Banff Winter Tour: Explore Frozen Waterfalls & Wildlife at Lake Louise and Johnston Canyon

Embark on a thrilling winter tour in Banff, Canada, exploring frozen waterfalls, wildlife, and the stunning beauty of Lake Louise. Join expert guides for an unforgettable adventure!

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Banff National Park - On this tour, your Radventures guide will determine the best times to visit each of the following locations, in no particular order, based on weather conditions, big bus tour schedules & a few other factors that we as locals consider to ensure that you, as our guests, are getting the best and most authentic experience on the day.

Adventuring outside deep in the heart of Banff National Park is a phenomenal experience in any season!

That being said, this is a part of the world where weather can change in an instant and temperatures stay well below freezing for most of the winter. Please layer up and dress for being outside in freezing temperatures! Please also ensure you have warm, waterproof footwear on.

  • Lake Louise - Lace up your ice-skates & strap on your snowshoes on the world famous Lake Louise and glide across the ice & snow as you marvel in the incredible scenery around you.

With 2 hours here you will have lots of time to ice skate on the lake, explore the lakeside trails on snowshoe or foot, be amazed by the lakefront ice sculptures and check out the incredible hotel interior & shops. There is something to do here for every guest no matter your desired activity level!

Upon arrival, your guide will show you all the important landmarks and provide all the information you’ll need to explore the lake at your own pace before demonstrating how to use the snowshoes & ice skates (small extra cost, please contact Radventures BEFORE booking).

Once everyone is settled into their Lake Louise adventures, your guide will remain with the tour van to allow for guests to come and go as they please to pick-up/drop-off gear and to have access to a warm spot to relax as well as their belongings.

  • Johnston Canyon - Experience the incredible beauty of Banff National Park’s epic frozen winter wonderland at Johnston Canyon!

Upon arrival, your guide will equip you with crampons/ice-cleats & hiking poles and deliver amazing stories & fun facts as you explore the mellow trail together to the Lower Falls (approx 30 mins/1.2km/0.75 miles/50m elevation gain one way).

Once at the Lower Falls, guests will have the option to return to the warm comfort of the tour van or to continue to the Upper Falls (an additional 30 mins/1.3km/0.8 miles/70m elevation gain) to be amazed by the biggest & most awe-inspiring frozen waterfalls in the canyon and encourage the daredevil ice climbers scaling their way up the frozen canyon walls.

The return trip from the trailhead to the Upper Falls is 2 hours/5.0km/3.1 miles/120m elevation gain in total and is suitable for those with moderate fitness levels.

Physical activity on this tour is encouraged but not mandatory & guests may choose to relax instead of hike.

  • Bow Valley Parkway - Soak in the incredible views of towering mountains, huge glaciers & alpine forest whilst keeping an eye out for wildlife as we travel along the awe-inspiring backroads of Banff National Park between Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon & Banff.
  • Banff - On Radventures full day epic guided adventures, our expert local guides like to throw in a surprise or two along the way to really make our guests day!

On this tour, we guarantee visiting Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon & experiencing the beauty of the Bow Valley Parkway at a minimum.

In between or before/after these stops, your guides will utilize all their local experience and knowledge of the weather, how to avoid big bus schedules & recent wildlife sightings to make more stops and show you one or more of the following:

  • Lake Minnewanka
  • Two Jack Lake
  • Hoodoos Lookout
  • Mt Norquay Viewpoint
  • Cave & Basin
  • Vermillion Lakes
  • Surprise Corner
  • Bow Falls
  • And/or one of our many epic secret spots that we have to keep secret!
  • Lake Louise - Around 12pm - 1pm, we will make a short stop for lunch at Samson Mall in Lake Louise Village.

Guests will be able to choose to buy lunch at the local cafe or bakery, or purchase a bagged lunch from Bare Bistro in advance (extra cost, please contact Radventures before booking). Guests are also welcome to BYO.

Please note: We are in a remote part of the Rockies and options for buying lunch can be limited for guests with dietary restrictions. For more information, please contact Radventures before booking.

What's Included
  • Pick-up & drop-off at Banff Train Station (for hotel pick-up contact Radventures BEFORE booking)
  • Our guides are equipped with photography skills to aid in immortalizing your memories
  • Hot drinks (hot chocolate, coffee or tea)
  • Intimate, small group guarantee (Max 12 guests)
  • Upscale, modern & spacious transportation with large panoramic windows
  • Essential gear: ice cleats/crampons and hiking poles
  • Ice cold water refills (please BYO water bottle)
  • Expert local guides
What's Not Included
  • Ice skates & snowshoes hire for use on Lake Louise (please contact Radventures before booking)
  • Pick up from hotels in Banff or Canmore (please contact Radventures before booking for availability)
  • Lunch (Please bring money to buy, BYO or contact before booking to purchase a picnic lunch)
  • Tips for our dedicated guides (entirely optional but always appreciated)
Additional Information

Set out on a full day of winter exploration in the Canadian Rockies, immersing yourself in the crystalline beauty of Lake Louise, the mystique of frozen waterfalls, and more, coupled with local insights that only our expert guides know.

Lake Louise Ice Adventure: Explore the famous Lake Louise, framed by glaciers and mountains. Whether iceskating, snowshoeing, walking or sipping Irish coffee at the luxury hotel, an unforgettable experience awaits.

Johnston Canyon’s Ice Magic: Walk snowy trails to mesmerizing frozen waterfalls, leaving a deep sense of awe.

Wildlife Watch: Be alert at known spots to observe the region’s wildlife.

A Special Day’s End: After Lake Louise & Johnston Canyon, your local guide will surprise you with a hidden gem, offering potential wildlife encounters and overlooked vistas.

Craft Your Radventure: Our intimate tours bond travelers. Yet, if you have your own goals, feel free to explore on your own. Ask your guide for local tips to enhance your journey.

  • Children 6 and under are not able to join our small group adventures (please contact Radventures if travelling with children for alternative options)
  • Not recommended for travelers with mobility issues
  • Minimum age is 8 years old (please contact Radventures if travelling with children under 8 for alternative options)
Location
Banff Train Station
Railway Avenue
Park in the free parking lot. Please meet our guide at the front of the Banff Train Station building and allow an extra 5 minutes for parking and walking to the meet point. For select hotel pick-ups in Banff & Lake Louise please contact Radventures before booking.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(40 Ratings)
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Jonathan
May 30, 2024
Terrific, full day of beautiful places - Taylor was a great guide for a full day. Learned lots of history about the area, wildlife, how Banff and Lake Louise were developed, and so on. We also learned how you don’t mess with Parks Canada! After a pick up at our hotel, the first stop was Johnston Canyon Falls. We had a beautiful hike to the lower Falls. It was cold, but the water was rushing quickly and was really beautiful. We decided to skip walking to the upper Falls, heading instead straight to Lake Louise after a quick lunch break…. And we had all four seasons in the space of about an hour! We had hail falling on us while we had our lunch, as well as beautiful, bright sunshine, lots of wind, and snow and rain at other times during the day. Taylor took us for a walk all the way to the back end of the lake. The colors of the water were incredible; the lake had not yet finished thawing, so we heard the crinkling of ice like windchimes. Taylor explained how the colors of the lake are formed by “rock flour” being scoured off of the mountains by snow melt. We are really impressed with this company. The tours are well thought out, and the guides are fantastic. We had a variety of physical abilities in our group, and Taylor was very flexible in terms of giving us options to accommodate the needs and pacing of various people.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V9106ennikkid
May 27, 2024
Awesome post engagement tour!! - Our Tour guide Nathan is the best!! Very knowledgeable and very friendly! He is super cool and fun to be with , we feel guilty that we were not able to give him tip , i guess canada dont have zelle or venmo , very respecful to his clients
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Missy_b
May 9, 2024
Excellent - Beautiful tour in May to Lake Louis and Johnston canyon. We really enjoyed our hike at Johnston canyon. We got to visit 2 other lakes because the weather ended up being on our side. Ray our tour guide was amazing. She was very knowledgeable and can tell she loves her job. THANK YOU for all the amazing suggestions to do
Review provided by Viator
Maddyandmark
May 7, 2024
Great tour of the highlights - Full day group tour- although we were lucky to be the only 2 guests. Early in the season so relatively few people at all the sites and very helpful and informative guide in Rae, made for some beautiful walks with opportunities for wildlife spotting and scenic shots. Recommended highly.
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David_n
May 4, 2024
Wonderful experience - The sightseeings was absolutely beautiful and our tour guide Rae was amazing, friendly, and knowledgable.
Review provided by Viator
Amitavabhattachary
May 4, 2024
A visit to Lake Louis and the Canyons - Absolutely amazing day out with Simone our guide. Be it the Johnston Canyon or the snow blanketed Lake Louise - they will fascinating . Simone helped us with the hiking accessories time and again - really liked his co-operative attitude . Also one surprise Stop at the Marble Canyon BC . A blessed day indeed !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Coleen_h
Apr 29, 2024
A winter wonderland it was - Our guide Michael was amazing. He was very friendly and attentive to our needs. He is also a good photographer which meant we got great photos of Johnston's Canon and Lake Louise.
Review provided by Viator
Wailamivan_t
Apr 28, 2024
Worth visiting Banff - Our tour guide Simon did a great job in accompanying us in exploring the trails, we enjoyed the hiking a lot especially with his knowledgeable explanations on the landscapes and the plantation.
Review provided by Viator
Pstan90
Apr 22, 2024
Absolutely incredible experience with Tyler - This is one of the best trips we’ve ever done - the hike along Johnstone canyon was just right in length and with incredible views - lake Louise was stunning - and as an added bonus we got to see the Boss !!! - spwcial thanks to Tyler who got the balance between humour and guiding spot on and made the day extra special.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Starlessfurball
Mar 17, 2024
Winter Wonderland Tour with Rae was amazing and exceeded expectations! - When I booked this tour, I had high expectations based on all the glowing reviews. Somehow, even those high expectations were exceeded during our Winter Wonderland tour with Rae. She put us at ease at every turn and we had the best time! Couldn’t recommend this tour and her enough!
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