I am usually the taking-a-rental-car type of traveller, but I am so glad that I did the tour cos it gave me a great introduction not just to the park, but also to all the practicalities around. I would never be able to recognise all the mou..ntains and lakes and all the stories behind if I were to do it on my own.
Also I am glad to see that the national parks in Canada have stricter rules on how many people/cars are allowed to each spot, the parking lots are generally smaller and off-site and people would need to take a shuttle to get there. Not to mention that even the road to the Moraine lake is closed (already around 10pm in early September) when the parking lot (for private cars) is full. However, being on a tourbus you don't have to worry abou none of that since they are designated parking for that.
Note that the cruise to the Maligne lake is very weather dependent, all cruise on the morning of Sep 5 (sunny day) was cancelled due to the heavy fog just surrounding the lake area. The lake staff the best time is to come here in a hot clear day in the afternoon.
I was on two different busses during the 4-day tour with two different guides. The first driver we had – Mike, was a great driver and full of charisma. I saw him documenting each stop we made with his logbook very carefully, also sang for us and explained about the park environmental issues.
Some improvements would be better cleaning of the buses, I could see stains on the bus windows which is not so pleasant when you wnat to take lots of pictures.
And yes the tour is mostly catered to Chinese tourists, some guides are better in English than others, but generally I think all the non-Chinese speaking on our buses were quite content.
You might not get the best hotel rooms with a view, or do an upgrade.
Afterall very content with the tour, ready to go back and explore on my own now I know which are my favorites.Read full review
My family and I joined the three days Rockies tour. Tour guide change everyday. I am not sure it's normal or not. Second and Third day tour guides are nice.
Great trip and the Rockies/Banff are amazing. We were explicitly and unnecessarily told to print the eticket which wasn't possible while travelling and although I was told on query just to have it on my phone no one ever asked as they had a.. list of attendees! The gondola was 'optional' and I elected not to do it due to the weather - being told there was a hot spring next door so I could bring a swimsuit would have been useful!Read full review
My wife and I really enjoyed the trip. The majority of guests were Chinese (overall 18 participants that day), but our tour guide Gordon nicely managed to tell everything in Mandarine and in English. The trip was quite cheap compared to oth..er offers on can find, but it was still very pleasant. The tour bus was comfortable and not too big. The Icefield trip (which can be booked additionally) was quite interesting and a nice experience to have! I would recommend to book the optional Columboa Icefield Day with the Skywalk - otherwise the final part of the trip is just spending time at the tourist center (in Jasper Park), which I imagine is not very interesting for the 3.5 hours the stop will be there! On the way to the Jasper Park, there are multiple stops with very nice views, where everyone has about 15 to 20 minutes to take pictures and enjoy the atmosphere. Jasper Park is definitely worth seeing!Read full review
Excellent tour for day trip, breathtaking sights, tour guide knowledgeable about area and the region, very glad we did this tour it’s a full day of touring but worth it.
Bilingual translation is excellent needs to be inclusive with all.. passengers, noticed a drop off very early in the day and tips expectedRead full review
Excellent communication, professional service and an outstanding experience. For my first tour with this company, I was highly impressed! Would take another tour, anytime! Dr. G
Tour guide and driver were knowledgeable and friendly. Driver drove cautiously. Nice places to visit. What I disliked was the hotel included in the package. Hotel was old, and untidy.