Share this tour
Offered languages
- English
The winter night rush.
Head out as the valley goes dark. Crunch through Johnston Canyon under headlamps, then step into the open as the stars stack up overhead. Snow underfoot, cold air, and quiet all around while your guide helps you pick out the constellations.
For anyone who wants the Rockies to feel bigger than the daytime ever allows.
★ Banff's top-rated tour provider, with 5,000+ five-star reviews and four Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice awards.
Highlights:
❄ Frozen waterfalls lit by your headlamp
❄ Steel catwalks and huge icicles along the canyon walls
❄ The Milky Way over Vermilion Lakes
❄ Mt. Norquay viewpoint and, if you're lucky, the northern lights
❄ Hot drinks and a sweet treat to warm up
Why book with Radventures:
▸ Max 10 guests in a premium van, never a coach
▸ Banff-based guides who know the trails and the sky above them
▸ Banff-born, independently owned
▸ 1% of every booking protects the places you explore
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Itinerary
-
1Johnston Canyon
After dark, Johnston Canyon becomes a corridor of frozen waterfalls and blue ice, lit only by your headlamp. At the trailhead, your guide fits you with a headlamp, ice cleats, and optional poles, then leads the way along the canyon's steel catwalks, explaining how the canyon formed and what lives here as you go. The Lower Falls are about 30 minutes in (1.2 km, 50 m elevation gain). From there, head back to the trailhead or keep going to the Upper Falls. The extension adds another 30 minutes and 1.3 km, ending at the canyon's tallest frozen waterfall, a wall of ice glowing in the beam of your headlamp. Round trip to the Upper Falls: 2 hours, 5 km, 120 m elevation gain. Suitable for guests with average fitness.
2 hours • Admission ticket included -
2Mount Norquay Lookout
Where we set up depends on the night. Your guide reads the sky, the cloud cover, and the moon phase, then picks the spot with the clearest view: sometimes Vermilion Lakes, where open water near the springs can catch the Milky Way, other times the Mt. Norquay lookout, where the valley opens up in every direction. Once we're settled in, it's hot drinks and a sweet treat while your eyes adjust to the dark. No rush. Just time to let the stars take over, with constellations, satellites, and the odd shooting star pointed out along the way. Away from town lights, the sky does most of the work. Your guide brings the rest: the stories behind the constellations, a bit of astronomy, and an eye for exactly when and where to look.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children 5 and under are unable to join our small group adventures
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Your guide to the flawless travel experience
Popular Countries
Get our app
