Banff Canoe Club

This was a wonderful experience and highly recommended! We ran late but kept them updated and they were so kind and helpful. We were a group of 8 people (3 kids under 8) and ended up in our own canoe. The scenery is incredible and it was fun and easy to do, our tour guide was so funny and shared so much about the area. There were not many people on the river but we did see another canoe and got to "high five" with our paddles and that was so fun! We also booked it just hours before the tour so even if you can't do it online, call and see, they could still book that same day!

Went kayaking along the river and it was such an incredible adventure! The views were breathtaking, and paddling through the peaceful stretches of water felt like the perfect mix of calm and excitement. Booking was quick and hassle-free, and they offer everything from kayaks to canoes depending on how you want to explore. I went for the one-hour kayak, and it was the perfect way to get out on the water and take in the scenery. Easy to find, fun from start to finish… definitely an experience I’d recommend!

The best part of the experience was the fact that we walked by at random. We stopped, took in the view, then noticed people canoeing and kayaking. As we continued walking, we found the boat rental shack, looked at the prices and decided to do this on a complete whim! Absolutely picturesque and beautiful. I have zero canoeing experience to speak of, which made for a more entertaining ride, but it was fun to see others with the same skill level as me on the water too! The water was very low and calm and the people on the water were all friendly and happy to say hi and laugh at our lack of skills!

Booking was easy and quick. We booked an 2 hour kayak experience as a family of 4 from the U.K. There were two other people on our tour which made for a small group which was perfect. We got to kayak down the Bow River and see two lakes. Our guide Amelia was fantastic. She had lots of local knowledge and was very helpful. A highlight of our trip to Canada. Would definitely recommend.

We had a great time on our canoe tour in Banff! The guides were friendly and helpful. Shout out to Bree! The trip was a lovely, peaceful way to take in the beauty of the area. It was awesome that even young kids could do the activity (2-5 are free). Our 4, 5, and 8 year olds had a great time. The trip does start with paddling up river. The amount of effort you put in is up to you but it does impact how much of the river you see. They also offer canoe rentals for self guided tours that were very reasonably priced. The canoe club is an easy walk from the free parking at the train station.

Excellent service! Ben M went above and beyond to get our family reunion group of 12 together. It meant so much to us! And Abbie was a spectacular guide - kind, interesting, knowledgeable, and fun. She even made sure to get great pictures of us. We enjoyed it very much.

Most reasonably priced in the Banff area. Staff super friendly and Bow River was absolutely beautiful with great views. We even saw elk (you won’t see that at Lake Louise or Moraine Lake while on water 😍)!!!

We went canoeing on a whim while strolling along the river, and it was one of the best decisions we made on the trip in Canada. Although we both didn't have much experience on the canoe, it was super easy and there was beginners course so it was reassuring for us to start there and eventually make our way into the deeper part of the river. The staff were all really friendly and nice, and made sure we felt safe. The price is very reasonable and the scenery is amazing and calming. Definitely recommend.

Located on the Bow river just outside of downtown Banff, this is probably the most convenient and affordable rental place in Banff national park. They offer canoe and kayak rentals and tours. We rented a kayak and explored the Bow river, Echo Creek and Vermillion lakes for hours. Personally prefer this much more to waiting in long lines or crammed with other tourists at spots like Lake Louise or Moraine lake.

It's probably the most convenient and affordable spot to rent a kayak or canoe and go on your own adventure. We rented a two person kayak and it was about $125 CAD for 3 hours; choose your adventure style. This is definitely preferable to any of their guided tour options as you will be stuck with strangers and on the planned tour routine. We got to kayak in the Bow River, Echo Creek, up and above the beaver dam, and explore the Vermillion Lakes. They provide the kayak, paddles, and life vests. Are these rental places extremely expensive for what it is? Yes. But this is the price to pay as everything in Banff touristy / outdoors related will cost you aside from the hikes.

This spot is AWESOME. We walked up one evening just wanting a quick kayak trip - they had a double available for us which was awesome. Some quick paperwork and we were on our way. Definitely worth the price for an hour or two of enjoyment. We started out heading against the current and it was beautiful but as strong kayakers, it was rough, so we turned around and headed to the right side up the creek. I'm so glad we did. In the hour we were on the river we saw a black bear and a giant herd of elk on both sides of the bank! It was amazing. Such a cool experience, we loved every moment.

This boat rental spot is a short walk from downtown Banff and offers canoe and kayak rentals. You can launch right off the dock to explore the Bow River or the Vermillion Lakes. We saw some wildlife while we were out. The water is calm and suitable for novices.

The tour was amazing!! Fergus and Jesse were great guides and taught us a ton about the area. Would highly recommend!

It's hard to give this place such low stars because of how beautiful the view was, but this was our first day and activity in Banff and we really did not enjoy our experience. First, it really depends on who else is in your canoe and this part is out of their control so I'm not blaming this part on them. However, the way our tour guide handled it didn't make us feel good. We shared our canoe with a group of Canadian females and it our tour guide seemed impartial to them because he was also Canadian. Throughout our tour down the river, that party yelled at the rest of us for not paddling correctly, for taking too many breaks to take pictures, or for splashing them etc. Mind you, we paddled almost the entire time and stopped only to take pictures here and there. As for the splashing, it's inevitable that this will happen. To top it all off, at the end of our tour, instead of trying to mediate, our tour guide even decided to thank everyone but especially to that party for "pulling the majority of the weight". We just felt so offended and put off by this. Secondly, because we were pressured to paddle the entire time, it was hard to take in the view and truly enjoy it. Overall, we wish we skipped this activity during our vacation. Seemed like other reviews were great, so if you're going to book this place, know you'r experience is completely dependent on the tour guide! It definitely could be a great one, but not for us.

We had a lot of fun here! Definitely one of the more affordable places to canoe, with a gorgeous view and crisp cold water!! The staff was super friendly, and helped retrieve my sister's hat when it was sinking! The life jackets were clean, and they gave us a mini demo on how to use the canoe paddles. We canoed for an hour, which in my opinion, was enough time. We got two canoes, one with three people and one with two people. As a note--they put a lounge chair in the middle of the 3-person canoe, so the person in the middle doesn't really row as vigorously (they call it the princess chair haha). Would definitely come again!

OMG this was so much fun! My family and I booked this short big canoe ride and it was so worth it. It lasted about 2 hours and we got the full canoeing experience. Going up Bow River, we had to paddle a bit as we were going against the wind. All along the way, we saw beautiful ice-blu water, beaver dams, opsrey nests, learned about the mountains and history of Banff. Coming back down river, the wind was at our backs, which allowed us to coast along without much paddling at all. MAX was an AMAZING tour operator. He was highly knowledgeable, chill, safe and funny. We highly recommend this tour for singletons, couples and families!

They have a 2 hour canoe and 2 hour mtn bike package, which you can use at any point in your visit (so you don't have to do both on the same day). But we did both on the same day...it was perfect and so fun! The staff was super friendly and helpful. We paddled ourselves up the river, then floated back down. The mountain views change every turn. It was truly incredible and a highlight of our trip. The mountain bike portion was a bonus, and so fun!

Amazing staff. So helpful and patient. Reasonable priced as well. Lake Louise canoeing is a joke so overpriced and congested. This was a lovely experience and we got to see beavers and a baby bear swim across river in front of us. Definitely go here if I'm area. Thank you Banff canoe club.

This was a great event for the three generations off our family. The paddling in sync was a bit challenging, but we managed to dig in and make a record distance up the river before turning back. We had a great wildlife tour on the Bow River tonight. We were lucky to see two beavers-one crossed the river in front of us to climb on the bank and chew off a twig. We saw lots of Canadian geese and goslings and two great blue herons. Andrew also pointed out a beaver lodge in the bank and explained the difference between a lodge and a den. We learned a lot about the regional wildlife, the Park's efforts to grow the bison herd and hopes to bring back the caribou impacted by an avalanche near Lake Louise. We spoke about the shy & elusive moose and reasons to avoid elk cows. Andrew also gave us information about other ways to enjoy Banff and it's environs. Mother Nature cooperated and provided a beautiful, calm evening and fantastic sunset. All in all, this big canoe adventure was a great compliment to our family's Banff & Canadian Rockies experience.

Sheer Awesomeness. On our first day in Banff, we hopped off our flight, drove to Banff, and pretty much jumped into a canoe from the Banff Canoe Club - we were so excited to get on the Bow River! The water is unbelievably gorgeous (and frigid). The river is plenty long and we canoed out to a large open river area with beautiful 360 degree mountain views (Vermillion Lake, I believe?). Despite it being high season and a spectacularly beautiful day, we didn't run into too many other boaters - which is nice! The staff is super friendly, and helped us get into/out of our canoe with ease. The process for renting a water vessel, is to leave your ID with the check in guys (who are the MOST friendly!), sign a waiver, and pick your boat - super simple. I believe there were dry bags and other extras you could rent, if you chose. Cute t-shirts and hats also for sale in their little boat house. The rental price includes life vests and the proper paddles for your boat. We brought along our backpacks containing water etc - they were fine in our boat! Rental price is pretty great - $40CAD per hour for the canoe/kayak rental, $20/hour after that. Looking back after renting boats in Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Lake Minnewanka - this rental was a practical steal! There's parking nearby, although somewhat limited - it's slightly further (on the river, of course!) although it is walkable from downtown Banff. A perfect afternoon with a great local company!

Wonderful views and very friendly people. Jon was our guide and he was very helpful, informative and friendly. Definitely recommend using them for a canoe or kayaking trip through sections of the Bow river right by the town of Banff.

My boyfriend and I really enjoyed our hour long kayak down the Bow River. John was our guide and he was very friendly and informative. He taught us quite a bit about the surrounding views and nature. Highly recommend!

The Banff Canoe Club is easily located in town with plenty of easy parking spots all around. The cabin where the office is located sits along the beautiful blue Bow River. My friend and I decided to rent individual kayaks (there are also canoes and paddle boards to rent) to get a new view of the river and Vermillion Lakes. The staff was welcoming, full of smiles, and eager to help you with the rental process. The process itself was seamless with photo ID given, waiver singed, life jackets chosen. There are dry bags to rent if needed as well. Once you get your paddle, the staff helps you into the water and directs you to what path may work for you that day. We went the calm route and headed toward Vermillion Lakes where the Canadian Rockies set a breathtaking backdrop! If you're looking to do a calm outdoor activity like kayaking while in the Banff area, head to the Banff Canoe Club for your rentals. The prices are affordable, the staff is friendly, the parking is easy, and the picture taking Magic that will happen on your excursion is pretty epic!

Our tour was 5-6:30pm. Beautiful scenery on the Bow River and we did see beavers! Andrew was a terrific guide, very informative and fun. The whole team was very welcoming and we'd come here again for a guided tour or rentals.

Rented a kayak. Friendly people and easy to find. It was so epic to paddle while enjoying most beautiful scenery.

These guys are extremely easy to work with and the kayak experience was fabulous. We were there slightly early in the season (very early June), but the Club was fairly busy with families renting canoes and kayaks. We rented a two person kayak for an hour and were told the way to go (basically not towards the big waterfall). Vermillion Lakes were peaceful, beautiful, and easy to get to. It took about 15 minutes to kayak there and 15 minutes back, which gives you half an hour to kayak around the lake or just relax. The mountains on all sides of the lakes provide a great backdrop for the trip. This was one of the highlights of our trip and the people at Banff Canoe Club made the rental easy and the trip enjoyable.

We booked a River Explorer canoe tour for 12 people in our group. It worked perfectly as we had a whole canoe to ourselves. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate with us and our canoe tour had to be rescheduled. Banff Canoe Club was so helpful and flexible with our request to reschedule. In the end, we decided to go ahead with the tour in slight rain and everyone, include Tofu the Maltipoo, had a great time.

Austin is super. He's very friendly and helpful. He's wanting to be a friend and makes us fell comfortable through out the peaceful canoe experience.. so beautiful just to be there and breathing clean air .. enjoying to see beavers multiple times.. the homemade lemonade is refreshing and my kids enjoy that.. I forgot my camera phone in the life vest and he helped me get it even when the office is already closed. Made an effort to get call people and biked blocks away to get an access just to get my phone with me. Awesome guy... awesome company too!!! Would love to come back!!

My husband and I visited Banff national park for two days and canoeing was the most fun! The customer service is great, no wait and it's GORGEOUS!! It was our first time in Canada, this was the best part about our trip. As we were canoeing we were able to see the moose and elk coming down for water and they were so close to us!!! It was so beautiful, the water was very cold but we were just very careful not to fall in. The view was amazing!!

Perfect place to start a mini expedition from. The paddling was easy, the views were spectacular, and the sun worship was sublime. I'd do it again without hesitation.

Great place to rent canoes and kayaks! Prices are affordable, staff is very friendly and helpful, and the spot on the river is unbeatable with beautiful views. Fun place for all ages in Banff!

Only reason I give it two stars is for their prices. Completely rude staff. If you're going to work in tourism then hospitality is key and this place was lacking, extremely. I was with my family and we rented 4 or 5 canoes and for some reason the three guys working seemed irritated by us the entire time. Their tones suggested clear irritation. I'll go back again but definitely not for the service. Maybe if we were Australian we would've had better service because the group of about 25 Australians seemed to be treated with great hopsitality. I'm sure the dudes working in the shack weren't actually from Banff but obviously from Australia. I'll ise a better accent next time.

Had a great time with two canoes. You've got two choice destinations: go up the Bow River or go up the adjacent creek to a nearby lake. Both were fun. And the prices are reasonable, especially when compared to canoe rentals at Lake Louise (confiscatory) or Emerald Lake (merely expensive). The staff is very friendly and chill.

Great prices, friendly staff, unbeatable scenery. We got here in the late afternoon and had an amazing 2 hour boat trip. Planned to go back the next day, but got a cold and stayed in bed. Could not get over the views from just a km or two up the river.