3-Day Canadian Rockies Tour: Yoho & Jasper National Park

Beautiful Banff and Jasper, but the Tour Fell Short of Expectations

Banff and Jasper are truly spectacular destinations, and the magnificent scenery was easily the highlight of our trip. Unfortunately, the overall tour experience itself did not live up to our expectations. Our group consisted predominantly of Mandarin-speaking travellers, and much of the guide’s commentary was delivered in Mandarin. We had not been advised at the time of booking that the tour would be conducted bilingually. We believe this is important information that should be clearly communicated before guests make their booking. We were also hoping that travelling with a professional guide would give us a deeper understanding of the Canadian Rockies. We expected interesting commentary about the region’s history, geography, geology, Indigenous heritage and local stories that we would not necessarily discover when travelling independently. Unfortunately, we found the English commentary fairly limited and did not gain the level of insight we had hoped for. The natural beauty of Banff and Jasper is exceptional and certainly worth experiencing. However, for us, the quality of a guided tour is not simply about transportation between beautiful locations—it should also add knowledge, context and a better understanding of the places being visited. Overall, we loved the destinations, but the guided experience was fairly ordinary and could have been considerably better.

via Tripadvisor

Disappointment with the organization

I received a schedule for the order of the visit days, but it had changed by the time of departure. Unable to get approximate stop times. Order of stops not followed. Even 2 days before departure, it was impossible to know which hotel we would be staying at. Despite several requests to the guide, the trip details were never provided to us. Departure time was respected, but arrival times were not disclosed, making it difficult to make restaurant reservations. And since the schedule was changed, the restaurant reserved in Banff and Jasper was not for the right evening. The daily schedule is very, very busy, which meant we only had 15 minutes at certain locations, and it must be mentioned that the bus was full, so more than 48 people. We had to choose between seeing the site, taking several photos, visiting the gift shop for a souvenir, or going to the bathroom; forget it. Even the lunch durations were insufficient: we had no schedule, we were dropped off as a large group all at once in a town where we did not know the restaurants, so we were left with 15-20 minutes to grab a fast-food meal. The days are very intense; we return to the hotel very late, meaning 7:30 PM-8:00 PM. We have to check in, get to the room, find a restaurant, and be ready by 8:00 AM the next day, including having breakfast, which meant we did not have the chance to enjoy the shops and the atmosphere of Banff and Jasper. A great disappointment. It was, however, a visit to grandiose and majestic places, but it lacked transparency, which would have made the trip more pleasant.

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Terrific trip with Calgary Tours

I did the 7 day VIA Rain Winter Experience, Jasper & Rockies 7 day tour. Calgary Tours were brilliant to deal with from the time of book to on the ground touring. Whilst part of my journey was independent (rail and Jasper) the directions and extra tours booked were easy to follow. Eric and Zach the tour guides in the Rockies were both awesome! Lots of knowledge when out exploring and always very helpful. The tour size only had a maximum of 10 on the biggest day so you got to know other guests. The accommodation provided was very comfortable and the breakfasts were so yummy. I felt totally safe as a solo traveller and would not hesitate to book further tours with Calgary Tours.

via Tripadvisor

Beautiful scenery, you won't be disappointed, great tour guide

I really enjoyed our tour, it was a 6 day one, apparently you can do as many or as little days as you want, they work around your schedule. Our main tour guide Raymond was the nicest guide and considerate and knowledgeable and Jeremy the driver was very good too. I highly recommend this tour, they look after you and very organized and they know who is going on which tour on which day and that is how they operate.

Response from the operator: Hello, Thank you so much for your incredibly kind and detailed review! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that you had such a wonderful experience on your 6-day tour with us. It means a lot to our team to know that you appreciated the flexibility of our tours and our organizational efforts. We're especially proud to hear your praise for our main tour guide, Raymond, and our driver, Jeremy. They are both valuable members of our team, and we will be sure to share your compliments with them. Your high recommendation and recognition of how we look after our guests are the best compliments we could receive. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back for another unforgettable journey with us in the future!

via Tripadvisor

Happy with that experience

The tour was very well organized, the coach trip was confortable, we visited amazing places, and we even had the chance to meet other friendly tourists who were sharing the same tour experience. The hotels were very beautiful, and we apreciated the included breakfast. We had time to choose were to have lunch or dinner (which were not included for us). The guide Raimond was kind and professional, and the driver (maybe Geremy but I am not sure about the name) was very good.

via Viator