8:30am
Departure Time
10 Hours
Duration
All Ages
Age
Leisurely
Activity
Jun-Sep
Season
Meet Boo at the Grizzly Bear Refuge! Seeing a bear in the flesh is a thrilling moment that will stay with you long after you’ve left the mountains.
Meet Boo, a bear with paws the size of hubcaps, a mouth full of sharp teeth and enormous muscles moving beneath his shaggy fur. He saunters slowly through his 20-acre habitat in the Rocky Mountain bush, allowing you to watch him explore, hunt and forage just like his wild cousins.
You’ll also hear his personal story and learn about grizzly bear behaviour during your visit to the largest enclosed grizzly bear habitat in the world.
The tour includes stops at gorgeous Takakkaw Falls (the second highest waterfall in Canada!) and stunning Emerald Lake. We’ll also take a gondola ride up to the top of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, where you’ll enjoy lunch with a view at the highest restaurant in Canada.
This tour has a guaranteed grizzly bear sighting or your next tour is free*.
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Hugh's Pick
"This is our only tour where we get to visit Yoho National Park. And seeing Boo the bear up close is something I'll never get tired of!" - Hugh , Senior Guide, Discover Banff Tours
The best parts of the tour for most people include the following:
1
Grizzly Bear Refuge Tour
Take an open-air chairlift up to experience an up-close visit with Boo, the resident bear rescued as a cub, and be fascinated with bear information. This is the largest enclosed and protected grizzly bear habitat in the world.
2
Gondola Ride
Soar to the heights of the Purcell Mountains at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in an enclosed Gondola with glass windows up to 7,700 feet.
3
Mountain Top Lunch at Eagle's Eye Restaurant
Enjoy a gourmet lunch and a spectacular view of the Canadian Rockies at Canada’s highest restaurant.
4
Emerald Lake
Take a short stroll on the lakeshore.
5
Takakkaw Falls
See Canada’s second highest waterfall tumbling 254m (830 feet) in one stretch and 384m (1,260 feet) in total (when road access permits).
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Hugh's Pick
"This is our only tour where we get to visit Yoho National Park. And seeing Boo the bear up close is something I'll never get tired of!" - Hugh , Senior Guide, Discover Banff Tours
Lunch at the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant includes your choice of the following*:
- Daily Soup: changes daily
- Caesar Salad: baby romaine, caesar dressing, parmesan, croutons, bacon, crispy capers
- Beer Battered Cod Fillet (with your choice of soup, fries or Caesar salad): two pieces of Cajun beer battered fresh cod, apple slaw and tartar sauce
- Alberta Beef Burger (with your choice of soup, fries or Caesar salad): 6oz beef chuck, patty, candied bacon, Swiss cheese, tomato salsa, organic greens and avocado aioli served on a brioche bun
- Vegetarian Burger (with your choice of soup, fries or Caesar salad): black bean patty, tomato salsa, hummus, organic greens, roasted beets, cucumber and tomato served on a brioche bun
All lunches include a non-alcoholic beverage (Coke, Diet Coke, Ginger Ale, Sprite, Sweetened Iced Tea, Coffee/Tea).
* Menu is subject to change.
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Hugh's Pick
"This is our only tour where we get to visit Yoho National Park. And seeing Boo the bear up close is something I'll never get tired of!" - Hugh , Senior Guide, Discover Banff Tours
The tour is a 10 hour tour, which will begin in Banff at 8:30am and Lake Louise 9:15am. The tour will return to Lake Louise just after 5pm and to Banff at 6:30pm.
The full day tour includes transportation from most hotels in Banff on a guided bus tour and an open-air chairlift ride to visit the Grizzly Bear Refuge at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. The tour also includes a gondola ride up the hill for lunch at the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant, with your choice of lunch options that you will select on the day of the tour. There are also scenic stops at Takakkaw Falls (when access permits, generally from late June onwards) and Emerald Lake.
We pick up from most hotels in Banff and the Samson Mall in Lake Louise, and you can select your preferred pick-up location during the booking process. For drop offs in Banff, our guide will ask you on the way back where you would like to be dropped off either in town or at your hotel.
You are welcome to meet us at any of our pick up locations in Banff to join the tour, and a popular central downtown meeting point is the public bus parking area behind the Mt Royal Hotel (the hotel address is 138 Banff Avenue). For guests staying in Lake Louise, please meet us at the Samson Mall in the Lake Louise village.
Most guests choose to self-drive into Banff, although please note that you will need to find parking in Banff that exceeds the duration of the tour. Please refer to the Town of Banff website for general parking information, or the banffparking.ca website for live parking availability. For guests staying in Canmore, you can also use the Roam bus service and disembark at the Banff High School. The closest pick up point to the Banff High School is across the road at the Elk and Avenue Hotel.
We recommend bringing your camera, and warmer clothes depending on the weather on the day of your tour. Wearing layers including a jacket is a good idea, as you will be getting on and off the bus during the tour and it tends to be cooler up the mountain. You may wish to wear sneakers or other sturdy footwear, as some of the pathways are unpaved.
The gondola at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort takes you right to the summit at 7,700 feet, where you will enjoy lunch at the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant. The gondolas are enclosed, with glass windows and seat up to six people. The open-air chairlifts seat up to four people and will take you part way up the hill to the Grizzly Bear Refuge.
We almost always guarantee you will see Boo, the orphaned bear who lives in the Refuge at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
Although Boo is generally always out to foraging or playing in his refuge, there is a rare chance he may not be visible when you visit. You can take the tour again for free to see Boo.
You will view Boo from outside the fence of his refuge. Depending where Boo is in his refuge, you may be as close as 5 metres away! Or he may be much further away from the fence. Boo is a wild animal and you may not touch or feed him. A ranger is always present to answer any questions and talk to you about Boo and Grizzly Bears.
There is a 24 hour cancellation policy, which allows you to change/cancel or refund your booking up to 24 hours outside your booked tour (up to 7 days for group bookings).
Tips are not expected, but are certainly appreciated. If you think your guide did a wonderful job and would like to indicate that with a tip, it will be graciously accepted.
| Included |
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| Meal |
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Hugh's Pick
"This is our only tour where we get to visit Yoho National Park. And seeing Boo the bear up close is something I'll never get tired of!" - Hugh , Senior Guide, Discover Banff Tours
- All children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian.
- Early and late season bookings may be subject to itinerary changes. Takakkaw Falls Road opens late June and tours in early June will include stops at the Spiral Tunnels and the Natural Bridge instead. Please enquire at the time of booking.
- Infants (5 and under) are free of charge, but this does not include any food.
- Please note that this tour requires a minimum of 4 participants, please call the day prior to confirm the tour.
| Included |
|
| Meal |
|
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Hugh's Pick
"This is our only tour where we get to visit Yoho National Park. And seeing Boo the bear up close is something I'll never get tired of!" - Hugh , Senior Guide, Discover Banff Tours
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