Banff Beyond Transit: Peyto Emerald Bow Lakes Marble Canyon

5.0 (3 reviews) 10 hours Free cancellation

out of 5

3 reviews

5.0

Banff Beyond Transit: Peyto Emerald Bow Lakes Marble Canyon — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Banff Beyond Transit: Peyto Emerald Bow Lakes Marble Canyon, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

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.

Day Trips Nature and Wildlife Tours Full-day Tours Bus Tours Private and Luxury Audio Guides Small Group Short term availability

At a glance

Duration: 10 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 13 people
People per booking: 1–13
Written guide: Hindi, German, Pashto, Portuguese, Filipino, Croatian, Hungarian, Hakka Chinese, Ukrainian, Urdu, Malayalam, Marathi, Malay, Greek, English, Italian, Burmese, Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese, Japanese, Persian, Romanian, Dutch, Norwegian, Xiang Chinese, Russian, Finnish, Chinese, Cantonese, Javanese, Bangla, French, Wu Chinese, Slovak, Serbian, Swedish, Korean, Kurdish, Tamil, mnp, Gujarati, Czech, Telugu, Punjabi, Thai, Polish, Hebrew, Danish, Turkish
Audio guide: English
Guide: English
Operated by: View Rockies Charters

Ages: Adults (0–120 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Bottled Water
Included: Government fees: Banff National Park
Included: Booster seat
Included: In-vehicle air conditioning: Air-conditioned vehicle

Not included

Not included: Lunch
Not included: Gratuities
Not included: Meals

Itinerary

Bow Valley Parkway

Passing by

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.
Stop 2

10 min

(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.
Stop 3

Passing by

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.
Stop 4

Passing by

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

40 min

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.
Morant's Curve

20 min

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

Passing by

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

40 min

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

15 min

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

10 min

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.
Stop 11

45 min

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.
Stop 12

30 min

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.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

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.
09:00 am - Canmore Pickup - Save-On-Foods Parking lot. Vehicle will arrive near the Tim Hortons Cafe at this location. Vehicle & Seat details are sent on the eve of travel.
07:30 am - Calgary Pickup - '4 Avenue SE & Macleod Trail' Pin Code: T2G4X3. Opposite side of road from Delta Hotel Entrance, to south of Harry Hay's Building under the Skybridge. Vehicle & Seat details are sent on the eve of travel.

End 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.
09:00 am - Canmore Pickup - Save-On-Foods Parking lot. Vehicle will arrive near the Tim Hortons Cafe at this location. Vehicle & Seat details are sent on the eve of travel.
07:30 am - Calgary Pickup - '4 Avenue SE & Macleod Trail' Pin Code: T2G4X3. Opposite side of road from Delta Hotel Entrance, to south of Harry Hay's Building under the Skybridge. Vehicle & Seat details are sent on the eve of travel.