Top sightseeing tours in and around Calgary

Tours aren’t just about checking spots off a list—they’re about stories, flavours, and perspectives that bring a place to life. Whether you’re coasting on a bike path, riding in a vintage sidecar, or kicking back on a comfy tour bus, guided experiences around Calgary make exploring effortless and unforgettable. From downtown murals to fossil beds in the Badlands, expert guides take care of the planning, so you can just show up and be amazed.

Ready to roam? Discover the tour that fits your style.

Bus and motorcycle tours combine rich local history with scenic discoveries—all led by knowledgeable guides and departing from convenient city locations. There is currently no hop-on-hop-off bus service available in Calgary but plenty of motorized tours to choose from:

• Alberta Blue Sky Tours: Customizable and private tours varying in duration, location, and group sizes. Check out their City Highlights Tour and see everything from the Calgary Tower and Studio Bell to The Confluence Historic Site (formerly Fort Calgary).

• CalgaryWalks & Bus Tours: Whether you’re looking for a historic tour or want to explore what the city’s downtown has to offer, these bus tours take you through the important landmarks. Tours leave from the base of the Calgary Tower and return to the same location at the end of the day.

• Hammerhead Scenic Tours: Calgary tours have key stops at WinSport, Heritage Park, and Scotsman’s Hill providing plenty of photo opportunities and family fun.

• RTB Tours & Shuttles: Only in Calgary for a short time? Their 2-hour Calgary Evening tour takes you through downtown Calgary’s classic points as the driver guide tells you all about the city’s history.

• Rocky Mountain Sidecar Adventures: This unique tour offers a vintage, guided sidecar motorcycle tour of Calgary. The 75-min Calgary Sightseeing Tour takes you around the city in style with photo stops at Scotsman's Hill and Crescent Heights Park.

Walking lets you slow down, soak up the skyline, and stumble onto the kinds of places you won’t find in a guidebook—like a hidden mural in Inglewood, a pop-up market in East Village, or that perfect cup of coffee just off Stephen Avenue. Lace up and hit the pavement with these tours:

• Toonie Tours: No better way to discover Calgary than with their free walking tour. On this gratuity-based tour, you’ll uncover secrets of Stephen Ave, traverse hidden skywalks, and dive into the dynamic history of Calgary.

• History Wrangler Tours: Created by award-winning author, Rob Lennard, this tour shows off both the modern and historic sides of downtown.

• CalgaryWalks & Bus Tours: Tour guides lead a historical walking tour to major landmarks at a comfortable pace, through Stephen Avenue and along the Bow River Pathway.

• BUMP Festival Mural Tours: Every wall tells a story. Explore Calgary’s open air street art gallery with an official guided mural tour led by the BUMP Festival. See 20+ murals in the heart of the Beltline (including the world’s tallest mural), marvel at record breaking artworks, celebrate local history, and learn about the most iconic murals in the city.

• Zuc’min Guiding: Calgary-based néhinaw artist, Kamâmak - MacKenzie Brown, leads a 2-hour Indigenous Art Walk around the neighbourhoods of Inglewood and East Village

Go with the flow on these self-guided river rafting tours. Whether you’re paddling a kayak or floating in a raft, the Bow and Elbow Rivers offer a front-row seat to the city’s skyline, wildlife, and riverside charm.

• Lazy Day Raft Rentals: Get your lazy on with this 2-4 hour float down the Bow River from Baker Park to Prince’s Island Park.

• The Paddle Station: This tour starts at Shouldice Park in the northwest with great views of downtown and ends 2-3 hours later at “The Cove” on St. Patrick’s Island.

Want to feel like you’re on cloud 9 in Blue Sky City? Aerial tours over Calgary offer a breathtaking perspective of the Rockies, winding rivers, and the skyline shimmering under 333 days of sunshine.

• Calgary Helicopter Tours: A blend of comfort, adventure, and sky-high views, this helicopter tour of Calgary is bound to elevate your experience to new heights.

• Mountain View Helicopters:   Based at Springbank Airport, all of their helicopters feature bubble windows and forward seating, ensuring 360° views for all.

• Sundance Balloons: This unique and scenic balloon ride gives you a bird's-eye view of Calgary's breathtaking parks, as well as the Canadian Rockies. Their hot air balloon flight season runs from May to September.

From glacier-fed lakes in Banff to the golden prairies of Southern Alberta, these guided tours blend beauty with culture and connection.

Banff Tours

These tours depart from Calgary and provide transportation to and from Banff.

• Alberta Blue Sky Tours: Comprehensive tours of Banff, Lake Louise, and the Icefields Parkway.

• Discover Banff Tours: Running year-round, this tour takes small groups to all the major highlights: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Johnston Canyon.

• Hammerhead Scenic Tours: The Banff & Lake Louise tour takes you through the Canadian Rockies with stops at Two Jack Lake, Lake Minnewanka, and the Town of Banff. This full-day tour lasts approximately 10 hours.

• RTB Tours & Shuttles: This year-round tour departs Calgary at 7:30 a.m. from the base of the Calgary Tower and takes you to Banff National Park with key stops at the Town of Banff, Lake Louise, and Lake Minnewanka.

• Brewster Sightseeing: Explore Banff and the charming shops, galleries, cafes, and restaurants of this mountain town. Finish it all off with a ride up the Banff Gondola and a boat tour of Lake Minnewanka.

Badlands Tours

These tours depart from Calgary and provide transportation to and from Drumheller.

• Alberta Blue Sky Tours: The Drumheller & Badlands Tour makes stops at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and Horsethief Canyon east of Calgary.

• Hammerhead Scenic Tours: This full-day tour includes stops along the North Dinosaur Trail, a visit to the World’s Largest Dinosaur, and a stop at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.

• RTB Tours & Shuttles: This tour stops at Horseshoe Canyon, the Hoodoos, Atlas Coal Mine, Rosedale Suspension Bridge, and the world-famous Royal Tyrrell Museum.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Tours

Hammerhead Scenic Tours offers a full-day tour of this historic site with a scenic drive along the scenic Cowboy Trail and admission to the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre.

Waterton Lakes National Park Tours

Calgary Tours provides a guided tour to Waterton Lakes National Park in English, Mandarin, and Japanese. Explore the Alberta Foothills with stops at the Buffalo Paddock, Prince of Wales hotel, the Town of Waterton, Cameron Falls, and Red Rock Canyon.