Banff Beyond Transit: Peyto Emerald Bow Lakes Marble Canyon
- 10 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 52 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Discover Banff's most spectacular sights — the ones Roam Transit doesn't reach. This full-day tour takes you far beyond the transit routes, through three legendary highways in a single unforgettable journey. Start at Bow Valley parkway for scenic drive with viewpoints instead of taking Trans-Canada Highway, then wander the still waters and quiet wetlands of Backswamp Viewpoint, and continue to the turquoise-carved Marble Canyon, before capturing the iconic views at Morant's Curve. Break for lunch in charming Lake Louise village. Visit the brilliant turquoise waters of Emerald Lake and rushing river at Natural Bridge in Yoho Park. Then venture north along the Icefields Parkway — one of the world's most scenic drives — to see the hanging ice of Crowfoot Glacier, the glacial-blue waters of Bow Lake and Peyto Lake. Unforgettable stops, small groups, a comfortable vehicle, a local guide/host, and the Rockies at their finest.
Inclusions
What's included
- Bottled Water
- Banff National Park
- Booster seat
- Air-conditioned vehicle
What's not
- Lunch
- Gratuities
- Meals
Itinerary
Drive scenic Bow Valley Parkway, the peaceful alternative route between Lake Louise and Banff Town. This winding 48-kilometer mountain road offers stunning viewpoints, wildlife spotting opportunities, historic sites, picnic areas, and famous stops. Escape Trans-Canada Highway crowds and experience authentic Rocky Mountain wilderness beauty.
(Optional) Discover peaceful Backswamp Viewpoint along Bow Valley Parkway for unique mountain wetland ecology and exceptional bird watching. This tranquil roadside stop offers stunning reflections across calm waters, migratory bird spotting, seasonal wildflower meadows, and diverse wildlife viewing. Perfect for photographers and enthusiasts. Experience this serene hidden gem's pristine wetland habitat between Lake Louise and Banff.
Castle Mountain rises dramatically along the Bow Valley Parkway, its fortress-like cliffs and turrets giving the peak its iconic name. One of the most recognizable mountains in Banff National Park, it offers stunning photo opportunities and a striking example of the Rockies' ancient layered rock formations.
You'll pass the Continental Divide at Vermilion Pass, marking the boundary between Alberta and British Columbia, and between Banff and Kootenay National Parks — a quiet, symbolic crossing point along the route to Marble Canyon.
Marble Canyon is a dramatic limestone gorge carved by rushing turquoise waters, reachable via a short, easy trail lined with footbridges. Towering rock walls, plunging waterfalls, and deep crevasses make this one of Kootenay National Park's most striking and photogenic short hikes.
Capture legendary Morant's Curve along Bow Valley Parkway, one of Canada's most photographed railway scenes. This iconic viewpoint frames winding train tracks against turquoise Bow River, towering mountain peaks, and evergreen forests. Perfect for photography enthusiasts and landscape lovers. Easy roadside access makes this world-famous scenic stop essential for your Banff adventure.
Lower Spiral Tunnels Viewpoint showcases one of Canada's greatest railway engineering feats, where trains loop through one solid rock tunnel and emerging higher on the mountainside to transcend the Kicking Horse Pass.
Emerald Lake is Yoho National Park's largest lake, prized for its vivid emerald-green waters set against forested peaks. Combined with its iconic red bridge, it's one of the Rockies' most photographed gems.
Natural Bridge is a dramatic rock formation where the Kicking Horse River has carved its way through solid limestone over thousands of years. A short walk from the parking area leads to this powerful, turquoise cascade, offering striking views and photo opportunities just minutes from Emerald Lake.
Crowfoot Glacier clings to the cliffs of Crowfoot Mountain, its icy claws visible from a simple roadside pullout on the Icefields Parkway. Once shaped like a three-toed crow's foot, melting ice has reshaped it over time — still a striking, easy-access glacier view near Bow Lake.
Bow Lake is a serene turquoise-blue lake fed by the Bow Glacier, framed by the Wapta Icefield and Crowfoot Mountain. A peaceful roadside stop on the Icefields Parkway, it offers stunning reflections, easy access, and some of the most breathtaking mountain scenery in the Canadian Rockies.
Peyto Lake is one of the Rockies' most striking glacial lakes, famous for its vivid turquoise waters fed by the Peyto Glacier. A short paved path from Bow Summit leads to a breathtaking overlook, where the lake's distinctive wolf-head shape and surrounding peaks create one of the most photographed views in Banff National Park.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 53
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 3 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
- 09:30 am - Banff Pickup - Outside Moose Hotel & Suites on Banff Avenue. Vehicle will arrive at the roadside Bus Stop outside Hotel at this location. Vehicle & Seat details are sent on the eve of travel.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 13 travellers
- Operated by
- View Rockies Charters
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Infant seats availabel at extra charge (Please inform before travel)
How it compares in Calgary
- Its from-price is 36% below the median of the 268 day trips we list in Calgary.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 143 of 268.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Calgary
Calgary is the Alberta city where the prairies meet the Rocky Mountain foothills, a place of rodeo traditions, river pathways and big-sky sunshine.
Calgary sits on the Bow and Elbow rivers, with the snowy Rockies visible to the west on clear days. The Calgary Tower, from 1968, is the older landmark of a skyline now crowded with glass towers, and Fort Calgary marks the Mounted Police post that started the town in 1875. Prince's Island Park and the curving Peace Bridge are favourite spots along the river, and Heritage Park recreates an early prairie settlement.
Top-ranked sights in Calgary: Calgary Tower, Wonderland Sculpture, Calgary Stampede.
Special offers in Calgary
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
