Banff Gondola
Banff Gondola
4.5
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
About
Sulphur Mountain summit is easily accessible via the Banff Gondola. The ride takes just 8 minutes—you’ll get to enjoy the amazing views of six mountain ranges as you coast over the treetops. Once you’re at the 7,486-foot-high mountaintop, take a stroll along the ridgetop boardwalk before spending the afternoon at the multi-sensory theater, rooftop observation deck, restaurant and interactive exhibits.
Buy your tickets online to skip the line. For fewer crowds, plan to be there before noon or late afternoon. You can get there from downtown Banff by public bus.
– Tripadvisor
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
11,952 reviews
Excellent
8,172
Very good
2,851
Average
631
Poor
173
Terrible
130
Meagan H
Winnipeg, Canada3 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
We've been on the Banff Gondola a few times but this time really exceeded our expectations. We booked a family rate for pre-10am boarding (we booked a 9:50am time slot). This meant our children's admissions were free, saving us over $100! When we arrived, we were allowed to join the boarding line immediately and the kids were given chocolate chip cookies. It took 10 minutes in line to board the gondola. We bought hot drinks from Castle Mountain Coffee when we reached the top and took our time walking all the different walkways and levels. It was a great experience!
Written August 8, 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.
Hey there Meagan,
Great you made use of our Family Experience package to get the kids for free early in the morning!
Castle Mountain Coffee Co does easily one of the best hot chocolates around so hope you got to try one of them!
Kind regards,
Brody.
Written August 14, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
crystalm732023
Calgary, Canada1 contribution
Mar 2023
It was such a beautiful experience, the views at the top can't be beat. I highly recommend pre-purchasing tickets online it will save you so much time. Also, purchasing the Sky Lounge package was great because it guaranteed lunch and reservation.
Written March 19, 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.
Thank you for your review! We are glad to hear you enjoyed your experience at the Banff Gondola. We hope to see you again in the near future!
Written April 2, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
johnnnita
Napa, CA2,470 contributions
Oct 2022
On our next to last day, we reserved the Banff Gondola to coincide with our dinner reservations at Sky Bistro at the top of the ride. Our hotel concierge suggested this timeframe since we wanted to take in the sunset and dinner as well.
The Banff Gondola was actually a short walk from our hotel. That made it extra easy to not worry about going to and from. As with all our days here in early October, the weather was absolutely perfect for this experience. We had purchased tickets in advance, so no worries about lines. In fact, since it was at the end of the season, we learned we didn't even need to make advance reservations.
Nevertheless, it was easy to get on the gondola and take the ride up to the observation area at the top. As we started up, it was still daylight and we were able to enjoy the view. Along the way, looking down we could observe the walking trail one could also take instead of the gondola. Interestingly, we would see an occasional pair of hiking boots tied to the tips of the trees. We never learned what that was about. If you go, you might want to look for this and ask someone what it represents.
Once art the top, we were able to enjoy the beautiful sunset views around the main observation area. One could also take a walk/hike to Samson Peak, as well as the great views of Banff town below. We had plenty of time before our dinner reservations to really take in the sunset views.
The Banff Gondola was actually a short walk from our hotel. That made it extra easy to not worry about going to and from. As with all our days here in early October, the weather was absolutely perfect for this experience. We had purchased tickets in advance, so no worries about lines. In fact, since it was at the end of the season, we learned we didn't even need to make advance reservations.
Nevertheless, it was easy to get on the gondola and take the ride up to the observation area at the top. As we started up, it was still daylight and we were able to enjoy the view. Along the way, looking down we could observe the walking trail one could also take instead of the gondola. Interestingly, we would see an occasional pair of hiking boots tied to the tips of the trees. We never learned what that was about. If you go, you might want to look for this and ask someone what it represents.
Once art the top, we were able to enjoy the beautiful sunset views around the main observation area. One could also take a walk/hike to Samson Peak, as well as the great views of Banff town below. We had plenty of time before our dinner reservations to really take in the sunset views.
Written February 12, 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.
Hi johnnnita, thanks for taking the time to write us a review! I am so glad you enjoyed your time with us. Visiting at sunset is really the best time to come, the sunset views are particularly stunning! That's great that your hotel was close by, it makes getting here way easier. Usually during the late fall and winter season advance reservations are not required, but it is always a good idea to purchase beforehand due to changing availability. It is also usually cheaper if you purchase online in advance! Thanks so much for visiting, I hope you are able to come again soon.
Thanks,
Grace
Written February 19, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Evan M
1 contribution
Jan 2023
From the start the price is quite high, and there were no options for discounts through CAA or the hotel we stayed at which would have been appreciated when purchasing tickets.
When up the gondola there was not a lot of people so we were able to take our time and look around at all the exhibits. The exhibit outside allowed us to play with the lights which was fun, but we walked down the boardwalk and then it got dark but no signs on if there was anything else to see, so we kept walking a bit of a ways but couldn't seen anything so turned around. The exhibits inside about the history were to dark to see and read, and the Nightrise exhibits were not interactive. We spent time walking and listening to the stories on repeat.
We were able to watch a video in the Theatre but there was no listed schedule (even though a sign said it would be on a screen), so we were unsure how long to wait and if we would get any different shows. They had a long add for Soaring over Canada, but they could have done a version for Banff and/or the national parks which could be done well.
The ride down in the Gondola the audio for the narrative story did not work so we had to listen to loud static for the whole ride down.
Overall each area felt disconnected from the other and there was no clear story that you could follow through the various floors and most of the exhibits were not interactive except the lights outside or the noise maker on the roof.
Overall, for the price of $120 for two adult people, I would not recommend. Had a better time at the Vallea Lumina in Whistler last year for about 1/2 the price.
When up the gondola there was not a lot of people so we were able to take our time and look around at all the exhibits. The exhibit outside allowed us to play with the lights which was fun, but we walked down the boardwalk and then it got dark but no signs on if there was anything else to see, so we kept walking a bit of a ways but couldn't seen anything so turned around. The exhibits inside about the history were to dark to see and read, and the Nightrise exhibits were not interactive. We spent time walking and listening to the stories on repeat.
We were able to watch a video in the Theatre but there was no listed schedule (even though a sign said it would be on a screen), so we were unsure how long to wait and if we would get any different shows. They had a long add for Soaring over Canada, but they could have done a version for Banff and/or the national parks which could be done well.
The ride down in the Gondola the audio for the narrative story did not work so we had to listen to loud static for the whole ride down.
Overall each area felt disconnected from the other and there was no clear story that you could follow through the various floors and most of the exhibits were not interactive except the lights outside or the noise maker on the roof.
Overall, for the price of $120 for two adult people, I would not recommend. Had a better time at the Vallea Lumina in Whistler last year for about 1/2 the price.
Written January 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.
Good Day,
Thank you for sending us your feedback of your Banff Gondola experince. We do appreciate all feedback.
For the best price for the Banff Gondola we do always recommend booking in advance on our website, as there are discounts available for booking in advance.
Unfortunatley with the Nightrise experience we are only able to light the Boardwalk until the end of our lease hold. We do place signage each evening advising that the boardwalk is not lit past this point. I am sorry that you missed this signage.
As for the audio in the Gondola I do apolozie for that.
To try and make up for your experience, I would like welcome you back. Please reach out directly to me at lrankin@banffgondola.com
I look forward to hearing from you
Written January 30, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
tomli980411
Bellevue, WA1 contribution
Aug 2021 • Family
The view and experience is nice actually. But for a large group which want to go up and down together, the ticketing and appointment system is terrible. When you buy tickets, it is extremely unfriendly for large groups. When you choose your down-load time, it usually requires you stay at the peak for 3-4 hours. Also, if you want to leave earlier, you have to contact ticketing to seek for the number of tickets which allows you go down earlier. That says, it is difficult that there are sufficient number of tickets for a large group to go down earlier. Therefore, the down-load time for large groups is almost fixed, and you also had a few options when you buy the tickets. Thus, I have to say that Banff Gondola provides great experiences, but it is inefficient on ticketing, especially for large groups.
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.
N8291HAcarla
Calgary, Canada1 contribution
Aug 2022 • Family
They act like there is not enough availability to go up or come down in the gondola. They have ticket booths why can't they sell you the ticket there? It took us 20 minutes to go up there, then the staff rudely sent us away back to town to purchase tickets online only to find out there was tons of tickets available instantly so another twenty minutes to come back. What was the point of all that. They make you reserve in advance when they have tons of availability, they also make you reserve your time spot to come down. How are you supposed to know how long you will be there? We went up at 1 and "the only spots to get back down was at 1:30 pm or 5:00 pm" we selected 5 and honestly ignored it. We just headed down when we wanted and there was literally no one in line.
Written August 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.
Hi There N8291HAcarla,
I appreciate you taking the time to review the Banff Gondola. We are regretful that you did not fully enjoy your Gondola experience. Please feel free to reach out to me at bhumby@pursuitcollection.com to discuss your visit further.
Thank you,
Beverly
Beverly Humby (she/her)
Guest Experience Manager
Written August 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sightseer511326
1 contribution
Apr 2022 • Family
We paid 220 for two adults and a child to ride the gondola and have dinner at northern lights restaurant. Worth every penny. Ride up and down was spectacular- a bit thrilling. Buffet dinner was better than I expected. Great selections and tasty. The hike on the boardwalk to the Sansons peak was fantastic. Views of Banff and the Bow valley are worth it. We went in April where it wasn’t busy so:it made the experience much better. The temp T the top can be 10 C degrees colder than the base, so be prepared especially if you want to experience the outside- who wouldn’t.?
Written April 15, 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.
Hi Sightseer511326,
Thank you very much for sharing your feedback.
We are very pleased to read that you had a great time up here and you enjoyed the views and you dinner. I will make sure to share your feedback with the team.
Hope to see you again soon,
Best regards,
Raphael
Written April 21, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
3GandD
Regina, Canada83 contributions
Mar 2022
I appreciate that it costs money to build a huge centre at the top of a mountain and a company needs to make money but the value when you come with your adult children has been lost. I also hate demand based pricing but that really didn't' affect our trip as the prices didn't really fluctuate. We have been up to the top about 10 times over the years and the view, even in forest fire season, winter, summer, snow is always great. However, the value for money is declining rapidly recently. As well, the blaring music at the top is a distraction. Lastly, much of the things at the top were closed when we came.
Written March 2, 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.
Hello 3GandD,
I appreciate you taking the time to review the Banff Gondola. We are regretful that you did not fully enjoy your Gondola experience. Please feel free to reach out to me at bhumby@pursuitcollection.com to discuss your visit further.
Thank you,
Beverly
Beverly Humby (she/her)
Guest Experience Manager
Written June 13, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RCampbell94
Sherwood Park, Canada1 contribution
Mar 2023
We booked a gondola and dinner package, with our dinner reservation time being right before the sun would set. It was an amazing view to enjoy while we ate our delicious buffet dinner. Would definitely recommend if the timing works for you. We were also pleasantly surprised that the Nightrise exhibit was on and that we were able to walk around and enjoy the different installments even though it wasn’t specified on our tickets.
Written March 9, 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.
Good afternoon RCampbell94,
Thank you for leaving us this lovely review. We are so happy that you enjoyed our dinner package at Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen. We agree that the views at the top and from one of our restaurants are spectacular. We are glad that you got to enjoy our Nightrise experience. Have a wonderful day. A great recommendation to come early before sunset, see the views and then enjoy our Nightrise experience.
Kind Regards,
Gandi
Written March 9, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Go758783
2 contributions
Feb 2023
It was a worthwhile experience to be on top of sulphur mountain and see from that vantage point! If you’re afraid of heights, brace yourself for the gondola ride, it was an easier ride going down because it was dark out so we couldn’t see how high we really were. The night rise show was a unique exhibit, unfortunately it was so cold and windy up there (Feb 17th, 2023) we couldn’t walk to the peak. The buffet at the northern light caffe was not worth it, very limited options and not fresh.
Written February 21, 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.
Thank you for your review! We are glad to hear you enjoyed your experience at the Banff Gondola but sorry to hear Northern Lights Alpine Kitchen did not meet your expectations. We hope to see you again in the near future!
Written April 2, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tracie P
1 contribution
Hello. We are traveling in June and trying to figure out what amount of time will allow us to enjoy the mountain, do the hike and eat lunch. It says the hike is 1.5 to 3 hours, if I add in lunch, am I right to think we could go up say at 10 and come back down around 3 or is this too long? Hard to know when to book the down time, any thoughts are appreciated.
Linda P
4 contributions
This sounds about right to allow 10am to 3pm - we didn’t hike up, but others said it took them around 2 hrs
Tina
Lake Country, Canada
Does anyone know the current promo code for the gondola and buffet combo? There’s a space for a promo code when booking online and I’d like to save on my ticket purchase for three of us, thank you in advance. Tina
Laurie R
Edmonton11 contributions
If you go to the website there are a number of different options
Joe B
Madeira Park, Canada8 contributions
Can you take dogs on the gondola?
Brody Whiteman
Perth, Australia10 contributions
Hello Joe,
I can confirm unfortunately pets are not permitted inside the gondola or Gondola buildings/terminals.
The exception to this rule is service dogs with the correct paperwork are permitted up and down on the gondola and inside our gondola buildings.
You are more then welcome to hike up the trail and bring your dog onto our boardwalk deck at the Upper Terminal, however, you just cannot bring your pet inside the building itself.
Kind regards,
Brody (Banff Gondola Supervisor)
sebanoit
Terrebonne, Canada213 contributions
À quelle heure ferme est la dernière montée et à quelle heure est la dernière descente? Merci
Grace YunZhuo L
Edmonton, Canada2 contributions
May 7 – June 29: 9 AM – 9 PM Last Ride Up 7:30 PM
June 30 – September 5: 8 AM – 10 PM Last Ride Up 8:30 PM
September 6 – October 10: 9 AM – 9 PM Last Ride Up 7:30 PM
Last ride down: 10 minutes prior to close.
We will be coming from the Spagetti Factory, what station do we get the Roam at to get to the gondola
Nicole N
Calgary, Canada2 contributions
You would take the Roam 1 bus closest to Wolf street. Check times at roamtransit
Dress warm!! It’s cold at the top.
Can I go to the Gondola if I am an International traveller? I am double vaccinated in my home country... Will the Arrive can record help to proof this?
Tabita M
Banff National Park, Canada
Hello Camper56979971821:
You are welcome at the Banff Gondola.
You must be fully vaccinated to join our facilities.
You must show us an original proof of vaccination and a government ID.
Janice
Winnipeg, Canada13 contributions
I was looking at the dinner package but we are coming in June.With the 2 hour time limit it wouldn’t give us much time to explore with dinner.Do you get extra time because of the dinner?
xoxo1220xoxo
10 contributions
Hi there, I’m in a bit of a problem right now. I purchased some tickets online, as a gift for my friend, but I entered the wrong email address by mistake :( And I don’t have an account online to access these tickets. Would my friend still be able to go on the gondola just providing her name and confirmation number?? Idk what to do :( TIA
Tabita M
Banff National Park, Canada
Hello. You can call our reservation Team. They will be able to find the tickets by name and can correct the email as well.
Banff Gondola - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Banff Gondola
- Banff Gondola is open:
- Sun - Sat 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- We recommend booking Banff Gondola tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 1 Banff Gondola tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Banff Gondola:
- (0.31 mi) Rimrock Resort Hotel
- (1.48 mi) Banff Log Cabin B&B
- (1.16 mi) Fairmont Banff Springs
- (2.01 mi) Beaujolais Boutique B&B at Thea's House
- (2.38 mi) Banff Avenue B&B
- Restaurants near Banff Gondola:
- (0.02 mi) Starbucks
- (0.31 mi) The Primrose
- (0.31 mi) Eden
- (0.32 mi) Larkspur Lounge
- (0.88 mi) Sky Bistro
Banff Gondola Information
Excellent Reviews | 7,562 |
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Very Good Reviews | 2,743 |
Banff Gondola Photos | 6,618 |