Most days in the mountains you look. Today you go in. We kick off on the world’s most scenic drive, the Icefields Parkway, winding past secret lookouts, hidden lakes too blue to be real, and wildlife around every bend. Then the dare gets bigger. You rumble onto the 10,000 year old Athabasca Glacier aboard a massive Ice Explorer, step out onto ancient ice, and sip water that has been frozen since before written history. Then you walk out onto the glass floored Skywalk suspended high above the Sunwapta Valley and look straight down. Your guide is with you the whole way, sharing the stories, the history, and the kind of local knowledge that makes every stop land differently. One seamless day that keeps asking more of you and delivers more in return.
For those who want the iconic Icefields experience and are ready to go all in.
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 |
The Icefields Parkway unfolds with hidden lakes too blue to be real and wildlife around every bend. And you’re not watching it through a bus window.
You came to see the glacier. The Ice Explorer takes you one step further. Ancient ice under your boots, glacial water on your lips, and a feeling that doesn’t have a name yet.
The Columbia Icefield Skywalk suspended high above the Sunwapta Valley. Walk to the edge, look straight down, and feel every nerve in your body wake up.
The Icefields Parkway is one of the best wildlife corridors in North America. Elk, bears, bighorn sheep. Your guide knows exactly where to look.
The stories behind the ice, the Indigenous history, the local knowledge that turns a spectacular view into something you actually understand and remember.
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.
You came to see the glacier. The Ice Explorer takes you one step further. Rumble out onto the 10,000 year old Athabasca Glacier, step out onto ancient ice, and sip water that has been frozen since before written history.
Glass floored and suspended high above the Sunwapta Valley. Walk to the edge, look straight down, and feel every nerve in your body wake up.
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 before dark, with a day that will take a while to process.
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
✓ Fresh water refills (BYO water bottle)
✓ Convenient hotel pick-up and drop-off at select Banff and Lake Louise locations
✓ Polaroid souvenir
✓ Picnic Lunch
✓ Columbia Icefield Adventure Admission (Ice Explorer + Columbia Icefield Skywalk)
✕ 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.
This is the elevated version of our signature Icefields Parkway Adventure, with everything on the standard tour plus the full Columbia Icefield Adventure experience built right into the itinerary. That means you don’t just pass through the Columbia Icefield, you board an Ice Explorer, ride out onto the Athabasca Glacier, walk on 10,000 year old ice, and then cross the glass floored Columbia Icefield Skywalk suspended 280 metres above the Sunwapta Valley. Best of all, admission to the Columbia Icefield Adventure is fully included in the tour price, so there’s nothing extra to sort out on the day.
Yes, fully included. The Ice Explorer ride, the glacier walk, and Skywalk access are all built right into the cost of this tour. There’s nothing extra to purchase on-site for any of these experiences, it’s all taken care of.
The Ice Explorer is a purpose built, all terrain glacier vehicle, a massive and specially engineered coach designed to drive directly out onto the Athabasca Glacier. It carries you from the Glacier Discovery Centre out onto the surface of the glacier itself, where you’ll step off and explore on foot. Honestly, the sheer scale of the glacier is difficult to fully appreciate until you’re standing right on top of it.
You’ll have approximately 30 to 35 minutes out on the glacier itself. The full Columbia Icefield Adventure experience, from check in at the Discovery Centre through the Ice Explorer ride, the glacier walk, and the Skywalk, runs roughly 2.5 to 3 hours in total, all of which is fully accounted for within the tour’s schedule.
The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is a glass floored walkway that extends right out over a cliff edge, suspended a dizzying 280 metres (918 feet) above the Sunwapta Valley. It offers completely unobstructed views of the valley, the glaciers, and the surrounding peaks. And access is fully included in the Columbia Icefield Edition tour price, so it’s all part of your day.
If conditions permit, yes, you may be able to fill your water bottle directly from the glacier surface, and your guide will let you know on the day. It’s a genuinely memorable moment, and one that very few people in the world ever get the chance to experience.
Even in summer, temperatures out on the glacier are significantly colder than down in Banff town. Bring a warm jacket, dress in good layers, and wear closed toe shoes or hiking boots with solid grip. Sandals and open toed footwear really aren’t suitable on the glacier surface. And if you need to store any extra items along the way, the Glacier Discovery Centre has lockers available.
Approximately 10 hours in total. This tour combines the standard Icefields Parkway scenic stops (Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, and Waterfowl Lakes) with the 2.5 to 3 hour Columbia Icefield Adventure block, which makes for a fuller, longer day than the standard Icefields Parkway tour. You’ll be returned to your hotel by late afternoon.
No, this tour operates seasonally, running from approximately May 1 through to mid October. The Columbia Icefield Adventure is a summer season experience and isn’t available over the winter months. If you’re after a year round option, take a look at our standard Icefields Parkway Adventure instead.
