On your full day birdwatching tour, you have the choice of birding in Banff or birding in Yoho.
Birding in Banff
Our proposed itinerary includes a number of spots near Banff town: Warner’s Stables, Vermilion Lakes, Johnson Lake. We’ll be on the lookout for a mix of ducks, forest songbirds, some agricultural specialists, and possibly woodpeckers and raptors.
We’ll also tour up the Bow Valley Parkway (1A), with stops at roadside viewpoints (woodpeckers, flycatchers and warblers), Johnston Canyon (American dippers and possibly black swifts), the Castle Junction bridge (ospreys), and Storm Mountain Lodge (rufous hummingbirds).
Custom Full Day Birding:
Joel can tailor the day to specific habitats or birds you are interested in. Destinations may include alpine areas that involve more hiking.
Birding in Yoho
In Yoho, we visit the village of Field (swallows, hummingbirds, “backyard” birds), the Field Backroad (warblers and thrushes), the wetland at the Yoho Ranch (ducks, ospreys, herons).
We’ll also make a side trip to Emerald Lake, to look for flycatchers, woodpeckers, swallows and the iconic common loon.
Full Day (6-8 hours)
$589 for the group
plus 5% GST

Add a Great Divide baseball hat for only $30. I will have your hat ready and waiting at the beginning of the hike!
Check out the story of our travelling hat!
-
- Season: May 30 – July 15
- Maximum of 8 people
- All participants are required to sign a waiver releasing Great Divide Nature Interpretation from liability before the trip begins.
- We do not provide transportation. You will need a vehicle to participate on a birdwatching tour. Your trip will start in Lake Louise, or at a meeting place in either the town of Banff or the village of Field. Banff is a 40 minute drive from Lake Louise, and Field is about 20 minutes away.
- Unless you are booking us for a hiking-oriented custom tour, all of our birdwatching locations involve short walks (from 100 metres to 2 km), on mostly level ground.
- The start time for the tours is variable, but we recommend an early start for the best birdwatching. This could be anywhere from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.
- For more details, see Birdwatching FAQs.
2025 Prices
Full Day (6-8 hours)
$589 for the group
plus 5% GST
You could also choose a half day birdwatching tour.
Add a Great Divide baseball hat for only $30. I will have your hat ready and waiting at the beginning of the hike!
Check out the story of our travelling hat!
What You Need to Know
-
- Season: May 30 – July 15
- Maximum of 8 people
- All participants are required to sign a waiver releasing Great Divide Nature Interpretation from liability before the trip begins.
- We do not provide transportation. You will need a vehicle to participate on a birdwatching tour. Your trip will start in Lake Louise, or at a meeting place in either the town of Banff or the village of Field. Banff is a 40 minute drive from Lake Louise, and Field is about 20 minutes away.
- Unless you are booking us for a hiking-oriented custom tour, all of our birdwatching locations involve short walks (from 100 metres to 2 km), on mostly level ground.
- The start time for the tours is variable, but we recommend an early start for the best birdwatching. This could be anywhere from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.
- For more details, see Birdwatching FAQs.

Availability and booking
Go to our availability calendar to see open dates and find our booking form. Once we’ve received your form, we’ll call you to discuss details – what birds you are hoping to see, where to go, and more.