This blog may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy for more info.
Looking for the best tours of Banff from Calgary? You’ve come to the right place!
Having lived near Banff for quite some time, we realize how difficult it can be to plan a trip to the Canadian Rockies. It’s a busy place and dealing with driving and limited parking can be very stressful! This is why the easiest and most fun way to experience Banff is on a guided tour.
At only 90 minutes away, Calgary is the perfect starting point for a tour to Banff. Because of this, there are tons of options to choose from, making picking the right tour overwhelming. That’s why we’ve created the guide below to help you find the absolute best Banff tour for your time and budget!
Quick Pick: Our FAVORITE Tour
We hate to pick favorites, but this full-day Banff tour is our clear winner if we had to choose just one!
The itinerary on this tour stops at some of the most scenic places in all of Banff – if not the world! Not only will you visit famous lakes such as Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, but you’ll also get to explore Banff town itself to take in its quaint mountain charm.
We love that this tour has a maximum of only 12 people, making it a very personalized experience. Our guide brought us to some hidden gems along with the more popular attractions and we learned so much along the way.
Tickets are just $177 CAD per person which includes pick-up and drop-off to hotels in downtown Calgary, transportation, and all park fees. With hundreds of 5-star reviews (check them out here!) we know you’ll love this tour as much as we did!
You can purchase tickets to our favorite Banff tour with FREE cancellation here!
1. Banff and Yoho National Park Full-Day Tour
If Banff and Yoho National Parks are calling your name, this full-day tour is an awesome way to see them both. An extra bonus of this tour? We didn’t have to worry about parking at Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, which is super limited and requires pre-planning if you’re in a rental!
This tour operates daily during the summer when you will get to take in the unreal blues of Banff’s Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, and Yoho’s famous Emerald Lake. On top of that, this tour includes a visit to the incredible Natural Bridge rock formation along the Kicking Horse River.
Don’t underestimate the winter scenery, though – the snowy mountain ranges are jaw-dropping! Running on select days during the colder months, this tour also includes a snowshoeing experience on Lake Louise – which was one of the highlights for us!
What we loved about this tour was that they gave us ample opportunity to explore each stop, so we could hop on short trails around Lake Louise, find the perfect photo op, or just find a quiet spot to take in the beauty of the parks.
Pickup in Calgary is at the Coast Calgary Downtown Hotel, and this tour is around 10 hours long. It costs $160 CAD per adult which we think is a great deal considering it includes park entrance fees, gratuities, and a comfy air-conditioned ride – if you don’t believe us, just check out all of the 5-star reviews here!
Book your National Park adventure online here!.
2. Banff Town and Banff Lakes Day Trip
For an amazing day out seeing all of the top spots in Banff National Park, it doesn’t get much better than this full-day Banff tour. It’s an absolute blast, no matter what time of year you decide to visit!
We were blown away by the carefully crafted itinerary on this tour, and were delighted to see it has a maximum group size of 12 people, perfect for a personalized day trip from Calgary to this stunning destination!
Our guides were so passionate about all of the areas we were visiting – it was honestly infectious! Along the way they were cracking jokes, telling fascinating stories, and of course, they’re always there to lend a hand when you need someone to hold the camera too.
Some of the amazing spots we visited included Lake Minnewanka, Two Jack Lake, Lake Louise, and the beautiful town of Banff. In the summer months, you will also get to visit the famous Moraine Lake to view the crystal-clear turquoise water!
We loved just how customizable the trip was, we just had to let our guides know what we preferred to do, and they were happy to accommodate. Or you can just go with the flow!
This incredible tour runs every day except for Wednesdays, so make sure to book in advance! It costs $177 CAD per person, which we think is an awesome deal considering all fees and transport to/from select downtown Calgary hotels are included!
Read the hundreds of 5-star reviews and secure your spot here!
3. Columbia Icefield Day Tour
We were in for a real treat with this Columbia Icefield full-day tour, as we got to journey through some of the most stunning landscapes in Alberta to the amazing Columbia Icefields! It’s hands down one of the most beautiful drives in North America.
It was so incredible to see the top sights along the Icefields Parkway, including the stunning Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, and the Crowfoot Glacier. Our eyes were permanently glued to the windows, how could they not be with views as beautiful as these?
But the absolute best highlight of this tour for us was the visit to the Columbia Icefield, one of the largest non-polar icefields in the world. So what’s so special about this place, you may ask? Well, it’s here that you have the option to upgrade your tour to include a ride on the all-terrain Ice Explorer, where you then cruise along the Athabasca Glacier. You even get to stop off on the way for a walk on the glacier too, which was so, so cool!
Although this tour has a maximum of 50 participants, we didn’t find it crowded at all, with the guides doing a great job of making everyone feel a part of the tour and answering any questions we had. The tour itself operates between May and October, with tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so make sure to plan accordingly!
Tickets for this tour cost $210 CAD without the Ice Explorer tour, however, we seriously recommend making the most of this opportunity and adding this on for a mind-blowing experience! The entire trip, with admission on the explorer tour, costs $305 CAD.
You can check availability and book this tour here!
Related Read: Can’t get enough of beautiful mountains and frozen glaciers? Here are more of our favorite Icefields Parkway tours.
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
4. Private Canadian Rockies Tour
Personalized tours give us an amazing sense of freedom, letting us customize the itinerary if we wish while taking away stressful responsibilities like driving, parking, and filling up on gas! This exclusive private tour gave us a fascinating off-the-beaten-path journey through Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay national parks to experience some truly spectacular sights while learning all about the area’s cultural heritage along the way!
We were picked up from our accommodation in Calgary in a fun open-air jeep – the only tour of its kind in Banff! Our guide on the trip was Jerzy, who instantly showed his knowledge by taking us to some hidden and beautiful lakes with barely any tourists around.
There’s a minimum of two guests and a maximum of three on this tour, so we really did have plenty of one-on-one time with our guide every step of the way! What we like most about the itinerary is the emphasis on getting outside and connecting with nature by taking a stroll on the trails in and around the lakes to escape crowds.
The itinerary is full of incredible locations, including spots like glacier-fed Lake Louise, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Herbert Lake, and the Saskatchewan River Crossing where we got to see the oldest tree in Canada. We also visited the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre to marvel at the Athabasca glacier. And since it’s a private tour you can always customize it to your liking, or just sit back and let your knowledgeable guide take you to the best spots!
For a private tour, we found this day trip to be quite affordable at $320 CAD per person. It only runs on select days throughout the summer and is very popular, so make sure you book in advance so you don’t miss out on this memorable experience!
Book your private Canadian Rockies experience and check out the glowing reviews here!
5. 5-Day Banff, Jasper, and Yoho Experience
Important Update: Jasper National Park and the town of Jasper experienced severe wildfire damage. Limited services and attractions are available around Jasper and in Jasper town. Please refer to Jasper National Park’s page as well as this list of what’s open in the town of Jasper for updates before planning your trip.
For those with a little extra time and want to explore at a slower pace, then this Banff, Jasper & Yoho 5-Day Tour is ideal!
After an overnight stay in Calgary, we headed off to Banff to check out popular spots like Bow Falls, Hoodoos Trail, Johnston Canyon, and the beautiful Sulphur Mountain. The star of the show on this day, hands down, has to be our stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, also known as the “Castle of the Rockies”!
This is easily the most luxurious hotel in Banff, with two incredible pools, and a relaxing spa with 27 treatment rooms! And don’t even get us started on the views – they are literally to die for. When we were feeling peckish, there were an incredible 12 restaurants, bars, and pubs for you to choose from, including the amazing 1888 Chop House!
After a super relaxing night’s sleep, it’s time to enjoy a grand total of 6 beautiful stops on Day 3! Two of our favorite stops on this day are Bow Lake and Peyto Lake, as gazing out at the turquoise waters is nothing short of mesmerizing!
But hands down, our favorite moment has to be the stop at the Columbia Icefields, where we added on the Columbia Icefields Skywalk, but we also had the option of doing the Ice Explorer tour (driving out onto the glacier!).
Making our way up the incredibly scenic Icefields Parkway, we settled in for the night at Banff’s chill neighbor, Jasper National Park. Day 4 includes 4 unique stops at some of Jasper’s most impressive attractions, which gave us time to explore Medicine Lake, Maligne Lake, and the bridges and trails deep in Maligne Canyon!
After heading back to Banff for the night, we ended the last day on a high note with 6 stops, including time at Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Emerald Lake. To end the tour, you can choose to be dropped off in Calgary or in Banff, we decided to stay in Banff for a few more nights to explore some more which we highly recommend if you have the time!
We think this tour is a pretty great option if time and budget allow it, as it really let us experience so much of the parks without feeling like we were being rushed from one place to the next. Plus, this tour starts from the airport pickup, so all you have to do is book your flight, hop on the bus, and then the rest is taken care of!
The price per person drops the more people who come on the tour, and you can include up to 4 people in your booking, so it’s perfect for small groups and families. For 2 adults, tickets cost $1,873 CAD per person. Accommodation for 4 nights, park admissions, tour guides, and super comfy transport are all included as well!
You can book this ultimate 5-day tour online here!
Related Read: Looking for more fun activities while in Alberta? Check out our favorite day trips from Calgary to see it all!
Why take a tour from Calgary to Banff?
For starters, Calgary is the gateway city to the Canadian Rockies, with the closest international airport to Banff. It is also much more affordable to stay in Calgary than in the National Park itself, so lots of people choose to stay in the city and do day trips to Banff. Sure you can rent a car yourself, but we think a guided tour offers a much better experience and makes the most out of your time and money!
We’ve explored just about every corner of Banff, Jasper, and Yoho, but nothing beats having someone take care of all the planning for you. Figuring out which sites to visit, opening times, driving time, hotels, entrance fees, and parking time slots can get overwhelming quickly!
It really is awesome to have someone narrow it down, especially with so many sites to choose from. Guides and drivers will also make readjustments as necessary for bad weather or unexpected closures, which is a huge bonus when life suddenly throws a wrench in the itinerary!
Another thing we’ve noticed is some visitors are surprised at the cost of rental cars in Canada, and the associated fees, too! Rental cars can get pretty pricey, plus you’ve got to allocate funds to extras like gas, parking fees, and shuttle fees for certain areas, for example, parking at Moraine Lake is no longer available.
When you factor it all in, tours are a way more cost-effective way to visit! Guides and drivers also have a wealth of knowledge about the park (and some of the best advice for secret spots!), so it’s a great way to learn about the area from some of the folks who know it best.
And maybe the most underrated perk of all is that instead of driving yourself and looking for road signs and parking, you’ll just get to kick back, relax, and be totally mesmerized by the unbelievable scenery the Canadian Rockies are so famous for!
Click here to learn more about our favorite Banff tour from Calgary!
Top attractions to visit on a Banff tour from Calgary
Moraine Lake: Only accessible from June to October, you can walk up the Rockpile trail and gaze at the powder-blue glacial lake with the Ten Peaks staggering in the background. There are so many things to do at Moraine Lake – hop in a canoe for a closer look, pick one of the many surrounding trails to explore, or pop into the super cute Snowshoe Café!
Lake Louise: The poster child of Banff, Lake Louise has epic blue hues and towering mountains, with the iconic Fairmont Hotel overlooking it all. Go canoeing, hit one of the trails, or just hang out at the dock and take it all in!
Banff town: The perfect little mountain town to explore! There is so much to do in downtown Banff such as visiting awesome bars and restaurants like the Rose & Crown, getting a blast from the past at the Banff Park Museum, or enjoying a brew with a view at the Three Bears Brewery and Restaurant.
Icefields Parkway: Consistently ranked as one of the most scenic drives in the world, the Icefields Parkway offers 232 km (144 miles) of amazing views with scenic spots like Athabasca Falls and Peyto Lake. And don’t forget about the jaw-dropping views at the Athabasca Glacier and Columbia Icefield to check out along the way!
Yoho National Park: A Rockies favorite, Yoho National Park will spoil you with beautiful lakes, waterfalls, towering mountains, and over 400 km (248 miles) of trails ranging from easy strolls through alpine forests to challenging hikes up mountain summits.
Should I book my Banff tour in advance?
Banff is a VERY busy place during the warmer summer months, and for that reason, you should definitely book your tour in advance! Most tours book up very quickly so you must secure your spot so you don’t miss out on these incredible experiences.
Most of the tours we mentioned above have a 24-hour cancellation policy meaning that you can cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours before your departure time! One of our favorite parts of booking with Viator, and why we always recommend Viator tours, is because they have a buy now pay later option. You can reserve your spot on tours ahead of time to help you better plan your vacation and then pay later, closer to your trip time. And with their lowest price guarantee, you know you are getting the best deal out there!
Click here to learn more about our favorite Banff tour from Calgary!
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind. You can read our honest review of SafetyWing for all the pros and cons.
Thanks for reading!
I really hope that our guide to the best tours in Banff from Calgary has given you some fresh ideas for planning your next trip! The Canadian Rockies will always hold a special place in our hearts, and I’m sure they will for you too.
Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what you’ll be getting up to when you’re over here! We’ve also included three more blogs below that we think will be helpful for your journey. Safe travels!
25 Absolute BEST Things to do in Calgary in Summer
5 BEST Moraine Lake Tours from Calgary to See All the Highlights!