Glacier’s Red Bus Tours: Our Full Review + Helpful Tips

The Going-to-the-Sun Road is the #1 reason most people visit Glacier National Park. This awe-inspiring road cut into the side of the mountains carries you into forests, up through cliffs, past waterfalls, over a mountain pass on the Continental Divide, and down toward shimmering lakes and rivers with impressive scenery around every turn.

Glacier’s Red Bus Tours are worth the cost (~$60-$132 per adult) to experience the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road. There are several tours available, ranging from 2.5 – 9.5 hours, departing from both the West and East sides of the park. Benefits include unimpeded vertical views, learning about the park through engaging narration, experiencing several viewpoints and short stops (where you don’t have to worry about parking), and not having to drive this sometimes scary road yourself.

I’m Cheryl, and my husband, Matt, and I have been writing travel guides to help people visit the West since 2020. We have driven the Going-to-the-Sun Road over 10 times, and on our last visit, we took a Red Bus Tour. We loved our experience and recommend it for most people. Read on to see if a Red Bus Tour is for you.

Take a Red Bus Tour if…	Don’t Take a Red Bus Tour if…
Driving this road scares you	You want to do any hiking along the GTSR
You want to learn more about the sites and history of Glacier	Getting in and out of the car several times is difficult for you
You want to enjoy viewpoints and sites without worrying about parking	You are on a tight budget and/or traveling with children
Enjoy nostalgic experiences	You need AC

The Experience

History

Glacier became a national park in 1910 and was the nation’s 10th national park. Visitors would arrive by train and then the Red Buses would transport visitors around the park.

Glacier is divided into two halves, West Glacier and East Glacier, and at the time, there was no road to connect the two. In 1921, construction for the GTSR began and took 15 years to complete. Through most of Glacier’s history (with the exception of a few years), the famous Red Buses have been transporting people over this incredible road!

Terminology: For the rest of this article, I will refer to the Going-to-the-Sun Road as GTSR.

Fun Facts About the Red Buses

• The Red Buses of Glacier were made by the White Motor Company and are Model 706
• The Red Buses are 25 ft long and 8 1/2 ft wide (larger than what is allowed for personal vehicles on the GTSR).
• Each bus has 4 benches and holds 16 people.
• Each Red Bus has a canvas top. If the weather is good, the tour is open-air.
• There are 33 Red Buses and they are each worth about $250,000.
• The Red Buses are the same color as the red/orange berries you see on the Mountain Ash shrubs throughout Glacier. It was very important to the superintendent that the color of the buses match the park, so he actually sent some of these berries to the manufacturer so they could get the color right.
• In the 1990s, the park tried replacing the Red Buses with red minivans because it was so expensive to maintain the Red Buses. The public was NOT happy.
• Ford Motor Company donated over $6 million to restore 33 buses to keep them in operation.
• Each year, about 60,000 people take a Red Bus tour and each bus travels about 10,000 miles.
• The original Red Buses were standard transmission and the drivers got the nickname “Jammers” because they had to jam the gears as they traveled up and down the steep GTSR.
• Today, the Red Buses have automatic transmissions and have hybrid engines.
• You can rent Red Buses for a wedding party.

DISCOVER: What to Do in Glacier When the Going-to-the-Sun Road is Closed

Our Tour

We took the Western Alpine Tour. It was 4 hours long and cost ~$74 per person. I picked this one because it was the most popular and got us to Logan Pass, the top of the GTSR.

Our tour was in September and departed at 9:00 am. We were told to arrive 15 minutes early and park at the Apgar Visitor Center. We were happy to find that there was plenty of parking available.

Check-in was a very well-run operation with signs directing you where to catch your bus and staff members available to answer questions.

Our Red Bus was amazing. The brown leather seats were well cushioned – and no seatbelts were required because there are none! We didn’t feel crowded (there were 4 regular-sized adults on our bench) and there was plenty of leg room. The windows were so clean that I thought they were rolled down.

We started our tour with the canvas top on (I was a bit disappointed), because it was pretty chilly that morning. Our driver, Jammer Jay, warmly greeted us and loaded us into the bus. My group was asked to sit in the back because we were the youngest and that is the hardest row to get in and out of because of the tires.

As we drove around, Jammer Jay started telling us some of the things we were seeing and the history of the park. I noticed the bus was a bit creaky (understanding- it’s almost 100 years old!), but the microphone system worked great and I could hear everything.

The Stops

Each driver gets to pick their own stops, but almost all tours will include a stop at the top of the GTSR, Logan Pass. We made 5 stops on our tour, and each one was 15-20 minutes long.

Our personal stops included: Lake McDonald boat dock, Sacred Dancing Cascade, Red Rock, a couple of viewpoints on the GTSR, and Logan Pass.

I especially liked the Red Rock stop. Although I have visited Glacier several times, I had never been to this stop. There was a very small cascading fall, but the water was a beautiful turquoise green. It was very peaceful and beautiful.

The Stories

Jammer Jay never ran out of interesting things to teach us about the park. He taught us about the wildlife and that the black bears and grizzly bears naturally segregate themselves and how the hooves work on mountain goats to help them grip the rocks.

He taught us that Lake McDonald got its name because a man with the last name of McDonald originally owned the property. He went around and carved his name on many of the trees. When the property was eventually developed into a national park, people assumed the lake was named Lake McDonald.

He taught us about the construction of the GTSR, the history of the Red Buses, and expertly answered all of our questions. His knowledge of the park greatly enhanced my appreciation of it.

FUN FACT: To train the Red Bus Drivers, they practice in the spring when private vehicles aren’t allowed on the GTSR. They straddle the dotted line until they feel comfortable driving on the correct side of the road.

The Scenery

Jammer Jay removed the canvas top before we started driving up the scenic part of the GTSR. The sun was out and it was starting to warm up a bit. A wool blanket was provided for each bench. We were grateful because it was still a bit breezy and cool, but it was great to have the top off.

I loved the open air, the smell of the cedars, and the unimpeded vertical views. I felt so happy for my husband to have the chance to fully enjoy the experience because he had always been the driver when we drove our own car.

Along the drive, you’ll see deep views into the canyon, lots of aspens, wildflowers, and waterfalls (if you are there in the summer). Along the way, you’ll drive over several arch bridges. Some were an essential part of the road to prevent moving a waterfall and others were just to add to the beauty of the drive. You also get to drive through two stone tunnels.

The GTSR is the prettiest drive I have ever been on (and my whole job is exploring beautiful places!) As I write this, I’m tearing up a bit thinking about how magnificently beautiful this road is.

The turnaround point for our tour was Logan Pass. There is a small visitor center there and some great hikes. The 20 minutes we were allowed was really only enough time to use the restroom and check out the visitor center. If you have the ability to hike, I strongly recommend returning to this area on your own so you can hike to Hidden Lake or do the Highline Trail. You can read all about these hikes, plus some other great ones, in our article, Glacier’s 11 Most Popular Hikes (+Hidden Gems).

Types of Tours

There are actually several Red Bus tours to choose from. Tours depart from both the West side of the park (Lake McDonald and Apgar Village) and the East side of the park (St Mary, Many Glacier, Rising Sun, and East Glacier) and can last anywhere from 2.5 hours to 9.5 hours. Prices range from around $62-$132 per adult. Children usually cost around half the price. You can learn about the tours offered and book your tour on Glacier’s Red Bus Tour website.

These tours do sell out. Xanterra, which runs the tours, usually opens the booking window in late February or early March, but they don’t have set dates. Tours can only run when the GTSR is open, typically late June/early July through September.

The Western Alpine Tour is the most popular. It departs from West Glacier (the most visited area of the park) and I felt that our tour was the right amount of time (on paper, it was 4 hours, but ours was closer to 5 hours). The Mountain Majesty Tour was our tour guides’ favorite tour that departs from West Glacier, is 6.5-7 hours long, and takes guests all the way to St Mary, where they can eat a meal at Two Dog Flats. Both tours stop at Logan Pass, which I think is the most important consideration when booking a tour.

GOOD TO KNOW: There are some accessible tours available, including a special bus (that’s more like a van) with a fancy camera that allows visitors to really see the area without getting out of the bus.

Tour Alternatives

Sun Tours

Tours are also given by members of the Blackfeet Tribal Nation. It is the only Blackfeet-cultured interpretive tour and has been running for over 30 years. Tours are half-day to full-day and range in price from ~$100-$140. and are given in air-conditioned coaches that hold 14-24 people. Tours access the GTSR and parts of tribal land, depending on the tour, and they pick up at both the West and East sides of the park. You can learn more and book your tour on their website, Sun Tours.

We haven’t personally done one of these tours, but our friend and former park ranger, Linnea, did one of these tours and enjoyed it -especially learning about the Blackfeet Tribal Nation.

Driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road In Your Own Car

Personal vehicles are allowed on the GTSR. In fact, most people just drive their own car. Yes, the road is a bit scary, but it is totally drivable in a regular vehicle (no trailers or any vehicle over 21 feet in length is allowed). If you are interested in driving your car, check out our article, How to Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

FUN FACT: Not many accidents happen on the GTSR. The most common accident is people driving too close to the wall and popping their tires on the protruding rocks.

Glacier Shuttles

Glacier does have a shuttle system. We have used it and found that it doesn’t work very well. The buses are only able to hold a few people, and they don’t run very often. It’s common to have to wait for a couple of buses before you can get on. I know the NPS is working to improve its shuttle system. You can learn more about the shuttles at Glacier on their website.

Helpful Tips

Jammer Jay, our tour guide, was kind enough to let me interview him. I asked him what he wished people knew before riding a Red Bus. Here are his insider tips.

• You’ll need both warm clothes and sun protection. Early mornings and the top of Logan Pass can be chilly.
• There is no AC and it can get hot on a summer day. In fact, the seats can burn your legs if you are wearing shorts.
• Morning rides are best in the summer to avoid the heat.
• If you are a larger person, book two seats.
• If it rains, the canvas top may leak.
• Getting in and out of the bus can be hard on people’s knees.
  

Final Verdict

Take a Red Bus Tour if…	Don’t Take a Red Bus Tour if…
Driving this road scares you	You want to do any hiking along the GTSR
You want to learn more about the sites and history of Glacier	Getting in and out of the car several times is difficult for you
You want to enjoy viewpoints and sites without worrying about parking	You are on a tight budget and/or traveling with children
Enjoy nostalgic experiences	You need AC

The GTSR is so impressive, I didn’t expect that touring it from a Red Bus would make that big of a difference. I was pleasantly surprised by how much more I enjoyed the drive. The open-air, non-impeded vertical views and incredible stories took the GTSR to a whole new level for me.

I asked the three other people I traveled with what they thought about it. We all loved it. However, at the price tag of around $80 pp, we were split on whether we would pay for our children to do it. But we agreed that any adult would enjoy it. We also agreed that you should also drive yourself to Logan Pass sometime during your trip, so you have more time to enjoy the area.

What’s Next?

Taking a Red Bus Tour is only one of the many wonderful things to do in Glacier National Park. If you want to take your trip planning to the next level and save 10+ hours (instead of being buried in blog posts and Google Maps) AND know how to see the best sites at the best times (and know about some hidden gems), download our Glacier Itinerary + Audio Guide, trusted by over 23,000 travelers to the West.