Banff Highlights and Wildlife Small Group Tour with Gondola
At a glance
Banff Highlights and Wildlife Small Group Tour with Gondola is a 4h small-group experience in Banff, Canada, operated by Radventures. Travellers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 51 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor. Prices start from $236.97 per person, and free cancellation is available. Included: Comfortable, premium transportation, Banff Gondola Admission, Hot drinks (hot chocolate, coffee, or tea) & sweet treat – winter only.
Highlights
- Small group of up to 12 people for a more personal experience
- Free cancellation for flexible planning
- 7 stops in one well-planned itinerary
Quick facts
- Duration
- 4h
- Group
- Small group, up to 12 travellers
- Languages
- English
- Pickup
- Meet at the start point
- Confirmation
- Instant confirmation
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation (see policy)
Overview
From Banff’s hidden corners to the top of its world.
Most visitors see Banff from the main street. This half day takes you somewhere else entirely. We slip off the beaten path to quiet lakes, secret viewpoints, and wildlife corridors the big buses never reach. Elk, bighorn sheep, and bears move freely out here and we spot animals on 95% of tours.
Your guide shares the real stories of this place, the history, the ecology, the little details only someone who actually lives here knows. Then, just when you think you’ve seen it all, the gondola takes you up. And the whole Rockies opens up beneath you in every direction. Four hours that take you from the hidden heart of Banff to the top of its world.
From the quiet corners to the highest peaks, the real Banff in half a day.
What's included
What's included
- Comfortable, premium transportation
- Banff Gondola Admission
- Hot drinks (hot chocolate, coffee, or tea) & sweet treat – winter only
- Polaroid souvenir
- Fresh water refills (BYO bottle)
- Small group experience (max 12 guests)
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off at select Banff locations
Not included
- Guide gratuities (optional)
Itinerary
-
Stop 1
Your local guide tailors the itinerary for each tour.
Every day, we connect with other tour operators and Banff locals to gather wildlife sightings, and factor in seasonal weather and bus tour schedules, so you get the most authentic experience of the day, without the crowds.
The stops listed below are just some of what you'll see on this tour. -
Stop 2 · 15m
Head up Mount Norquay, home to Banff's first ski resort, to one of our favourite viewpoints over the town of Banff and the mountains that surround it.
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Stop 3 · 30m
Keep an eye out for bears, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, coyotes, foxes, and other wildlife as we travel deep into Banff National Park to the glacier-fed waters of Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake.
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Stop 4 · 20m
Take a short walk to one of Banff National Park's red chair spots, with sweeping views of the hoodoos and the Canadian Rockies as they stretch across the Bow Valley.
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Stop 5 · 15m
Look up through the alpine forest on Tunnel Mountain to the Fairmont Banff Springs, the famous local hotel that looks like a castle in the sky.
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Stop 6 · 15m
Visit Bow Falls, the backdrop for a famous scene in the 1954 Marilyn Monroe film "River of No Return."
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Stop 7 · 1h
Ride to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for sweeping 360° alpine views.
Meeting point
Meet at the Bus loading Zone outside Fairmont Shops by turn circle.
Pickup times (15 min after tour start):
Summer:
May 1 – Jun 31: 4:45pm
Jun 1 – Jul 31: 5:45pm
Aug 1 – 31: 4:45pm
Sept 1 – 30: 3:45pm
Oct 1 – 12: 3:15pm
Winter:
Oct 13 – Apr 30: 1:15pm
Please be ready 10 min before departure.
Meet at the front of the hotel on Banff Ave.
Pickup times (10 min after tour start):
Summer:
May 1 – Jun 31: 4:40pm
Jun 1 – Jul 31: 5:40pm
Aug 1 – 31: 4:40pm
Sept 1 – 30: 3:40pm
Oct 1 – 12: 3:10pm
Winter:
Oct 13 – Apr 30: 1:10pm
Please be ready 10 min before departure.
Meet at the front of the hotel.
Pickup times (5 min after tour start):
Summer:
May 1 – Jun 31: 4:35pm
Jun 1 – Jul 31: 5:35pm
Aug 1 – 31: 4:35pm
Sept 1 – 30: 3:35pm
Oct 1 – 12: 3:05pm
Winter:
Oct 13 – Apr 30: 1:05pm
Please be ready 10 min before departure.
Meet at the Bus Zone on Elk Street, by the roundabout across from the Station, next to the Banff sign.
Pickup times:
Summer:
May 1 – Jun 31: 4:30pm
Jun 1 – Jul 31: 5:30pm
Aug 1 – 31: 4:30pm
Sept 1 – 30: 3:30pm
Oct 1 – 12: 3:00pm
Winter:
Oct 13 – Apr 30: 1:00pm
Please be ready 10 min before.
Meet at the front of the hotel on Banff Ave.
Pickup times:
Summer (5 min before tour start)
May 1 – Jun 31: 4:25pm
Jun 1 – Jul 31: 5:25pm
Aug 1 – 31: 4:25pm
Sept 1 – 30: 3:25pm
Oct 1 – 12: 2:55pm
Winter (5 min before tour start)
Oct 13 – Apr 30: 12:55pm
Please be ready 10 min before departure.
Meet at the front of the hotel on Banff Ave.
Pickup times:
Summer (10 min before tour start)
May 1 – Jun 31: 4:20pm
Jun 1 – Jul 31: 5:20pm
Aug 1 – 31: 4:20pm
Sept 1 – 30: 3:20pm
Oct 1 – 12: 2:50pm
Winter (5 min before tour start)
Oct 13 – Apr 30: 12:55pm
Please be ready 10 min before departure.
Meet at the front of the hotel on Banff Ave.
Pickup times:
Summer (10 min before tour start)
May 1 – Jun 31: 4:20pm
Jun 1 – Jul 31: 5:20pm
Aug 1 – 31: 4:20pm
Sept 1 – 30: 3:20pm
Oct 1 – 12: 2:50pm
Winter (5 min before tour start)
Oct 13 – Apr 30: 12:55pm
Please be ready 10 min before departure.
Good to know
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children 8 and under are unable to join our small group adventures
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Banff Highlights and Wildlife Small Group Tour with Gondola take?
The experience lasts about 4h.
How much does it cost?
Prices start from $236.97 per person. The final price depends on the date, time and number of travellers, and is confirmed on Viator before you pay.
What's included?
Comfortable, premium transportation; Banff Gondola Admission; Hot drinks (hot chocolate, coffee, or tea) & sweet treat – winter only; Polaroid souvenir; Fresh water refills (BYO bottle); Small group experience (max 12 guests).
Where does it start?
Meet at the Bus loading Zone outside Fairmont Shops by turn circle. Pickup times (15 min after tour start): Summer: May 1 – Jun 31: 4:45pm Jun 1 – Jul 31: 5:45pm Aug 1 – 31: 4:45pm Sept 1 – 30: 3:45pm Oct 1 – 12: 3:15pm Winter: Oct 13 – Apr 30: 1:15pm Please be ready 10 min…
Can I cancel?
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Which languages is it offered in?
It is guided in English.
Is it worth it?
Travellers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 51 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor, which places it among the top-rated experiences in Banff.
