Rafting in Canada: the 15 Runs Worth the Drive

1.Wet and Wild Elaho Exhilarator Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 625 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $183 a head Our pick

Ride roughly 10 miles of the Elaho and Squamish Rivers through Class III and IV rapids, including Devil’s Elbow. You’ll receive a wetsuit, helmet, life jacket, and expert instruction, then float past glaciers, waterfalls, old-growth forest, and possible wildlife sightings. Pickup is available from Vancouver, Whistler, and Squamish.

“Absolutely fantastic day spent in the rapids with glorious scenery. Well worth the money as we were out for 7 hours with pick ups and rafting . Fabulous”

See dates →Read our full review

2.Rafting Adventure on the Kicking Horse River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 590 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $82 a head

Choose a 3 to 6.5-hour rafting trip with Glacier Raft Company on Golden’s Kicking Horse River. You’ll receive a helmet, life jacket, river gear, shuttle service, and a professional guide. Full Day Discovery and Gentle Family Rafting include a BBQ lunch, with guides such as Austin, Ryan, Steffi, and Nico leading the way.

“Our guide, Austin, was great. It was a lot of fun. He got to know everyone’s name, and he made it a fun experience. Highly recommend.”

See dates →Read our full review

3.Half-Day Whitewater Rafting in Revelstoke

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 410 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $138 a head

Meet Apex Rafting at Revelstoke’s Regent Hotel, gear up, then ride 25 kilometers of Class II and III rapids on the Illecillewaet River. Guides such as Graham, Jason, Cade, and Devon lead beginners through the action, with mountain views, snacks, photos, and a discounted pub meal afterward.

“Fabulous time, very well organised from a professional team, with great humour. Thoroughly enjoyed our guide, Graham, and this experience will last long in the memory of our visit to Canada!”

See dates →Read our full review

4.Athabasca River Easy Scenic Raft Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 337 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $69 a head

Float about six miles along Jasper’s Athabasca River with a licensed guide handling the raft. Expect calm water, small rapids, fur-trade history, mountain scenery, and possible splashes. Guides such as Finn, Dave, Owen, and Jacob bring plenty of humor and local insight. The trip lasts about two to three hours, including transport.

“Great tour- our float trip was amazing & Conner was so informative & delightfully entertaining during the float! Lots of information & history along the way.”

See dates →Read our full review

5.Kananaskis River Whitewater Rafting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 328 reviews · 4 hours · from $95 a head

Spend four hours rafting the Kananaskis River near Banff and Canmore, punching through 10-plus Class 2 and 3 rapids, racing through an Olympic kayaking course, and playing river games in calmer water. Guides such as Sam, Geoff, Eoghann, and Quynton are known for clear instruction and good humor. Gear, transport, and a hot or cold drink are included.

“It was amazing huge shout out to Quynton helped us with all questions and had a answer no matter what and was overall a great experience with my family and the 2 girls brought along highly recommend”

See dates →Read our full review

6.Clearwater, BC, Rafting, Finish in Canadas waterfall capital!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 321 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $110 a head

Join Interior Whitewater Expeditions in Clearwater for a 3.5-hour, 14-km rafting run through Wells Gray Park. Guides such as Emma, Haley, Ryan, Travis, Mason, and Ken lead the river trip, while driver Noah helps with the outing. Expect rapids, calm-water swims, wildlife, volcanic scenery, and full safety gear.

“Very friendly and young team. Was lot's of fun. One of our highlight of the trip. We loved the swimming in the river!”

See dates →Read our full review

7.Jasper National Park: 2-Hour Whitewater Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 310 reviews · 2 hours · from $80 a head

Join Jasper’s Whitewater Rafting Company for a two-hour Athabasca River trip suited to first-timers and families with children age five and up. You’ll ride an eight-person raft through grade 2 rapids, learn about the area from a licensed guide, and may swim in the glacial water. Wetsuits, boots, jackets, and transport from Jasper are included.

“It was so fun! Everything was explained really well and clear, Jordan was engaging, fun and made me feel very safe for my first time rafting. The whole experience was wonderful and they were all lovely, we had Jordan, Connor, Andy and Emily take us on our trip and they were all very fun and made the trip really entertaining (thank you to Andy for the photos!!) -also nice to see Connor living out his Canadian lifestyle (as a fellow Brit). Emily was also hilarious! All super friendly, would definitely book again!❤️”

See dates →Read our full review

8.Afternoon Kananaskis River Whitewater Rafting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 297 reviews · 4 hours · from $110 a head

Meet at Nakoda Lakeside Lodge for a four-hour Kananaskis River rafting trip with 1.5 to 2 hours on the water. Guides such as David, Hazel, Alex, and Rachel lead beginners through class 2 and 3 rapids, calm floats, wildlife spotting, and an optional swim. Gear, snacks, hot drinks, and free online photos are included.

“The entire trip was excellent especially for our grandchildren who had never been whitewater rafting before. Our guide, Hazel, was wonderful and great with the kids!”

See dates →Read our full review

9.Jasper National Park Easy 2-Hour Rafting Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 291 reviews · 2 hours · from $65 a head

Meet at Jasper Train Station and ride to the Athabasca River in a 25-foot oar-driven raft. Your guide rows while you enjoy mountain views, wildlife-spotting, and a few playful splashes. Guides such as Joel, Mark, Luke, and Finn are known for adding humor and local stories. This is a relaxed family trip, not a white-water challenge.

“Has an amazing time, very well organised, the guild was very helpful, funny and new a lot about the local area, we all had a great time and would highly recommend.”

See dates →Read our full review

10.Whitewater Rafting Adventure | Kicking Horse River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 291 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $123 a head

Spend about four hours rafting 20 km of the Kicking Horse River near Golden, starting on calm Class I water before tackling Class IV rapids. Hydra supplies wetsuits, jackets, shoes, paddles, and certified guides. Guides such as Jaro, Kyle, Bill, and Fabian are praised for clear safety briefings and good humor.

“Brilliant! Our guide (Kyle) has was superb - made sure everyone had a great time and never felt anything other than safe. Our family of 5 had an awesome trip down the river - hit some really decent rapids and got soaked! Set up at base camp is great - plenty of parking, places to change, hot showers and snacks. Don’t be put off by the necessary safety briefing - at no point on the trip did we feel unsafe or concerned. Fully recommend the trip and Hydra - thanks team👍”

See dates →Read our full review

11.Sunwapta River Self-Drive Rafting Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 235 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $107 a head

Drive 40 minutes south of Jasper, then join guides such as Nate, Luke, or Erin for a 2-hour-15-minute rafting trip through Jasper National Park. Paddle a six-person raft over Class 3 rapids, with all equipment supplied, and finish a few hundred metres above Sunwapta Falls.

“Went with a bachelor party of 7. Thick Nick was able to successfully pilot 7 hungover medium to large gentlemen down the river on a fun, intense cold river run. Plenty of good times of gentle floating followed with intermittent intense rapids. 11/10 would recommend. Thanks Thick Nick for making it a great time!”

See dates →Read our full review

12.Athabasca Canyon Run Family Rafting: Class II Plus Rapids

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 193 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $95 a head

Meet in downtown Jasper, change into provided rafting gear, then ride a six-person raft through Athabasca Canyon and its Class II rapids. Guides such as Collin, Eric, Chris, and Thomas are known for clear safety talks and good family skills. Expect splashes, mountain views, calm water, and about two hours on the river.

“Awesome river trip! Very fun rapids😄 our river guide Thomas was very skilled at getting us into those fun rapids so we could get the best bang!!! Would highly recommend this trip for anyone that wants to have a fun day😉”

See dates →Read our full review

13.Private Self-guided River Rafting Tour in Calgary

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 182 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

You and your private group of 2 to 12 people float Calgary’s Bow River without a guide, using provided rafts, PFDs, paddles, and a safety kit. The route passes Bowmont Park, Edworthy Park, Shaganappi Point, Peace Bridge, and Prince’s Island Park. Plan on roughly 2 to 4 hours on the water, depending on river flow.

See dates →Read our full review

14.Elaho Whitewater Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 161 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $183 a head

Spend about 5.5 hours rafting the Elaho River with an English-speaking guide, safety gear, wetsuit, snack, and transport to the river. Guides such as Mariano, Theo, Connor, and Pedro have earned praise for making first-timers feel safe while keeping the ride lively. Meet in Squamish or choose pickup from Vancouver or Whistler.

“The rafting company provided all of the essentials. Wet suit, booties, fleece jacket, rain coat and a helmet. The staff was very friendly and very knowledgeable about the river and the rapids. 2 members of our group had never rafted before and the staff and our guide made them feel very safe. Communication was great and safety was a big priority. The only negative was the long ride to Squamish from Vancouver (1.5 hours) Take drugs if you get car sick, the roads are very windy up to base camp. Then it was another 50 minutes to the drop off site and the school bus is very bumpy. The water…”

See dates →Read our full review

15.Whistler’s Only Green River Whitewater Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 161 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $161 a head

Paddle Whistler’s Green River with a trained guide on a two-hour trip through forested wilderness. Expect small rapids, calm stretches, scenic views, wetsuits, helmets, and clear safety instruction. No rafting experience is needed, but you must be able to swim. Ages 10 and up are welcome, with a 90-pound minimum.

“Brilliant! Such an amazing experience! Views were incredible too. If you’re thinking twice - don’t - it’s a no brainier.”

See dates →Read our full review