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Dinosaurs and Hoodoos: Alberta, Canada

Contact an expert to book or discuss this tour.

Email us to book or discuss

UK: +44 20 3884 9735

USA: +1 281 214 2540

23 July 2024 - 3 days for £1,599

A compact yet immersive introduction into southern Alberta's fascinating prehistoric past. During this three day adventure, visit the the multi-hued canyons and wind-sculpted hoodoos of the Alberta iconic Badlands, named by early French explorers as “bad lands to cross”. Explore one of the world’s premier dinosaur museums, and circumnavigate a World Heritage Site with outstanding dinosaur fossils. 

Begin in Calgary, head east for an introduction to the other-worldly Badlands region, which, includes amazing finds from the age of the dinosaurs, first noted by Joseph Tyrell in 1884. From here, explore one of the world’s best and most-celebrated dinosaur museums, the Royal Tyrrell Museum at Drumheller, and enjoy an interesting talk from a fossil preparation expert. Your final day will be spent walking the bonebeds of Dinosaur Provincial Park, visiting areas normally off-limits to the general public. 

You will be accompanied throughout by working palaeontologist Jon Noad, who will develop the stories told by the rocks, tales that include past oceans, swamps rivers and deserts, the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and, more recently, ice sheets that covered Alberta and carved out spectacular landscapes.

In partnership with GeoCultura World.

itinerary map for Dinosaurs and Hoodoos in Alberta

DAY 1: ARRIVE INTO CALGARY. TRAVEL TO DRUMHELLER: THE BADLANDS

You will meet with Jon and the group in central Calgary to board your coach for the trip east to the Badlands. Enroute the tour expert will introduce the geology of southern Alberta.

Your first stop will be Horseshoe Canyon, whose stunning scenery has been used as a backdrop for a variety of films and TV shows. The U-shaped canyon provides an ideal site to survey the beauty and mystery of the Badlands. The maroon-striped canyon walls reveal the layers of time down to the Cretaceous period when dinosaurs roamed a lush sub-tropical habitat. The exposed deposits lie just beneath the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, which marks the end of the reign of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

Continue on to Drumheller, once Western Canada’s largest coal mining town but is now better known as the dinosaur capitol of Canada. It grew with the arrival of the railway network in the early 1900s and is still the largest town by land area in Alberta, despite having a population of fewer than 10,000 people.

After settling into your hotel, head south for dinner in the old coal-mining town of Wayne. Your restaurant dates back to 1913 and looks straight out of the Wild West. It used to be the watering hole for miners and comes and with that history has quite a few tall tales and legends. Overnight in Drumheller.

DAY 2: DRUMHELLER: DINOSAURS, EXTINCTION AND HOODOOS

The focus of today will be the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, home to one of the world's premier collections of dinosaur fossils. Among the highlights the are the Dinosaur Hall (30 mounted dinosaur skeletons, including the T. Rex Black Beauty), the Burgess Shale exhibit, Triassic Giants (including the world’s largest marine reptile) and the Fossil Preparation Lab. Enjoy lunch at the museum café and then hear a talk on fossil preparation.

Later in the afternoon, make several outdoor stops: at Hoodoos, to see impressive spires of rock, world-class sedimentary structures formed by the sideways migration of ancient river channels, and at Willow Creek and East Coulee to see evidence of ancient shorelines, some awesome giant fossil tree stumps and preserved burrows formed by bivalves in the wood (Teredolites traces, best known for boring into and weakening wooden sailing ships).

A short final journey takes you back to Drumheller, where you are free to explore the town and select a spot for dinner. Overnight in Drumheller.

DAY 3: DINOSAUR PROVISIONAL PARK. RETURN TO CALGARY.

Today you will drive and walk through the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dinosaur Provincial Park. It contains some of the most important fossil discoveries ever made from the 'Age of Reptiles', in particular about 35 species of dinosaur, dating back some 75 million years. Enjoy a 6 kilometre (4 mile) walking trail that is not usually open to the public, allowing you to immerse ourselves in the setting. A full packed lunch will be provided.

You will also visit the Hadrosaur House, home of a sub-complete dinosaur skeleton featuring skin impressions, as well as ancient river channel deposits, whose fossils tell a tragic tale of flash flooding and its impact on Cretaceous fauna. One of Alberta’s most extensive groves of cottonwoods, flanking the Red Deer River, provides a fitting backdrop.

Return to Calgary, taking around three-hours, where you are free to return home or to continue exploring Alberta.

Note: this provisional itinerary is subject to change as specific locations and accommodations release more information regarding access for the coming year.

Contact an expert to book or discuss this tour.

Email us to book or discuss

UK: +44 20 3884 9735

USA: +1 281 214 2540

Contact an expert to book or discuss this tour.

Email us to book or discuss

UK: +44 20 3884 9735

USA: +1 281 214 2540

Highlights

  • See the Royal Tyrell Museum’s amazing collection of fossils in the company of a palaeontologist, including the bizarre animals of the Burgess Shale and a diverse collection of dinosaurs.
  • Walk in the footsteps of Hadrosaurs, Gorgosaurus and other dinosaurs in the bone-riddled Badlands of Dinosaur Provincial Park.
  • Visiting the colorful pillars of rock known as hoodoos and learning why they are there.
  • Spend time in awe of the stunning landscape of Dinosaur Provincial Park.
  • Accompanied throughout by palaeontologist Jon Noad.

Meet the expert

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Jon Noad

Jon resides in Calgary, Alberta, where he is in demand for running “Geology for Non-geologists” courses. Jon is a consulting geologist and palaeontologist, an Adjunct Professor at Mount Royal University, Calgary, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide. Jon specialises in sedimentology and trace fossils and is currently researching Cretaceous river systems and fossil localities in Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta. Jon has led groups in the field for many years, and is an enthusiastic teacher and presenter. He has taught university courses in Alberta and internationally. He has recently developed a popular portfolio of geology-focused videos across western Canada. 

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • The services of your tour expert(s), who will be with the group throughout the tour, providing pre-visit briefings, walking seminars and available to answer questions.
  • A tour leader, who will attend to logistical matters, oversee the group’s health and safety and assist participants with their queries.
  • All transportation costs from the start to the end of the tour, including the services of a professional coach driver.
  • All accommodation costs for the nights stated.
  • All breakfasts, lunches and dinners, except for the one free evening meal on Day 2.
  • Entry fees, local guide fees and activity fees, where arranged as part of the tour.
  • Most gratuities and all service charges.

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

  • Travel insurance. Participants should carry their own health and travel insurance in case of accident or unforeseen circumstances.
  • Arrival and departure transfers.
  • Alcoholic drinks with meals are not included.
  • Optional activities as described in the tour itinerary or extra activities that are not described in the itinerary.
  • Personal expenditures, including bar bills, laundry bills, and the cost of meals on day 2.
  • Passport and visa fees.
  • Single supplement - £170

HOW TO GET THERE

This tour begins and ends in Calgary. Please speak to the team at Geocultura team who who can offer travel advice for this tour.

PACE AND PHYSICALITY

The activity level is rated as MODERATE, requiring a fair level of fitness (see our definitions here). The tour will involve short walks on day 1 (<2km / 1.5 miles) with modest elevation gains (< 30m / 100 ft), walking through a museum on day 2 and a 6km (4 mile) walk with a maximum elevation gain of 50m (150 ft) at Dinosaur Provincial Park on day 3. All walks will be on prepared paths or trails but some paths will be uneven and loose underfoot so sturdy footwear is required.

TRANSPORT

Transport will be in a comfortable vehicle suited to the number of attendees.

WEATHER

The weather is generally good in summer with mild temperatures expected during the day (12–23°C/55–76°F) and cooler ones at night (6–10°C/40–50°F), although it can be warmer or cooler. Rain is always possible. Elevations are between 600–1200m (2000–4000 ft); participants unused to such elevations may find activities a little more strenuous than usual.

SOLO TRAVELLERS

All of our tours, cruises, expeditions and weekenders are perfect for solo travellers. If you want your own room, you will need to pay a solo supplement of £170 for this tour. However, if you are happy to share a room with a fellow guest of the same sex, we will do all we can to match you with another guest so you do not have to pay the solo room supplement.

Accommodation

Ramada by Wyndham Drumheller Hotel & Suites in Drumheller

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In central Drumheller and near the Royal Tyrell Museum, the hotel is ideally situated to explore the Badlands of Alberta. Amenities include a pool and fitness center, and the hotel is within walking distance of Drumheller restaurants.