake Louise, Banff Gondola, Sulphur Mountain, Bow River & Falls, Fairmont Banff Springs, Bow Valley Parkway, and so much gorgeous scenery along the way. We didn't see much wildlife in Banff while we were there, but did bring one can of bear spray to take on hikes with us, just in case. You can purchase national park passes at the ranger stations at all entrances of the park. For the 2 of us, it was $22 CAD/day. This park lives up to all it's hype and I would highly recommend.

We had a great river float down the Bow River out of Canmore. The instructions on where to meet…read morewere clear and easily understandable. The workers, especially our guide Laura, were super helpful and fun. It started out a little rainy and cold, but they provided some water proof blankets, which were great. The weather cleared a bit and we got some great views! Highly recommend.

Laura was our guide--fun, friendly, and knowledgeable. Great float saw some nice fauna. All staff…read moreare helpful and congenial.

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.

We booked this service a few months ago to ensure we had transport from Banff to Lake Louise. We…read morewere traveling with four bags as we've been traveling for quite some time, including a cruise. The driver showed up 'exactly' on time, right at the front of our hotel (perfect). The driver was super helpful, loaded our bags and we were on our way. We picked up two more stops, including the central station and then it was a quick 45 minute drive out to lake Louise. I would highly recommend this service

FAbtastic tour of the lakes with Hans and Macie! Great people, knowledgeable and super friendly!…read moreHighly ecommended to all!

It was fine. Just not what I expected and I don't understand why the seating was assigned the way…read moreit was. ‍ I think I just had higher expectations. So, my experience. ~2 Families of 3 in 2 rows of 4 seats, 1 couple in the back row of 4 seats, someone reviewing our driver took up 3 seats in the back by herself, while 4 adults, 2 couples, not together, were all crammed in one seating area that seats 4. So I guess it could have been worse and the vehicle completely booked, but at least then the seating would have made sense. There was also a couple open seats in the front but who knows maybe due to the broken window and or safety laws they are not used. Idk. ~The photos and reviews I've seen, I expected to be standing up and or out of the vehicle more. We mostly just drove by places. If you are on the right, you can roll down your window and try to take pictures, most of what they point out is on the right. If you're on the left, your window doesn't go down and if you're packed in, you can't really move around too much. ~I believe we were able to stand up 2 times. ~We got out of the vehicle once, we're treated to champagne glasses of a local sparkling water. ~I was looking forward to the view of the Fairmont Hotel but we drove by so fast it wasn't worth trying to get my camera ready so be prepared for that photo if you're looking forward to it. ~Listening to the history of the area was nice but it would probably be more comfortable on a bus tour. If you just want to cruise around in a cool open top vehicle, you're good! Enjoy!

Check in 15 mins before departure time and present your voucher at front desk in Brewster…read moreTransportation Centre. There are no washroom stops along the way. Washrooms are open to Pursuit Pass guests prior to leaving the facility. You're welcome to refill your flask with water from three Glacier dispensers: Crowfoot, Bow, Peyto. My favorite in this order were Bow, Peyto, Crowfoot while waiting in the lobby. Coreen kept us engaged and everything organized throughout the tour. I will not spoil the fun of places and spots that we're able to stop, learn about the history, peep through open top roof, momentarily step outside, take pics and/or vids. We were treated to jazz music, encountered or unexpectedly spotted wildlife on the road, and sipped on a sparkling beverage outside along the way.