3-Day Rockies Tour Calgary: Glacier View & Icefield Skywalk

Stay at the Icefield after the crowds leave, then walk a glacier 400 years old

This 3-day small-group tour loops from Calgary through Banff and Jasper with a night at Glacier View Lodge, positioned right at the Columbia Icefield. You'll cross the glass-floored Skywalk, ride the Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier, and visit Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake, Maligne Lake, Peyto Lake, and Bow Lake. A bilingual guide leads groups of 13 or fewer, with breakfast and dinner included at the lodge.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Calgary to Columbia Icefield Skywalk

• Pick up in Calgary or Banff
• Drive through Banff National Park
• Visit Lake Louise
• Free time at Moraine Lake
• Visit Emerald Lake
• Stop at Natural Bridge
• Explore Columbia Icefield Skywalk

Day 2: Columbia Icefield to Jasper

• Meet at hotel lobby
• Ride Ice Explorer on Athabasca Glacier
• Visit Athabasca Falls
• Visit Medicine Lake
• Visit Maligne Lake
• Return to accommodation in Jasper

Day 3: Jasper to Calgary via Scenic Lakes

• Meet at hotel lobby
• Visit Pyramid Lake
• Visit Sunwapta Falls
• Visit Peyto Lake
• Visit Bow Lake
• Drop off at chosen Calgary or Banff location

The experience

The route starts in Calgary and moves through Banff National Park without backtracking: Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Emerald Lake stack into the first day, then the Icefields Parkway carries you to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, where a glass walkway suspends you 918 feet above the Sunwapta Valley with views of glaciers and the surrounding peaks. That night you sleep at Glacier View Lodge, the only accommodation inside the Icefield itself, so you're there after the day-trippers leave and present for sunrise and sunset in the quieter hours.

Day two moves deeper into Jasper National Park. The Columbia Icefield covers 325 square kilometers and feeds eight glaciers. The Ice Explorer takes you onto the Athabasca Glacier where the ice beneath your feet is over 400 years old. Athabasca Falls, 30 kilometers south of Jasper, channels glacier melt through a narrow gorge with enough force to carve the rock. Medicine Lake, 20 kilometers southeast of Jasper, is known as the lake that disappears: water flows into the largest inaccessible limestone cave system before merging with the Athabasca River. Maligne Lake, the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies at 22 kilometers long, anchors the afternoon with its turquoise waters and views of Spirit Island.

The final day returns south along the Icefields Parkway. Pyramid Lake near Jasper offers mountain reflections; Sunwapta Falls shows glacier-fed water rushing through a gorge; Peyto Lake displays its famous wolf-shaped silhouette in turquoise; Bow Lake mirrors Crowfoot Glacier. The tour ends at one of four drop-off points in Calgary or Banff, or at Calgary International Airport if your flight departs after 9:30 pm domestic or 10:30 pm international. Your guide is bilingual in English and Mandarin, and the operator includes two professionally edited photos per room plus a souvenir gift.

What’s included

• Columbia Icefield Snowcoach and Skywalk access.
• hotel accommodations at Glacier View Lodge (night one) and Château Jasper or Tonquin Inn (night two).
• breakfast and dinner at Glacier View Lodge.
• bilingual guide service in English and Mandarin.
• two professionally edited photos per room.
• XP Planet souvenir gift.
• gratuities.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 2 May 2027

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 12)

GroupUp to 13 · max 4 per booking

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 17 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Westar Travel Ltd.

Is this one for you?The bilingual guide delivers commentary in both English and Mandarin, so Mandarin-speaking travelers follow the storytelling comfortably without translation delays. If you speak only English, the guide weaves both languages throughout, though the pacing may occasionally shift between them.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 12).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. No refund if you cancel.

What is the Columbia Icefield Skywalk like?

The Skywalk is a glass-floored walkway that extends 918 feet above the Sunwapta Valley, offering views of glaciers, waterfalls, and the surrounding Rockies. It is included in your tour.

Can I walk on a glacier during this tour?

Yes. On day two, the Ice Explorer snowcoach takes you onto the Athabasca Glacier, where you can walk on ice that is over 400 years old. This is part of the included experience at the Columbia Icefield.

What happens if Moraine Lake is closed?

Moraine Lake is seasonally open from late May to late September or early October, subject to park regulations. When it is closed, the itinerary replaces it with Marble Canyon.

Where do I stay on this tour?

Night one is at Glacier View Lodge, located in the heart of the Columbia Icefield with dinner and breakfast included. Night two is at Château Jasper or Tonquin Inn, or a similar property in Jasper Town. Both nights are included in the tour price.

How many people travel in the group?

Groups are kept to 13 guests or fewer, which allows the guide to maintain a relaxed pace and personalized attention at each stop.