Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff
Traveler rating
4.7/5
Based on 17 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff worth booking?
Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff is a 10-hour experience in Banff, Canada, from $108 per person. It scores 67 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 4.7/5 rating across 17 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 67 / 100
- Rating
- 4.7/5 (17)
- Duration
- 10 hours
- From
- $108 per person
Embark an adventure through our natural history and experience the breathtaking beauty of the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies. Exploring this rare, vastly accessible expanse of glacial ice settled in alpine vall
What you get
About this experience
Embark an adventure through our natural history and experience the breathtaking beauty of the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies. Exploring this rare, vastly accessible expanse of glacial ice settled in alpine valleys in North America will certainly be a memory you won't forget. Our knowledgeable and friendly tour guides will be sure to walk you through the stories of the beautiful expanse of icy glacier scenery, giving you a truly authentic and immersive experience. We can provide assistance with booking Ice Explorer or Skywalk admission tickets. Please tell us in advance so we may purchase them for your group. You can book either attraction individually or both together — saving $10 when you reserve together. If booking assistance is needed, please request a ticket booking from us at least 3 days in advance. Earlier booking is highly recommended to ensure your spot. Please note that the Columbia Icefield's ticket cancellation policy is 72 hours.
What's included
Included
- GST (Goods and Services Tax)
- On-board WiFi
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- National Park Fee
- Complimentary bottled water
Not included
- Icefield Explorer Vehicle Admissions
- Icefield Skywalk Admissions
- Gratuities
- On-board restrooms
What you'll see and do
Road trip driving time. we'll pass by Canmore, Three Sister Mountain, Banff Town, Castle Mountain etc. during this time.
60 minutes here
Crowfoot Glacier
Early explorers named the glacier Crowfoot because its three sections of ice looked like a crow’s foot on the mountain. While one of the three “toes” has now receded and disappeared, the glacier is no less spectacular. The Crowfoot Glacier sits above Bow Lake, providing stunning photo opportunities for those traveling the Icefields Parkway. The spectacular Crowfoot Glacier can be viewed from a lookout point on the world-famous Icefields Parkway about 34 km (21 mi) north of Lake Louise. Attached to the northeastern side of Crowfoot Mountain, overlooking Bow Lake, the glacier's runoff feeds into the Bow River, which flows from Banff National Park through the City of Calgary to the Alberta prairies.
10 minutes here
Bow Lake
Bow Lake is one of the many lakes that line the Icefields Parkway and a popular stop for visitors to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It’s no secret that the Canadian Rockies are not short of spectacular vistas and lakes. Bow Lake is one of our top recommendations for a stop to stretch the legs on the Icefields Parkway. A short walk along the lakeshore trail is a family-friendly hike, or you can enjoy longer hikes around Bow Lake for a more complete day. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you don’t miss Bow Lake.
20 minutes here
Road trip driving time. Even though it's just driving time between the two attractions, you can still enjoy the beautiful mountain views along the highway 93 which is well known for it's famous views of Rocky Mountains.
60 minutes here
Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre
Discover the power of nature on the Glacier Adventure – the must-do experience in the Canadian Rockies. At the heart of the incredible Icefields Parkway is one of the largest non-polar ice fields in the world. Here, you’ll hop out and walk along the glacier, where you can even fill up your water bottle with pure, pristine snowmelt, travel on a massive Ice Explorer to a place where you can walk on, feel and drink from the Athabasca Glacier. Then, take a jaw-dropping walk along the glass-floored Glacier Skywalk at the cliff’s edge.
120 minutes here · Admission not included
Columbia Icefield Skywalk
Go beyond nature's edge and immerse yourself in an awe-inspiring interpretive experience in one of the most unique ecosystems in the world. Explore the immense powers of glaciology from a fully accessible, cliff-edge walkway that leads to a glass-floored observation platform 280 m (918 ft) above the Sunwapta Valley. From ice-capped mountain peaks to vast glacier-formed valleys, the Columbia Icefield Skywalk is your front-row seat to nature's most grand performance. The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is situated in a national park and there are plenty of opportunities for spotting wildlife throughout the trip. Mountain goats are especially prevalent. Connor and Logan got to see them licking salt off the rocks and gliding across mountain cliffs they wouldn’t dare stand on. If you're lucky, you may witness a bald eagle soaring through the wind.
30 minutes here · Admission not included
This is one part of driving time back to Calgary, we'll be on the beautiful highway 93 again, you can lean back and enjoy the park views in a different color tone at a different time of the day.
60 minutes here
Peyto Lake
Peyto Lake is a glacier-fed lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is near the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff area. The lake is formed in a valley of the Waputik Range, between Caldron Peak, Peyto Peak and Mount Jimmy Simpson, at an elevation of 1,860 m (6,100 ft). During the summer, significant amounts of glacial rock flour flow into the lake from a nearby glacier, and these suspended rock particles are what give the lake a unique bright, turquoise colour. Because of its bright colour, photos of the lake often appear in illustrated books,and the area around the lake is a popular sightseeing spot. The lake is best seen from Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefields Parkway. The lake is fed by Peyto Creek, which drains water from Caldron Lake and Peyto Glacier (part of the Wapta Icefield). Peyto Lake is the origin of the Mistaya River, which heads northwest from the lake's outflow.
30 minutes here
Herbert Lake
The Herbert Lake has the lake and snow-capped mountain views are stunning. There is an awesome and far less-traveled trail with great mountain views. This trail starts off in the parking area of Herbert Lake. The exact trailhead can be hard to find, in fact, so it is recommended to download the offline maps to make sure you stay on the route. The trail is extremely well-defined and easy to follow once past the trailhead. There are a few ups and downs but nothing crazy. The trail offers multiple viewpoints of the lake, and even passes right alongside the lake for the majority of the trail.
15 minutes here
Driving back to Banff and Calgary
50 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Banff
Departure Time 09:15AM. Please wait at the hotel lobby and our tour guide will come in and greet you.
Meeting point
Banff
the hotel is right at across Banff Trail NW from the '16 Avenue N' C-Train station. Departure Time 07:45AM. Please wait at the hotel lobby and our tour guide will come in and greet you.
Hotel pickup
Pickup is available for selected locations. Pickup begins about 15 minutes before departure.
Ends at
Departure Time 09:15AM. Please wait at the hotel lobby and our tour guide will come in and greet you.
Ends at
the hotel is right at across Banff Trail NW from the '16 Avenue N' C-Train station. Departure Time 07:45AM. Please wait at the hotel lobby and our tour guide will come in and greet you.
Options you can book
Full Day Tour
Pickup included
special dates discount
booking number and date: This option only apply to special dates Pickup included
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Banff2Go
Know before you go
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 17 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
9 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Photo opportunities
4 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Food and drink
2 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Pace and timing
2 mentionsSeveral reviewers found the schedule tight or the day long.
Traveler reviews
17 verified traveler reviews for Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Full day tour Columbia Icefield
We did the full day Columbia Icefield and our guide John was simply amazing! We were the only 2 booked that day so we had a private tour! It was amazing. Included lots of stops and we had plenty of time to enjoy the sights. John even dropped us off directly at our hotel. If I could give more than 5 stars I would.
via Tripadvisor
Breathtaking experience
Would recommend this tour to anyone who would like to see the Canadian Icefield. John was a helpful and insightful tour guide.
via Viator
Bad tour company … good destination
I would not recommend this tour company but the destination was great. First issue was that the driver/guide did not have a headphone/speaker to utilize. So unless you were sitting in the front row of the 4 row van you could not hear the driver point things out. Plus his English hard to understand. When we got to the Ice Field we had to wait a long time for the guide to return with the tickets. He told us we had 15 minutes to get lunch. But the line to get food was 20 minutes. The driver of the van not good. He tailgated other vehicles horribly, he did not push accelerator smoothly….constantly on and off. The mechanical condition of the van not good…every time brakes used you could hear them scrapping … they obviously needed replaced. This was really long day….expected 11 hours and it was more like 13.
via Viator
amazing tour
very unique experience Our tour guide Caroline was very knowledgeable She is the best tour guide I highly recommended this tour
via Viator
Solid Tour
This trip was very cool! I loved getting to stop along the way to see all of the different lakes. The Icefield and Glacier were absolutely the highlight. The Skywalk experience was a little rushed, but that was mostly because it was a crowded day. One of my big questions when comparing tours was the lunch situation. There is a hot quick food and some cold grab and go options and a buffet. We’d brought sandwiches with us because we were concerned about time, but probably could have done the grab and go option instead.
via Viator
Good to know
- Duration
- 10 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun
- Price range
- $108 to $145
- Hotel pickup
- Available for selected locations
- Booked in 30 days
- 6
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Who runs this experience
Operated by Banff2Go, who run 11 experiences we rank across 3 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 56.9.
See everything Banff2Go runsWhy this scores 67
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Banff.
How much does Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff cost?
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Prices start at $108 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Banff usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff take?
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Plan for about 10 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Banff is not rushed.
Is Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 67 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.7/5 across 17 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Banff, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 10-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff?
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Around 6 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Banff can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Banff and add a light layer if any part of the 10-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Breathtaking Columbia Icefield Day Tour — Calgary, Canmore, Banff start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Banff within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Banff?
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On Outty we rank every Banff experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and the Icefields Parkway Full-Day Tour, Hop-On and Hop-Off Banff Bus, ShuttleBus 2way Banff to Lake Louise (1Hr) and Moraine Lake (1Hr). The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Banff?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Banff?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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