Columbia Icefield Tour including the Glacier Skywalk from Banff
Banff, Canada
Admire lakes and glaciers on a full day tour from Banff to the Columbia Icefield. Ride the Ice Explorer and settle in as a local guide provides fascinating commentary of the starkly beautiful Alberta Rockies region. The road to the Columbia Icefields, one of the largest masses of ice south of the Arctic Circle, is universally regarded as one of the world's greatest mountain drives.
The Columbia Icefield is one of the largest accumulations of ice south of the Arctic Circle. The Icefields Parkway runs from Banff National Park into Jasper National Park and is one of the most scenic drives in Canada.
Visit Lake Louise, the icon of the Canadian Rockies, before your spectacular journey along the Icefields Parkway. At Lake Louise stand on its emerald green shores with a picture perfect view of the Victoria Glacier. With photographic stops at Crowfoot Glacier and Peyto Lake, you head towards the impressive view at the Big Hill.
On this guided tour learn about the unique ecosystem and the creation of the glaciers you experience on your way to the Columbia Icefield. After your ride on the all-terrain Ice Explorer, there is time to visit the Glacier Gallery, restaurant or gift shop at the Icefields Centre. Return to Banff in the late afternoon
This tour is seasonal and only operates from May through to October.
We loved our tour of the icefield. Our driver Andy and host Louie were amazing. Andy had great commentary on the sites to see along the route and Louie was very helpful in making sure everything happened as it should. The stops at Lake Louise and Peyto Lake were great, though crowded. The glacier experience was fantastic. The hot buffet lunch was very good. We had to adjust our schedule to avoid a thunderstorm and we had perfect weather on the glacier. We got rained on at the Glacier Skywalk but Louie and Andy took good care of us. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. I think it is much easier to take this tour then to try to arrange everything yourself. We had no worries and were just along for the ride and a great one it was.
Review by: mmn1951, July 2018
GINORMOUS!!! The mountain, the glacier and the Ice Explorer! Have to experience to fully grasp the beauty and vastness. The Skywalk is amazing with incredible views!
Review by: Deborah C, July 2018
Excellent tour,
Review by: Teresa K, April 2018
Loved the trip and the sights!
Review by: Vijay J, December 2017
Walking on the Athabasca Glacier was an amazing experience and the Lake Louise and Peyto lake were beautiful.
Review by: Janaki E, October 2017
This was amazing tour. I will recommend 100:/ .tour , driver and the place unforgettable.
Review by: Jill P, October 2017
This was a great tour and the sites were truly incredible and breathtaking. We can't say enough good things about our driver/tour guide Clayton, and his assistant Bianca. Clayton spoke clearly and was very easy to understand, as he narrated the tour. Bianca was the friendly smile and assistant that made sure everyone was where they needed to be, and when they needed to be there, and kept everything running smoothly. Probably the only downside was that the hot buffet lunch was only marginal, otherwise a great day trip that we would highly recommend!
Review by: Bradley K, October 2017
Great trip! Highly recommend it.
Review by: bstj1, October 2017
highly recommended
Review by: Kez, October 2017
Great tour, highly recommended.
Review by: Kez, October 2017
Great tour, highly recommended. Must have won lotto, one of many highlights of the day was seeing a black bear just taking a stroll along the road.
Review by: lisabadovinac, October 2017
Great day! Mitch our driver and Nikol our host were fabulous. They were very knowledgeable and helpful. The glaciers were lovely and such a unique experience. Long day and worth it.
Review by: Denise H, October 2017
Brilliant day with the views aling the drive, stopping to take photos and coffee break! Columbia icefields was good, buffet lunch was ok, being on the glacier was awesome and the skywalk was brilliant. We had enough time to do everything which was fab! Staff were great and knowledgeable- definitely recommend this tour
Review by: chickadee910, September 2017
Very wonderful day...the glacier,lunch,skywalk,bear,mountain goat,lakes,what more could you want...oh yeah our tour guides were great too. Thank you Mitch,Chris and Jordan.
Review by: Suzanne R, September 2017
This is a different type of tour in that you walk on a glacier and a skywalk. The glacier ride was fun - you go up/down a good size hill in specialized buses but relatively short and dusty so keep the windows closed. The glacier itself was interesting but slippery from the melting ice and windy. Some people were being blown from the wind. You can't predict how windy - if you don't like ice, bring slip-on ice cleats or something for grip.
Review by: Ruth D, September 2017
Brewster Travel, the agency that provided this tour, did everything right and didn't overlook the details. Our drive, Patrick, and host, Erin, were knowledgeable, pleasant, interested in all of us on the tour, and full of humorous and fascinating anecdotes and information. The bus was comfortable, with ports for charging waning cell phone or camera batteries, and screens showing the view from the driver's seat so you didn't miss anything. It was great to leave the driving to Patrick so we could enjoy the landscape and not worry about traffic or parking. They provided us with cookies maple sandwich and chocolate chip as a mid-morning snack, and when we were about to disembark to go on the Athabasca Glacier, provided us with souvenir cups so we could scoop up melted glacier water to try it. According to the driver of our glacier mobile, the water confers eternal life! The buffet luncheon provided with the tour was not crowded and the food was good and plentiful. Patrick and Erin kept in mind our need for comfort breaks, and we also had plenty of stops at outstanding views as well. It was a great day and I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Review by: Ewa P, September 2017
The tour was great, beside the Glacier we stopped at Lake Louise, Bow Lake and Pinto Lake and off course Glacier Skywalk. Going to the glacier on the ice explorer vehicle was very excited time,especially the driver and tour guide, Dakota. She was amazing, in very funny way she explained many things about the road to the glacier, vehicle she was driving and the Glacier itself. It was very informative. Lunch was delicious, timing and planning was perfect. We highly recommend this tour.
Review by: David B, September 2017
This was an awesome experience! Although a very long day it really didn't seem like it as the stops were appropriately spread out and the commentary from the driver Frank and the guide Rebecca were both informative and entertaining. Whilst some of the stops the ice fields and skywalk are well-known tourist traps there were no undue delays and only minimal queues, this was down to the slick organisation of the tour company and especially their employees. Obviously those with their own transport could make the necessary arrangements themselves but then they would be missing out on so much interesting information as well as the poor driver not getting the full visual experience. I would definitely categorise this as an unmissable experience
Review by: Dennis C, September 2017
Great way to see the glacier. Driver was a knowledgeable Banff native who provided informative descriptions along the way.
Review by: Tricia S, August 2017
This trip was really awesome!! The tour guides Patrick and Erin were so nice and extremely informative I loved hearing all the info as we drove. I was thinking about driving myself up to the Icefields, but glad I didn't because I would have never known about all of the different attractions, facts about the geology, etc. along the way! And being able to sit in the bus and look around as we drove was great! _br/_ I would have only changed two things - the lunch was awful! And there was a 2 year old on the bus that cried 70 of the time we were on the bus. This was extremely annoying and unfair to everyone that paid good money to go on this trip. I would really encourage Brewster to make an age restriction for this trip. _br/_ The trip itself is amazing! I learned a lot and saw some of the most beautiful sights!!
Review by: Kim L, August 2017
We stopped at a lot of sights on the way, including Lake Louise which was very nice and many lakes as well. The meal that was included left a lot to be desired but the walk on the ice field was good and something I will probably never get to do again, all in all a good day out.
Review by: Allison V, August 2017
This was a unique experience. There were 2 guides who were teally hood and made sure everyone enjoyed their day._br/_ I can highly recommend. All aspects of the trip were excellent and the views on the way were breathtaking.
Review by: Paula M, July 2017
So glad we took this tour 7-25-2017 rather than attempting the trek on our own! It was well-planned, thoroughly narrated, and included picturesque stops we wouldn't have managed on our own. It was the height of tourist season and realized how lucky we were to be on a tour when we arrived at the Columbia Icefield Visitor's Center. The place was packed with people, cars and RVs that I wouldn't want to compete with. As it was, we skipped to the head of the line for lunch and our pre-scheduled Icefield tour bus separate from our regular bus. We even got to see the mountain goats under the Glacier Skywalk! The day was gorgeous and the bus was extremely comfortable, with huge windows for taking excellent photos. Can't say enough good things about Frank our busdriver and Rebecca our geologist who tag-teamed a ton of fascinating facts and were very careful and diplomatic in herding our diverse group. They even juggled our schedule successfully when a few of our party were late returning, so the rest of us wouldn't miss anything.
Review by: Catherine P, July 2017
Andy and Hesel were outstanding! They make a great Team! They were very knowledgeable and kept us informed at all times. They were so willing to take pictures of the tourists at the many stops. The bus was very comfortable and had one restroom. There were 48 of us on the bus and there were many stops. We were provided bottled water, hot water for tea and coffee and cookies on one of the stops. We received a travel cup as a souvenir which they encouraged us to use to help with the environment. Great tour worth the money!
Review by: Sophia, July 2017
Yes! This tour should be on your bucket list for the Columbia Icefield visit alone - and the stops at Skywalk and Lake Louise were great. Not good for small children-a long day and long bus ride. Operator Brewster Tours Very organized and guides Sam and Ben were terrific.
Review by: Nora D, May 2017
If this adventure is not on your bucket list.....IT SHOULD BE. Wonderful day. Mark and Rebecca were the best. Well informed and very helpful.
Review by: Saundra J, March 2017
A breathtaking experience. Lots of activity. Good lunch. Icefield was unbelievable.
Review by: Elise H, September 2016
Loved the Icefields and Skywalk! The buffet lunch wasn't great.
Review by: Stephanie G, September 2016
Beautiful, amazing, with thoughtful and knowledgeable hosts! What a wonderful way to see the area, without the pressure of driving myself.
Review by: Penelope H S, September 2016
Overall, a comprehensive tour that covers Jasper National Park, the Glacier, and the Glacier Skywalk. The fast pace of this tour makes it difficult with young children who might want to dawdle at a stop. If you can, bring your own snacks - the lunch at the Icefield Center is barely edible. The bus driver Talkative Tim demonstrates his 20 years of experience with constant, informative, commentary on the way to the Icefields quiet music on the way back, but he is also the White Rabbit - make sure you are not late getting back on the bus. Renate, the tour facilitator, deftly passed out snacks, water, and tickets and kept count. The Icefield Center didn't have much to do - there was a strange movie with only music. The pictures of the early history at the lower floor were interesting. The Glacier tour was fun - the driver made it adventurous and humorous. The Glacier Skywalk was interesting, but you don't have time to listen to the audio tour. The kids did enjoy the Park employees who had the skull of a Bighorn Sheep. Ignore the signs at the Brewster Transportation Center that says wait inside until your bus is called. You need to be at the gate before the bus arrives - it won't be called. This tour is best for adults - renting a car and driving this might have been the better option with kids so we could stop as needed.
Review by: Thomas W, August 2016
My wife and I really enjoyed this trip. It was very relaxing on the bus and the extensive knowledge that our driver provided during the tour. Even though we have done a lot of mountaineering, it was enjoyable just to walk around on the icefield as a tourist. However, next time, we want to sign up for the guided tour of the icefield. Extremely beautiful along the entire trip. I highly recommend this trip and leave the driving, parking and information to the driver, so much easier finding parking than if we drove to each of the sites. The Chinese buffet that was included as part of the icefield tour was quite good as well.
Review by: alisont61, August 2016
A must do. We had a great day. All the stops along the Icefield Parkway were well worth seeing. We have a very good lunch at the Discovery Centre before moving onto the glacier. You only get 15 minutes on there but still worth doing. Our driver was a really well read and informative guy. He made the trip.
Review by: alisont61, August 2016
A must do. We had a great day. All the stops along the Icefield Parkway were well worth seeing. We have a very good lunch at the Discovery Centre before moving onto the glacier. You only get 15 minutes on there but still worth doing. Our driver was a really well read and informative guy. He made the trip.
Review by: nian_gu, August 2016
The driver has been helpful and friendly. He is kind to tell us about the area and the wildlife. He is kind enough to allow us to have a few moment in the vehicle to see the wildlife we met en route. It is clear about what would happen next and what we were expected to do. It was a day full of fun and beautiful scenery.
Review by: cdr4081, August 2016
With the numbers of people at the glacier, was glad we chose to take a tour and leave the logistics to someone else.
Review by: Cheryl M, August 2016
This was a fabulous tour. It was so much fun going onto the ice fields! Very slippery so be warned, the skywalk was just awesome! Saw a black bear on the way back eating berries by the side of the road. Only complaint would be the food at the buffet, not very good, mostly Chinese style foods. Had the vegetable beef soup, not any type of vegetable beef soup you'd recognize! But other then the food a great day! Wear warm clothes and sturdy shoes.
Review by: Juwon, July 2016
It was amazing trip XD Guide Tim was really nice, knowledgeable and humorous: Glaciers were also impressive : it was pretty cold when I got the glacier but it also has lots of fun and surprise there. Glacier guide eve was perfect and nice guide : I was so happy to face with this great nature with good people
Review by: Francis D, July 2016
Everything on the trip went extremely well. The best part of the tour was the extremely knowledgeable and professional driver.
Review by: James D, July 2016
When I first looked into booking this trip, I was taken back by the price. I then thought about it and thought it would bel worth the money. THIS WAS BY FAR THE BEST DECISION EVER! The whole trip left me speechless....it was AWESOME! WORTH EVERY PENNY! Bus driver very informative, lunch great....ice tour once in a lifetime experience. Loved it!
Review by: Heather L, July 2016
Really enjoyed this tour
Review by: Penny B, July 2016
Loved this tour! The bus driver and tour guide was wonderful! He told us so much about the area, the park, and the mountains! Robin, our hostess, kept wonderful track of all 39 of us. Going out on the glacier was awesome as was the skywalk!!
Review by: kay1234, July 2016
Outstanding tour and fabulous scenery. The drive on the Columbia Icefield Parkway to the glacier will blow you away with snowcapped mountains and pristine blue lakes. Weather was overcast and cool for June and dashed through light showers. Couldn't curb our enthusiasm when those showers turned to SNOW at the glacier. Will never forget this trip. Even saw both grizzly and black bears on our return trip to Banff. Quite a finish to this long and highly enjoyable day.
Review by: Christina D, July 2016
Wonderful tour! Dave our guide was very knowledgeable about the area. We were even lucky enough to see a grizzly bear on our way back.
Review by: Chandrahas D, July 2016
An excellent excursion, not to be missed.
Review by: Bob P, June 2016
Tim our bus drive guide took good care of us. We can't remember the young woman name but she was excellent too. They worked to make out day great! The weather that day was outstanding which also made the tour that much better. All we can say is it was GREAT! Our first trip to that area and so happy we signed up for this tour!!!!
Review by: Kamari B, June 2016
This tour was the highlight of my Banff trip for a couple of reasons. First, our driver Mike and host Renatta, where both so friendly, helpful and extremely knowledgeable, sharing exciting stories and history of Banff and Canada throughout the course of the day. Second, it was a reasonably small tour, only 7 of us, which gives us the ability to get to know each us and have flexible time at each stop. Third, the sites on the agenda that we did stop at were fantastic. Peyto Lake and the Icefield were certainly the highlights, but driving along the Icefield Parkway and through the Rockies was surreal. The mountains are breathtaking and well worth taking this tour to see them alone. It's also worth noting we got lucky because it snowed when we go to the Icefield, making the scene feel more magical. Finally, we got lucky with a couple of bear sightings! Mike was very well versed in where to spot them, so as we approached each location our eyes were glued outside to see if could find them. Luckily, a black bear jumped out on the road, so we were able to get a great view of him grazing. And then over the radio, they heard of a pair of grizzly siblings spotted at one our upcoming locations so we zipped there and saw them. And boy - they were stunning! I've done a few all-day tours with other companies in other countries, but can confidently say Brewster are by far is the best! This and Mountain Lakes/Waterfalls Day Trip truly made my short weekend in Banff very memorable and allowed me to see a lot of sights in a very short amount of time.
Review by: Kamari B, June 2016
This tour was the highlight of my Banff trip for a couple of reasons. First, our driver Mike and host Renatta, where both so friendly, helpful and extremely knowledgeable, sharing exciting stories and history of Banff and Canada throughout the course of the day. Second, it was a reasonably small tour, only 7 of us, which gives us the ability to get to know each us and have flexible time at each stop. Third, the sites on the agenda that we did stop at were fantastic. Peyto Lake and the Icefield were certainly the highlights, but driving along the Icefield Parkway and through the Rockies was surreal. The mountains are breathtaking and well worth taking this tour to see them alone. It's also worth noting we got lucky because it snowed when we go to the Icefield, making the scene feel more magical. Finally, we got lucky with a couple of bear sightings! Mike was very well versed in where to spot them, so as we approached each location our eyes were glued outside to see if could find them. Luckily, a black bear jumped out on the road, so we were able to get a great view of him grazing. And then over the radio, they heard of a pair of grizzly siblings spotted at one our upcoming locations so we zipped there and saw them. And boy - they were stunning! I've done a few all-day tours with other companies in other countries, but can confidently say Brewster are by far is the best! This and Mountain Lakes/Waterfalls Day Trip truly made my short weekend in Banff very memorable and allowed me to see a lot of sights in a very short amount of time.
Review by: Kamari B, June 2016
This tour was the highlight of my Banff trip for a couple of reasons. First, our driver Mike and host Renatta, where both so friendly, helpful and extremely knowledgeable, sharing exciting stories and history of Banff and Canada throughout the course of the day. Second, it was a reasonably small tour, only 7 of us, which gives us the ability to get to know each us and have flexible time at each stop. Third, the sites on the agenda that we did stop at were fantastic. Peyto Lake and the Icefield were certainly the highlights, but driving along the Icefield Parkway and through the Rockies was surreal. The mountains are breathtaking and well worth taking this tour to see them alone. It's also worth noting we got lucky because it snowed when we go to the Icefield, making the scene feel more magical. Finally, we got lucky with a couple of bear sightings! Mike was very well versed in where to spot them, so as we approached each location our eyes were glued outside to see if could find them. Luckily, a black bear jumped out on the road, so we were able to get a great view of him grazing. And then over the radio, they heard of a pair of grizzly siblings spotted at one our upcoming locations so we zipped there and saw them. And boy - they were stunning! I've done a few all-day tours with other companies in other countries, but can confidently say Brewster are by far is the best! This and Mountain Lakes/Waterfalls Day Trip truly made my short weekend in Banff very memorable and allowed me to see a lot of sights in a very short amount of time.
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