Most people never make it up the Parkway. The ones who do come back with something they weren’t expecting. Out here, the glacier has been moving since before written history. The mountains swallow the horizon whole. Peyto Lake glows a blue that genuinely doesn’t look real. The Columbia Icefields stretch further than your eyes can follow.
One staggering, otherworldly view after another, for eight hours straight. The scale of this place makes you feel small in the most freeing way. Your guide has spent years learning every layer of this road, the hidden stops the buses miss, the stories behind the ice, the places where the Parkway reveals something even the photos never captured. All you have to do is venture in.
For those ready to disappear into the wildest road on earth.
Legendary Local Guide Guides who turn the mountains into a story and feel like a friend by the end of the day. They know where the wildlife shows up, which hidden lookout stops you in your tracks, and the stories you won't find in any guidebook. |
Secret Stops Only We Know Some of the best moments happen off the itinerary. Your guide knows exactly where to find them. |
Picnic Lunch Included We set you up with a picnic lunch from one of our local favourites. Fresh, delicious, and ready to enjoy wherever you're ready. Included on full-day tours |
Your Booking Protects This Place Every time you book with us 1% goes directly to conservation. Your trip doesn't just explore the Rockies. It protects them. 1% for the Planet member |
Every bend reveals something bigger than the last. Glaciers, impossible lakes, ancient icefields. Eight hours of views that don’t let up.
Your guide knows exactly where to pull over. The secret viewpoints, the wildlife spots, the places that don’t exist on any map.
Bears, elk, mountain goats. The Parkway is their home. Your guide knows exactly where to find them.
Your guide brings every layer of this ancient place to life.
Settle into luxury transport with panoramic windows as your guide sets the scene for the day ahead.
The viewpoint that stops everyone in their tracks. That blue shouldn’t exist in nature and yet there it is, stretching out beneath the mountains. Your guide shares the story behind the colour and the Indigenous significance of this glacier-fed lake.
The hidden gem most Parkway visitors drive straight past. A secluded viewpoint, postcard perfect reflections, and the kind of quiet that only exists out here.
One of the largest ice masses in North America, right in front of you. Explore the Discovery Centre, walk the viewpoints, or simply stand at the edge of something ancient and let the scale land.
Still water reflecting dramatic peaks, stories of early explorers, and a shoreline walk that earns its place between two of the most spectacular stops on the Parkway.
Back in the van as the Parkway fades behind you. Your guide will point you toward whatever comes next, but honestly, today already delivered.
Make this adventure private
Your group. Your pace. An itinerary built entirely around you.
Call or email our concierge, we handle every detail.
✓ Small group experience (max 12 guests)
✓ Comfortable, upscale transportation with panoramic windows
✓ Expert local guide trained in photography and storytelling
✓ Hot drinks (hot chocolate, coffee, or tea) – winter only
✓ Fresh water refills (BYO water bottle)
✓ Polaroid souvenir
✓ Picnic Lunch
✓ Convenient hotel pick-up and drop-off at select Banff and Lake Louise locations
✕ Guide gratuities (optional)
✕ National Park Pass
Banff:
📍 Banff Train Station
📍 Canalta Lodge
📍 Caribou Lodge
📍 Moose Hotel
📍 Rimrock Resort
📍 Fairmont Banff
📍 Peaks Hotel
📍 Juniper Hotel
📍 Tunnel Mountain Resort
Lake Louise:
📍 Lake Louise Village
📍 Chateau Lake Louise
Canmore:
📍 Solara Resort
📍 The Malcom Hotel
📍 Grand Rockies Resort
📍 Northwinds Hotel
📍 Pocaterra Inn
This experience involves some light walking on uneven surfaces, so a reasonable level of mobility is recommended. That said, you’re always welcome to sit out the walks and enjoy the exhibits at the Columbia Icefield Centre instead, the choice is entirely yours.
Honestly, this is one of those drives that genuinely makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a movie. You’ll stop at Peyto Lake (the turquoise one that looks just like a wolf’s head from above), Bow Lake, Waterfowl Lakes, and the Columbia Icefield, including the Athabasca Glacier, one of the largest chunks of ice in all of North America. And your guide will fill in all the stories and science along the way to bring it to life.
You can get right up close to the glacier and walk through the public viewing area. If you’d like to go further out onto the ice itself, the on-site Glacier Experience tour is available to book separately (extra cost, not included), and your guide will leave you plenty of time to explore the area properly. If walking on the glacier is high on your list though, we’d recommend our Icefields Parkway Adventure: Columbia Icefield Edition, which is built around giving you that full glacier experience.
Not a lot at all, just some light walking on uneven surfaces at the various stops. And if you’d rather not walk at any point, you’re always welcome to stay in the vehicle or relax at the viewing areas instead. No pressure whatsoever. At its heart, this is a scenic drive first and foremost.
It’s a full day, with some long stretches in the van through remote terrain. It’s a genuinely stunning experience, but it works best for kids who can appreciate a longer trip and stay engaged during the drives. Younger ones sometimes get a little restless, which is exactly why we suggest a private tour for families travelling with little ones, so you can set the pace yourselves.
In winter, yes, hot chocolate, coffee, and tea are all included. And in summer, we keep your water topped up throughout the day. Either way, your guide always has a good supply on hand.
Hotel pickups from right across Banff, Lake Louise, and Canmore. Just choose yours at checkout and you’re set.
The Columbia Icefield sits right on the boundary between Banff and Jasper National Parks. The good news is your Parks Canada pass covers both, so you’re completely sorted.
A picnic lunch from Bare Bistro is included, ready for you to enjoy whenever you are. Just choose your lunch option at checkout.
Nice and stress free. As long as you contact us by email or phone at least 24 hours before your booking start time, you can cancel or make changes without any penalty at all. Easy as that.
