From Calgary/Banff/Canmore: Columbia Icefield Day Tour

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10 to 11 hours (approx.)

Hotel pickup offered

Mobile ticket

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Overview

if you need ice explorer or skywalk admission, please let us know, and we'll arrange the admission ticket purchase for your group.

Experience the breathtaking beauty of the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies, exploring one of the most accessible expanses of glacial ice in North America will definitely make up part of your life-time memory of the national part. Our knowledgeable and friendly bilingual guides will be sure to take you to the most iconic attractions, giving you a truly authentic and immersive experience.

What's Included

GST (Goods and Services Tax)
Air-conditioned vehicle
National Park Fee
2 bottle water per guest
Parking Fees

If you are satisficed with tour guide service, please kindly consider showing your appreciation by tips.
Icefield explorer admission
Icefield skywalk admission

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Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

Pickup details

Please contact us in advance if you need a custom pickup. Extra fee applies.Note: the guardians are required to provide the car seats or boosters if you have any infants or young kids based on the transportation regulation and this tour won't provide any car seats or boosters.

Meeting point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

What To Expect

Highway

Road trip driving time. we'll pass by Canmore, Three Sister Mountain, Banff Town, Castle Mountain etc. during this time.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Crowfoot Glacier

Early explorers named the glacier Crowfoot because its three sections of ice looked like a crow’s foot on the mountain. While one of the three “toes” has now receded and disappeared, the glacier is no less spectacular.The Crowfoot Glacier sits above Bow Lake, providing stunning photo opportunities for those traveling the Icefields Parkway.The spectacular Crowfoot Glacier can be viewed from a lookout point on the world-famous Icefields Parkway about 34 km (21 mi) north of Lake Louise. Attached to the northeastern side of Crowfoot Mountain, overlooking Bow Lake, the glacier's runoff feeds into the Bow River, which flows from Banff National Park through the City of Calgary to the Alberta prairies.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bow Lake

Bow Lake is one of the many lakes that line the Icefields Parkway and a popular stop for visitors to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It’s no secret that the Canadian Rockies are not short of spectacular vistas and lakes. Bow Lake is one of our top recommendations for a stop to stretch the legs on the Icefields Parkway.A short walk along the lakeshore trail is a family-friendly hike, or you can enjoy longer hikes around Bow Lake for a more complete day. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you don’t miss Bow Lake.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Highway

Road trip driving time. Even though it's just driving time between the two attractions, you can still enjoy the beautiful mountain views along the highway 93 which is well known for it's famous views of Rocky Mountains.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre

Discover the power of nature on the Glacier Adventure – the must-do experience in the Canadian Rockies. At the heart of the incredible Icefields Parkway is one of the largest non-polar ice fields in the world. Here, you’ll hop out and walk along the glacier, where you can even fill up your water bottle with pure, pristine snowmelt, travel on a massive Ice Explorer to a place where you can walk on, feel and drink from the Athabasca Glacier. Then, take a jaw-dropping walk along the glass-floored Glacier Skywalk at the cliff’s edge.

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Columbia Icefield Skywalk

Go beyond nature's edge and immerse yourself in an awe-inspiring interpretive experience in one of the most unique ecosystems in the world. Explore the immense powers of glaciology from a fully accessible, cliff-edge walkway that leads to a glass-floored observation platform 280 m (918 ft) above the Sunwapta Valley. From ice-capped mountain peaks to vast glacier-formed valleys, the Columbia Icefield Skywalk is your front-row seat to nature's most grand performance. The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is situated in a national park and there are plenty of opportunities for spotting wildlife throughout the trip. Mountain goats are especially prevalent. Connor and Logan got to see them licking salt off the rocks and gliding across mountain cliffs they wouldn’t dare stand on. If you're lucky, you may witness a bald eagle soaring through the wind.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Highway

This is one part of driving time back to Calgary, we'll be on the beautiful highway 93 again, you can lean back and enjoy the park views in a different color tone at a different time of the day.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Peyto Lake

Peyto Lake is a glacier-fed lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is near the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake from a nearby glacier, and these suspended rock particles are what give the lake a unique bright, turquoise colour. Because of its bright colour, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books,and the area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefields Parkway. The lake is fed by Peyto Creek, which drains water from Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield). Peyto Lake is the origin of the Mistaya River, which heads northwest from the lake's outflow.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Herbert Lake

The Herbert Lake has the lake and snow-capped mountain views are stunning. There is an awesome and far less-traveled trail with great mountain views. This trail starts off in the parking area of Herbert Lake. The exact trailhead can be hard to find, in fact, so it is recommended to download the offline maps to make sure you stay on the route. The trail is extremely well-defined and easy to follow once past the trailhead.There are a few ups and downs but nothing crazy. The trail offers multiple viewpoints of the lake, and even passes right alongside the lake for the majority of the trail.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Highway

Driving back to Banff and Calgary

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 29 travelers

Frequently Asked Questions

(7)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the From Calgary/Banff/Canmore: Columbia Icefield Day Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (MDT).This tour requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund. Read more Apr 2025