Ticket Hall

Banff Basin and Town Self-Guided Walking Tour (No Ticket)

3.47 reviews

  • 1–2 hours
  • Free cancellation up to 24h before
  • Guided in English
  • Instant confirmation

Highlights

This isn't an entrance ticket to the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. Get up close and personal with Banff's famous hot springs with this self-guided walking tour, which features the Cave and Basin National Historic Site and follows one of the national park's most renowned riverside trails. Uncover the history of the springs, find out how their discovery created all sorts of legal drama, and dig into lesser-known aspects of Banff's history along the way. As you stroll, you'll also enjoy amazing wilderness scenery and breathtaking views of the Bow River. After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

Inclusions

What's included

  • Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
  • Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
  • Just bring your phone and headphones; the app guides your walk.
  • Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
  • Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
  • Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
  • Private walking tour experience for your family or group.
  • Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
  • Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.

What's not

  • No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.

Itinerary

  1. Here, underground hot springs create gorgeous natural pools which stay warm year-round—even in Canada’s harsh winters! For thousands of years, people of the First Nations lived around these springs. Note: This 2.2+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of Banff's Cave and Basin in 1-2 hours. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

    10 min

  2. During the first World War, the Canadian military established the Castle Mountain Internment Camp here in Banff National Park. But who was interned in this camp? Enemy soldiers? German officers?

    Passes by

  3. This easy and popular hike hugs the Bow River and offers beautiful views of the wetland, hot springs, and the mountains beyond.

    Passes by

  4. Up ahead, in the distance, stands Sulphur Mountain, the summit of which was once home to a high tech research station. It was called the Cosmic Ray Station, and it studied rays emitted by the sun.

    Passes by

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

3.4

  • 53
  • 40
  • 32
  • 21
  • 11

Ratings come from 7 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

Meeting point
Begin from 311 Cave Ave, Banff, AB T1L 1K2, Canada. After booking the tour, search your emails and texts for "audio tour". Your tour is VALID FOREVER, so follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.
Pickup
Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
Ticket type
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operated by
Adventures with Action
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
  • Private tour: Follow the route on your phone without an in-person guide or crowded group.
  • At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
  • Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
  • Multi-device access: Use the same password on one device for each traveler included in your booking.
  • More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.

How it compares in Banff

  • Its from-price is 90% below the median of the 476 experiences we list in Banff.
  • It is shorter than most of them.
  • By number of reviews it ranks 219 of 476.
  • The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Banff

Banff is a small mountain town inside Canada's first national park, set among the Rocky Mountain peaks of Alberta with hot springs, lakes and wildlife.

The town of Banff sits in the Bow Valley at about 1,400 metres, with Mount Rundle's sloping ridge rising over the main street and Cascade Mountain at the other end. It began as a railway town beside hot springs, and the Cave and Basin National Historic Site marks the discovery that led to Canada's first national park. A gondola climbs Sulphur Mountain for views, and the Bow Falls and a château-style hotel add to the river scenery.

Top-ranked sights in Banff: Moraine Lake, Bow Falls, Lake Louise.

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