The 15 Best Icefields Parkway & Columbia Icefield Tours

1.Columbia Icefield Skywalk and Ice Explorer Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,444 reviews · 1 day · from $96Our pick

At the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, you ride a huge Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier, spend about 20 minutes on the ice, and sample glacier water. Then take a shuttle to the glass-bottomed Skywalk above the Sunwapta Valley. English commentary and multilingual Skywalk audio are included, but you arrange your own transport there.

“It is a great itinerary. Jasper National Park is a long road from Calgary so all of the lake stops are great to break up the trip. I would suggest doing the Icefield adventure but at 2pm and not 2:30 as they suggest. To get it all in needs extra time so as to not be late for bus departures. Gorgeous! Worth the whole 12 hours and big bucks to walk on the glacier.”

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2.Columbia Icefield Tour with Glacier Skywalk

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,860 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $99

Ride a huge Ice Explorer from the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre to Athabasca Glacier, where you can walk on the ice and taste fresh snowmelt. Then cross the glass-bottom Glacier Skywalk. Guides such as Andy, Leanne, Lars, and Jackson have made this outing lively and informative, but arrive early for printed tickets and strict boarding times.

“Great experience, guide on icefield was very knowledgeable Just enough time at both icefields and skywalk”

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3.Columbia Icefield Skywalk

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 916 reviews · 1 day · from $37Best value

Ride from the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center to a glass-floored walkway above the Sunwapta Valley. Your 1-kilometer route includes glacier, waterfall, wildlife, fossil, and river information through signs and an audio guide. English operates the shuttle, with audio options in French, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

“Visiting the Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca Valley is like peering into the heart of the planet. Here, guests can fully experience the powerful force of the Columbia Icefield and learn about the fascinating history of this ever-evolving, ancient area. On this incredible experience you’ll travel on a massive Ice Explorer all-terrain vehicle to the Athabasca Glacier, a 10,000-year-old sheet of ice, where you can walk on, feel, and drink from the glacier. From there, you’ll head to the glass-floored Skywalk for a jaw-dropping walk at the cliff’s edge. Amazing experience! Wonderful views and lot of information’s from how it was built ... Summertime is the best to visit. If…”

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4.Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and the Icefields Parkway Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 836 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $165Top rated

Travel from Banff or Canmore in a vehicle limited to 22 people, stopping at Lake Minnewanka, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Bow Lake, Crowfoot Glacier, and Peyto Lake. Guides such as Rob and Robbie add local history and practical help while you avoid the hardest parking problems. Food, drinks, park admission, and Ice Explorer rides are not included.

“Excellent tour of the major lakes, Rob was awesome and super informative. Highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting a smaller comfy tour of all the beautiful scenery.”

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5.Columbia Icefield Tour with Glacier Skywalk from Banff

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 649 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $302

Ride from Banff along the Icefields Parkway with a guide, stopping at Lake Louise, Crowfoot Glacier, and Peyto Lake. At the Columbia Icefield, take the Ice Explorer onto ancient glacial ice and visit the Glacier Skywalk. The small group, buffet lunch, and hotel pickup make this a full but convenient 11-hour day.

“Nolan and Nathan were excellent guides!! They were both extremely knowledgeable and both were great story tellers and quite funny as well. This is a must trip!”

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6.Athabasca Falls Run

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 495 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $95

Ride 15 km from Athabasca Falls through a dramatic river canyon on Class II rapids. Jasper Rafting Adventures provides transport, wetsuits, booties, paddle jackets, guides, and safety instruction. Guides such as Molly, Luke, Ali, and Seb have helped make this a friendly first rafting trip for families, older adults, and beginners.

“We had a great day rafting in Jasper with guides Georgia and Luke. Perfect combination of rapids and paddling to make it a fun but safe ride. Wetsuits were great and kept us all warm. So glad we did the trip!”

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7.Columbia Icefield, Skywalk, Crowfoot Glacier, and Lakes Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 475 reviews · 12 hours · from $50

Travel from Calgary, Canmore, or Banff along the Icefields Parkway with a local English-speaking guide. Stop at Lake Louise, Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Waterfowl Lakes, and Johnston Canyon. In summer, add the Athabasca Glacier and Skywalk for extra fees. Winter departures replace those stops with Lake Louise and Marble or Johnston Canyon.

“It was an amazing experience! Harry was very friendly and helpful. He took a lot of photos for me, which was especially helpful since I was traveling alone. Harry, thank you so much — you’re doing a great job and you made me feel very happy!”

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8.Athabasca River Mile 5

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 448 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $78

Spend about an hour rafting Class II rapids on the Athabasca River with Jasper Rafting Adventures. Guides such as Molly, Nate, Jonah, and Ollie keep the pace safe, playful, and informative. You get round-trip transport from Jasper’s RV Parking Lot, a small group of up to eight, and mountain scenery. Wear a swimsuit under your clothes.

“Had a wonderful rafting experience with Fran as your guide. Fran was such fun but made us feel safe, very chatty and friendly. Was more exhilarating than I expected but never felt unsafe. Would definitely recommend.”

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9.Athabasca Glacier and Columbia Icefield Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 408 reviews · 11 hours · from $276

Spend 11 hours with a Banff guide such as Jake, Emma, or Roz on the Icefields Parkway. Stop at Bow Lake, Crowfoot Glacier, and Waterfowl Lakes, then ride an Ice Explorer onto Athabasca Glacier and walk the Glacier Skywalk above Sunwapta Valley. Round-trip transport and a packed lunch are included.

“Jake’s tour was very comfortable, and we really enjoyed visiting Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, and the Columbia Icefield. The lunch was more filling than I expected, which was great. Jake was fun and made the tour enjoyable, and my child also had a great time. Overall, it was a wonderful tour.”

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10.Athabasca Glacier Snow Trip from Banff

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 394 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $291

Travel from Banff along the Icefields Parkway with a professional guide, stopping at Crowfoot Glacier and Bow Lake before riding an Ice Explorer across Athabasca Glacier. Lunch, the Glacier Skywalk, and pickup are included. Guides such as Neil, Georgia, Jake, and Chloe are praised for clear stories and strong local insight.

“This tour was worth every penny. The glacier was amazing! And our guide (I don't trust my memory but I believe his name was Spencer) was so knowledgeable about the area - wildlife, plant life, and history. He also provided excellent recommendations for other things to do and places to visit during the remainder of our stay in Banff.”

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11.Athabasca River Easy Scenic Raft Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 337 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $69

Spend about two hours on Jasper’s Athabasca River with a licensed guide such as Finn, Owen, or Jacob at the oars. You’ll pass calm water and small rapids on the old fur-trade route, hear local history, and return by transport. It is gentle enough for children and older adults, but bring dry clothes because splashes can be substantial.

“Tour guide Brian was the best tour guide we had on our trip. Nice ride, beautiful scenery. Would recommend.”

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12.Guided Glacier Hike on The Athabasca with IceWalks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 334 reviews · from $98

Meet IceWalks at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre for a three-hour, small-group hike onto Athabasca Glacier. An ACMG-certified guide such as Mike, Stu, or Nick leads the 5 km outing, supplies micro-spikes, and explains crevasses, meltwater streams, icefalls, and mill wells. Bring warm layers, and expect a moderate hike with changing weather.

“Can’t recommend it enough! Stu, our guide, was experienced, informative, and fun. What a high point to end our trip on. Some notes: there is an easy - moderate hike to the glacier. As a reference, it’s easier than the Lake Agnes hike. Gear aRead more”

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13.Sunwapta River Self-Drive Rafting Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 235 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $107

Drive 40 minutes south of Jasper, gear up, and paddle through Class 3 white water on the Sunwapta River with a certified guide. Rafts hold six, so you help power the boat. Expect about 2 hours 15 minutes overall, a river run near 1 hour 15 minutes, cold water, wet clothes, and a takeout just above Sunwapta Falls.

“Had joe as our guide he was fantastic, best one yet. Proper good chap will definitely be going again”

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14.Athabasca Canyon Run Family Rafting: Class II Plus Rapids

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 193 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $95

Set out from downtown Jasper for a 3.5-hour Athabasca River rafting trip through the canyon below Athabasca Falls. You’ll wear a provided wetsuit, paddle a six-person raft through Class II rapids, and float calmer water with guides such as Collin, Eric, Chris, and Thomas. It is built for families and first-time rafters.

“What an amazing adventure! Our guide, Chris, was exceptional and the entire raft had a blast! We will absolutely use this company again for our next river trip in Jasper 🙂”

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15.Abraham IceBubble, Peyto, Bow Lake with Snowshoeing& Icewalk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 146 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $74

Spend 6 to 8 hours exploring the Rockies by minibus, with stops at Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, Crowfoot Glacier and seasonal Abraham Lake or Sunwapta Falls. Crampons, a hot drink, blankets and photo help are included. Guides such as Tony, William and Edward adjust the route when winter roads change.

“William, our guide, was fantastic! Definitely ask for him. Our December tour was well planned and shifted as the conditions required. We experienced a Winter Wonderland!”

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