Johnston Canyon Frozen Waterfalls Small Group Tour
Description
Spend the morning exploring Johnston Canyon in winter with Banff's top-rated small-group tour provider, from the frozen falls to a few quieter stops along the Bow Valley Parkway that most visitors never see. Highlights: Johnston Canyon's Frozen Falls: Walk the snow-covered canyon trail to the Lower Falls, where your guide fits you with ice cleats and hiking poles for the journey. For those who want to go further, the trail continues to the Upper Falls, where ice climbers work their way up the frozen cliffs. Bow Valley Parkway, the Local Way: On the drive to Johnston Canyon, we stop at a few lesser-known viewpoints along the Bow Valley Parkway, the kind of spots most visitors drive right past.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Johnston Canyon in winter is one of the best walks in Banff National Park. Your local guide fits you with ice cleats and optional hiking poles at the trailhead, then leads the way along a gentle path toward the frozen falls, sharing stories and canyon trivia as you go. The walk to the Lower Falls takes about 30 minutes, covering 1.2 km with 50m of elevation gain. From there you can turn back to the trailhead, where a hot drink waits by the firepit, or continue on to the Upper Falls. The extension adds another 30 minutes and 1.3 km. At the top, ice climbers work their way up frozen cliffs beside some of the most impressive ice formations in the canyon. Round trip to the Upper Falls: 2 hours, 5.0 km, 120m elevation gain. Suitable for guests with average fitness.
Drive the scenic route between Castle Junction and Banff, through towering peaks and thick forest, on your way to Johnston Canyon. Along the way, we stop at a few local favourite spots, spots that improve your odds of seeing wildlife and taking in the best views the Rockies have to offer. Your local guide shapes the itinerary around bus timings, weather, and a few tricks only locals know, so you get the most out of the drive and the time in between stops.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children 5 and under are unable to join our small group adventures
Reviews(51)
Excellent tour with an enthusiastic and dedicated guide (Taylor) - towards the end, a bonus sight was added and it turned out to be an overjoyed surprise. We saw on the way to that sight a mother black bear and three cubs - a rare event given there are only an estimated 60 black bears in the whole national park!
What a bonus to end on! A mother black bear with three cubs is an extraordinarily rare sighting, with only an estimated 60 black bears in the entire national park, you witnessed something that most visitors to Banff never get to see. 🐻 Taylor's dedication to going the extra mile for guests is something we're incredibly proud of, and it sounds like it paid off in the most spectacular way possible. We'd love to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure soon!
Rae & Georgia were great guides, we were picked up on time from our hotel, and the tour was excellent with wonderful scenery on a snowy day!
Good hiking trail. Beautiful views along the way. Tyler was our tour guy. Very personable and knowledgeable about the area. And we saw a momma grizzly with her 2 cubs and 2 wolves on the drive
Wow, a momma grizzly with two cubs AND two wolves?! That is an extraordinarily rare and memorable outing and we're so glad you were there to witness it safely. 🐻🐺 Those are the kinds of moments that make the Canadian Rockies so extraordinary. Tyler is brilliant at making guests feel at ease while getting the most out of every stop, and it sounds like the day delivered in every way. Thank you for sharing, we hope to welcome you back again soon!
It was a good choice to travel with this small group. The tour guide was kind and prepared so well for everything. He offered the icepaws and a hot drink after the walk. Even if it was winter, the scenery in Johnston Canyon was wonderful. It was quite and amazing.
Thank you for the lovely review! Johnston Canyon in winter is truly something special, that quiet, icy stillness is unlike anything else. We're glad our guide made sure you were well equipped and warmed up afterwards! Making sure guests are comfortable and prepared in winter conditions is really important to us, and it sounds like it made all the difference. We hope to welcome you back again soon! ❄️🌊
Very smooth tour start to finish. There was only 4 of us. Liam our guide was fantastic. Great knowledge and sense of humour and totally approachable. The canyon itself is stunning. I was in total awe of its beauty. It took us about 2.5 hours to do top and bottom canyons with plenty of time for photos. This is a not to be missed tour.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful and detailed review! We’re thrilled the tour hit every mark — from the small group experience to the stunning canyon itself. Liam will be over the moon to hear your kind words about his knowledge and humour; he’s a real gem on the team. It sounds like you soaked up every moment, and that’s exactly what we hope for every guest. We hope to see you back in Banff for another adventure!
First of all, Gini deserves 10/10. She is dedicated to make everyone feel welcomed and enjoy the trip. Secondly, stick to Radventure whenever you can for this agency constructs my best experiences in Banff. And you should see how Gini makes drinks and chocolate biscuits with marshmallows for everyone. The trip is full of this tiny moments of comfort besides fascinating natural landscapes.
This review genuinely put the biggest smile on our faces, thank you! Gini truly is one of a kind and she'll be overjoyed to read this. Those little moments of warmth, the drinks, the chocolate biscuits with marshmallows, are Gini's way of making sure everyone feels at home out in the wilderness, and it means so much that they were noticed and appreciated. Thank you also for the wonderful words about Radventures, that really does mean everything to us. We can't wait to welcome you back! ☕🍫🏔️
It was an excellent tour and Gini was a very experienced guide.
Thank you for the lovely feedback! Gini's experience and expertise really do shine through on every tour and we're so glad it added to your visit to Banff. We hope to welcome you back again for another great outing! 🏔️
We loved the tour and our guide was so friendly and knowledgeable. The upper and lower falls were incredible views
Thank you so much, we're so glad you loved the tour! The upper and lower falls really are something special, aren't they? We'll pass your kind words along to your guide. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the Rockies soon! 🌊
We hiked with Gini and made it to the upper falls on a quiet morning hike. Ice spikes, which were provided were definitely needed. The path is well maintained with a nice safety rail making it easy to see into the canyon. Gini was very knowledgeable and pointed out many areas along with the history of the area. We definitely benefited from having her as a guide.
Thank you so much! An early morning hike to the upper falls with ice spikes on, that's a proper Banff winter experience right there! We're glad the trail and safety infrastructure made it enjoyable, and even more glad that Gini's knowledge of the history and landscape added so much to it. That's exactly the difference a great guide makes. Hope to see you back on the trails with us again! 🧭🧃
We had both Taylor and Tyler show us the stunning Johnstone Canyon waterfalls . Their care and knowledge was incredible and we loved the stories about the ‘Boss’ bear! It was very icy and they very thoughtfully provided the group with crampons . They went at a pace that suited all the group - not too fast and not too slow. I highly recommend them , it was such a great day out !
Thank you so much, this is a wonderful review! Taylor and Tyler love sharing the legend of the Boss, he has a way of capturing everyone's imagination even when he doesn't make an appearance! 🐻 Icy conditions on the canyon trail can be tricky, so we always want to make sure guests are set up safely, great to hear the crampons made a difference. Pacing a group so everyone feels comfortable is something Taylor and Tyler do really well, and it's lovely to hear that came through. We'd love to welcome you back for another great day out! 🧃
