4-Day Rockies Tour from Calgary: Glacier View Lodge & Icefield

Four days through the Rockies with a night at the Icefield

A 4-day small-group tour from Calgary loops through Banff National Park, Lake Louise, the Columbia Icefield and Jasper, with one night at Glacier View Lodge inside the Icefield. You ride the snowcoach onto the Athabasca Glacier, walk the glass-floored Skywalk 918 feet above Sunwapta Valley, and visit Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake, Maligne Lake and six other named stops. A bilingual guide leads groups of 13 maximum, and you get breakfast and dinner at the lodge plus two professionally edited photos per room.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Calgary to Banff with Canyon Hike

• Pick up in Calgary or Banff
• Drive through Banff National Park
• Hike Johnston Canyon
• Visit Vermilion Lake
• Ride Banff Gondola (optional)
• See Bow Falls
• View Surprise Corner
• Return to Banff accommodation

Day 2: Lake Louise and Icefields Parkway

• Meet at hotel lobby
• Visit Lake Louise
• Free time at Moraine Lake
• Visit Emerald Lake
• Stop at Natural Bridge
• Walk Columbia Icefield Skywalk
• Stay at Glacier View Lodge

Day 3: Columbia Icefield to Jasper

• Meet at hotel lobby
• Ride Ice Explorer on Athabasca Glacier
• Visit Athabasca Falls
• See Medicine Lake
• Visit Maligne Lake (optional cruise)
• Return to Jasper accommodation

Day 4: Jasper to Calgary via Scenic Lakes

• Meet at hotel lobby
• Visit Pyramid Lake
• Walk Maligne Canyon
• See Sunwapta Falls
• Visit Peyto Lake viewpoint
• Visit Bow Lake
• Drop off at chosen Calgary or Banff location

The experience

The loop starts in Calgary and moves without backtracking through Banff National Park to Lake Louise on day two, then climbs to the Columbia Icefield by evening. Day three takes you south through Jasper and its lakes (Medicine Lake, Maligne Lake, Maligne Canyon) before the final day returns you to Calgary via Peyto Lake and Bow Lake along the Icefields Parkway. The guide meets you at your hotel each morning and drops you at one of four endpoints: Banff, Calgary airport, downtown Calgary or a hotel in northeast Calgary.

Glacier View Lodge sits in the heart of the Columbia Icefield, which covers 325 square kilometers and feeds eight glaciers. You stay one night there with dinner and breakfast included, and the location means you see sunrise and sunset after the crowds leave. The snowcoach ride onto the Athabasca Glacier, ice over 400 years old, happens on day three, and the Skywalk, a glass-floored walkway suspended 918 feet above the valley, is part of day two. Six handpicked photo stops across the four days come with two professionally edited images per room as a keepsake.

The group stays at 13 people maximum, and your guide speaks English and Mandarin. The itinerary can shift due to extreme weather or road conditions. If you have a connecting flight, book departure after 9:30 pm for domestic or 10:30 pm for international to give the tour time to reach the airport. Special meal requests (vegetarian, high-chair, specific bed types) need seven days' notice before the trip.

What’s included

• Columbia Icefield snowcoach ride and Skywalk entry.
• four nights of hotel accommodation (three standard hotels, one night at Glacier View Lodge).
• breakfast and dinner at Glacier View Lodge.
• bilingual guide service in English and Mandarin.
• two professionally edited photos per room.
• driver and all ground transport throughout the loop.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 1 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 18 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 small group of 13 and fixed itinerary mean you move through the parks without the logistics of planning stops yourself, and the one night at Glacier View Lodge inside the Icefield gives you sunrise and sunset there after day-trippers leave. Book this if you want the major lakes and glaciers of the Rockies covered in four days without arranging your own route or transport 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 hovers 918 feet above the Sunwapta Valley, offering views of glaciers, waterfalls and the surrounding Rockies. You walk it on day two as part of the route through the Icefields Parkway.

Can I walk on the glacier itself?

Yes. On day three, you ride the snowcoach onto the Athabasca Glacier, part of the Columbia Icefield, and walk on ice that is over 400 years old. The snowcoach ride is included.

What lakes do we visit?

The tour stops at Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake, Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake, Peyto Lake and Bow Lake. Moraine Lake is seasonally open from late May through late September or early October. If it is closed, the route substitutes Marble Canyon.

Where do I stay during the tour?

Three nights are at standard hotels in Banff and Jasper. One night is at Glacier View Lodge, located inside the Columbia Icefield. Breakfast and dinner are included at the lodge.

How many people are in the group?

Groups stay at 13 people maximum, and your guide is bilingual in English and Mandarin.

What happens if I have a flight after the tour ends?

The tour drops you at Calgary airport on day four, but your flight must depart after 9:30 pm for domestic flights or 10:30 pm for international flights to allow time for the drive from Jasper.