Our family had a chance to experience the Edmonton Explorer this weekend, and we had such a great time! It gave us a different way to see some of Edmonton’s landmarks and attractions while learning more about the city along the way.
The Edmonton Explorer Trolley is a vintage 1920s-style Molly Trolley that takes you around the city while the driver and tour guide share information, history, stories, and trivia about the landmarks and attractions along the route.
Choosing Your Edmonton Explorer Ticket
You can purchase your tickets online and choose between two ticket options:
- 24-Hour Ticket
- 72-Hour Ticket
The tickets can be used multiple times during their validity period after your first use, which gives you some flexibility depending on how you want to experience the tour.
Ticket prices are from the Edmonton Explorer website as of September 1, 2026.
Basically, there are two ways you can enjoy the Edmonton Explorer:
Option 1 — Stay On 🚌
Stay on the trolley for the complete route and enjoy the guided sightseeing and commentary along the way. This is perfect if you mainly want to sit back, relax, and see the city without having to plan your own driving route.
Option 2 — Hop Off 🚶♀️
Get off at a stop to explore the area or attraction, then return to the stop and catch a later trolley according to the day’s schedule.
For our family, we decided to try the stay-on option.
Our Edmonton Explorer Adventure
Our adventure started at the World Trade Centre at 11:00 AM. Once everyone was settled in, our tour guide introduced himself, welcomed us aboard, and got the tour started.
There are two routes to choose from: the Central Loop and the Western Loop.
Western Loop — “Family Attractions & West Edmonton”
Approximately 120 minutes for the complete loop.
Central Loop — “City & River Valley”
Approximately 90 minutes for the complete loop.
Loop information shown is from the Edmonton Explorer website as of September 1, 2026.
We decided to stay on the trolley for the entire tour. Along the way, there were also a few opportunities to briefly get off while the trolley was waiting, which gave us a chance to take some photos and videos before continuing to the next destination.
So Much to See Around Edmonton
Our tour was such a great way to see how much Edmonton has to offer. We were able to see many of the city’s well-known landmarks and attractions along the route.
Some of the places we saw included:
- World Trade Centre / Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
- Alberta Legislature
- High Level Bridge Streetcar
- Muttart Conservatory
- Whyte Avenue
- Fort Edmonton Park
- Edmonton Valley Zoo
- West Edmonton Mall
- ICE District / Rogers Place
One of my favourite parts of the experience was listening to our tour guide throughout the ride. We were awake and paying attention the whole time because we didn’t want to miss any of the trivia!
We learned so much—not just about Edmonton’s history, but also about the different landmarks and attractions we were passing. Our tour guide did a great job explaining everything and adding interesting trivia about Alberta and Canadian history.
A Different Way to See Our City
Experiencing the Edmonton Explorer reminded me that our city is really rich in history, landmarks, and attractions. Sometimes, we get so used to living in a city that we forget to stop and appreciate the places that make it special.
For our family, the Edmonton Explorer was a fun way to see Edmonton from a different perspective while learning more about the city we call home.
And it made me think:
Every Edmontonian should be a tourist in their own city at least once. 💙
If you’ve been thinking about trying the Edmonton Explorer, there’s still time to experience it before the 2026 season wraps up around Thanksgiving weekend.
Hop on, stay on, hop off, or simply enjoy the ride—it’s a fun way to discover more of Edmonton!