Badlands Guided Small Group Tour: Calgary to Drumheller Dinosaurs
Description
Step back 75 million years on this full-day small-group Badlands tour from Calgary. In just 90 minutes, you'll trade the city skyline for dramatic canyon landscapes carved by ancient seas and wind. Stand atop the Largest Dinosaur for sweeping valley views. Explore the Royal Tyrrell Museum's paleontology collection — the richest fossil displays anywhere. Pause at the Little Church and Horse Thief Canyon on Dinosaur Trail for vivid and fascinating imagery. Walk the Rosedale Suspension Bridge, photograph the Striking Hoodoo Rock Formations, and go on a canyon frive on 11 bridges to Wayne. Finally soak in the layered walls of Horseshoe Canyon — each stripe a chapter of Earth's history. Small groups mean personal attention and real conversation. Your tour guide brings the geology discoveries to life, with time for questions, photos, and stops. Perfect for families, photographers, and curious minds. Drumheller is one of Canada's most remarkable natural destinations. Book your spot today.
Tour Options
Itinerary
(Summer and Winter) Marvel at and climb up to the mouth of the colossal 86-foot Tyrannosaurus rex statue for iconic photos, Drumheller's most famous attraction towering over the valley. An essential stop showcasing why Drumheller is Canada's Dinosaur Capital.
(Summer and Winter) Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology is a World-class paleontological museum, with over 130,000 fossils and amazingly detailed exhibits that bring prehistoric eras to life. Stop includes time for lunch at the cafeteria.
(Optional - Summer and Winter) Roadside view of the World's Largest Little Church that seats 6 people.
(Optional - Summer and Winter) Stand at the canyon's edge and witness a breathtaking panorama of deeply carved badlands stretching endlessly before you. Horsethief Canyon showcases dramatic erosion patterns, vibrant earth-toned layers, and sweeping Wild West views.
(Summer and Winter) Wander among towering hoodoos on this accessible interpretive trail, where eons old rock formations create an otherworldly landscape. Touch ancient sedimentary layers, and climb steel staircases for stunning vistas. These iconic mushroom-shaped pillars offer incredible photo opportunities.
(Summer and Winter) Cross the historic Rosedale Suspension Bridge, swaying 117 meters long over the Red Deer River Valley. This thrilling pedestrian walkway offers breathtaking panoramic views of layered badlands, and abandoned coal mining ruins. Feel the exhilarating bounce beneath your feet and walk the short trail on the other side while capturing unforgettable photos of Drumheller's dramatic landscape.
(Optional - Summer Only) Step into Wayne Marshall's fascinating curator's collection of 25,000 fossils, and his namesake raptor! Explore an incredible collection of real dinosaur fossils, bones, and badlands artifacts.
(Summer and Winter) Cruise through the scenic route through the ghost town of Wayne, AB, crossing all 11 historic bridges along the Rosebud River. Learn about the history of this once ghost town and the mining history of Drumheller. The tour does not stop at The Last Chance Saloon.
(Optional - Summer and Winter) Stop briefly at the "Welcome to Drumheller" sign, marking your entry into Canada's Dinosaur Capital. Featuring a charming dinosaur emblem, it's a fun, quick photo opportunity before exploring the Badlands. Capture the moment with friends or family as you officially arrive in this prehistoric, fossil-rich corner of Alberta.
(Summer and Winter) Witness Horseshoe Canyon's dramatic amphitheater, where striped badlands rise in spectacular curves around you. Sedimentary layers revealing millions of years of geological history and stunning natural formations offers unparalleled photography opportunities, and an immersive journey into Earth's ancient past rarely found elsewhere.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(73)
Very knowledgable guide/driver, a lot of details and interesting stories related to the trip as well as the places we saw on the way to the Badlands, never boring. Amazing landscapes and views, fascinating museum. We also learnt a lot about the province of Alberta.
Hi, Thanks for your wonderful review. Glad that you enjoyed the day tour and wishing you safe travels.
Highly recommend this tour. Raj was a great guide and the itinerary covered all the highlights in the area.
Hi, Thank you for your kind words. Wish you safe travels.
Loved the experience from start to finish! It was excellent value for money, especially with the small group size, which made the trip feel more personal and enjoyable. Everything was well-organized and ran smoothly throughout. Raj was an incredibly patient, professional, and knowledgeable guide who made the experience even better. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a memorable and hassle-free trip.
Hi, Thanks for your commendation. Glad you liked the itinerary and info. Wish you safe travels.
A great tour to the badlands by Raj. There are 2 pick up locations, one near the airport and one in downtown Calgary. The tour offers a good overview of the Drumheller and include visits to the Royal Tyrrell Museum, the largest dino sculpture, hoodoos, Horsethief and Horseshoe canyons, the Rosedale (Star Mine) suspension bridge and surprise stops at Drumheller's Little Church and Wayne's Fossil World (optional). Raj was very accommodating on the schedule, offering various pickup times if you wanted to stay at the museum longer (and skipping the Little Church and the Horsethief Canyon). Bottled water was included.
Hi, Thanks for your kind words and wish you safe travels.
Trip was exciting! Comfortable, informative, punctual!
Hi, Thanks for the short and sweet review. Glad you like the tour management.
Raj is great, lots of knowledge and great banter. Drumheller is amazing The Museum is mind blowing The hoodoos are unique
Thanks for you commendation. Wish you safe travels and the best.
Amazing trip visiting badlands, dinosaur museum and archaeological park, canyons, ghost town, suspension bridge all was fantastic! Raj gave us ample time to tour each location. Amazing group of people in the tour. Overall fantastic experience. Highly recommend
Hi, Thanks for your commendation and glad you guys liked the itinerary. It was fun traveling with you too.
Interesting sites but especially an extraordinary museum, both for the displayed pieces and for the staging. The vehicle was suitable and the guide (Taj) is friendly and very helpful.
Hi, Thanks for your kind words guys. Glad you liked the tour itinerary. Wish you safe travels.
Great day trip from Calgary if you’re looking for something to do other than Banff. We got to visit the Badlands and Drumheller which is famous for its dinosaurs. Also got to see some touristy stuff in the area like the world’s largest dinosaur and also the world’s smallest church. Raj was a great tour guide/driver and very knowledgable about the area. My only critique is that the dinosaur museum was a bit long. I think 90 minutes is more than sufficient. We were given almost 2.5 hours to explore by ourselves.
Hi, Thanks for your review and glad that you liked the tour. Apologies about the time constraint at the museum, for a group tour the time duration at the museum is between 2 to 3 hours as it includes lunch time and time for the trail around it.
We loved Raj!!! The tour was so informative and not overbearing! Funny guy! He was patient and one of the best tour guides I’ve had the pleasure to meet! The length of tour was great and you get your moneys worth!!!
Thanks for your kind words and commendation. Wish you safe travels.
