Private Badland Tour
Description
One of the things that makes travelling in Alberta such a special experience is that the landscapes are so diverse. Home to the Canadian Rockies, Horsethief Canyon, the Hoodoos, Horseshoe Canyon, and the Alberta Badlands, there is so much beauty in this province and so many things to do in Alberta. If you’re after dramatic landscapes, gorgeous hikes, cool towns, and incredible prehistoric history with dinosaurs, the Alberta Badlands is a great place to go. Collectively referred to as the Canadian Badlands, it stretches more than 35,000 square miles. Two of the most famous places being the town of Drumheller and Dinosaur Provincial Park.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Drumheller is a town northeast of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada. On the edge of town, in Midland Provincial Park, the Royal Tyrrell Museum contains a large collection of dinosaur fossils.
Horseshoe Canyon in the Canadian Badlands is an eye-popping sight. Stand on the edge of this huge u-shaped canyon and survey the beauty and mystery of the badlands. The maroon-striped canyon walls reveal the layers of time down to the Cretaceous period when dinosaurs roamed a lush sub-tropical habitat some 70 million years ago.
Hoodoos take millions of years to form and stand 5 to 7 meters tall. Each hoodoo is a sandstone pillar resting on a thick base of shale that is capped by a large stone. Hoodoos are very fragile and can erode completely if their capstone is dislodged.
East Coulee is nestled along the Red Deer River, surrounded by the uniquely beautiful landscape know as the Canadian Badlands. Just minutes away from Drumheller, it’s a quiet place and a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Lunch break - lunch at own expense.
This suspension bridge isn't very long or particularly high, but it's definitely not for the faint of heart. Made of see-through wire mesh, it sways like a river reed in the wind. The bridge was used by miners from 1931 to 1957; you can see the now-closed mines on the far side of the Red Deer River. Despite the previous use of rowboats and aerial cable cars, the bridge was considered dangerous due to high winds and floods and has been closed as it is considered dangerous for use.
Click a picture with the world's largest dinosaur. Admission to the top is not included. Though taking pictures is free!
Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller is Canada's only museum dedicated exclusively to the science of palaeontology. In addition to housing one of the world's largest displays of dinosaurs., the museum offers a wide variety of creative, fun, and educational programs that bring the prehistoric past to life.
Horsethief Canyon is a must-see while exploring the Canadian Badlands. Stand on the edge for spectacular views of the valley below. If you're feeling adventurous, hike down the steep trail and explore the canyon that is named after the outlaws who hid their stolen livestock here more than 100 years ago.
The Orkney Viewpoint is a popular tourist attraction, offering stunning views of the Red Deer River Valley.
Calgary, a cosmopolitan Alberta city with numerous skyscrapers, owes its rapid growth to its status as the centre of Canada’s oil industry.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Our drivers will hold up paging boards for passengers to identify the driver.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(9)
Harry was an amazing tour guide. It was below freezing all day, but he brought us to the best places and kept us warm. He has wide knowledge and is very invested in his clients having a great time.
First looks at the horseshoe canyon were great but then the tour became repetitive. Attractions advertised in the tour description were closed on Mondays including the Dinosaur Park museum. No refreshments were provided on an 8-9hr tour so on top of the $800 plus to book it became a very expensive outing to see very little. Guide was also not very well informed.
Had an absolutely amazing time! The only reason I gave it a 4/5 was because the driver didn't seem very familiar with the schedule or when places are open/closed. I say this because we did miss going to the mining museum. They were closing when we drove up and the driver hassled the museum guides as they were leaving for the day, which we told him not to do. They were clearly closed and it wasn't their fault and telling them "I have a van full of people wanting to go in," was awkward." The driver was a nice enough guy, but he should have run a timetable by us throughout the day to make sure we got to everything. Would still do it again, because it's worth not driving around all day back and forth from Calgary and all the other locations were fantastic.
Our driver and guide Henry was excellent. He showed us 7 main sights and attractions in and around the town plus going to a restaurant for lunch. Henry was friendly and courteous while giving us flexibility in times for each location. Thank you for a great day.
Wonderful day trip to the Badlands. Our guide was very friendly and helpful. Our 2 hours at the Royal Tyrell Museum was the highlight. I wish my grandchildren were with me because they would have loved it even more than I did. It was superb. The rest of the day was very good also with my favorites being the Hoo Doos and scenery of the badlands. Great tour.
Tour booked for 3 of us, visit to Tyrrell Dinosaurs was the highlight for us, but a rush with only 90 minutes instead of 120 minutes so very disappointed. The areas we visited were amazing and the Badlands with the different layers of time are something to see from the variety of viewpoints offered. The Hoodoos were strange, East Coulee offered history and dinosaurs seemed impossible!! Windows were obstructed with lettering so viewing and taking photos was difficult and again very disappointing. Driver very nice and friendly but not forthcoming or informative about the areas we visited - a glorified taxi service that I definitely would not recommend
Great service! Our driver was very nice and kind and took us to very beautiful places, the history museum and the horse shoe canyon are places that you need to visit at least once in your lifetime, Me and my family are overall very satisfied with this tour.
Driverseat guide, Shirle was a great and covered several places. the horse shoe canyon, dinasaur museum and hoodoo mountain are very educational. They are a must see.
Excellent day trip to the Badlands covered Tyrell’s Dinosaur Museum (best in the world), Horseshoe and Horse Thief Canyons, Hoodoos and much more. Driverseat (tour operator) went above and beyond our expectation. This is a really different day trip and well worth doing. Private transport and your own driver from Driverseat just make it even better.
