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Columbia Icefield Tour with Glacier Skywalk from Banff

Banff, Canada

Columbia Icefield Tour including the Glacier Skywalk from Banff

11 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Discover the awe-inspiring mountain scenery and massive glaciers of Alberta’s Rocky Mountain region on this full-day Banff glacier tour to the Columbia Icefields. As you follow one of the world’s most famous mountain drives, the Icefield Parkway, you’ll stop at stunning Lake Louise, Crowfoot Glacier and Peyto Lake before the tour culminates in an all-terrain ride on the Ice Explorer through the amazing Columbia Icefields. This day trip includes roundtrip transport from multiple locations in Banff, a knowledgeable guide and buffet lunch.

Full-day tour from Banff to the Columbia Icefield
Enjoy one of the greatest mountain drives in the world, the Icefield Parkway
Learn about the history behind glaciers and ice fields from an expert guide
Step onto ice formed from snow that fell as many as 400 years ago
Take a stroll around Lake Louise

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

See Banff’s coolest spots in one day with this tour that provides a hot lunch to keep you replenished and warm.

What's Included

Ride in the Ice Explorer
Hot buffet lunch
Air-conditioned vehicle
Pick-up and/or drop-off at multiple locations available
Local Taxes
Columbia Icefield Skywalk Admission

Gratuities (optional) Food and drink

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

08:00 AM

Pickup details

Fairmont Banff Springs 7:35 am pickup Banff Caribou Lodge 7:35 am pickup Elk + Avenue Hotel 7:45 am pickup

What To Expect

Explore the most scenic attractions in Canada’s Banff National Park and Jasper National Park on this full-day tour to the Columbia Icefields, the largest accumulation of ice south of the Arctic Circle. Your day in the Rockies finishes with an unforgettable ride on the all-terrain Ice Explorer atop the icefields, offering a first-hand view of this huge natural wonder.

Start your tour with pickup in Banff, heading out for your first stop at Lake Louise, the superstar alpine lake of Banff National Park. From there, proceed north on the Icefields Parkway, considered by many to be one of the world’s greatest scenic drives, and listen as your guide shares details about the unique ecosystem of the area and about the history of its remarkable glaciers. You’ll also visit two of the parkway’s notable landmarks, Peyto Lake and Crowfoot Glacier, for photo opportunities and to take in the views.

Next, arrive at the Columbia Icefields for your ride on the Ice Explorer, which takes you on a one-of-a-kind journey across the surface of this amazing sheet of ice. After your ride, stop by the Glacier Gallery, gift shop and restaurant at the Icefields Centre before boarding the bus for the drive back to Banff, where your day trip ends.

Lake Louise

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Brewster Sightseeing (Pass By)

Victoria Glacier (Pass By)

Crowfoot Glacier (Pass By)

Columbia Icefield Skywalk

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Infants must sit on laps
Prior to your travel date, your hotel details must be advised to tour operator so they may arrange your pickup. If you do not indicate this at the time of booking, you will be required to call and advise them of this information directly. The contact details will be on your voucher once you have a confirmed booking
Guests may depart this tour in Lake Louise if accommodation has been arranged

Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Jessica_M

This was a fantastic tour and our guide, Colin, was great! It was the only guided tour we took on our trip and it was well worth it! The stops were beautiful and going out on the Ice Explorer was an awesome experience. Highly recommend!

Reviews

5.0

485 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 485 reviews

Excellent trip

Rita_H, Oct 2022

Driving along the Icefields Parkway, magnificent autumn colors along the way. Trip to the Glacier was exhilarating.

Amazing Views

Jessica_M, Sep 2022

Fun banff tour

Deidra_K, Sep 2022

My husband and I had a blast on the tour with Andrew as our tour guide/driver. Full day tour filled with many great memories ! The ice fields gets a little cold so bring a jacket ! Thank you guys for such a memorable experience!

Andre and sea was...

Ayesha_K, Aug 2022

Andre and sea was wonderful. They made the trip much more fun!! Andre is very knowledgeable. Cookie was a nice touch.

Was exactly as described!...

Julia_S, Aug 2022

Was exactly as described! The glacier is very cold and windy so be prepared with the proper clothing.

Not what it said in the tin

craigwilson100, Aug 2022

One of the key parts of this itinerary for me was the 15 mine viewing stop of Lake Louise which we didn’t stop at. To this day it still shows on the itinerary when booking. This was despite time taken to stop at a service station for 20 mins, the visitors station at the glacier twice and 1.5 hours for lunch so time wasn’t an issue. The actual itinerary was never mentioned by driver or guide either so we assumed we would be going on way back which we didn’t. Glacier itself was impressive and enjoyed the glacier bus.

Tour was not as described.

LesleyAnn_W, Aug 2022

This tour was not as described. We did not stop at lake Louise. I was very disappointed in this as this was the final day of my vacation and it means I will most likely never get to go and see this. If I had know the exact tour that I was booking then I could have planned appropriately. As the description of the day was not accurate I would not recommend this tour. The only part that was accurate was the ice fields and glacier tour.

Amazing trip, incredibly unique opportunity to walk on a Glacier (before they're all gone!)

Craig_K, Aug 2022

This trip was worth every penny, highly recommend! Our guide (Marnie) and driver (Mike) were tremendous hosts, and a bastion of knowledge as we were driven up through the Canadian Rockies. You'll make several stops along the way to see different Glacier and the Lakes they deposit into, not to mention the source of the Bow River (i.e. the Bow Glacier), which cuts right through Banff. We also had door to door service, as the tour included a pick-up at our hotel (this isn't offered at every hotel, so double check when you're booking!) but it's not a requirement either, as the trip finally takes off from the Bus Depot in Banff. It's a long day, with a 7:30am pick-up and a ~7pm drop-off, but if you are looking to see as much of the Rockies as possible, with guides to provide wonderful context and knowledge, then I would absolutely suggest you take this trip! Shoutout to our Driver Mike for keeping us informed as well during our drive up North...Also, where else can you walk on a Glacier??

Glacier Walk - a MUST experience

Jennel_C, Jul 2022

The experience of stepping my feet on these glaciers are exceptional. I cant trade this for anything else! You should try it! Thanks to our drive Colin and Kierin (Qui-Qui)! They made the special EXTRA Special

Memorable tour

harjit_s, Jul 2022

Bus crew is fantastic. Service is great . Lunch is nice. Bus is neat and clean. Guide explains the sight scenes

Worth it!!

Judy_P, Jul 2022

Our tour guides Andrew and Xcinia were amazing and made the trip amazingly special. The whole experience was awesome the glacier was great!!

Great experience overall

Jameela_P, Jul 2022

Tour leads Andre and Marnie were fantatsic, super friendly and kind, and very fun (and funny). Great experience all around, my family really loved it.

Memorable

Jan_L, Jun 2022

It was all very memorable and Elyse and Kiki were wonderful guides. Elyse a fantastic driver and Kiki a great host

Awesome Time With Family!

Muskaan_A, Jun 2022

Had an awesome time!!! Went with family of 8 and Collin, Sid and Brenan made the trip memorable for us all! They were all very enthusiastic and funny and kept entertained but very informative as well!

Amazing!

Palmira_H, Aug 2021

Andre the bus tour driver was EXCELLENT!! Provided so much info along the way. Ice explorer was great and the sky walk very memorable! Highly recommend!

Not worth the cost / stuck on a bus with a cranky driver

Ryan_O, Aug 2021

This trip is not worth the cost. From Banff, it's essentially a full day spent on a bus with short breaks out for lunch and a ten-minute stroll on a small snowpack. The drive is nice and scenic, but on a bus you are not able to stop whenever you want (plus you might get a driver like ours, who cussed out traffic over the intercom and refused our request to put on music instead of his incessant babbling). I do not recommend this tour. Save yourself the hassle (and lots of $$) -- if you really want to see the remnants of a once-mighty glacier, drive up yourself.

Amazing

Gina O, Oct 2019

The tour was well organized. Cam & Gensis were excellent driver and guides. The Brewster buses are new and comfy. As for the experience, unbelievable. It really is a special thing to go and do.

Exciting Icefield Tour

Mary_P, Oct 2019

We enjoyed our bus tour to the Columbia Icefield. Our tour guides, Andrew and Luke, were very knowledgeable and entertaining. The ride on the explorer to the glacier was exciting and Reeve, our driver, was competent and entertaining. The weather was cold and windy but that didn't detract from our enjoyment and sense of adventure. It was a wonderful day!

Fabulous bucket list trip!!

Christine G, Sep 2019

Amazing trip. Spectular scenery. Breathtaking views. Shaun and Frank were amazing and very knowledgeable guides. Another tick off my bucket list!!

Go before they disappear. Well worth it!

Sheila K, Sep 2019

Amazing scenery, well organised and going on the glacier on the glacier explorer and getting out on the ice was special. The sun was bright and weather good but it was still very cold and windy - so wrap up warm for that part of the tour.

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