Pursuit at Lake Minnewanka — the cruise operator reviewed

The short verdict

If you want to cruise Lake Minnewanka with a guide, you are going out with Pursuit. No other company runs sightseeing cruises on the lake, so there is no rival boat to compare it with, and the useful questions are which of its products to buy, through which channel, and what the terms mean for you.

On the water, Pursuit is good at this. The boats are covered and heated, and the commentary covers Stoney Nakoda history, the geology, the wildlife and the drowned village of Minnewanka Landing. Off the water, it is less generous: tickets are non-refundable, prices change by date and departure, and the higher-end sailings don't publish a price until you pick a date.

We have no commercial relationship with Pursuit. This review is based on Pursuit's published products and terms at the time of writing, checked against Parks Canada's rules for the lake; how we score operators is explained on the operators page.

Who Pursuit is, and where Brewster went

Pursuit's parent is Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality, Inc., listed on the New York Stock Exchange as PRSU and formerly called Viad Corp. Its Rockies attractions are sold under the name Banff Jasper Collection by Pursuit. Besides the Lake Minnewanka Cruise, that collection includes the Banff Gondola, the Columbia Icefield Adventure and Skywalk, the Maligne Lake Cruise in Jasper, the Golden Skybridge, the Jasper SkyTram and Open Top Touring.

You will still see the cruise called "Brewster" in older guidebooks and blog posts. Brewster was a Banff family business that dates back to the 1890s, and the name lives on only as two Pursuit product brands: Brewster Sightseeing (guided coach tours) and Brewster Express (the airport and Calgary coach to Banff). Brewster is not the cruise operator's current name. The cruise's own old name, "Banff Lake Cruise", still turns up too.

The cruise line-up

Pursuit sells four scheduled sailings, all from the dock at the west end of the lake. Ages are the same on all of them: adult 16+, child 6–15, and children 5 and under free but included in the booking.

The Classic is the one most people should buy. It covers the same stretch of lake and the same stories, and it runs all season. Pick the Premium if the treats and the better seats are worth paying more on a special day, the Beer Voyage if you are adults who want the longer run to Devil's Gap, and the Junior Explorer if you are travelling with elementary-school kids in July or August. Pursuit also takes private charters for groups and weddings, quote-based.

There is no sunset, dinner or winter cruise, and nobody gets off the boat during the trip. The hour itself is on the cruise guide; the late sailings are on the evening page.

Prices, deals and passes

The Classic Cruise is currently from about $80 plus GST per adult (about $84 with GST) and about $55 with GST for children 6–15; kids 5 and under ride free. All prices on this page are in CAD. Prices vary by date and departure time — the "from" price is the lowest. The Premium Cruise costs more than the Classic, and the Beer Voyage is the priciest of the scheduled sailings; check the live price when you book.

Pursuit runs its own deals, and they are only available direct:

• Alberta residents save up to 35% on the Classic Cruise only, booked on Pursuit's website with a valid Alberta postal code and agreeing to receive Pursuit's email offers. Not on the Premium or the Beer Voyage.
• Junior Explorer: one free child per full-paying adult; extra children pay the child rate.
• Pursuit Pass (currently Rockies Lite, Rockies and Rockies Value) bundles the Banff Gondola, the Columbia Icefield and other Pursuit sights with one cruise: Lake Minnewanka or Maligne Lake, with a discount code for the other. Rockies Value can save up to 40% but limits some attractions, the cruise included, to after 3:30 p.m. Passes are non-refundable, can't be bought for same-day use, include no transport, and their valid dates have been shorter than the cruise season, so check the pass dates.
• Explore Banff, Brewster Sightseeing's guided coach day from Banff (or Calgary), includes Banff Gondola and cruise admission. Its prices exclude taxes and fees, and it can be cancelled up to 24 hours before.

The fare table and every legitimate way to pay less are on tickets and prices.

Rentals and guided fishing

Pursuit also runs the boathouse at the cruise dock. The fleet is single kayaks, double kayaks, canoes and 16-ft aluminum motorboats for 4–5 people with small outboards, gas included. Rentals are walk-up only, first come, first served, and not sold on GetYourGuide. A single kayak is currently $65 for the first hour, a canoe or double kayak $130, and a motorboat from about $170–205 for the first hour, all plus GST. Renters must be 18 or over and need a credit card.

Private canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are prohibited on Lake Minnewanka, so these rentals are the only way to paddle it; extra-hour rates and the wind warning are on the boat rentals page.

The guided Fishing Experience is a 3-hour trip after lake trout with up to 5 anglers per boat; rods, reels, tackle, a fish-finder and the park fishing licence are included. It currently costs $235 per adult and $152.75 per child 6–15, or about $700 for a private half-day for two, plus GST. Reservations are required, children under 5 can't come, and you need to give 48 hours' notice to cancel. For a private boat and a bigger group, see the Banff Adventures review; permits and limits are in the fishing guide.

Booking with Pursuit, and the terms that bite

Booking opens about 90 days ahead. Tickets are timed and come as mobile QR codes. You can buy up to 14 online; groups of 15 or more go through Pursuit's group line, and cruise bookings can be made by phone on 1-866-474-4766. There is a ticket office at the dock, but walk-up seats are first come, first served and a given time isn't guaranteed.

Then the small print:

On the day, check in at the dock ticket office at least 15 minutes before departure; Pursuit asks you to allow plenty of time, up to two hours if you're driving in summer. There are no washrooms on the boats, strollers stay at the dock, and bear spray is not allowed on board.

Accessibility is limited. Most boats take wheelchairs on the back deck only (up to 32 in / 81 cm wide); the cabins are not accessible. If you book online, call Pursuit's ticket office (403-762-4425) to arrange it.

Getting there is one thing Pursuit handles well. Roam Transit Route 6 from downtown Banff is free with a same-day, pre-purchased Lake Minnewanka Cruise ticket (show it to the driver), and in peak summer Pursuit has also run a free shuttle from downtown Banff hotels for ticket holders; check when you book. More on getting there.

Pursuit on GetYourGuide

In season, GetYourGuide sells two Pursuit-supplied cruise products: the plain Lake Minnewanka Cruise ticket and a Lake Minnewanka Cruise and Banff Gondola combo that really does include both tickets. Both vanish from GetYourGuide when the cruise season ends, and they come back with it, so outside the cruise season you won't find them, and we don't link them then. On GetYourGuide, check the listing's cancellation terms before you book; don't assume the cruise ticket can be cancelled for free.

The Pursuit ticket you can book on GetYourGuide outside the cruise season is the Banff Gondola admission, currently from about $77. The gondola is an 8-minute ride up Sulphur Mountain, served by Roam Route 1 from town, and on a summer day it pairs naturally with an afternoon cruise.

Ticket

Few spots left

Banff: Banff Gondola Admission Ticket

4.7 (4,944)

from $77Book

Which channel suits the cruise depends mostly on which sailing you want and where you live; the platform comparison walks through it. Off-season, the day tours page explains what the tours that visit the lake do instead.

Strengths and weaknesses

Our score