Say goodbye to stressing over your itinerary with these 5 amazing tours in Calgary
As a local, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit that I haven’t been to all of Calgary’s most famous attractions. What can I say, we have an abundance of great views and sceneries.
So whenever a chance to explore falls into my lap, I take it. Even if some of these chances involve me going along with my tourist friends to see my hometown.
At the end of the day, I have no regrets since I ended up learning a lot and seeing a bunch of places that I’ve never been to before. And it’s all thanks to a couple of tours that were more than worth it.
If you’re headed here soon or you’d just like to see more of your hometown, these are the best local-approved tours that’ll take you around the best of Calgary.
How much do tours cost in Calgary?
Tours in Calgary typically range from $80 to $300. This rate mostly depends on the length of your tour, the destinations included in your itinerary, and the tourist activities you want to do.
1. Banff Day Trips: Discover Banff – Premium Day Trip
Contact Details: [email protected] / (403) 597 6993
Business Hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- Sunday – 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Cost: $127
Banff Day Trips only allows a maximum of 12 people on their tour so they can give each one special treatment. After picking you up from your hotel, all 11 hours of the tour will just fly by with how comfortable and engaged you’ll be.
From this tour’s itinerary, we’re sure everyone will enjoy sightseeing at Lake Moraine, having lunch at Banff, and strolling along the shores of Lake Louise. During the winter, they’ll lend you some handy cleats or crampons for exploring.
Their guide’s recommendations won’t lead you astray. Whether it’s for the best place to get a snack from in the area or how to pose for a picture, you won’t regret following their suggestions.
The one thing we’d like a do-over with is how much time we spent in some of the locations. With a packed itinerary, all we could do in some places was to take photos before we were off again.
Unforgettable experience
“Unforgettable experience at Lake Louise, Lake Moraine, Bow Falls, Surprise Corner and Banff Street. Thanks to our guide Stephen for being a perfect story teller, knowledgeable about the area, helping with photo taking. Definitely a place to come back to and Banff Everyday Tours is highly recommended”
-Nyaradzo Mujuru, Google Review
An amazing day
“Our day was AMAZING and we have Stephen Anthony to thank for it. He was so correct in saying we should see Lake Moraine first, it was the BEST! He answered questions, guided us in the right direction and made us laugh all day. I highly recommend this to people of all ages and group sizes. A must see and with Stephen!!!”
-Nikki Anderson, Google Review
2. Rocky Mountain Trips: Explore Banff National Park – Premium Day Tour
Contact Details: [email protected] / +1 403 483 8480
Business Hours:
- Sunday to Friday – 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- Saturday – Closed
Cost: $150
Joining a Rocky Mountain Trips tour feels just like a party. But be warned, this is not the tour to take if you’re looking for something chill and mellow.
For starters, you’ll be going around in a minibus with a playlist that’ll keep you pumped all day. And although it’s optional, we found that hiking was crucial to make the most out of the tour.
The guide’s upbeat attitude is very infectious though. It’s hard not to grin from ear to ear for pictures when the person behind the camera has a big smile as well.
But besides being good at photography, the guides could practically be F1 drivers with how expertly they navigate snowy roads; all while telling hilarious jokes and informational tidbits.
From all the stops, the sites that stood out the most were Johnston Canyon and Bow Falls. Just remember to check ahead of your tour as some locations close depending on weather conditions.
Such a great experience
“Rocky Mountain trips was a such a great experience! Shoutout toTito and his team for taking their time to educate us on banff national park. Great trip with beautiful sceneries, very clean vehicles, confortable seats and safe driving! Overall recomend 100% this tour to anyone interested in going to banff national park!”
-Melvin Diaz, Google Review
You will not be disappointed
“If you’re on the fence about which tour company to book, look no further. Request Teddy as your guide! He is the absolute best. He was so informative about everything we saw and even answered every question we came up with along the way. He knows the area like the back of his hand and makes sure you see everything from the best view points. You will not be disappointed!”
-Timothy Odom, Google Review
3. Toonie Tours: Calgary Free Walking Tour
Contact Details: [email protected] / +1 (866) 643 1847
Business Hours:
- Monday, Thursday to Sunday – 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM
- Tuesday to Wednesday – Closed
Cost: Gratuity-Based
Toonie Tours offers one of the most unique tours available in Calgary. Would you believe us when we tell you that this tour is essentially free?
That’s because there’s no transportation provided. The tour is basically an urban hike, being that it covers around 7 kilometers and takes 3 hours to complete.
Sadly, the downside of this tour is in its set-up. As a walking tour, it’s not wheelchair friendly nor is it recommended for people with health concerns.
For the most part, though, you won’t really notice yourself getting tired. In fact, we were so engrossed with our guide’s deep knowledge and fascinating stories about the city that we happily and wholeheartedly gave them a good tip.
Tourists would benefit from doing this tour early on in their trip as it’ll help them get more familiar with the place. But even locals will likely gain something from it, such as lesser-known shortcuts and architectural easter eggs.
A great experience
“We did multiple walking tours with Toonie Tours while we were traveling around Canada, including this one in Calgary in the afternoon. As always, we had a great experience! Aida showed us the highlights of the city, in terms of architecture, art, and culture – while also telling us much about Calgary’s history. In a total of three hours we got a much better understanding and respect for the city.”
-Pim Willems, Google Review
A great tour
“We had a great tour with Greg today. The group was large but we could always hear and he really focused on keeping us in the shade and out of the heat. He had a fun personality and the time really flew by. We also moved a lot so not too much standing still for long periods of time. We really got a great overlook of downtown, so it would be an awesome thing to do first day in Calgary to get your bearings. Highly recommend!”
-Amy Hockema, Google Review
4. Vista Chase: Full Day Small Group – Banff, Lake Louise, Icefields Tour
Contact Details: +1 (825) 734 9456
Business Hours:
- Monday to Sunday – 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Cost: $249
What sets Vista Chase’s Full Day Banff Tour apart from the rest is how balanced the itinerary is. Besides the usual popular attractions, they also included some great under-the-radar spots, such as Crowfoot Glacier and Peyto Lake.
Even though there’s a schedule, they’re willing to tailor your tour depending on what you want to experience. They have a ton of options for you to choose from, whether it’s for where you want to eat or what you want to learn about.
The only problem with being very flexible is that the tours end up being very long sometimes. Some groups claim that their tours ran for 12 hours, resulting in a tiring yet fulfilling day.
When we asked previous customers, they all agreed that the guides here are extra kind, especially with the older members of their tour group. Through it all, their priority is to make sure that everyone is comfortable and having fun.
Enjoyed the entire day
“The most incredible day! Such breathtaking views and memories we will cherish forever! Thank you to Naveen for being the best tour guide, sharing all the history and stories from each destination and along the way. We enjoyed the entire day and will forever grateful this adventure!”
-Brittanie Renneboog, Google Review
Excellent and accommodating
“Naveen was excellent. He assisted us Southerners in the snowy/icy terrain. Was so accommodating with what we wanted to see. He scaled back the more rugged treks for us softies. Since we didn’t do the longer, harder hikes, he added a couple stops at the end around Banff. Naveen also made sure we got some awesome photos. He also took our photo at all the major, gorgeous, vantage points!”
-Alice Fay, Google Review
5. Vista Chase: Full Day Fully Customizable Private Tour – Banff
Contact Details: +1 (825) 734 9456
Business Hours:
- Monday to Sunday – 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Cost: $994
With Calgary being a treasure trove of sites, we had to include a private tour that’ll allow you to go anywhere you want. Thankfully, Vista Chase delivers a highly customizable experience that’s still hands-on and educational.
All you’ll have to do is let them know what you’re interested in seeing and they’ll map out the flow of the day for you.
These guys are masters of timing as well, flawlessly planning when to arrive for that picture-perfect moment. We’re not sure how but just like magic, they managed to get us to every location when it wasn’t crowded and when the lighting was best.
Just be prepared to shell out a good amount. It’s pricey since you get to call the shots, but it’s worth it for the unforgettable memories that you’ll make on the tour.
A wonderful time
“We’re definitely having a wonderful time with the private tour at vista chase! Our tour guide Rahul gave us a detailed schedule that covers most of the places we wanted to visit, and he was very passionate about his work!”
-Kexin Xia, Google Review
Worthy every penny
“We just finished our private tour with Naveen and it was amazing! We were on a tight timeline and he made it work. We did more in 4hrs than we could have alone. He had the day planned and we loved every minute of it. He also took great photos for us too!! Worth every penny. Highly recommend and we hope to come back!!!!”
-Chetna Sharma, Google Review