3-Day Glacial Tour package, Columbia Icefield, Jasper, LakeLouise

A Truly Memorable Journey with Guide Patrick Chou

Our tour was led by Patrick Chou, who truly made the experience unforgettable. He was incredibly attentive to every detail and always made sure we were well taken care of. What made me impressive was his genuine passion for sharing the rich history and local culture of each town, city, and region we visited. His insights brought each place to life.

via Tripadvisor

Unforgettable experience

We had a great time during this experience. Awesome places. Tour guide Lisa very helpful. We were lucky with the weather, sunny days when we most needed it, snow while in the glaciers

Response from the operator: Thank you for traveling with Westar Travel, that is really our pleasure to provide you a nice and memorable trip in the amazing Rockies!

via Viator

A disappointing lengthy review - but worth the read if your touring Canadian Rockies

Because of the Jasper fires our itinerary had to be changed. I'm not sure how much thought went into making the new arrangements. I had a few questions and tried contacting the main office a few times - no luck except for one time and the girl I spoke to was hard to understand and I don't believe she was knowledgeable and maybe didn't understand what I was asking. At the end of the conversation she said to ask the driver (I think?) Day 1 driver Daryl was a good driver but didn't tell us anything about the areas we traveled through. He did make sure that he let the people on the bus where the toilet stops were along the way. Day 2&3 driver, Alston did tell us about the mountains and areas we traveled through but nothing on bathroom stops and how long driving times would be. He drove pretty fast and loved to honk the horn a lot at other drivers that would slow him down - it was like he was on a mission and that was it. Day 2 was a lot of driving time and more disappointments. One stop was the Columbia Ice Fields - we got there 10 minutes before the tour started and it gave me no opportunity to purchase tickets for the 1:30 tour the group was schedule to be on. I tried to buy tickets with West Star prior (but late on my part) but again there was a lack of communication on their part. They had my cell phone - but never called or texted me about my concerns. The only texts we got were from the drivers with times we were going to be picked up in the morning from the hotels we were staying at. Because of itinerary change we were supposed to drive back to Calgary (and not stay in Banff on night 2) more driving time and the city versus the beautiful town of Banff. When I found out there were other passengers staying night 2 in Banff - we jumped off the bus and grabbed a hotel in Banff on our own and were told we would not get a credit for not driving back to Calgary to stay in a Best Western and then drive back to Banff in the morning to pick up the other passengers that were scheduled to be there. (My wife and I had a lovely night and morning in Banff) We were picked up on time and continued on the tour. The bus itself was adequate but not luxury - on the way back day 3 despite the AC being on in the bus - it was hot. Alston also mentioned several times that there was a service fee of $15.00 per person per day that he would collect. I don't think I read that before booking the trip - I assumed it was a tip - but I thought tips were optional depending on the service you receive (?) I did tip both drivers at the end of the day. The Canadian Rockies are beautiful and we would go back but definitely not with West Star. Lack of communication with their office and questions not being answered killed our experience with them.

Response from the operator: Dear Steve, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re truly sorry that the wildfire-related changes impacted your experience. We did send the updated itinerary and communicated the hotel adjustment in advance, and we respect your choice to arrange your own accommodation in Banff. As a gesture, we have refunded CAD $150 through Viator, as noted. We’ll continue working to improve communication with our office and team to ensure clearer guidance on future tours. We appreciate your comments, and thank you for helping us improve. Best regards, Westar Travel.

via Viator

Poor communication and uncomfortable seats

I am very disappointed with the service I received during the Columbia Icefields trip with Westar. The poor communication from the tour guide, Kelvin Chau, and the uncomfortable seats were major issues. Firstly, Kelvin never responded to my calls. I tried multiple times to confirm the special booking time for the Ice Explorer, even leaving voicemails the day before the trip. I also asked my travel agent to contact him, but nothing worked. Kelvin never checked his phone, even leaving two passengers stranded in the hotel lobby during the pickup. Secondly, Kelvin’s English was not up to standard. His language was basic and simplistic, which meant his explanations about the attractions were brief and lacked detail compared to other tour guides. Thirdly, despite the Columbia Icefield being closed due to a mudslide that happened overnight , Kelvin was unaware when other groups already canceled the trip and led us to the parkway as planned. This lack of communication resulted in wasted time on the road, ruining my entire day. Kelvin then arranged several downgraded attractions as replacements, which were not only uninteresting but also overlapped with my itinerary for the following day. I’m extremely disappointed with the cost I paid for the Icefields trip, which was higher than regular Banff tours. Lastly, my experience with my travel agent, Singme Travel, was also unsatisfactory. There were numerous miscommunications between her and the tour guide regarding pickup and drop-off locations. She also failed to check the availability of optional services, resulting in us missing out on them and having to book tickets ourselves. Overall, this trip did not meet my expectations, and I feel that the price paid was not justified. 我对这次跟Westar去哥伦比亚冰原的旅行真的很失望。导游Kelvin Chau沟通太差了，旅游车座位也很不舒服。 首先，Kelvin从来不回我电话。我想确认冰原探险的预定时间，打了好几次电话，甚至在出发前一天还留了语音信息。我还让我的旅行社帮忙联系他，但都没用。Kelvin根本不看手机，甚至还把两个乘客丢在酒店大堂没接上。最后那两个乘客自己另外坐车赶上来的。 其次，Kelvin的简装英语让我觉得他是不是精神不正常。他说的英语并不专业，很简单，他对景点的介绍大多很简短，没什么细节，很多时候我们就是上车睡觉，下车打卡景点。 第三，哥伦比亚冰原因为半夜的泥石流关闭了，其他旅行社都取消行程了。但Kelvin居然不知道，还是按照原计划带我们去了冰原大道。这样沟通不畅，导致我们在路上浪费了大量时间，整个上午都毁了。Kelvin后来安排了一些档次低的景点替代原来的计划，这些景点不仅没意思，还和我第二天的行程有很大重复。 我都不想提我那个在xhs找的Singme Travel 的对接。不帮忙确认门票的时间和位子比如雪车和硫磺山缆车，这些全要我们自己去订。还把我的上车点和下车点弄错了。弄的我自己去跟导游更正。整个行程真是恼火。

Response from the operator: Dear valued customer, We sincerely apologize for your disappointing experience on the Columbia Icefields trip. We take your feedback about the communication issues with Kelvin and the discomfort of the seats very seriously. We regret that the Columbia Icefield was closed due to a mudslide, which was unforeseen and certainly not something we wanted to happen. We understand how frustrating this must have been for you. We will address these issues with our team and your travel agent to ensure better service in the future. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Westar Travel

via Tripadvisor

Check this review before buying your 3 day tour!

I booked a 3-day tour to Banff and Jasper, including a 2-night hotel stay (first night in Banff and second night in Jasper), scheduled for July 29th to July 31st. I also purchased two add-on activities, both scheduled in Jasper. Unfortunately, wildfires in Jasper affected our tour, and almost half of the itinerary was changed. My tour operator did a poor job communicating these changes and did not respond in time to allow me to make informed decisions about the tour. On the night of Thursday, July 25th, I was informed that the Jasper National Park portion of the tour would not happen. Initially, I was told that on the second day we would visit alternative lakes and canyons, and on the third day, we would go to Dinosaur Park and an outlet mall north of the Calgary airport. The hotel stay for the second night was also changed to Calgary instead of Jasper. This message included very vague information about a potential refund if I decided not to proceed with the revised itinerary. I immediately responded with questions about the third day, inquired about the amount of the refund, and asked whether I could cancel the third day of my tour and receive a partial refund. However, my important email went unanswered for over two days. It was not until midday Saturday, July 27th, that I received another vague message from the operator indicating that an email with updates had been sent. I had not received any such emails, and despite following up three times on Saturday, I was left in limbo. It was not until midday Sunday that I finally received a response, informing me that the money I had paid for the add-on activities would be refunded. No other updates or answers to the questions I had asked on Thursday were provided. By Monday, we had to start the tour without knowing half of the itinerary. The first day of the tour proceeded as planned since it didn’t require any changes. On the second day, we were given an itinerary change agreement to sign. It was only on the bus that we learned we would be taken to a national park at the Canada-US border instead of Jasper, which required a 3-hour drive from Calgary. When I asked the tour guide if I could opt out of the third day and get a refund, I was told it was not an option at that point. We stayed in Calgary on the second night and were put on a bus for a 6-hour drive on the third day to visit a national park at the border, instead of Jasper. I feel cheated and robbed by this tour. When I checked Viator, I found that I could have signed up for a one-day tour and pay about 15% of what I have spent for a similar experience. I have contacted Viator to express my frustration with the unprofessional operator who did nothing to accommodate the unexpected changes to our tour. I chose Viator based on positive reviews but am now leaving feeling robbed and extremely disappointed. While I understand that unforeseeable circumstances occur, it is your business that is insured and protected, not me. Yet, I am the one paying the price, and this is extremely unacceptable. For reference, please review my chat with the operator, which will provide proof of what transpired. I have requested a refund of 30% and hope that this will at least partially compensate for my loss.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused by the sudden wildfires in Jasper, which led to unexpected changes to your itinerary. The urgency of managing the situation for both current and upcoming guests contributed to the delays in our responses, and we sincerely regret this. We understand your frustration with the lack of timely communication and the impact it had on your travel plans. You can verify the details of your refund calculation through Viator, and we will ensure that you receive the necessary information to clarify this.

via Viator