Private Badland Tour

Explore the world-renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum — Canada's premier dinosaur museum
Walk among the iconic Hoodoos — ancient sandstone pillars shaped by millennia of erosion
Stand on the rim of Horseshoe Canyon and Horsethief Canyon for dramatic badlands panoramas
Cross the historic Rosedale Suspension Bridge over the Red Deer River
Visit the World's Largest Dinosaur — and climb inside for panoramic valley views
Step back in time at the East Coulee School Museum (1930s prairie heritage)
Sweeping river valley vistas from the Orkney Viewpoint
Private transportation with a professional driver-guide throughout

Most visitors to Alberta head straight for the mountains — and while the Rockies are spectacular, they're only part of the story. The Alberta Badlands, stretching east of Calgary through the Red Deer River valley, offer a landscape unlike anywhere else in Canada: an otherworldly terrain of hoodoos, sculpted canyon walls, and ancient rock formations that tells the story of a world 75 million years in the making.

Itinerary

Drumheller Townsite
~2 hours
Welcome to the Dinosaur Capital of the World. Your Badlands adventure begins in the heart of Drumheller, a unique and vibrant small town built on a rich legacy of palaeontological discovery and prairie history. Your guide will orient you to the region, share the remarkable story of how these ancient landscapes came to be, and point out the local character that makes Drumheller unlike anywhere else in Canada.

Horseshoe Canyon
~40 minutes
One of the most dramatic natural features in the Badlands, Horseshoe Canyon descends over 100 metres into a sweeping landscape of layered rock and eroded gullies. The viewpoints along the rim offer stunning perspectives across the canyon floor, and the colour and texture of the rock walls tell a vivid geological story spanning tens of millions of years. A place that rewards slow, contemplative visits.

The Hoodoos
~40 minutes
The Hoodoos are the Badlands' most iconic landform — towering columns of soft sandstone, capped with harder rock that has protected them from erosion over thousands of years. Walking among these remarkable formations is a surreal and humbling experience that feels like stepping onto another planet. Your guide will explain the fascinating erosion science that creates and continually reshapes these extraordinary pillars.

East Coulee School Museum
~1 hour
Tucked into the Badlands, the beautifully preserved East Coulee School Museum offers a fascinating window into 1930s prairie life. Once a bustling coal-mining community school, this heritage site brings the stories of early Alberta settlers to life through authentic artefacts, historical exhibits, and original architecture that has been maintained with remarkable care. (~$9 admission per person, payable on the day.)

Rosedale Suspension Bridge
~1 hour
Originally built to carry coal miners across the Red Deer River, the Rosedale Suspension Bridge is now a beloved Badlands landmark and a highlight of any visit to the region. Step onto the swaying bridge, take in the sweeping river valley views, and let your guide tell you the remarkable story of the coal-mining era that once defined and shaped this entire community.

World's Largest Dinosaur
~40 minutes
Standing over 26 metres tall, Drumheller's World's Largest Dinosaur is a Guinness World Record holder and one of Alberta's most beloved landmarks. But this T-Rex is more than just a photo opportunity — climb the 106 steps to the observation deck inside the dinosaur's mouth for surprisingly impressive panoramic views over Drumheller and the surrounding Badlands valley.

Royal Tyrrell Museum
~2 hours
The crown jewel of your Badlands day. The Royal Tyrrell Museum is one of the world's finest palaeontology museums, home to more than 40 mounted dinosaur skeletons and thousands of fossil specimens. Set against the dramatic Badlands landscape, it is a world-class institution that makes the ancient past feel utterly alive. Allow time to absorb the incredible Dinosaur Hall — it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience that visitors of every age find genuinely transformative. (~$21 admission per person, payable on the day.)

Horsethief Canyon & Orkney Viewpoint
~45 minutes
Cap off your Badlands adventure with two of the region's finest viewpoints. Horsethief Canyon rewards you with a final dramatic canyon vista — deep, layered, and incredibly photogenic — while Orkney Viewpoint delivers a sweeping panorama across the Red Deer River valley that serves as a fittingly spectacular farewell to one of Alberta's most remarkable landscapes.