The Best Hot Springs to Visit in Canada

During our recent trip through Canada we were able to visit 4 different hot springs - and although they're all on this list, we hope that on future trips we'll be able to keep adding to it! Read on for our honest review of each hot spring, and remember to bring a towel and water bottle to stay hydrated! Please note that all prices are in Canadian dollars.

Other posts you might be interested in :

• A Day Trip to Niagara Falls
• Best Places to Eat in Banff
• A Complete Guide to Banff National Park

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Hot Springs Etiquette

It might sound a little funny to be discussing "Hot Springs Etiquette" but in order to make the best of your adventures in Canada we wanted to share some of our best tips and tricks when we visited these hot springs! For example, we wouldn't recommend going n*ked, getting in people's personal space, or putting your feet in front of other people...as least we didn't appreciate it, lol. In no particular order, here are 3 more of our best recommendations.

• Bring Cash, Not Valuables - Each hot springs costs a certain amount of money, and the easiest way we found to pay for each admission ticket was to just bring cash. However, most hot springs do not recommend bringing valuables with you. Even though there were lockers at each one we visited, with wet clothes and the sheer size of the lockers it'll just be easier to leave those valuables at home or at your hotel.
• Stay Hydrated - Hot springs can really dehydrate you, so the best recommendation of course is to try and stay hydrated! We recommend bringing a refillable water bottle with you, most hot springs we visited had no issues with us bringing our bottle out to the springs with us!
• What to Wear - In order to keep things easy, we recommend wearing your swimsuit and loose fitting clothes to the hot springs - and bringing a change of clothes for after. Most of the hot springs, except Liard, had areas where you could shower and "get ready" for any activities you had planned for the rest of your day!

4 Amazing Hot Springs to Visit

1. Liard Hot Springs - I'll be honest, this one is pretty far from anywhere else, but we 100% recommend visiting if you have the chance! We stopped by as we drove down from Alaska on the Alaska Highway and we were so glad we did! Not only is it beautiful and not overly "man-made," but you also have the chance to see some bears, moose, and buffalo on your walk there. The Liard Hot Springs is located at the Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park, and you can either camp there or stay across the road at the Liard Hot Springs Lodge & RV Park (which is what we did).

​Once you get to the entrance of the park - which is entirely surrounded by an electric fence - you'll pay the entrance fee. $5 for adult day passes, $3 for children day passes, or $10 for a family day pass. You can also purchase an annual pass for $10 if you plan to be there for more than one day. You can then begin the walk along the boardwalk which eventually exits the electric fence enclosing to the hot springs, which has a restroom, changing spots, and cubbies for your belongings. We saw two different pool areas, with the upper pool being hotter and busier and the lower pool being cooler and empty. The pool ranges from 42ºC to 52ºC (108ºF to 126ºF).

2. Radium Hot Springs - Our second favorite hot spring in Canada is Radium Hot Springs, located right outside Kootenay National Park, and 1.5 hours from Banff National Park. Although it was very man-made, the views were incredible, and we loved how this hot spring wasn't as crowded as the others in the national parks area. Open year round, there are 3 pools here - one hot springs pool, one regular swimming pool, and one cold pool the size of a hot tub. We thoroughly enjoyed  our time here - we had the most space we had at any of the other national park hot springs, and the views are incredible.

​In order to get in there are 3 types of tickets you can purchase - a single entry ticket, a day pass, or an annual pass. For adults, a single entry is $8, day pass is $12.75, and annual pass is $149.25. Each of these includes a single use token for the lockers onsite. There are showers before you enter the hot springs where you're asked to rinse off with soap and water, as well as life jackets & towels available for rent. The water temperatures at Radium Hot Springs ranges from 37ºC to 40ºC (98ºF to 104ºF).

3. Banff Upper Hot Springs - Very similar to our 4th choice, Banff Upper Hot Springs was pretty busy. Located right outside the town of Banff (and right next to the Banff Gondola!), this hot springs is also very manmade, but the views are stunning! There is only 1 pool here, so it was pretty tight with the amount of people enjoying the warm water. The admission price for this hot spring is similar to the other hot springs in the National Parks - being $9.25 for an adult's single entry. Admission includes a single use token for the lockers, and swimsuits and towels are available for rent. The water temperature at Banff Upper Hot Springs ranges from 37ºC to 40ºC (98ºF to 104ºF).

4. Miette Hot Springs - Unfortunately this one falls to the bottom of our list, not because we didn't like it, but because it was so busy! Located on the north end of Jasper National Park, it's about a 4 hour 15 minute drive from the town of Banff. This hot spring closes during the winter season, and is very busy when open. (Think shoulder to shoulder.) There are 4 pools here, all with different temperatures, 2 warm pools and 2 cold pools. Prices are similar to the other hot springs in the national parks - $7.75 for an adult's single entry with a single use token for the lockers. Swimsuits and towels are also available to rent onsite. The water temperatures at Miette Hot Springs ranges from 37ºC to 40ºC (98ºF to 104ºF).

Watch our Adventures in Canada here!

Other Canada blog posts :

• ​Banff Gondola
• Banff National Park
• Canada's Hot Springs
• Columbia Icefield Skywalk
• Lake Minnewanka Cruise​
• Niagara Falls - 24 Hours
• Top 10 Tours at Niagara Falls
• A Guide to Vancouver​

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