Banff Highlights and Wildlife Small Group Tour with Gondola
Description
From Banff’s hidden corners to the top of its world. Most visitors see Banff from the main street. This half day takes you somewhere else entirely. We slip off the beaten path to quiet lakes, secret viewpoints, and wildlife corridors the big buses never reach. Elk, bighorn sheep, and bears move freely out here and we spot animals on 95% of tours. Your guide shares the real stories of this place, the history, the ecology, the little details only someone who actually lives here knows. Then, just when you think you’ve seen it all, the gondola takes you up. And the whole Rockies opens up beneath you in every direction. Four hours that take you from the hidden heart of Banff to the top of its world. From the quiet corners to the highest peaks, the real Banff in half a day.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your local guide tailors the itinerary for each tour. Every day, we connect with other tour operators and Banff locals to gather wildlife sightings, and factor in seasonal weather and bus tour schedules, so you get the most authentic experience of the day, without the crowds. The stops listed below are just some of what you'll see on this tour.
Head up Mount Norquay, home to Banff's first ski resort, to one of our favourite viewpoints over the town of Banff and the mountains that surround it.
Keep an eye out for bears, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, coyotes, foxes, and other wildlife as we travel deep into Banff National Park to the glacier-fed waters of Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake.
Take a short walk to one of Banff National Park's red chair spots, with sweeping views of the hoodoos and the Canadian Rockies as they stretch across the Bow Valley.
Look up through the alpine forest on Tunnel Mountain to the Fairmont Banff Springs, the famous local hotel that looks like a castle in the sky.
Visit Bow Falls, the backdrop for a famous scene in the 1954 Marilyn Monroe film "River of No Return."
Ride to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for sweeping 360° alpine views.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children 8 and under are unable to join our small group adventures
Reviews(43)
It’s a four hour tour. Taz was our guide and he was very knowledgeable. Ended with the Banff gondola which was great
Knowledgeable throughout and the Gondola rounding out a great four hours with Taz. Really glad it delivered and hope to have you back out here again sometime.
Fabulous way to experience Banff.
A fabulous way to experience Banff, short and we'll happily take it. Hope to have you back out here again sometime.
We had a great tour. We saw a mama bear and 3 cubs, 2 baby deer, and golf course elk. The sun was out and it was a perfect day.
A mama bear and three cubs, two baby deer, golf course elk and a perfect sunny day. It doesn't get much better than that. Really glad the day was such a great one and hope to have you back out here again sometime.
Tour was great we saw a momma black bear with 3 cubs. Elk and Deer. Liam our guide was great!!
A mama black bear with three cubs, elk and deer with Liam being great throughout. That's a brilliant Gondola tour. Really glad it delivered and hope to have you back out here again sometime.
Liam was amazing !! Very knowledgeable and great sense of humor.
Amazing, very knowledgeable and a great sense of humour. Liam on the Gondola tour delivering as always. Really glad it was a great experience and hope to have you back out here again sometime.
Liam picked us up on time. He was personable and charismatic and made us feel very welcome right away. His knowledge of the region, both regarding the wildlife as well as the topography was astounding. His story about Boss the Grizzly Bear was so inspiring that we went to eat at the Boss restaurant in town afterwards. The four hours went so fast that I was sad that it had come to an end. Truly our best experience at Banff.
Liam's Boss the Grizzly Bear story sending you straight to the Boss restaurant for dinner afterwards is honestly one of our favourite outcomes from any tour ever. His knowledge of the wildlife and topography, the charisma from the first pickup and four hours that felt like nothing, really glad it was your best Banff experience. We'll make sure he sees this one.
Liam is an amazing guide and the trip even more memorable.
Really glad Liam made the trip even more memorable. Hope to have you back out here again sometime.
We had a fabulous afternoon riding to different scenic roads and vistas! We got to see many wild animals, like Elks, Mountain goats and different bird species! We went to a location where we got to view the Hoodoos formation that was quite fascinating! We then got to ride the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain! The ride was great as you get to see the tres up close and enjoy the density and beauty of nature. The view from the observation deck was obstructed by the smoke. That was disappointing. The van was not huge and that created a more intimate atmosphere. George, our driver and tour guide was extremely pleasant and narrated the scenery in such a knowledgeable way! He answered all questions and contributed to making the excursion very enjoyable!
Victoria our guide was amazing, provided great knowledge and information about the local wildlife. Unfortunately the Bears were not on payroll during our trip and we were unable to spot any, however we seen a large variety of other animals like Elk, squirrels, deer, big horn sheep. A very scenic tour and plenty of opportunities to get out and take photos when safe to do so.
The bears not being on payroll is a new way to put it and we love it. Elk, squirrels, deer and bighorn sheep with plenty of scenic stops and photo opportunities is still a really solid evening out. Really glad the tour delivered and hope to have you back out here again sometime.
Wonderful small group tour with our guide, Kirsty, who was both knowledgeable and kind answering our 9 year old’s questions. Tour hit all the highlights. Van comfortable and made stops easy and informative. Would definitely recommend!
A knowledgeable and kind guide in Kirsty who patiently answered a nine year old's questions throughout, a comfortable van and all the highlights covered. Really glad it was a would definitely recommend kind of tour and hope to have you all back out here again sometime.
