Best Banff Horse Riding Tours — Our Top 6

1.Banff National Park: 1-Hour Bow River Horseback Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 518 reviews · 1 hour · from $78Our pick

Meet your horse at Banff Trail Riders’ red stables, learn basic riding skills, then follow the Bow River past Cave and Basin Hot Springs. Guides such as Sarah, Jade, and Steph share local stories while lead and tail guides keep the group together. The ride suits beginners age 8 and older.

“So worth it!!! We got a good lesson prior & were able to connect with our horses. I had Mustad and he was such a gentle, sweet boy! Overall, my partner & I 100% recommend this activity! Our guide Flossy(I hope I spelt that correctly) was so sweet & taught us so much!”

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2.Banff National Park: 1-Hour Spray River Horseback Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 315 reviews · 1 hour · from $83

Ride for one hour from the Spray River Corrals near Banff Springs Hotel. Guides such as Samantha, Sam, Summer, Ki, and Liv provide basic instruction and lead you across the Spray River, past Bow Falls and the Fairmont golf course. No riding experience is required, but long pants and sturdy closed-toe shoes are.

“Had a great tour and lovely experience horseback riding through Spray River!”

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3.Family Friendly Horse-Drawn Sleigh Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 237 reviews · 40 min · from $39Best value

Ride beneath wool blankets through Banff’s mountain meadows with views of Rundle and Cascade mountains. Guides such as Grace and Brooklyn share local stories, while elk and deer may appear. Finish with hot chocolate or cider by the fire. Snow conditions may mean a wagon ride instead.

“Fabulous activity- they catered for all needs and made the best out of not perfect weather! We were offered contingency plans well in advanced and emailed and then phoned to check this was okay! Absolutely top service. Our guides were amazing and so great with our kids!”

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4.2 Hour Banff Horseback Riding Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 145 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $160

Spend about two hours on horseback along Banff’s Sundance Loop, following the Bow River, passing Cave and Basin, and climbing wooded trails toward Windy Knoll. Lead and tail guides offer basic instruction and keep the ride safe. It suits beginners and children 8 and older, with a strict 230-pound limit.

“The young lady giving riding directions was a sourpuss-she acted like she hated her job and the guests. Maybe she’s been dealing with tourists for too long, but hey, it’s her job, and it tinged the whole experience. Some advice: smile once in a while and fake it, you’re in the hospitality industry. Our two ride guides were more personable, but we were too far back in line to hear any of the lead guide’s commentary for most of the ride. The horses were beautiful, well trained animals.”

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5.Banff National Park: 2-Hour Sundance Loop Horseback Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 128 reviews · 2 hours · from $152

Ride from Warner Stables along the Bow River, past Cave and Basin and natural hot springs, through marshland, and up Sulphur Mountain to Windy Knoll. You get basic riding help, a helmet, free parking, and guides who explain the horses, plants, wildlife, and scenery. English only.

“Great well treated horses, excellent guides, nice helpful staff, lessons for newbies, and beautiful scenery too”

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6.Wagon Ride with Cowboy Cookout BBQ

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 116 reviews · 3 hours · from $109Top rated

Spend three hours with Banff Trail Riders on a horse-drawn wagon ride along the Bow River and Sulphur Mountain Trail. Guides such as Sydney, Casey, Anna, and Mike lead the outing, while a cooked-to-order steak, campfire, lassoing, and horseshoes make the remote 3 Mile Cabin stop more than a simple scenic ride.

“We had a great time on our Wagon trip,we even saw a bear.Our guides were very polite,informative and funny.The meal we had was excellent and we all sat down together chatting.We had a go at the lassoing(so much fun).Out trip was on the 2ndJune2024.”

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