Bow Falls
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  • Louise Masin Sattler
    Los Angeles, California1,099 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bring your camera- this falls and walk is very picturesque
    A beautiful walk along a mostly even pathway leads you to the falls UNTIL you reach numerous sets of wooden steps. This makes it not accessible from the pathway that originates downtown. A lovely way to spend a few hours in Banff.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 31, 2023
  • lesliebauman
    Kirkland, Washington1,044 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Easy walk from Banff village. Follow the signs
    Walked from Banff village along the river with a wonderful art nature walk along the way. There are some stairs up and down along the way but it’s basically pretty flat. Easy with nice views. Worth your time.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 11, 2023
  • Christina B
    Louisiana2,712 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful East Access Falls
    This was a beautiful fall. It took so long to just get parked. Longer than we were there. Watch out for the parking agents.. they ticketed a lot of people. Park only where there’s lines to park. It took about 15 mins to park so saw them take photos a lot of cars 😆 As far as the Falls they are right off the road. With that said very easy for people to flock too. SO MANY people and So many who think it’s photo session time. Take your photo and move. So many in the water that makes it hard to get a clean shot. I would have loved to have spent a little more time there, but just TOO many people hanging out long term. We were there less than 5 minutes.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 22, 2023
  • Anne D
    Sydney, Australia68 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful and accessible falls and lake
    You can easily reach the Bow River Falls by #2 ROAM bus which runs once and hour to the falls. The falls themselves are easily reached from the shore and then the lake opens out. The float tours (all completely dry thanks to a wooden floor in the big zodiacs) and kayak trips leave form here and go one way down the river and then the guests are transported back by shuttle. It's a very popular place for families in the local areas too.
    Visited July 2023
    Written August 2, 2023
  • teile m
    Airmont, New York8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Banff is amazing
    Easy walk along the Bow River to the falls. The Art in Nature was an added benefit. There were some spots where you could put your feet in the water! And benches to rest and enjoy nature. Lots of other people on it
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written August 6, 2023
  • JMHan
    Irvine, California5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful place to visit
    Beautiful place to visit in Banff. It’s about 1.4km from the downtown. It also has enough parking spaces for visitors. Unfortunately there are no public restrooms. Don’t forget to stop by at the surprise corner viewpoint which is the other side of the river. It’s another spectacular view.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 25, 2023
  • MrandMrsICHBI
    England, United Kingdom496 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pleasant walk
    Walked along the bow river trial from Banff to the falls. A scenic walk with some steps & inclines. It is a gentle round trip of circa a hour or less depending on speed and stops for photo’s. Along the way there are numerous art displays. The falls themselves are picturesque but don’t expect anything like Niagara Falls but worth a visit.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 10, 2023
  • tinaNtravel
    San Jose, California2,011 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful walk to the falls
    You can get to Bow Falls by walking down the beautiful Bow River Trail. Walk down the main street of Banff to the beautiful Cascade Gardens on the other side of the bridge, crossing the Bow River. Turn left (before the road) to get on the Bow River Trail. Walk down the trail approx 20-30 minutes to reach the falls. This is a very easy, mostly flat walk.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 10, 2023
  • booking123
    1,412 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent
    We took roam bus 2 to falls but you can walk the trail 1.7 miles takes 39 minutes. Falls are spectacular. There are about 400 or more steps to climb if you want to look at the falls from the top. Falls are very scenic
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 19, 2023
  • Peter V
    Market Bosworth, United Kingdom24 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent
    You can hear the falls from a distance. An art trail takes you there and on a cold sunny day a memorable experience. Foot paths well looked after. Well worth the walk from centre of Banff
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 2, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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must_travel_soon_10
Mississauga, Canada1,706 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020
Surprise corner viewpoint allows a great vista overlooking the rapids and falls from above. The river road viewpoint has the lower falls view, which is spectacular. From above the power and fast flowing waters can be appreciated. From below the falls are roaring and then down stream, seems so tranquil. Didn't get a chance to walk along the walkway along the Bow river, but it appears to be a great stroll.
Written September 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Worthy Travels
San Francisco, CA435 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
A definite must-see when visiting Banff! Try to go early in the morning and just marvel at the way the color of the water changes with the sunlight. It's just stunning. Walk the trail and enjoy listening the rush of the water and just marvel at this breathtaking waterfall and its lovely surroundings.
Written October 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sightseer48954554169
Belfast, UK2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
The gentle walk along the Bow Falls offers stunning scenery and the opportunity to take a lovely hour long raft tour along the river. Our guide Kim was full of interesting information about the areas wildlife, fauna flora and geology. We visited Banff at the end of a busy sightseeing holiday in Canada and this was a lovely relaxing way to end our holiday. Easy to reach from the town and on the doorstep of Banff Springs hotel.
Written September 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anne D
Sydney, Australia68 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023
You can easily reach the Bow River Falls by #2 ROAM bus which runs once and hour to the falls. The falls themselves are easily reached from the shore and then the lake opens out. The float tours (all completely dry thanks to a wooden floor in the big zodiacs) and kayak trips leave form here and go one way down the river and then the guests are transported back by shuttle. It's a very popular place for families in the local areas too.
Written August 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

booking123
New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada1,412 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
We took roam bus 2 to falls but you can walk the trail 1.7 miles takes 39 minutes. Falls are spectacular. There are about 400 or more steps to climb if you want to look at the falls from the top. Falls are very scenic
Written September 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chad M
Calgary, Canada213 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020 • Couples
We always make it a point to come and visit the Bow Falls. This place is very meaningful for our family. This time of year, especially on a weekday, it’s quiet and there’s less rushing water. It was a gorgeous day and we truly love the view of the falls and the river below the falls. Go see for yourself if you find yourself in Banff!
Written November 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

marvi62
Horsham, PA623 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Family
I think the 3 of us would have had a better impression of the Falls if we had parked on the side of the river where the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is. We could see people on that side walking on a trail facing the Falls. But we followed the signs and parked on Buffalo St in the designated (and small) parking lot. We could hear the Falls but couldn’t really see them.
Written June 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ScubaNut099
Edmonton, Canada222 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020
Walking along the trail system in Banff we happened to come across Bow Falls. Being winter, they were partially frozen, which actually made for better photos if you ask me. Takes a little bit of walking to get here, but the trail is extremely wide open and flat.
Worth the quick walk out to see it.
Written December 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sharla P
41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
Lovely view of Bow Falls from the lookout! We went around noon and though busy, there was ample parking and lots of room to snap a picture of the falls. Our young children had no problem on the path and we even saw people with strollers. Would recommend.
Written August 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Norman A
Ucluelet, Canada356 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020
When we traveled, in late September. You have the leaves on the trees turning, the air is crisp. It is the matting season for the Elk. The falls them selves are nice, but there are many more spectacular falls to see in the Park, it makes these falls look small. It is the sum of the whole beautiful area, not just the falls. It is a special place.
Written July 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Bow Falls - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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