Bus Tours
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 99% of travellers
99% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
C$95
per adult
Hop On Banff
Hop On Banff
5
7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
7:45 AM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
A 'Choose Your Own Adventure' style tour! Departing the Moose Hotel and Suites on Banff Avenue at 7:45am, 9:30am, 12:15pm or the Banff Train Station at 7:50am, 9:35am, 12:15 pm and looping around Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise Gondola, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake with the last bus arriving in Banff by 6:00pm every day. *IMPORTANT* The later you start the less you can see! On board each bus is an English-speaking host that will provide knowledge of the area, colorful stories, and also act as a personal concierge that can book other activities, simply take your photo, or even make dinner reservations for you.
Tours and Tickets by Hop On Banff
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
458 reviews
Excellent
451
Very good
5
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
1
jocelyn s
4 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
We booked the Hop On Banff bus so that we could see all the best tourist places around Banff without driving. I highly recommend this as it took you to Johnsons Canyon, Lake Louise and Lake Louise Gondola and Moraine Lake. From what we saw, driving there is a nightmare, the traffic is horrific so taking the bus just makes sense. Plus the drivers and the guides are all really nice, they take the time to talk to you and personalize your day making sure you know when and where to catch the bus and what to see. They also talk to you about the locations, the wildlife and the history of the area. We were able to plan our day and make it fit in with what interested us and what we wanted to do, as there was ample time at each stop. Best decision ever to book with them.
Written August 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Geraldine P
Shropshire, UK56 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
So pleased we booked this tour. We had a fantastic day and fitted so much in thanks to Tyler and Dominique assisting with our own adventure style tour. We managed to visit Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. At each destination we had plenty of time to explore and take photos before boarding the bus and going on to our next scenic stop. Great value for money and highly recommend.
Written September 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for appreciating our efforts and taking the time to leave a detailed review! It is so appreciated to hear from our guests, we cannot thank you enough for joining us.
Written September 26, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SightseerPDX
Portland, OR6 contributions
Sept 2022
Tyler was our guide (and owner) for most the stops of this creative tour company. He helped us figure out which route was the best for us to do. We would highly recommend this tour. Great way to see Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and Johnston Canyon. It would have been impossible to find parking if we had driven ourselves. Tyler is very personable and the other tour guide is very humorous.
Written September 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review, and I am happy to hear that you can tell that we love what we do.
Written September 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Laura41671
Medford, MA43 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
This was an excellent arrangement, including the easy access to Crater Lake which would have been difficult otherwse. I do wish that we had gotten up earlier and gone on the first bus. But the second bus worked well, also, because it gave us extra time at Lake Louise so we could hike up to the west-side lookout. Both of our drivers were very helpful with information not only about the day itself but also about other places to hike around town.
Written November 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lorna H
21 contributions
This tour is the absolute best and only way that people should travel if they are planning to see Moraine Lake on their tour around Banff National Park. While we chose to do Moraine Lake first, then Lake Louise, then Johnston Canyon, I was shocked that even when we arrived at Moraine Lake first thing in the morning (we had taken the first available bus from Banff), the line-up for cars was insane and people were already being turned away. Meanwhile, our little school bus got to simply coast on past all the waiting cars and go in. I heard so many stories of people being turned away and missing it. The hop-on-hop-off gives you guaranteed access.
On top of that, the guides on the bus were super friendly and helpful with planning the trip for the day. They went to every single person/group and made sure they had their day organized. They helped to tailor the day’s plan around what would be the best route for me since I had two small children (3 and 6) with me, and they made both kids feel super cool and special by paying extra attention to them.
The bus was comfortable and warm ( we had the heater on as even though it was August, that day was only 6 degrees Celsius). The bus was never full for any leg of the trip except the last bus home which was also the last bus of the day from Johnston Canyon.
The buses are easy to spot for getting on and off at the locations, they were on time at each destination and they were clean and friendly. I would recommend this option to absolutely everyone.
On top of that, the guides on the bus were super friendly and helpful with planning the trip for the day. They went to every single person/group and made sure they had their day organized. They helped to tailor the day’s plan around what would be the best route for me since I had two small children (3 and 6) with me, and they made both kids feel super cool and special by paying extra attention to them.
The bus was comfortable and warm ( we had the heater on as even though it was August, that day was only 6 degrees Celsius). The bus was never full for any leg of the trip except the last bus home which was also the last bus of the day from Johnston Canyon.
The buses are easy to spot for getting on and off at the locations, they were on time at each destination and they were clean and friendly. I would recommend this option to absolutely everyone.
Written January 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review is awesome! Thank you so much.
We definitely had some beautiful yet chilly days last summer and it's really great to hear that you were comfortable on board.
We pride ourselves on service and ease of access to the top attractions in Banff. It has been something that we work extremely hard to achieve every day and it is appreciated more than we can express when our guests can enjoy our hard work as you did.
Thank you and your children for joining us,
The HopOnBanff Ltd. Team
Written February 5, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BarnsleyDave2011
Didcot, UK34 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
We joined the bus at the Moose Hotel in Banff and spent a full and entertaining day in the park area. What you get is a well-informed commentary from a knowledgeable guide and the opportunity to speak with the guide one to one, to help you to choose the best options for you and so get the most out of your time. It helps to study the information on the website before booking, but you don't have to pick your detailed itinerary in advance, you can speak with a guide first. We spent time at Johnston Canyon, Lake Louise and the Moraine Lake. There was no lost time looking for somewhere to park a car or finding the trails; in particular, parking near the lakes is a real problem in the Summer holiday season and some vehicles are turned away. The area was very busy but we got the most out of our time by following the advice received. There are no guarantees of wildlife sightings, but there are fantastic landscapes to view and the guides helped us to concentrate on the most likely wildlife sighting places. This tour was so much more informative than those hop on hop off efforts that provide you with headphones and a standard, pre-recorded commentary. We were delighted with our day out.
Written August 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is such a great recommendation to other travellers and we thank you for taking the time to make it.
Our website hoponbanff.com has been designed in such a way as to answer as many questions as you can possibly ask. The great thing though, as you noted, is that there are very experienced guides on board each bus to help put all the pieces together for every traveler.
Thank you for coming out with us!
Written August 15, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Natalie
New Jersey59 contributions
Jul 2019
When looking up things to do in Banff, I randomly came across a blogger's list of "must-sees" and this tour was included. The reviews were all phenomenal, but could that really be true? Oh, yes!
I was initially hesitant about the price because I was coming with a family of four, and in my mind when I hear about a hop-on hop-off bus, I think of the buses in major cities and I thought it was a bit much, but after having gone on the bus, it's absolutely worth it.
My family and I picked up the bus at the train station in the morning. There were only two other couples on there. Dominque was the first person we encountered on the bus and she helped us plan our stops for the day. One thing I noticed in the reviews was the number of people who commented about being able to ride on a school bus. During one of their talks on the bus, they mentioned this, which I thought was funny. Although everyone on our bus was from the US, so it was no big deal. However, they certainly weren't super bumpy like every other school bus I've ridden on.
My family and I got off at the first stop (Johnston Canyon), where we stayed and explored for quite some time until the next bus came. By now there was a lot more traffic in the park, which put us a bit behind schedule. This time we were on Tyler's bus and he did his best to keep us informed while still sharing his knowledge about the park. Even though we were behind schedule, we were still able to visit Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (we even got to cut off all the traffic waiting to get up to Lake Louise, which was a nice bonus!) and were given the same amount of time had we been on time.
As we made our way back to our starting point we were on a bus with a handful of people, but Dominque took her time to sit down with each group and helped each one plan the rest of their time in Banff. Since my family did this on our first day, which I HIGHLY recommend, we had ideas of how we wanted to spend our remaining time in Banff, but were unsure of our schedule. Dominque spent no less than 10 minutes helping us plan where to go, what to see, and where to eat. We ended up following most of her recommendations (would have followed them all if we had the time!) and we loved them all. It's doubtful we would have stopped at some of the places had we not spoken with her.
Lastly, one thing that always worries me a bit about these kinds of bus tours is how informative the guides will be. Well, my worries were put to rest because both Dominque and Tyler were amazing. They both shared a wealth of knowledge as well as personal stories that were the furthest thing from the usual corny stories you hear on most every other tour. For the remainder of my family's vacation we were continuously remembering little nuggets of info that we heard on the bus. "Didn't Tyler say that?" and "Wasn't that something Dominque suggested?" were two things we said quite often.
I plan on visiting Banff again in the near future with a different group, and I've already told them we will be doing this. It's the PERFECT way to see all of the must-see spots in Banff.
I was initially hesitant about the price because I was coming with a family of four, and in my mind when I hear about a hop-on hop-off bus, I think of the buses in major cities and I thought it was a bit much, but after having gone on the bus, it's absolutely worth it.
My family and I picked up the bus at the train station in the morning. There were only two other couples on there. Dominque was the first person we encountered on the bus and she helped us plan our stops for the day. One thing I noticed in the reviews was the number of people who commented about being able to ride on a school bus. During one of their talks on the bus, they mentioned this, which I thought was funny. Although everyone on our bus was from the US, so it was no big deal. However, they certainly weren't super bumpy like every other school bus I've ridden on.
My family and I got off at the first stop (Johnston Canyon), where we stayed and explored for quite some time until the next bus came. By now there was a lot more traffic in the park, which put us a bit behind schedule. This time we were on Tyler's bus and he did his best to keep us informed while still sharing his knowledge about the park. Even though we were behind schedule, we were still able to visit Lake Louise and Moraine Lake (we even got to cut off all the traffic waiting to get up to Lake Louise, which was a nice bonus!) and were given the same amount of time had we been on time.
As we made our way back to our starting point we were on a bus with a handful of people, but Dominque took her time to sit down with each group and helped each one plan the rest of their time in Banff. Since my family did this on our first day, which I HIGHLY recommend, we had ideas of how we wanted to spend our remaining time in Banff, but were unsure of our schedule. Dominque spent no less than 10 minutes helping us plan where to go, what to see, and where to eat. We ended up following most of her recommendations (would have followed them all if we had the time!) and we loved them all. It's doubtful we would have stopped at some of the places had we not spoken with her.
Lastly, one thing that always worries me a bit about these kinds of bus tours is how informative the guides will be. Well, my worries were put to rest because both Dominque and Tyler were amazing. They both shared a wealth of knowledge as well as personal stories that were the furthest thing from the usual corny stories you hear on most every other tour. For the remainder of my family's vacation we were continuously remembering little nuggets of info that we heard on the bus. "Didn't Tyler say that?" and "Wasn't that something Dominque suggested?" were two things we said quite often.
I plan on visiting Banff again in the near future with a different group, and I've already told them we will be doing this. It's the PERFECT way to see all of the must-see spots in Banff.
Written October 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This sums up the HopOnBanff experience better than any of us could have ever said! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a detailed review about your experience.
And thank you even more for explaining to others about how we were able to exceed all of your expectations.
We are so much more than just a hop-on bus tour. Our guides all have local knowledge and are never just reading from some script. It is great to hear that our information not only helped you with the rest of your vacation, but also that you remembered us throughout.
Thank you so much, and we look forward to having you on board again!
Written October 21, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Elle
8 contributions
Aug 2019
The parking situation at Lake Louise and Morraine Lake is unbelievable (there are limited spots and you will have trouble/be turned away from parking between 7 am and 6 pm. Therefore, having this tour allowed you to see both on the same day and in the sunlight (which impacts how the water looks).
Beyond the convenience of seeing these two stunning places in one day and with sunlight, our guides Dominique and Tyler were both friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Dominique even brought some pamphlets, photos of her own, and other memorabilia to help us understand the information. We adored them both.
Later, Dominique also gave us a map for the following day to explore Banff better, which we used and were very thankful for. Domonique is truly a gem.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE IN BANFF FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME!
Beyond the convenience of seeing these two stunning places in one day and with sunlight, our guides Dominique and Tyler were both friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Dominique even brought some pamphlets, photos of her own, and other memorabilia to help us understand the information. We adored them both.
Later, Dominique also gave us a map for the following day to explore Banff better, which we used and were very thankful for. Domonique is truly a gem.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE IN BANFF FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME!
Written August 31, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dominique is the 'Diamond in the rough' at HopOnBanff. How she deals with the rest of us here boggles the mind.
She is the mastermind behind the scheduling and the only thing that keeps us all in line on a day to day basis..
Thank you for joining us and it is amazing to hear that you got to have her, the Top Boss, as your leading guide on board of our buses!
Written September 2, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Caroline K
19 contributions
Aug 2019
The buses ran to time and there were several options available. We got the early bus and chose to stop at Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and Johnston Canyon. Cars were unable to access the car parks as they were so busy but the bus was allowed access making the most of the amazing scenery. The guides were informative and helpful, we even saw a young black bear on the journey. Would absolutely recommend this Hop on tour.
Written August 26, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have taken to calling our tour a 'Chose your own adventure' tour and it's great to hear how well it worked for you. The flexibility to see what you want has been what sets us apart.
Cruising past lineups and stopping for wildlife sightings is just the icing on the cake.
Thank you so much for your review!
Written August 28, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
S P
Detroit, MI31 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
Me and my husband and three young boys signed up for the Hop-On Banff Bus. At first, I wasn't sure if it was worth the money. We joined the 9:30 pick up which was efficient and made our way to Johnston Canyon, and then to the Lake Louis Gondola, followed by the small town in Lake Louise and then to the Chateau. We got there about an hour and half later, so I thought, maybe it would've been better had we taken our own car and not made so many stops. But I was wrong. The parking lot was full at Lake Louise, and I heard the overflow lotadds a couple of hours to your trip because you have to walk far and take a shuttle. Our friends said the same for Lake Moraine and Johnston Canyon...both run out of space and parking is close to impossible. Our guides were informative and shared interesting history and facts about the park that we would not have otherwise known. They also stopped and chatted with each of us to help us plan an itinerary and based on our desires and time constraints. They were super nice and very professional. After each stop, our guides would point us towards the hiking trails and indicate which ones are a must and which ones we could skip. With five of us, it was very pricey, but chances of us coming back soon from so far away are slim so we would rather do it right the first time. Our friends from Calgary were so impressed that we managed to squeeze all three stops in on one day, so I would say it was worth it. Plus, we were able to enjoy everything stress free.
Written August 25, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I appreciate the honesty of your review and truly thank you for showing others the value we offer. It is so much more than just transportation with HopOnBanff.
On the surface for a family of five, you are right, it may seem expensive so it feels really good to know that we were able to deliver an experience so good that it warranted you taking the time to let others know about it in such a positive way.
Get to the top attractions, dropped off steps from every trail or lake, guides on board to answer questions and give suggestions, no parking hassles, a personalized itinerary, AND it impressed locals that you were able to accomplish all of that in one day. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Thank you, and all the best to you and your family!
Written August 28, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No, pets are not permitted on board. Only certified service animals.
In Canada, service dogs are defined in
section 1(1) of the Accessible
Transportation for Persons with
Disabilities Regulations.
These regulations define a service dog as “individually trained by an organization or person specializing in service dog training to perform a task to assist a person with a disability with a need related to their disability.”
Hope this helps!
Written August 27, 2024
I already booked for Summer holiday next year. Can I start this trip and get on the bus at Samson mall 9:20 in the morning, not from banff??
Written October 5, 2022
Can i bring my small dog in the hop on bus? she will be on her carrier
Written March 19, 2022
Only certified service dogs are allowed on the buses as per Transport Canada's rules.
Written June 13, 2022
We will be in Banff 4th-8th October 2020. Is the tour still operating at this time??
Written December 14, 2019
Unfortunately no. The season is from May 30th to Sept 27th 2020.
Written January 4, 2020
Hi, I see your 2020 schedule does not start until 30th May. We were planning to use the service on 26th May. Do you have alternative or a skeleton service during that week?
Written December 8, 2019
We do not, but you can contact Banff Adventures or look at Roam Transit for help and ideas for travel during those dates.
Written December 10, 2019
I will be in Banff from 08 Jan 2020. How long before I arrive can I book tickets for the hop on hop off bus? Thanks
Written September 24, 2019
As long as they are open. Not sure of winter schedule however. Very helpful folks, contact them via website
Written September 24, 2019
All visitors to Banff are required to purchase a Park Pass. You can purchase them online through Banff Lake Louise Tourism's website. Just google 'purchase park pass online'.
You do not need to show it to ride the tour.
Written September 17, 2019
Hi,
We will be staying at Canmore , is it too far for us to book your tour since the bus leaves early morning?
Written September 8, 2019
Not at all. Canmore is a 20 minute drive from Banff. Roam transit connects the two towns if you don't have a car.
If driving then park at the Banff Train Station. There is free parking there for the day.
Written September 8, 2019
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