1 Hour Bow River Ride Banff: Experience Canada's Vintage National Park on Horseback

Saddle up for a 1-hour horseback ride along the Bow River in Banff National Park. Experience the beauty of Canada’s oldest national park and immerse yourself in its rich history.

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Banff Trail Riders - Stables - The 1 hour Bow River Ride takes you along the tranquil Bow River in Banff. Ride past the historical Cave and Basin site and take in the the beautiful surrounding mountain views.
What's Included
  • Basic horseback riding instruction
  • Use of horse
  • Helmet (mandatory)
  • Lead and tail guides
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drink
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Banff National Park, the oldest and most appreciated national park in Canada, invites you to step out of your vehicle and embark on a trail. Partake in a 1-hour horseback adventure, embracing the leisurely pace of the park. Under the guidance of your cowboy companion, commence your journey past natural sulphur springs and by the calm Bow River,…

Location
Banff Trail Riders - Stables
Sundance Road
The meeting point for the Bow River Ride is at Banff Trail Riders Stables, the big red stables located on Sundance Road in Banff. **ALL GUESTS MUST CHECK IN 30 MIN PRIOR TO THEIR RIDE START TIME. LATE ARRIVALS WILL NOT BE ACCOMMODATED**
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(358 Ratings)
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Angelame7804ys
Apr 23, 2025
Amazing Experience - We did this tour as a family of three with our teenage daughter. It was perfect! We got to the stables early for fear of being late and were able to wander about, take in the beautiful scenery and pet the horses. Our tour started promptly at the scheduled time and we were paired with evenly matched horses. The trail was very muddy (we went in April) and the terrain uneven, but the horses knew what to do and didn't seemed fazed by a single thing. The scenery was extraordinary. My one criticism would be that our guide provided a running commentary the entire ride, although she was incredibly knowledgeable and obviously passionate about her work I would have appreciated some moments of silence to just soak it all in. That said we learned a lot and this is personal preference. Things to consider when booking this tour. Dress for it! The horses tended to walk near the tree line meaning you are being hit by branches. Don't wear something that you would be devastated to have ruined. This did not happen to us but the potential to have a jacket punctured by branch is there. You may also want to consider sunglasses or another form of eye protection to avoid branches in your eyes. You will be provided with a helmet. Be prepared to be saddle sore after if you aren't much of a rider. I could hardly get off my horse I was in so much pain afterwards, but thankfully I was able to walk it off and I have zero regrets! OH! and listen to your guides! One poor fellow on our tour wasn't quite understanding the instructions from the guides as we went uphill and he fell off his horse! Thankfully it was a slow fall and wasn't the disaster it could have been, but scary nonetheless. All that said I would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone considering it! It was a highlight for sure!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebecca_h
Mar 7, 2025
Relaxing horse ride... - Relaxing horse ride through the Bow River area. The water was gorgeous and the mountain ranges in the background provided a beautiful view. Would definitely do it again given the chance!
Review provided by Viator
Amina_t
Oct 17, 2024
Very enjoyable and a must-do! - Wonderful horseback riding experience! One of our favourite activities from the trip. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Eden_f
Oct 16, 2024
Unique exciting and beautiful. - This was such a great way to experience Banff. The scenery was stunning, we learned heaps about the area and its history and the horses were beautiful, gentle animals. The guides give you a good amount of knowledge about how to safely ride the horses but overall they’re such lovely animals that it was quite easy. I don’t have much horse riding experience but this was a very easy activity and an amazing memory.
Review provided by Viator
Nohelani_h
Oct 15, 2024
Best horseback riding - Jess and Chaz as guides were amazing. The only complaint is that it didn't last longer...by no fault of the experience since they have various options....lol. The horses are very well cared for and treated with such love and respect. It's great to see that as I've ridden horses all over the world and the care of the horses makes all the difference. The views were nothing short of spectacular and breathtaking. The pictures DO NOT do it justice. This is definitely an experience worth going on and in my case will be a repeat visit. My horse's name was Morley and he loves pats and attention.
Review provided by Viator
Shannon_l
Oct 8, 2024
Amazing experience - Highly recommend had an amazing time. Love how are guide was so informative about the area and gave us some history on Banff
Review provided by Viator
Taylor_s
Oct 6, 2024
Our guide, Caleb, was... - Our guide, Caleb, was very nice and engaging with the two of us on the trail ride along with giving some fun facts about the area. I definitely recommend this trail ride experience!
Review provided by Viator
Neillynda
Sep 30, 2024
Don’t hesitate, book a ride - I had an amazing ride on a very patient and well behaved horse. An hour gave me time to appreciate the amazing experience and vaguely feel my legs when I dismounted. The guide was so helpful and everyone was friendly and made it a great experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alan_b
Sep 29, 2024
It was good. - The experience was good. We would have liked more of an experience along the river. The trails weren’t the best but okay. Overall we enjoyed it.
Review provided by Viator
Roxy_a
Oct 14, 2024
The guide was great and the river pretty. - I liked riding through the trees. I think they should have smoothed out the trail after the rain though. Those poor horses had to do alot of high stepping over the rough places.
Review provided by Viator
From $75
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).