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Canyoning half day - Heart Creek Canyon (beginner level)

Recommended by 97% of travelers
Banff, Canada
Viator Experience Award
High interest
Booked 2 times today.
  • 4 to 5 hours (approx.)
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8
·
· Stephanie_K ·
Sep 2025
The hike up was a lot to take in but our guide was great and gave us plenty of time! The rappelling, slides and water parts are the way down were an absolute blast! I'm not very graceful but had plenty of encouragement. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
· Caleb_K ·
Aug 2025
Such a fun day! Lawrence was a friendly and knowledgeable guide that made two rookies feel confident and have a great time. Would recommend this highly to anyone, especially if you’re into hiking, rock climbing, or anything of the sort. Would absolutely come back for a second time.

Overview

Perfect for newbies, this canyoning experience at Heart Creek Canyon, near Banff and Canmore, features a relatively easy approach and amazing scenery. A popular hiking destination, Heart Creek serves as an ideal location to learn how to rope rappel. Rappels progressively increase in length, culminating with a 60-foot (18 meter) waterfall rappel and slide.
  • Receive a rappel and rope safety briefing before you start
  • The introductory short rappels allow you to ease into rappelling
  • Rappelling equipment including helmet and harness is provided

What's Included

  • Professional guide
  • Wetsuits
  • Rappelling Equipment
  • Rappelling Instruction/clinic
  • Helmet
  • Harness
  • Neoprene socks/booties
  • Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Please note that During the high season in July and August our pick up ability is very limited. We recommend anyone with a vehicle to meet us direclty at the meeting spot at heart Creek. this is about 5-10 min east of Canmore and 25 min east of Banff just off the highway. There is ample parking available.

or

Meeting point

  • Heart Creek Parking Lot
    parking lots near Heart Mountain, Bighorn No. 8, AB, Bighorn No. 8, AB T0L 2C0, Canada

    Meeting Point is at the Heart Creek Trail Parking Lot, at the exit to Lac Des Arcs approximately 17km east of Canmore AB. Please keep an eye our for our marked: "Bow Valley Canyon Tours " shuttle van.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

1

Heart Creek Trail Head

4 hours Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Infant seats available
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • You must bring a good pair of outdoor shoes with a good tread! Trail running shoes or light hiking shoes work best. you will be required to hike for about one hour to get to the top of the canyon and the same shoes you hike up in will go into the canyon and they will get wet. Tennis shoes, water shoes, Crocs, urban footwear, and sandals are not permitted due to safety concerns. We also recommend bringing a second pair of dry shoes or sandals to change into after the trip. These can be left in your vehicle
  • Due to the active nature of this trip we require all participants to be at least 12 years of age. Participants do not require any previous rope or rappelling experience, they must though be relatively comfortable with heights
  • The hike to the top of the canyon takes about an hour potentially a bit longer including stops and breaks. The majority of the hike is very beginner and family friendly and straight forward with only very minimal incline. Towards the end there are two short but very steep sections. We take our time for both of these.
  • Please note that we go rain or sunshine, so please prepare accordingly. Unless on the very rare occasion due to potential safety concerns we may cancel or postpone, we do go when it is raining. This specific canyon is not prone to floods and our thick wetsuits will keep you warm even on cold wet days, so please dress accordingly!
  • The meeting locations is at Heart Creek Trail just off the main highway located 17km east of the town site of Canmore (an approximately 10 min drive from Canmore) and 41km east of Banff (an approximately 25 minute drive from Banff). Look for the Heart Creek Trail exit on the right. There is ample parking available including space for large RV’s and or motorhomes.
  • All Alberta Parks in the Kananaksis area now require everyone to purchase a day pass when parked or entering any of their parks. This includes the Heart Creek trail parking area. A conservation pass (one per vehicle) for the Heart creek trail parking lot can be purchased online at: https://conservationpass.alberta.ca/kcp
  • All participants will be required to sign a waiver of liability prior to the activity. Unfortunately due to the legal requirements in Canada a liability waiver is required from every participant. Anyone who refuses to sign the waiver will not be permitted to participate.
  • It is a good idea to already change into your bathing suit before arriving at the meeting point. Rudimentary pit toilets do exist at the heart Creek Trailhead. We will “suit up” and change into the wet suits only at the end of the approximate 60 min hike top of the canyon right before we start the canyon. Please also keep in mind that there are no services such as food or drink at the staging area.
  • Meeting time is at 9:00 am, 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, and starting in July 1:30pm as well (Depending on the time of your booking) at the Heart Creek Trail Parking lot. (Please check the directions and map outlined below). Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UiG3x3kLHAAruwu89
  • We provide all the necessary technical equipment including: High quality canyoning specific wetsuits Neoprene socks Helmet Rappelling Harness Dry bags to keep your cloths and possessions dry
  • Participants should bring the following items for this experience: Bathing-suit, towel, and potentially extra cloths to change into after the trip (which will remain in the vehicle) During summer months a t-shirt and shorts/pants are usually good enough to hike up in And extra pair of dry shoes or sandals to change into after the trip. Optional gear sometimes recommend in the early or late season (May & September) Rain jacket or windbreaker Marino or fleece under-layers, some under-layers for extra insulation (optional is not required).
  • After meeting your guides and other participants at the staging area at the Heart Creek Trail parking lot, a 60 min hike will bring you to the top of both the Canyon sections, and the start of your canyon adventure. Everyone suits up and in order to ensure safety your guides will go thru a mandatory rappel and rope safety clinic. There are a total of 5 rappels, interspersed with some slides, scrambling and hiking. The upper canyon is the easier section and can be dry in later summer months. This gives everyone the opportunity to ease into the rappelling. The last rappel and slides on the lower canyon section are always wet (a hike around is available).
  • Please note that due to high demand in the height of the summer (July & August) our pick up availability may be very limited, and if you have a vehicle we recommend that you meet us at the meeting location at Heart Creek. If you are traveling to the mountains without a vehicle we can usually provide pickup from Canmore. Please contact our office and we can arrange pick up from Blondies Cafe in Canmore the Travel Alberta visitor info Center in Canmore or the legacy Trail bus stop for the Banff/Canmore roam transit line three which provides public bus transport from Banff to Canmore approximately every 30 min
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

David_S
Brendan is the man! We had an amazing time! He was very knowledgeable and informative! He made our trip very fun and thrilling! We did some repelling in the freezing falls above us, truly something I never did before! I would definitely recommend to friends! And yeah we actually saw a black bear, And Brendan kept cool and pretty much saved us! We followed instructions, talk loud, be big, and he had the bear spray with him. Thanks!

Reviews

4.8
based on 130 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Beautiful trek with water falls.

Rick_R, Sep 2025
Excellent experience. The guide was awesome. The route was lightly challanging and beautiful. Thank you.

Amazing Experience

Stephanie_K, Sep 2025
The hike up was a lot to take in but our guide was great and gave us plenty of time! The rappelling, slides and water parts are the way down were an absolute blast! I'm not very graceful but had plenty of encouragement. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Super fun and unique...

Brandie_K, Sep 2025
Super fun and unique experience - a bit challenging for a couple of out of shape middle aged people, but Brendan was patient and encouraging. Highly recommend for those seeking an adventurous excursion.

What an absolute blast!

Andrew_C, Sep 2025
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.

Amazingly fun and exciting !

Clyde_C, Aug 2025
We’re rappelling rookies and honestly had some trepidation about the activity but Brendan did an amazing job of coaching and preparing us. As other reviewers note, the climb is a bit challenging but he gave us plenty of time to rest and catch our breath. The rappelling itself is exhilarating and if you have even the slightest interest in doing it , don’t hesitate! One of the highlights of our Canadian Rockies experience !

Crazy lot of Fun!

David_S, Aug 2025
Brendan is the man! We had an amazing time! He was very knowledgeable and informative! He made our trip very fun and thrilling! We did some repelling in the freezing falls above us, truly something I never did before! I would definitely recommend to friends! And yeah we actually saw a black bear, And Brendan kept cool and pretty much saved us! We followed instructions, talk loud, be big, and he had the bear spray with him. Thanks!

Awesome day!

Monique_G, Aug 2025
Great experience! Our tour guide was wonderful and a pleasure to spend the day with. The canyoning was fun for all!

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thanks so much monqiue and we are really happy to hear that you had such an amazing time with us! We hope you come back next time and try our full day tour!

10/10 Experience

Caleb_K, Aug 2025
Such a fun day! Lawrence was a friendly and knowledgeable guide that made two rookies feel confident and have a great time. Would recommend this highly to anyone, especially if you’re into hiking, rock climbing, or anything of the sort. Would absolutely come back for a second time.

I never knew canyoning was a thing I needed in my life.

Yuri_G, Aug 2025
We had Oliver as our guide and he was knowledgeable and felt very safe under his capable guide. He explained the journey well to us and we focused on maximizing our fun time together. This is one sport I never knew existed and now need it in my life! Next vacation I will be looking for this opportunity.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Hi Yuri, thanks so much and we are really happy to hear you had such a great time with Oliver yesterday! You will have to come back next time and try our full day trip which is also spectacular! thanks again

10/10. Be prepared to hike!

Colby_P, Aug 2025
Great fun. Wear proper footwear for hiking!! It’s about an hour hike up, but the hike is beautiful and not too grueling if you’re in decent enough shape. Don’t be afraid to get wet hiking through the creek. You’ll be getting wet on the way down, anyway.

Had a fantastic morning....

Wendy_A, Jul 2025
Had a fantastic morning. There were a couple of steep hikes but our guide was very patient and encouraging. Absolutely loved the canyoning. So much fun. Mum 55 yrs and daughter 23yrs trip

Brendan is the best!

Danielle_S, Jul 2025
This was an unforgettable, adventurous day! Brendan made us feel safe and well taken care of. Highly recommended for anyone that’s ready for some serious fun.

We had a great time oli...

Missy_B, Jul 2025
We had a great time oli made it super easy and super safe oli was the best guide we would totally do it again

Try it! You'll love it!

Becky_E, Jul 2025
Great experience. Very helpful for beginners! Challenging but guided. Really enjoyed the experience. Cold Water!

Best Day Ever!

Kathleen_W, Jun 2025
This was such a cool and unique experience! I would do this over and over again! I didn’t want it to end! Highly recommend….I even posted my video of the last repel on a Banff/Canmore Facebook page to encourage others to seek out this adventure!

Absolutely worth it- very...

Jessica_N, Jun 2025
Absolutely worth it- very fun guide, gorgeous setting. Felt very safe even with how adventurous it was!

Great Experience

Hamish_E, May 2025
Great introduction to Canyoning and absailing. Guides were great fun and professional. Felt in safe hands at all times.

Response from Host, May 2025

Hi Hamish, Thanks so much for your great review! We are really happy to hear you had a good time and that our guides did an amazing Job! We hope to see you again on our full day ghost tour next time you are in the area! Have a great trip

Perfect Mix of beautiful nature and adventure

Timo_R, Sep 2024
Even though the Werther was Kind of Bad, very clowdy at Times also raining quite a bit, I enjoyed the Trip very much, the views in the Canyon, especially all wet, cloudy and foggy were truly beautiful The abseiling and sliding was also a lot of fun! It started out with shorter abseiling parts at the upper Canyon. It was good because then you did know a bit better what to do, when the last 20 Meter drop abseiling un the lower Canyon came up

Fun but not a beginner level experience.

Afreen_R, Sep 2024
We had a great time but this experience is NOT a beginner level experience. We were a group of different levels o fitness from Seattle, California, etc and we managed to complete it and had a lot of fun but we all agreed this should be marked as at least moderate. The hike up to the canyon is quite steep and physically demanding, we had one person who was supposed to go with a heart condition who decided to sit out and it was the right he decision. What was great; - our guide was phenomenal and made sure we had a great time. - the last canyon drop is very long and fun. - it’s also a very hidden waterfall that can only be accessed by the canyoning so that was cool. - also a great place to take pictures. I’d recommend it if you’re outdoorsy and want to give it a shot.

A great experience

Carol_H, Aug 2024
What an exhilarating experience! Our guide, Mark, was a skilled patient, encouraging instructor. Not only did we learn how to rappel, we also came away with knowledge about the flora and fauna of the area. We have lots of great stories to tell and photos to share.

Best adventure ever

Laurel_K, Aug 2024
We absolutely loved our experience. Our guide, Jitka, was so amazing and extremely knowledgeable. I would absolutely recommend this for people who love adventures and adrenaline rushes. You are going to get soaked but they provide the wet suit and socks for your shoes. That being said definitely bring an extra pair of underwear and a change of shoes. This was by far the favorite part of our trip!

Great experience!

patty_h, Aug 2024
Oh my goodness! Yitka (our guide) was very good at explaining the process and being sure everyone felt comfortable. Starting with a few small drops and slides before the big one (beside the waterfall.) She had a very calming way of talking you through each step~ repeating the steps and was very encouraging. You can decide to hike down if you don’t feel comfortable doing the 60 foot rappell. DO IT~ I had absolutely no experience~ was a bit afraid~but knew Yitka (although she was a tiny gal) had control of one of the ropes if I had trouble. Definitely an experience I will never forget. Forgot to mention the hike up and through the canyon was breathtaking. Thank you Yitka for a beautiful day learning something new.

Exhilarating experience

Andrea_H, Aug 2024
What an experience! This was probably our favorite activity of our trip. Our guide was very patient and knowledgeable. He had a lot of experience so we felt comfortable with him. We went with our two older kids, 12 and 14 and they did great. The hike up is pretty steep and requires you to be in relatively good shape, that said, we aren’t athletes. The rock slides down are really fun. The water is freezing but you do get a wetsuit.

Super fun!

Julie_P, Aug 2024
Super fun time! Great experience and glad it had rained a few days prior to give us some pools to slide in. Pablo our guide was great. Kept the group calm and was assertive with instructions going down the 18ft repel! Right on! My only complaint- the dry suits and the booties should be sprayed down clean for the next guest. My ankles and calves are extremely itchy.

Great day!

Brian_H, Aug 2024
We had a great day! Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining! The hike was longer than anticipated,; we shoguns have brought snacks. Loved the experience! Out guide Zach was the absolute best.

Lots of fun. Something new.

Neal_G, Aug 2024
Little bit of everything. Repelling, sliding, being lowered by the guide, milking our way to the bottom. It was great. I'd recommend to anyone who is capable. Kanishk was a great guide. We enjoyed the entire day.

What a blast!

Sonja_L, Aug 2024
Phenomenal tour by our guide, Pablo! Thank you so much for such a fun day! Pablo ensured we knew the basics and by the time we reached the 60 foot rappel, we were eager and ready to go, even with a history of fear of heights! One of the best adventures I have been on!

One of the best activities in the Rockies!

Stephanie_N, Aug 2024
It was the first time canyoning for all of us and we had so much fun. Our guide (I think her name was "Jitka") was so patient and fun. She got lots of beautiful stories to tell and made us feel safe the whole time. It started with a little hike, then some safety instructions, after that we went into the canyon and did some slides and rappelling down. Afterwards she even gave us recommandations of where to eat and what to do next. Thank you for this amazing experience.

Great fun!

Marci_M, Aug 2024
Our guide, Kanishk, was fantastic! Safe! Smart! Local knowledge! Fun! Kanishk made the experience great on a cold day. Definitely would do it again. We’re hikers already so would rate it easy. If you’re not, know that you carry a pack and it’s a descent hike up … so worth it!

Epic Adventure!

JuliaWMulnick_A, Aug 2024
We had the most amazing time! Kris, our guide, was absolutely fantastic. He was very knowledgable with canyoning and always had safety as priority 1. He has so much knowledge about the area and shared a lot of stories with us on the hike up and down; he was a joy to speak with. The canyons are beautiful and this tour company was very organized with communication prior to our trip as well as providing all of the necessary equipment. A thrilling experience on its own and if you’re lucky enough to have Kris as your guide you will have an adventure!

From $143.80

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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On average, this is booked 41 days in advance.

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