How much a Johnston Canyon tour costs from Banff
The four guided trips into Johnston Canyon on this site cost from ~$58 to ~$143 per person. The spread pays for gear and hours, plus how much of the canyon you see, not for a better guide. Below, the four fares side by side, then the costs the listings leave out.
Four fares side by side
The table lines up the four tours from our home page at their regular "from" price per adult. Booking pages often show a lower figure, and the price moves a little with the date, so read these as the top of the range.
| Tour | From | Length | Season | Start point | Included | Group | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discover Banff day icewalk (our pick) | ~$78 | About 4 h | Winter | Pickup in Banff | Guide, transport, ice cleats, hiking pole, hot chocolate | Minibus group | 4.9 from 530+ (Viator) |
| Discover Banff evening icewalk | ~$78 | About 2.5 h | Winter | Pickup in Banff | Guide, transport, headlamp to keep, cleats, pole, hot chocolate | Up to 12 | 4.9 from 90+ (Viator) |
| White Mountain e-bike and hike | ~$143 | About 4 h | Summer | 202 Bear Street, Banff | E-bike, helmet, guide, one-way shuttle | Not stated | 4.8 from 240+ (Viator) |
| Rockies Journey day tour | ~$58 | About 10 h | Canyon stop in winter only | Pickup in Calgary, Canmore or Banff | Minibus, bottled water, crampons in winter | Small group | 4.9 from 100+ (GetYourGuide) |
All four cancel free up to 24 hours before the start. Snow on the Bow Valley Parkway can change plans overnight, so that window matters more than a few dollars between fares.
Two icewalks at the same price
Discover Banff Tours charges ~$78 for the day icewalk and ~$78 for the evening icewalk. One fare buys two quite different outings.
The day walk fills about 4 hours of your morning or afternoon. Its route passes the Lower Falls, with a step through the natural cave, and ends 2.7 km (1.7 mi) up at the Upper Falls.
Pickup in Banff and the minibus ride along the parkway are in the price. So are the guide and the gear (ice cleats plus a hiking pole). Somewhere along the route the guide hands round hot chocolate and maple cookies.
The evening walk runs about 2.5 hours with up to 12 guests. It adds a souvenir headlamp you take home. The cleats and the hot chocolate come along too.
So the same money buys fewer hours after dark, in exchange for a lamp-lit canyon and a smaller group. Our page on the day walk against the evening walk sets the two side by side.
The full canyon for ~$78, both falls included
Discover Banff's 4-hour day icewalk. The fare covers pickup in Banff and lends you cleats and a pole. It holds 4.9 from 530+ reviews on Viator.
Why the e-bike day costs the most
White Mountain Adventures' e-bike and hike at ~$143 is the dearest tour here. The fare covers an electric bike and a helmet for each rider. An interpretive guide comes along, and a one-way vehicle shuttle means you ride in only one direction.
Most of the gap goes on that kit and the second vehicle, not on extra time in the canyon. The tour lasts about 4 hours and holds 4.8 from 240+ reviews on Viator.
The limits come with the price. It runs only in the warm months, and the walk stops at the Lower Falls bridge. Our guide to the summer e-bike tour follows the route from Bear Street to the trailhead.
The cheapest hour belongs to the lakes tour
Rockies Journey's small-group day tour from ~$58 costs the least of the four and lasts about 10 hours. Per hour, nothing else on this site comes close.
Johnston Canyon is only one stop among many, though. It also appears on the winter version alone. Crampons are in the fare then. In summer the route trades the canyon for Moraine Lake, and you would need another day for the gorge.
The tour holds 4.9 from 100+ reviews on GetYourGuide. Our page on pairing Johnston Canyon with Lake Louise explains when the long day suits a short trip.
What the listed price leaves out
Tips come first. Both Discover Banff listings show gratuities for the guide as optional, so nothing is added at checkout and the amount stays your choice.
The Parks Canada park pass is the cost people forget. You need one to stop in Banff National Park, and the tour listings do not all say whether a guest pass sits in the price.
Read the listing before you pay, or ask the operator. The Rockies Journey page on Viator lists admission tickets as included on its stops.
Lunch on that day tour is on you, and the Banff Gondola is an optional extra ticket. Both can add a fair sum to a fare that looks cheap on the search page.
Clothing can cost more than the tour if you arrive with nothing warm. Our list of what to wear on the icewalk shows what you need and what you can borrow.
Driving yourself and other ways to spend less
Driving yourself in a rental car, with a park pass, costs less than any guided fare. You then buy your own ice cleats in winter and hunt for parking on busy mornings.
Our guide to Johnston Canyon without a tour covers the drive and the summer bus. Families with small children should also read Johnston Canyon with kids. A waiver and a long climb shape their choice as much as the fare does.
If you want to know how far each fare takes you on the trail, the page on the Lower Falls against the Upper Falls lists which tour reaches which.
Which fare suits which trip
- The whole frozen canyon, both falls, in daylight: the day icewalk at ~$78
- A shorter, darker walk with a lamp to keep: the evening icewalk at ~$78
- Green summer water and a ride along the parkway: the e-bike day at ~$143
- The big lakes and a winter look at the canyon on one long day: Rockies Journey at ~$58
If money is tight and the canyon matters most, the day icewalk gives the most trail for the price. If time is tight, the evening walk fits after a day on the slopes.