Around Banff Winter Tour
Most people visit Banff in summer. The ones who come in winter tend to describe something they didn't expect: the quiet, the cold clarity of the air, the way the mountains look under snow. And the wildlife. In winter, the animals stop hiding.
The summer crowds are gone, the peaks are white, and Bow Falls freezes solid. Elk, wolves, and coyotes move through open snow in the middle of the day, visible from the road in a way summer makes impossible. This private tour picks you up at your door in Canmore, Harvie Heights, or Banff and takes you through five of the park's best winter locations with a local guide.
What You Will See
Six kilometres from the Banff townsite and frozen solid by December. The open meadow on both sides of the road is where elk and wolves move most visibly in winter.
Frozen by December
Two Jack Lake
Banff's largest lake. Sections of the surface freeze in winter, and the shoreline road stays one of the most reliable wildlife-viewing locations in the park.
Banff's largest lake
Lake Minnewanka
Ancient sedimentary pillars on the east side of the Bow Valley, dusted in snow. The trail to the viewpoint stays open all winter.
~10,000 years old
The Hoodoos
The 9-metre falls where the Spray meets the Bow River. By February it often freezes solid into columns and curtains of ice, a flat 1.2-kilometre walk from the lot.
Often frozen by February
Bow Falls
The bend above the Bow River where the Banff Springs Hotel and the surrounding peaks frame together. The view is better in snow than without it.
Most photographed view
Surprise Corner
Group
Private, your group only
Included
Transportation, local guide, all four stops
Pickup
Door-to-door from Canmore, Harvie Heights, or Banff
This tour explores Banff National Park. A Parks Canada pass is required for entry and should be purchased in advance at parks.canada.ca
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