Wildlife on the Bow: Big Canoe Tour

Embark on a scenic canoe tour on the Bow River in Banff and discover animal habitats, behaviors, and conservation efforts. Spot bald eagles, elk, muskrats, and even a resident beaver. Learn about wildlife encounters and the challenges they face. Perfect for families!

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Wolf Street & Bow Avenue - Canoeing along the Bow River in Banff provides the perfect vantage point for spotting Canada’s famous wildlife. As you paddle, enjoy working as a team with your fellow paddlers while a guide navigates the big canoe and shares stories about animal habitats, behaviours and conservation. Learn best practice for wildlife…
What's Included
  • Paddles and Life Jackets
  • Live commentary on board
  • Other
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Additional Information

Experience the charm of the Bow River from our 12-passenger canoe. Embark on an early evening Big Canoe tour and gather interesting insights about the life and conservation of animals. Leave behind the buzzing Banff streets and plunge into the bosom of nature. Revel in the fun of paddling through the picturesque Bow, all the while watching out for the…

Location
Wolf Street & Bow Avenue
Please park at the Banff Train Station and walk to the Banff Canoe Club
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(77 Ratings)
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Lovetravel301131
Aug 14, 2025
fun for the whole family - This was a wonderful experience for our extended family of 13 with folks ranging from 14 to 83 years of age. Such a beautiful, tranquil river. Claire, our guide, was fantastic and kept us engaged and informed. She was such a personable and warm soul. Great experience all around.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N5024izjamesr
Jul 3, 2025
Leisurely family canoe trip. - Not sure whether I’ve chosen the correct tour- we went in the ‘River Explorer Canoe Tour’ 1.5 hours in a 12 person canoe. After booking in we were given a quick informative and light hearted talk about what wildlife we may encounter, health and safety and use of equipment. On the trip we all paddled with our rep, Mardi, giving direction and commentary. It was a relaxed pace and a very enjoyable ride, with Mardi adding to the experience giving history and nature talks as we initially paddled upstream for around 45 minutes against the flow. On the way back was easier with the flow, but at no point was the initial paddle difficult. Plenty of time for photos of the beautiful scenery.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Beckyprogers
Jul 1, 2025
Claire gave us an awesome experience canoeing on the Bow River- and we did see wildlife! - Claire was such a warm, knowledgeable guide! We saw a coyote, loon, two beavers and an osprey - so cool. It was a fun group experience, and the river was so peaceful and calm, with spectacular scenery.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amandamj7707av
Jun 30, 2025
Great Canoe Trip! - We very much enjoyed this canoe ride. I went with my husband and two teenaged boys. We felt safe at all times, and Abbey was a very friendly and informative guide. We saw a beaver and an osprey eating a fish up in a tree, and got some great photos of the mountains from the water. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rhonas117
Jun 22, 2025
Great canoe trip on the Bow River - Had a lovely evening on the river with our guide Claire, who was very knowledgeable and clearly had a passion for wildlife and conservation. Managed to glimpse a couple of muskrat and had a beaver swimming alongside the canoe briefly. The set up was well organised and efficient. Amazing experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kurumi_e
Jun 7, 2025
The water is clean. - It was so much fun! Even beginners had fun, even though they had only explored Beaver Brothers canoes at Tokyo Disneyland! It’s really good that we’ve been able to get the numbers right instead of being told until the day before that it might be difficult due to the number of people! We'll be back until we find the beaver!
Review provided by Viator
8caitlinf
Jun 5, 2025
Educational and fun - We had a great time at the wildlife tour! Our guide Claire had a lot of tidbits and fun facts about wild life that my husband and I continued to talk about the next day when we drove the ice fields parkway! We didn't see much wildlife but it was a peaceful paddle and we learned a lot!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Keldi123
Sep 27, 2024
Enjoyable paddle on the River Bow - My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed canoeing on the river Bow. We were travellers from Australia (68 & 70 years old) and had no trouble paddling. We got to see an elk, eagle & ‘Barry the beaver’. Commentary was excellent (sorry I can’t remember the fella’s name it was a couple of weeks ago). I was astounded to read a previous negative comment where the person in part stated ‘ Firstly it is very much a DIY trip, if you don't paddle you don't move!! I wonder if they thought the paddles were for decoration? Anyway, we enjoyed it and would recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amish_p
Jun 30, 2025
Operators were very nice... - Operators were very nice and the canoe ride was relaxing but you don’t see much wildlife. I wouldn’t recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Vlr49
Sep 22, 2024
disappointing - The paddles were too long, so kept hitting the ones infront and behind, even when everyone was actually rowing in time with each other. Canoe often felt as if it was going to roll over. Views along river okay, but nothing spectacular. Saw a couple of beavers but no other wildlife.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $62
up to 12 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).