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Wildlife on the Bow | Big Canoe Tour in Banff National Park

Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Banff, Canada
Great choice
5+ bookings last month.
  • 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

This canoe adventure showcases the spectacular nature of Banff National Park—away from the crowds. Traveling down the picturesque Bow River on a 12-person canoe, your entire crew will glide through the backcountry, catching views you’d never get from behind your windshield. With your guide leading the way, you’ll learn all about the park’s flora and fauna, deeply enriching your experience of Canada’s first national park.
  • Get your entire crew traveling down Banff's Bow River—no experience required
  • Access the backcountry without needing to hike or drive
  • Go wildlife-spotting for elk, bald eagles, beavers, and more
  • Your guide provides deep insight into the park's landscapes, going beyond the guidebooks

What's Included

  • Paddles and Life Jackets
  • GST (Goods and Services Tax)
  • Live commentary on board
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Wolf Street & Bow Avenue
    Wolf St & Bow Ave, Banff, AB T1L 1H7, Canada

    Please park at the Banff Train Station and walk to the Banff Canoe Club

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

1

Banff Canoe Club

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers

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

Sheree_F
This was a wonderful tour! The views were incredible and our guide, Nieve (spelling?), was fantastic! She gave us lots of local history facts and made every effort to make the trip as individual as possible. I would definitely book this trip again a the views from the water were just incredible!

Reviews

4.8
based on 92 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Relaxing way to end a busy day!

Norma_F, Jul 2026
It was a very relaxing and peaceful experience. The guide was really knowledgeable and helpful. Thank you!

Peaceful Journey on the Bow River

Maynav_G, Jul 2026
We really enjoyed our evening wildlife group canoe trip on the Bow River with Tom. He was a great guide, friendly and fun. He told us some good tidbits about the area and history. We didn't get to see bears or elk, but we were able to see a handful of beavers along the banks of the river which was great. We also caught a few birds in flight. It was a peaceful journey. Would definitely recommend bringing and applying mosquito repellent and leaving backpacks/bags in the car as they are not needed for anything and kind of get in the way. But, definitely bring your phone to take photos of the scenery.

Operators were very nice...

Amish_P, Jun 2025
Operators were very nice and the canoe ride was relaxing but you don’t see much wildlife. I wouldn’t recommend.

Great experience!

Robyn_M, Aug 2024
Very calming experience after a long day of hiking. We saw some beavers, loon and Heron. Cam was our guide, super friendly and shared lots of interesting facts!

Fantastic staff, Beautiful river tour!!

Sheree_F, Aug 2024
This was a wonderful tour! The views were incredible and our guide, Nieve (spelling?), was fantastic! She gave us lots of local history facts and made every effort to make the trip as individual as possible. I would definitely book this trip again a the views from the water were just incredible!

Beautiful, leisurely, canoe trip.

Dan_K, Jun 2024
A nice easy paddle upriver and then a leisurely float back down. We were fortunate to see two bears, one chasing the other. We also saw beaver, weasel and ducks. Jacob was great at getting us all working together and was able to keep us entertained as we went along. It was definitely worth the time and money.

Fantastic experience

Drew_B, Jul 2023
We had a fantastic time on the tour with C.J. We had great weather and saw a lot of wildlife. The views are stunning!

Breathtaking scenery!

Tracy_H, Jul 2023
John, our guide, knew the history and fauna associated with the Bow River and told us many interesting stories along the way. The views from the water are breathtaking!

The water is clean.

KURUMI_E, Jun 2025
It was so much fun! Even beginners had fun, even though they had only explored Beaver Brothers canoes at Tokyo Disneyland! It’s really good that we’ve been able to get the numbers right instead of being told until the day before that it might be difficult due to the number of people! We'll be back until we find the beaver!
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From
-6%

$63.81

per person
Was $67.98

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

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 48 days in advance.

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