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Hop-On and Hop-Off Banff Bus

Recommended by 98% of travelers
Banff, Canada
Great choice
20+ bookings last month.
  • 8 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9
·
· Tanna_P ·
Sep 2025
Very fun. Everyone was wonderful. Very informative. All of my family had a great time. Would recommend this to get an overview of the area.
· April_G ·
Sep 2025
Great atmosphere created by the hosts. Insightful conversation about the tourist areas. Offered insight on locations of interest based on your hiking level and what you’re looking for. Easy to use, simply hop on, hop off just as stated within their business name. Thanks for making our experience of Banff great!

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

  • English speaking tour escort/host on board each bus
  • Pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points
  • GST (Goods and Services Tax)
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Operating hours
.7:45 am

Departure Point

  • You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.

Itinerary

Secure your spot on this convenient hop-on hop-off shuttle bus and start exploring the national park. The tour departs the town of Banff and you can hop off at Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise, the Lake Louise gondola, and Moraine Lake—the choice is yours.

Travel effortlessly between stops or take your time at each destination along the route. Your on-board guide is there to assist you, offering insider tips and interesting facts about the park. Travel in an iconic yellow school bus along the scenic Bow Valley Parkway, renowned for wildlife sightings!

Soar to new heights on the Lake Louise Gondola, explore the beautiful Upper and Lower Falls at Johnston Canyon, and discover the wonders of Moraine Lake. Each bus has an English-speaking host, who is also your personal concierge.

Capture photos, indulge in delicious meals, and make lasting memories as you choose your own adventure in Banff.
Hop-On Banff Stops and Sights

6 Stops

5 Points of Interest

Duration: 8 hours

Operating Schedule: Depart from Banff, either from the Moose Hotel on Banff Avenue (7:45am, 9:30am) or the Banff Train Station (7:50am, 9:35am). Please note, the later you depart the fewer places you can explore. Return back to Banff (5pm, 6pm). **For all day free parking please park at the Banff Train Station. **You are guaranteed a seat at all times. **Choose Your Own Adventure! With our set schedule and 2 buses, there are several different itineraries you can follow. Our on-board host will help you choose the best one to make the most of your day. **Please contact us for more information about the schedule and itineraries. **All stops are optional to hop off. ** Lake Louise Gondola tickets can be purchased on board.

1

Moose Hotel & Suites

2

Banff Train Station

3

Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows

4

Lake Louise Ski Resort & Summer Gondola

5

Lake Louise

6

Moraine Lake

Points of interest passed by on this route

Bow Valley Parkway

Temple Mountain

Moraine Lake

Lake Louise

Lake Louise Sightseeing Gondola

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Oversized or excessive items are not allowed unless they can fit on your lap. This includes strollers.
  • Infant/Booster seats are not provided.
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • There is no wifi on board
  • Not recommended for children 5 and under
  • Strollers cannot be accommodated
  • Full day tour ending in Banff at either 5pm or 6pm
  • Not recommended for children 5 and Under.

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)

Reviews

4.9
based on 781 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Brilliant hosts made the day very special and stress free

Nicola_N, Oct 2025
Saved any worry about parking or where to go...Great stops and photo ops and lots of good advice from actual locals..

Both tour guides, Tyler &...

Rodger_H, Sep 2025
Both tour guides, Tyler & Dominic(fluent in french & english) where very helpful and easy going, gave us some good tips.

Exceptional experience- highly recommended

Lynette_B, Sep 2025
This was the best experience I could have ever expected! We had a limited time in Banff and wanted to see the most we could! They made it happen! The staff was amazing and their stories about Banff were detailed and they made the experience off the chart! Thank you so much!

A brilliant way to...

Kevin_G, Sep 2025
A brilliant way to explore Lakes Morraine and Louise. The guides on the buses are very knowledgeable and informative. They also spend time with each group to find out what you want to do throughout the day and give some well placed advice on how best to achieve it. It’s also the easiest way to ensure you get to see both lakes if that’s what you want to do. Fantastic experience, I wouldn’t choose any other way.

A Great Day at the Lakes

James_M, Sep 2025
Tyler was a great guide and the entire team was helpful and friendly. The yellow bus made the experience fun and simple to find

Great crew, Great time!

Sherrina_T, Sep 2025
Phenomenal time with the Hop On Hop Off team. As advertised, Tyler & crew provided great advice on how to make the most of your day. I would recommend this tour to anyone.

Great tour!

Julie_S, Sep 2025
Easy tour that takes you to Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Banff, Johnston Canyon. Great guides that tell stories and give you information about the area.

Great experience!

Kimberly_W, Sep 2025
Tyler and Dominique offered us invaluable information on the best way to plan our day. We were able to maximize the time we had to see the beautiful lakes and do hikes that matched our fitness levels. Highly recommend.

Experience a great time. Relax and enjoy.

Tanna_P, Sep 2025
Very fun. Everyone was wonderful. Very informative. All of my family had a great time. Would recommend this to get an overview of the area.

Best Bus in Banff

Hunter_G, Sep 2025
I expected this to just be a simple bus that takes you to and from the destinations but it was so much better! The bus is a school bus, which really takes you back to childhood or can be a first for some people. Dominique did an amazing job of helping every group plan their day. She and Louis also give you so much information on the history of Banff, historic landmarks, and even the wildlife. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to maximize their time in Banff and learn more about it!

Very well organized. It...

Jennifer_P, Sep 2025
Very well organized. It ran on schedule. The tour guides were both welcoming, knowledge and friendly.

Leave the trouble of...

JIM_S, Sep 2025
Leave the trouble of finding parking and driving to others! Hop on Hop off was always on time, the guides on the busses had great knowledge and Tyler shared his lovely photography of the NP animals. Would 100% recommend this tour

Simply as stated, hop on, hop off

April_G, Sep 2025
Great atmosphere created by the hosts. Insightful conversation about the tourist areas. Offered insight on locations of interest based on your hiking level and what you’re looking for. Easy to use, simply hop on, hop off just as stated within their business name. Thanks for making our experience of Banff great!

Best school bus experience ever!

debbie_r, Sep 2025
Extremely convenient for people who don't want to be tied down, strictly on what the operator and the bus wants you to do you have the option to pick and choose you can start and stay at one place and spend the entire day. You can go three different places, two different places, and adjust you start and end times. Tyler and Lewis were extremely helpful not only for that day, but the rest of our trip ! Highly recommend!!! Tyler you must see the Indianapolis 500!

Hope on hop off

Katherine_C, Sep 2025
On time. Very professional. Talked to us on the way to our location so we could get the best of our time.

Hop on off

Mary_L, Sep 2025
The sites were great on the tour. The hiking trails could accommodate any skill level. Knowledge base of the guides was very good and related interesting stories. The only negative is the seats on the school bus are not very comfortable.

Extraordinary Sights

Colleen_K, Sep 2025
Right on time!! Extremely friendly and informative. The 7 of us loved the experience! Thank you so much!

Skip if looking for comfort!

Sami_C, Sep 2025
Our guides, Dominique and Tyler, were awesome!! Gave great information and had fun stories! But, you are literally in a school bus. So if you are looking for comfort, this isn’t it.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thank you for your review! All the literature and information you would have read before making the booking stated it was a school bus. So it is a bit unfair to complain about that when you knew what you were booking in advance.

Hop On the Yellow Bus

David_J, Sep 2025
A great way to see Banff National Park's most popular sights without having to worry about driving or parking. Great tour guides. Flexible schedule.

Irish visitors

Sophia_O, Sep 2025
The tour guides are really good, informative and help you plan your day to get the most out of it. It was a fantastic experience.

We heard so much...

Sally_L, Sep 2025
We heard so much information from the guides that we wouldn’t have learned on our own. Plus we didn’t need to find parking!

Lots of hiking. bring a...

Carey_P, Sep 2025
Lots of hiking. bring a lunch as it is very expensive to purchase and choices are not a good variety.

Great trip on not-great bus

Ralph_S, Sep 2025
The school bus is not especially comfortable to say the least. Difficult for those overweight or with limited mobility. The great part of the hop-on concept is generous time at the two lakes while other tour groups stick to a tight clock. You need time and space to relate to these spectacular, inspirational places.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Thank you for joining us! We are mentioned as an 'Active' tour when booking. While we do not discriminate against anyone and are very accommodating to all guests it is still your responsibility to research what you are booking if you have the above listed issues. Our guides worked very hard to accommodate you. Even going as far as to block seats between stops so that you did not have to disturb other guests or disrupt their comfort while entering and exiting the bus. This effort was recognised by others on board and is mentioned in other reviews even. It is a bit unfair to leave a semi-negative review when our staff was very accommodating of your comfort but more importantly took great effort to ensure the comfort of everyone else.

Start times

Laurie_H, Sep 2025
It is not like hop on hop off in many other locations where we have traveled. This had set times and we did not learn this until after we missed the set times.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

It is unfortunate to receive a bad review like this. At every step in the booking process, on our website, the confirmation email you received at booking, the ticket you downloaded, and the reminder email you would have received 24hrs before tour departure all state the departure times from Banff. We work incredibly hard to ensure this information is readily available and stated as clear as possible in multiple ways through every booking platform. Ten thousand guests have joined us this year alone without issue so we have to stand behind our product as we are not sure how you specifically missed this information.

Such an incredible start...

Christine_M, Sep 2025
Such an incredible start to my Banff adventure! The bus was easy to spot, our hosts were friendly and cheerful, and the destinations were exactly what I was looking for. Well done!

We loved it!

Donna_K, Sep 2025
This is a very casual and personalized experience. The driver & guide were wonderful and ful of fun, interesting information.

Stress free

Julie_W, Sep 2025
Louis was an entertaining, highly informative guide on the bus. Bobbi was an excellent and cheerful driver. So nice not to worry about parking. Johnston Canyon not to be missed.

Meriam Tour with Schallocks.

Steve_M, Sep 2025
Great tour with friendly guides and drivers! This is an excellent way to experience Banff and Lake Louise while someone else drives!

Excellent tour

Lois_M, Sep 2025
Perfect way to see Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon, and Lake Louise! The tour guides were knowledgeable and friendly, and the bus operated on schedule. Thank you!

Vacation in Banff

Jeff_S, Sep 2025
If you don’t understand all the travel rules around Banff this is the way to go. Great customer service.

From $92.74

per person

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

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 40 days in advance.

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