Top Banff Private Sightseeing Tours

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

My husband and I decided to take our three adult children and their spouses on a trip to Banff this summer. After spending many hours researching, I was concerned about the logistics involved in seeing the wide range of amazing sites during the busy season, especially with parking and long lines mentioned constantly during my review. To ensure we saw all the major attractions, we decided to hire Vista Chase for a private, all-day tour on the second day of our trip. Although we initially hesitated due to the cost versus driving ourselves, hiring Vista Chase eliminated stress and allowed us to fully enjoy Banff’s wonders. The day turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Our itinerary included Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Peyto Lake, Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, Johnston Canyon, Mt. Norquay Lookout, Bow Falls, and Surprise Corner. Kiernan contacted me the evening before to review the itinerary and see if we wanted any changes. He arrived outside our Airbnb early the next morning, introduced themselves to everyone, offered drinks, and checked again for modifications. After mentioning our semi-private tour the following day to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, Kiernan suggested spending less time at these spots so we could add a visit to Takakkaw Falls, which was spectacular after several days of rain. Kiernan created lasting memories for our family. He was polite, engaged, knowledgeable, and tuned into the various personalities and hiking capabilities of our group—ranging in age from 26 to 77 years. Kiernan would drop us off at each entrance, hike with us, and share the history and items of interest at each site. He seemed to know exactly when to engage and when to let the group absorb the surroundings quietly. Our family still talks about the amazing day we had thanks to Kiernan, and my children absolutely loved his company. This excursion was truly one of our best vacation days ever. We enjoyed Kiernan’s guidance so much that we arranged for him to take us on the Icefields Parkway Tour on our last day. This experience was equally as rewarding as the prior tour. It involved a bit more driving, but the scenery was so beautiful.

Our tour guides Kate, Will, and Zoe, and Joe the cook, made our trip relaxing and enjoyable. Traveling with my teen (18), my mum (81) and aunt (76), we needed an excursion that would fulfill everyone’s expectations. The covered wagon experience provided that! The meal was excellent. Highly recommend Banff Trail Riders. My daughter and I are already looking at backcountry rides next summer.

Well organised right down to pick up times. Great small bus with large viewing windows. Jake our guide was so knowledgeable - best tour guide I have had the pleasure of taking us on a tour. Stops along the way were brilliant from snow covered chalets, semi frozen lakes, wildlife explained as we went and the most stunning scenery at every turn. The Athabasker Glacier stunned. The whole day was far better than anticipated.

This tour was great, even though it overlapped with stops we had already made, the guides provided so much additional information which made it interesting. The buffet lunch was great too. My only concern was that a change in pick up time was not reflected in the app, we missed the pickup time but luckily our hotel was able to sort it out and give us a ride to the next stop.

I did the Larch Valley Hike and it was fantastic! Super well organised, pick up and drop off was on time, and the packed lunch was great. But our two guides Evie and Jade (hope I got their names right!) really elevated the experience - they were friendly, experienced hikers and made the whole group feel very safe and welcome. I was also lucky enough to have a great tour group, which made for great conversation! This is my second Discover Banff tour and I will always recommend this company if you’re looking for a great day out in Banff.

We lucked out and it was just us with our awesome guide Lawrence. Just an exceptional dude. He kept the mood casual and friendly durring the hike portions and was locked in on safety and helping us out through the challenging parts. He provided a well needed/intentioned kick in the ass when required. It was everything we would hope it would be and more. Only warning. It was unclear to me (likely in the ad and I'm a dummy) that the shoes we wore hiking in would be fully submerged. Plan accordingly because it's unavoidable and they will be dunked for minutes at a time.

Our driver and guide was great! He shared local info and was a good driver. He also had some good tips about both lakes and the best locations to view from. He was available to take photos and answer questions. I believe his name was Neil, I'm sorry if I got that wrong. I never do reviews till I return home and didn't have a business card from him.