Hop-On and Hop-Off Banff Bus
Banff, Canada
Hop-On and Hop-Off Banff Bus
Recommended by 98% of travellers
Badge of Excellence
Banff, Canada
- 8 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Discover Banff National Park at your own pace with a ticket for the HopOnBanff bus. Buy your ticket in advance to guarantee your spot on the shuttle that zips around to attractions in the park not easily accessible without wheels. The iconic yellow school bus goes from the town of Banff to Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and the Lake Louise gondola. You choose where to visit and when on this hop-on hop-off tour.
- Choose to ride between two stops, or stop at each place along the route
- Travel to spots that would be difficult to get to without a vehicle
- On-board host will help plan your day and give advice along the route
- Guaranteed seating during your tour
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
Itinerary
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveller Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 850 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Of all of my planned tours this was my favorite! The time schedule was amazing and didn’t feel rushed and it honestly worked out perfect! I would absolutely recommend and will be doing this again when I return.
Loved the ability to get on and off where we wanted. The staff was incredible - they spent time with everyone individually to make they were sure you were going to get everything you wanted out of the day and included helpful suggestions. I would highly recommend!
Fantastic experience,
Taken to all where we wanted and more with tips from both Tyler and Jeff for how we can get the most out of our trip. Breathtaking views and hikes.
Highly recommend so easy and well communicated.
The only downfall was that we did not know where to meet the bus, no sign saying to wait at a specified place for the yellow school bus, other venues had a teepee board saying to load at a certain point. We were worried that we may have not even been in the right area. Communication for loading etc would have made a huge difference
Other than that, the Hop on was wonderful and amazing. Thank you for an enjoyable experience!!!
Tour guides were excellent and very knowledgeable. They were always offering to answer questions, give suggestions, etc.
Bus ran on time throughout the day.
Tyler and Lewis were great! Very specific in what to expect and the bus was always on time! Very enjoyable trip!
It is a great service. Dominique was an excellent guide, providing a good plan based on our goal. We wanted to go to both Moraine and Louise. In addition, hike to lake Agnes. She gave us a good plan based on that, very helpful. Thank you Dominique for making our trip memorable.
They are top notch to work with. Very professional and willing to help. The guide stopped at each group to ask about the next day plans and if anyone needed help, didn’t mattter if they were planning to go on the bus or not. He gave recommendations on dinner options , how to schedule activities , best time to avoid crowds and pretty much anything you would need . They were very friendly had so much information
Through no fault of our own, we experienced a train locomotive malfunction that delayed our arrival into Banff the night before our Hop On Tour reservation. Since we had no idea the train would be delayed by 8 hours we were unable to cancel 24 hours in advance. I notified Viator the moment I had cell service of the cancellation. Viator has refused to issue a refund and the tour provider also said they cannot issue a refund because Viator collected our payment. I will not use Viator for any future tours. Be careful in using a company that does not stand by its customers.
Response from Host, Sept 2026
Sorry to hear your train was delayed and this affected your time in Banff. It is important to check the terms and conditions and cancellation policy before booking with Viator. Viator offers a very generous 24hr cancellation policy and this cancellation came in at 1am, 6hrs before the scheduled tour. The cancellation policy will always be respected within this 24 hour time frame.
There was an option given at that time in the morning to take a later departure at 9:30am as to not start as early and to be able to make the tour. We did have guests from the delayed train on the tour that day.,They were a bit tired but had a great day.
I picked this Hop on and Hop off bus to give me time to see Lake Morraine and hike to Consolation Lakes. We spent a good amount time here and we were able to see Lake Louise as well. Everyone was so informative, helpful and kind.
very helpful when you get on the bus, you get schedule of where your stops and pick ups are. They will help you make sure you get to all your stops and see what you can see. Will help you find the trail heads.
Very knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating guides. Flexible schedule for time spent at each stop.
Absolutely a MUST do!!! Don't even think twice. Lewis & Bobby were incredible!! so many great stories & recommendations!! Had such an amazing time & worth every penny. Plus you're in a yellow school bus so it makes it very easy to locate & find at the pickup/drop-off spots. Thank you guys for an incredible experience!
The bus Viator uses is a traditional yellow school bus. Though easily recognizable, it is not the most comfortable for the longer distances traveled between sites.
The bus drivers and tour guides were top notch!!
Prompt, informative, helpful, and entertaining! Really made for a great day around key Banff sites on our to-do list while allowing for excellent flexibility on the fly. Thank you!!
This is a local company in Banff. We like all tour guides and drivers. They made sure we were in good hands.
They are flexible to our needs. We enjoyed their company very much!
Worth the money. You set the itinerary and the guides help you plan it real time. Our family had a lot of fun! The guides were very knowledgeable.
The bus was a great way to get to Moraine and Louise even if you're just using it as a shuttle. The guides were more than happy to help with scheduling and to give us local updates on snow pack/weather and trail conditions further away from the lakes (Sentinel Pass).
Great itinerary and guides were excellent. We are not hikers so we missed some of the sites deep within a location, but the views from lakeside were outstanding.
Not having to find and pay for a parking space was a bonus. And, last, but not least, love the yellow school bus. … easy to spot and comfortable inside
The bus drivers and guides were so knowledgeable! Not only did they make sure we had a great day, they went out of their way to ensure we had a great rest of our trip the remainder of the week. Lewis sat down on the bus and talked through a map of the Icefield Parkway pointing out highlights along the trail that we needed to see and even pointed out highlights of another park to visit on our journey.
Overall, this experience was great. We took our 15 month old with us and never felt like we were a burden. We used a hiking backpack and only felt cramped the first bus following pick up. There was plenty of space for bags and our family on the bus once everyone went off on their own journeys for the day. I would recommend this company to anyone coming to visit. It takes the stress out of seeing the major highlights and added some extras along the way.
Very flexible on scheduled stops. I feel this tour gives you more time at the lakes if you choose to spend more time at the lakes. Great staff all around.
It is so easy to find the yellow school bus in the parking lots. They run right on schedule. Guides are very helpful and the time at stops are perfect
Excellent trip on an old school bus which was fun. The trip allows you to visit most the local attractions around the Banff area. The guide was excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed the trip
Response from Host, July 2026
Thank you for your review and recommendation to other travellers.
So happy to hear you had such a great day out with us!
Tour guides were very knowledgeable and keep everything organized. The bus drivers were very competent and fun!
Wonderful, stress free way to see the sights outside of Banff. They've timed every stop based on main attractions and Lakeshore hikes, and have thought about people needing lunch, too! We saw lots of wildlife on the bus ride, which was a bonus. Highly recommend.
Well... it's a yellow school bus - no A/C (didn't matter - the windows were down which is way better than a closed up big tour bus and the temperature was perfect - and a little rough BUT these buses are easy to spot and they personalize the trip - accommodating stops at the standard locations along the way - going and coming - as requested. They ask what you want to do and they make sure someone is there to pick you up at the agreed-upon time. The tour guides and drivers are GREAT! Very knowledgeable, telling good stories, etc. along the way. They give ample time at each stop, including Lake Moraine and Lake Louise. Seeing the bear was a plus. We would use them again!
Pay attention to details. "Hop On Hop Off" doesn't apply to start time. We missed the first bus, too bad for us.
Response from Host, June 2026
Yes, if you miss the bus you will miss the tour. Just like all other tours and transportation options in the world.
Through zero fault of ours you missed the bus. We did not make you late. Nor did we know you would be late.
We were exactly where we were supposed to be, at exactly the time we were supposed to be there.
We provide very detailed information of departure times and locations when booking and on your confirmation emails also.
Your ticket guarantees you a seat on any bus at any time so you just need to actually be there to check in and board.
We do not know when and where guests will hop on, so buses just leave at their scheduled times.
Thousands of our visitors rave about our punctuality and reliability. We should not be held responsible for those that do not make the effort to just be on time.
It is a bit disheartening to get negative reviews for doing our part. We run 7 days a week, rain or shine and transport thousands around Banff National Park without issue. And we stand by our commitment to help everyone maximize their time here.
My sister and I had a wonderful experience on the tour. Dominique and Lewis shared so much information about the area. Lewis even helped up with places to see wildlife and stargazing. They were all so friendly and knowledgeable. We would highly recommend this experience.
My sister and I booked this tour and so happy we did! The tour guides were great, the ride was very informative, and they even helped plan out our day with additional recommendations for the following days! Dominique and Louis were so wonderful and kind!
Fantastic tour company. Hop On was prompt with pick up, organized & helpful in making our schedule for our day of touring. They offer several options to make the most out of our tour. The entire staff was very knowledgeable about Banff National Park & surrounding areas. Our guides narrated facts & stories about the park throughout our time on the bus. We highly recommend this company.
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