A Thrilling Banff & Jasper Vacation

"To say I was emotionally overwhelmed is an understatement. I have been to a lot of beautiful places but this place brought tears. Even with three -maybe four - days of rain, this still was an amazing trip. The glory of the Rockies, the colors of the waters, the simple calmness of the place was a welcome respite from my concrete city life.

"It was an excellent trip. Our two guides, Sydney and Santana were fantastic. We had some rain on two of the days and they were flexible in finding alternatives to our plans so that we could still hike but not be out in the elements too much. The accommodations were fine. The lunches that were prepared were great. The hikes were stunning.

"Our trip to Banff & Jasper was fantastic. Sydney & Keenan were expert guides for the area and activities, and took care of our group. They pivoted with the weather and some of our requests during the trip all while pulling off a seamless adventure. We saw parts of Canada that we would not have been able to do on our own and learned so much - from hiking techniques to glacier activity. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience, guides and fellow guests. Looking forward to our next Austin adventure!

"Our trip guides - Keenan and Sydney were awesome! They literally thought of everything to make our trip so nice! From snacks on the river, to a dry towel after rafting, to a yummy charcuterie board after our bike ride, the two of them were so very thoughtful and engaged, for the entire trip! We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our trip, lots of great scenery, adventures and getting to know Keenan and Sydney throughout our week!

"This was my first adventure with (Active)Austin Adventures and my husbands second trip. I loved it! For me the white water rafting and glacier ice walk were awesome. Our guides, Sydney and Keenan were fantastic. They truly gave us the red carpet treatment and you can see the difference between Active Adventures and other companies when you are on the trip.

"This was my 3rd trip with Austin Adventures and it again met their (and my) very high standards. After years as a single parent, I am always struck by how the guides at Austin take care of all the details as if they were an attentive parent planning so that no contingency could detract from my enjoyment. Didn’t bring enough water? They carried extra. Too tired to climb that last hill on the bike ride? They’ll give you a ride up, all without making you feel embarrassed. And they’re not only incredibly nice and resourceful, they are incredibly knowledgeable. I love traveling with these wonderful people.

"This has been one of my favorite of all vacations. The Canadian Rockies are stunningly beautiful - it leaves you in total wonderment about the powerful affect of nature. Our guides (Sydney and Keenan) were superb. They worked tirelessly to ensure we had a good time. It was the little things they did that impressed me with their hospitality skills. They left us hand written notes each night in our rooms with chocolates. They brought us hot chocolate with whipped cream during our hike on a glacier; they brought us wonderful snacks during a break while white water rafting; they made sure we had towels to dry off after the raft trip. The list goes on and on. Their positive attitude was contagious for the group, and even though many of us were strangers, we became almost like a family. Good job Austin Adventures for having such great guides.

"I have traveled around the world for both work and pleasure for many many years and this trip was by far among the tops. The guides, Sydney and Keenan, were outstanding and loved showing us the best of the Canadian Rockies. They thought of everything and adapted the schedule and days according to the group with ease and good humor. The other members of the party were delightful and after 6 days we left as good friends who shared a great adventure. Thank you Sidney and Keenan and Austin Adventures.

"The highlight of the trip for me was the white water rafting! I have done a lot of exciting things in my 74 years but this by far was the most exhilarating adrenaline rush I have experienced. It surpassed any expectation that I had even dreamed about. Second of all, I enjoyed the spectacular scenery of the Rockies. Not only did our guides show us well known places, but we got to visit spectacular locations off the beaten path which I certainly enjoyed and feel privileged to have seen.
Our walk in the Athabaskan Glacier was unforgettable. It was definitely a learning experience and I got to taste glacial waters for the first time!
Our 3 guides, Ree, Sydney and Keenan were fabulous. They were very knowledgeable about the area, it’s history and the habitat. They took care of all our needs in profession and fun style. They were all “ down to earth” fun people with great communication skills that really helped mesh our group together. On that note I want to say how much I enjoyed all the other guests on the trip. We all brought something to share…

"Organized and executed to perfection.

"This was a very good trip. Expert guides, beautiful scenery and great food.

"Our Austin Adventure in the Canadian Rockies exceeded expectations in every way. The scenery and hiking experiences were spectacular. Accommodations, transportation and meals were excellent. Most of all, we were impressed by our wonderful guides - Lisa, Sydney and Tabs. These gals made our experience truly outstanding! Charming, interesting, knowledgeable, organized and super fun ... they took great care of all of us. We never stopped smiling.

"The location was fantastic, the guides were knowledgeable, caring, organized, friendly and listened! The meals were wonderful and the driving was safe.

"This was a bucket list trip for me, which can set up unfair high expectations when you're laying down a lot of money (which it was for me). For that reason I purposefully tried to avoid reading up too much on the details and time after time was wowed by the aspects that Austin Adventures organized - the food, the snacks, the vans, the silver platters, the hot lavender towels after the cold plunge, and most of all the guides. I don't know what personality test you put them through (I'd like to know your hiring secrets), but each guide was exceptional in their knowledge, helpfulness, communication, and kindness. You definitely spend more time with these guides than I have on other trips and Tabs, Lisa, and Sydney were all even just great company.

"The trip was amazing. The guides did a spectacular job and were very accommodating. The Beer Creek Lodge was wonderful. I did wish we could have some more time to explore BANFF. Lunch options other than sandwiches and wraps would have been appreciated. A little more autonomy on the hikes that allowed more aggressive hikers to challenge themselves would be welcomed. Finally, the overall cost was on the high-end and not necessarily competitive. And I didn't like how pick up hotels were changed after we had already booked. Perhaps a little more flexibility on where you pick people up.

"Overall the trip was very good. Some activities exceeded my expectations, like the rafting on Kicking Horse River and hiking to Sentinel Pass. The guides handled all experiences with ease. All events proceeded without delay or difficulty. The guides were very professional, and even though it was their first season with Austin Adventures, you could tell they had a lot of other guide experiences.

"This was the most active, relaxing, fun, and exhilarating of any vacation in my life! The entire week was seamless from the moment we stepped into the van.

"Both leaders were exceptionally prepared for our everyday adventures. Both new the area we explored and beyond from nature, mountain ranges, etc..to help us understand the diversity of the areas we traveled.

"Very good trip. Not too strenuous.

"Everything was perfect. The guides (Rheannon, Sydney and Keenan), were beyond amazing. Energetic, encouraging, funny and knowledgeable. What else could a person ask for? What was especially nice to see was how well the guides worked together.