I loved the sanctuary itself, it was beautiful and the animals appeared to be well taken care of. I've seen some less nice animal sanctuaries and felt confident looking around that it's a great operation. The tour was awesome, definitely worth doing any tour (vs only walking around yourself). Our tour guide was super knowledgeable and we got to watch the dogs eat a little bit. The only con was that my partner got SUPER sick a couple of hours before our scheduled interactive tour, and whoever was emailing us was not sympathetic at ALL (at least via email). Once we actually talked to someone later and got there, staff was nicer and we were able to do the regular tour since the interactive one was sold our for a long time. read more

We purchased the Interactive package, hoping to be able to touch the animals. Lindsay was our guide, and we went into 2 different enclosures, each had 4 animals. She gave a good explanation of what the animals were and why they were not good pets because of the Wolf DNA. We were each given 4 or so pieces of food. The less shy animals would allow us to feed them and pet them. My wife and I are very accustomed to being around all kinds of animals, so we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. read more

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This place was very cool. We walked in on a Monday to do a self guided tour - you have to remember that your payment is for the organization to help these animals because you're not getting up close and personal with them. You might also only see a few of the wolf dogs, and potentially from far away. But it's amazing to see them interacting in their habitats and how they react to human interaction. Such a cool experience and perfect to spend an hour or so of your time. Beautiful facility and the wolf dogs are very well taken care of. read more

What a wonderful place we stumbled upon. This wasn't even in our plans. Glad we stopped. You can tell right away that these wolfdogs are well taken care of. They are healthy, playful, and they have lots of space to roam around. Give yourself around 1 hour to hour and a half to see them all and to walk around. We didn't do the intro tour but I'm sure it is very educational. The staff is very friendly and informative. Go check them out! read more

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This place gives you the perfect opportunity to learn about and meet with the wolf dogs! The educator speaks about how 90% of the wolf dogs are unfortunately euthanized because people who have them are prepared to handle and care for them appropriately. The wolf dogs are quite lovely. They will come up to you and take the snacks from you provided you allow them to check you out first. They are beautiful and wild, yet docile and intriguing.. Definitely, worth visiting this sanctuary, if not for just getting a glimpse of these magnificent creatures! read more

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Located in Cochrane, about a 40 minute drive from Calgary or an hour drive from Banff. The sanctuary is open Thurs- Mon 10-5; but closed on Tuesdays & Wednesdays so plan accordingly. You can pay general admission to view the wolfdogs behind their enclosures which doesn't require a timed ticket, however if you wish to do an intro tour where you're closer up to the wolf dogs it cost more, and then there's the interactive tour where you're inside two different enclosures and get to feed the wolfdog treats and learn more about them which we did. If you wish to do the interactive tour book in advance online! They limit it to groups of 10 people. When I booked it a month in advance, we were the first 2 in the group, before I left to Canada from the States all the time slots had sold out. Everyone must remain seated at all times during the tour and there is a specific dress code, such as no faux fur or real fur or down jackets for safety reasons. The less your bring with you, the better. But bring your camera or camera phone with you. It's imperative to not make quick movements and to be quiet as they are rather shy and timid and being noisy will lessen the chances of the wolf dogs coming to you. You also CANNOT pet the wolf dogs as fluffy and cute as they can be. There are about 43 wolf dogs presently residing at the sanctuary. It's a great way to get educated about wolfdogs. They even have mini talks/sessions with specific wolfdogs during the day. All the proceeds go towards care of the wolfdogs. They even have great quality items for sale in their shop. Ps they do have bathrooms/washrooms. Don't make the mistake of doing a bee line for the vault toilets/outhouses like I did. Turns out they have clean flushing toilets and sinks inside. :-/ Definitely worth checking out!! read more

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Directly on the drive between Calgary and banff! One of my favorite places I've ever been! The wolf dogs are absolutely beautiful! It's amazing to see such beautiful animals up close. There are signs all over to introduce the individual Wolfdogs, as well as educate visitors about wolf dogs and conservation in general. It's not a zoo, which is what makes it so great. It was quiet and peaceful (no screaming kids running around), the wolfdogs have plenty of room, and you can tell they're treated well. The money also goes back to caring for them. You can tell the place really is about the Wolfdogs. This is a can't miss, and something that definitely deserves support. read more

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Wolf dog sanctuary that provides self-guided tours and interactive tours. It ended up being about $60 USD for the hour tour that allowed you to feed the wolf dogs if you so choose and sit in the enclosure with them. We booked ahead online and we explored the paths afterwards. There was a small gift shop at the front and an enclosure with farm animals like goats and a dog (that can be pet). Our guide did a great job providing an educational experience and also making sure to answer our questions at the end. Note that you must arrive on time with the group in order to enter the enclosure at the same time so I advise that you arrive a little early. Free parking available. It's clear that the sanctuary cares a lot about its inhabitants and you can see feedings at certain times. You must leave bags at the front since the more mischievous wolf dogs have taken some in the past. Overall, a great place for animal lovers to stop by and learn more about these beautiful creatures. read more

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We learned a lot about the Wolfdogs during the Intro tour. They fed the dogs frozen meat as they spoke and answered questions. Definitely worth it. Glad they are doing this work to house these wolfdogs. Great stop between Banff Park and drive to Calgary airport. Nice small gift shop too. read more

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary - Tours Near Me - Cochrane, Alberta

Very fun and educational experience. We booked the intro tour with the half an hour lecture which ended up being only for our family. The presenter gave a good lecture. Our kids really loved the entire experience. The place is very well maintained and organized. Of note is that there are no signs for this (coming from Canmore) until the very end (I was starting to wonder if I had the right address but I did.) read more

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This is an awesome experience if you are visiting Calgary or Banff. It is around a 45 minute-1 hour drive from either town. Yamnuska is a doing a wonderful job taking care of and rescuing wolfdogs from Canada and the U.S. It is a very educational place with lots of signs with info on the wolfdogs, how they came to the sanctuary, wolfdog classifications, etc. They have Wolfdog Wisdom Sessions throughout the day where you can learn from one of the employees and sometimes they feed the wolfdogs in front of you. They also have a goat pen and two gorgeous Great Pyrenees dogs (if I remember correctly?) who protect them. You can buy goat food and feed them which is fun! The sanctuary is pretty big so make sure to take a picture of the map so you don't get lost! You can pay for different levels of experience. I chose the self guided walk which is $28 per person. For a higher price you can pay for a guided tour or to even meet a wolfdog in person! The giftshop is really nice and has great souvenirs from local venders in the area. 10/10 experience! read more

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A great place to have a close encounter with wolf dogs! Most of the wolf dogs are 80% or so wolf, so probably true closest you'll ever get to one. This place is committed to rescuing wolf dogs and giving them the environment and space they deserve. Book early if you want the interactive experience since they only allow 12 people at a time. read more

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So glad we stopped here on our last day in Alberta! Beautiful place and well taken care of. We loved it! read more

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We absolutely loved this place and were so happy to meet the sweet wolfdogs! When my husband and I booked our trip to Banff, we knew that we wanted to participate in some sort of wildlife encounter. We came across Yamnuska and were immediately sold. Booking on the website was simple (though do be aware that they are not open on Tues/Weds), and they sent a nice informative email including instructions, directions, etc. a few days before our encounter. We did the interactive tour where we got to meet/feed some of their wolfdogs. The staff were very knowledgable, and we could clearly tell that they really loved all of their animals. The premises were well-kept and their gift shop was really adorable! There was not quite as much direction interaction as I had expected (though very understandable because the wolfdogs are very shy and wary of strangers). However, I felt like I learned a lot and still got some great photos, and I would highly recommend this place! read more

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I wish I could give this place more than five stars. I just visited Alberta and this sanctuary was the highlight of my trip. Pros: the staff are knowledgeable, the wolf dogs are beautiful, parking is great, the sanctuary will do "activities" with the wolf dogs, there are clear and aesthetically pleasing signs around the sanctuary that educate attendees, there are other animals at the sanctuary (chickens, goats, turkeys, large non wolf dogs) Cons: you'll want to pay attention to the dress code before coming, and you'll also want to think about scheduling the interactive tour well in advance I highly suggest that anyone with the slightest appreciation for animals journey to this sanctuary when in Alberta read more

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Loved loved the interactive tour! Definitely a must do it you're in the area. Bonus: your money is going to good a cause! The tickets sell out fast, so be sure to book them ahead of time. read more

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Dress for when you come! It was a wee bit chilly and we weren't quite warm enough but that is no fault of the business clearly! The place is awesome, the store area is nice and clean with cool stuff. For sure do the walk around, you can snap some great pics & there is a lot of info. Of course the main event is the interactive tour. Its awesome. The dogs are very skits but they may come and eat from you hands. Just a cool experience! Buy something to help keep this place going! read more

So today we were going to go to the Yamuksa Wolf Sanctuary for an interactive tour that my partner had booked a week ago for my birthday. It was $200. We are driving there down crowchild trail through bears paw and there was a massive accident we got caught in bumper to bumper traffic and the highway was closed and made everyone turn around. I called and explained what was happening and that we wouldn't make it for the 2:00pm booking and if we could reschedule for a different day. They said all they could do was offer the cheap tour where you just look at them and let us walk around the sanctuary and couldn't give us a refund of the difference AND also couldn't book us for a different day and wouldn't refund the money. This was completely out of our control and they did nothing to accommodate us. This is absolute bullshit. Literally someone probably died in this accident and there was nothing we could do. Not even the manager would help. Super upset about this experienc. read more

Our weekend day trip turned out to a lovely day outside looking at these beautiful creatures! We love how healthy these animals look and how much nature is preserved as part of their surroundings. we were 45 min early fir the next tour so we wandered the grounds to observe on our own and read the posted signs. We had great photo ops, some are posted here. We took a guided tour where you are let into a specific area where 3 wolf dogs come up close as the guide provided them treats to explain their behaviour, breeding, habitat and interaction with humans. It was interesting and worth the $35/pp. Do realize they have an age restriction as we received a verbal warning when our son decided to run and a caged dog got excited and wanted to follow him. This is a quiet place where running and loud noises are not allowed. Definitely do not bring babies or young kids. Check their website for rules so you are not disappointed upon arrival. Overall, a fun and informative day and also a great place to take a date. We were the only one with a child in our group but several couples were there to enjoy the fresh air and scenery. The best part was when they started howling. The sound is haunting but also beautiful as they howl in unison. Also please be aware that the office has a 160lb malamute. So when you enter to buy your ticket, careful not to trip over her or step on her tail. read more

Since moving to Alberta this is probably one of my favorite experiences so far!! Prices are amazingly low especially since you are doing something that is a once in a life time thing!!! I had the opportunity to go in the enclosures with both high content Wolf-dogs (and had the female of the pack actually eat out of my hand!) and got to play with some low content wolf-dogs as well! Once my tour was over I also got to talk to some employees who were so so kind and had an answer for every question I asked! Strongly suggest trying this out if you are in the general area (and even if you aren't it's worth the drive!) Also: The animals all look so healthy and comfortable in their surroundings and they are never forced to interact if they aren't comfortable! read more

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This place is AMAZING!!! They are so knowledgeable about wolves and wolf dogs and you can tell how much they just want to share that information with you. The facilities are phenomenal, these animals are cared for and loved. Definitely recommend it!!! read more

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary - Feeding wolves during interactive tour - Tours Near Me - Cochrane, Alberta

This was an incredible experience! I did the interactive tour which allows you to actually be up close and personal with the animals and I was in AWE! It was cold out snd the tours are all outdoors so make sure to DRESS WARM. My tour was just myself and my friend so we had the tour guide alllll to ourselves which was awesome because I felt he gave us so much in depth information! A MUST DO if you're in the banff/ Calgary area!! read more

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Such a cool place!! We were there too late to signup for the more interactive tour but still able to see the wolfdogs read more

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How amazing is it that this is right outside the city? For $40 per person; you get to spend an hour with wolfdogs at the sanctuary, learning about their lives, and best of all: interacting with them. They're not tame, but some of the wolves in the sanctuary are used to humans and will eat treats out of your hand. Did you know that you can't tell the difference between a high-content Wolfdog and a mid-content Wolfdog? Did you also know that you won't be able to tell which breed of dog is in a Wolfdog? Or that they make lousy guard dogs because they will run & leave you to fend for yourself? There's a quiz at the end of the tour! Open year round (closed Tues & Weds); book the tour at least a week in advance, as space for the 4 slots available fill up quick. If you've already been, you can drop in for $15 and take a self-guided tour. It's a short drive in to Cochrane, and a great way to spend part of the afternoon. I felt incredibly blessed to be around these noble beasts. They also have a gift shop, so you can buy your chicken friends a lousy t-shirt. read more

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary - Feeding Kuna. They enjoy salmon jerky! Don't curl your fingers . - Tours Near Me - Cochrane, Alberta

It's hard to go to a place like Yamnuska and not be touched by the love and dedication poured in by a team that so clearly loves what they do and the animals they care for. I had the absolute pleasure of visiting back in the early summer and was blown away by the quality of centre. We participated in the interactive tour and had a great time feeding the wolf dogs and getting to know more about what the sanctuary does. We whole heartedly support what their crew is doing and look forward to visiting again in the future! read more

This was one of the coolest things we did while visiting Banff. This place is really well run, and you'll definitely want to do the interactive tour so you can feed the babes some treats! All of the proceeds from the gift shop also go back to the sanctuary so this is a great place to get some souvenirs! (They have loose tea in bags named after their wolfdogs, good quality flannel, t-shirts, and magnets.) read more

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Absolutely amazing place that is doing wonderful things for the Wolfdog community! Came by for the interactive tour while visiting the area and was not let down at all. The staff is so kind and knowledgeable about the wolfdogs and were just so friendly! The wolfdogs are beautiful! They have so many different types and temperaments it's nice to see that they are still wild at heart and have the space they need to be comfortable. Highly recommend the interactive tour if you can swing the time. Going into the enclosure and having them eat treats out of your hands was one of the coolest things we did all trip. read more

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My boyfriend and I visited Yamnuska while we were heading home from Canmore. We had the BEST time. I would recommend doing the guided tour, as it allows you to actually interact with the dogs. This was the best $45 I've ever spent. It was so interesting learning about this breed of animal and the guide was extremely knowledgable. The tour is done in smaller groups which allows you to have a really personal experience with the wolfdogs. We will definitely be back! read more

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We are wolf lovers and frequent Yellowstone NP visitors (2-3x's/year!) I'm so excited to find this sanctuary for wolf dogs while also saddened that there are so many breeders who are creating this problem. Darn! I had no idea! As for the Interactive Tour we took, AMAZING! Definitely splurge and take this one. It's is SO worth it! Getting to see and feed these wolf dogs up close was such an experiment! Our tour guide (shoot, too excited to remember her name, maybe Lisa?) was so knowledgeable and so good with the wolf dogs. She's obviously spent a great deal of time with them earning their trust. I learned so much about wolf dogs, the differences and similarities between dogs and wolves. And we learned a lot from another gal all about TK (do I have that right?) and his winter personality change. So amazing what this sanctuary is doing for wolf dogs! I had no idea it was such a problem. It warms my heart! Now to lobby for prohibition to breed wolves with dogs!!! I'll be looking into prevention of wolf dogs and breeding in the States for sure. read more

They had about ten wolf dogs at this place. The dogs do not have any kind of shelter or covering in case they wanted to hide and rest. All the wolf dogs seemed friendly, I guess it was the dog part in them. None of them seemed threatening in any way. To me, they had more dog characteristics. Most of the ones we walked by seemed really curious about us and they just followed us around their fenced in area. I understand that they have to make money to keep up the place and pay the employees and other expenses for the dogs, but it is really expensive to interact with the dogs. We already paid a high cover charge just to walk around the caged areas. The people who work there are really nice. The lady who gave us the Intro tour was funny. You could tell she genuinely liked the dogs. The Intro tour was a thirty minute session where you go into another area that's blocked off and they introduce you to three wolf dog siblings. You do not get to touch them, nor feed them. This time you are in a cage inside the dog's cage. The only difference is that instead of the 10 foot tall fence, there's a 5 foot tall fence. This is a zoo. read more

I went for a interactive tour today. Love this place. It's amazing what they do, how hard they work. This is a must see for any animal lover. To save these Wolfdogs from a much harsher reality, to promote the education and to treat the animals with so much love and respect. It is such a joy to see and support them. Highly recommended it. You won't be disappointed. read more

GO, VISIT, DONATE. Having little knowledge of wolfdogs prior to visiting I was amazed at the situation wolfdogs fall into as neither full wolf, nor full dog and I am so happy that this place exists. The staff were very knowledgeable and the interactive tour was the most amazing experience. The sanctuary is simple and I admit that just walking around it may not seem like much but once you talk with the staff you immediately understand how hard they are working as the only facility like this in Canada. read more

Amazing to see these animals up close. Taken aback by their size and beauty. Our guide Robin, was excellent. Highly recommended. read more

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I've been wanting to go to this place for the longest time, but I always thought that it was to far and to expensive. My kids and I went this week and we had a blast! We had an interpreter for the beginning of it and the lady was so knowledgeable and so much fun. Every area we went we saw some amazing wolf dogs of different colours and markings. The best part was when they started howling right after my son said that it would be cool the hear them howl. The price is affordable, the place is clean and quiet. Although a bumpy ride the place is wheelchair accessible since it's in the forest. Have a great time! read more

Been here a few times now, never been disappointed. I make an effort to take a trip out here every year. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, every visit is a bit different and I love spending money here knowing that it all goes back to the Wolfdogs! read more

Think of the ticket price going to a good cause as these are rescued wolf/dog hybrids. The write up leads you to believe an "up close & interactive" time with the wolves. You sit in a chair, do not get up. The woman passes out each person food you hold your hand out & a wolf may touch your hand while taking food. You only go in two enclosures. It is not possible to get an actual picture of you with a wolf/dog. I was expecting way more "interaction". read more