Banff to Jasper: One-Way Tour & Columbia Icefield

Banff to Jasper in a Day: Mountains, Glaciers & the Icefield

You get picked up from your Banff hotel and driven through the Canadian Rockies to Jasper, with four hours built in at the Columbia Icefield to ride onto the Athabasca Glacier and walk the Glacier Skywalk. Picnic lunch and a guide who knows where to stop are included, so you see Lake Louise, Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, the Weeping Wall, and Athabasca Falls without arranging transport or timing yourself. The drive is full-day, and that's what makes fitting both parks and the icefield into one journey possible.

Step-by-step itinerary

Banff to Jasper mountain tour

• Depart from Banff
• View Lake Louise
• Stop at Crowfoot Glacier
• Visit Bow Lake
• Arrive at Columbia Icefield
• Take Glacier Adventure tour
• Experience Glacier Skywalk
• Enjoy picnic lunch
• Explore Columbia Icefield Centre exhibits
• Take guided walk to viewpoint
• See Weeping Wall
• Visit Athabasca Falls
• Arrive in Jasper

The experience

You're in Banff, and the driver is already waiting. Hotel pickup happens in the morning, and then the road opens up. The Icefields Parkway, which is basically the spine of the Canadian Rockies laid out in front of you for the next five or six hours. Lake Louise comes first, then Crowfoot Glacier, then Bow Lake, each one appearing like the landscape is showing off a little. The mountains don't stop. Jagged snowy peaks, glaciers hanging off the sides, and this sense that you're driving through something that doesn't quite feel real until you're actually in it.

Around midday you hit the Columbia Icefield, and this is where the day shifts. You've got about four hours here, which is the real gift of this tour: most people rush through, but you get to actually do things instead of just looking out a window. The Glacier Adventure takes you onto the Athabasca Glacier itself in a specialized vehicle, and the Glacier Skywalk is a glass-floored walkway that hangs out over the Sunwapta Valley. If you're not into either of those, there's the interpretive centre or a guided walk to a viewpoint. Picnic lunch is included, so you eat somewhere in the middle of all this ice and rock. The guide handles the timing, which means you don't have to think about when to move on.

After the icefield, the drive continues north toward Jasper. The Weeping Wall shows up, water cascading down the rock face, and then Athabasca Falls, which is one more stop where the landscape just keeps delivering. By the time you reach Jasper, you've crossed from one national park into another without ever leaving the mountains. The whole thing is one continuous ribbon of scenery, and the one-way format means you're not backtracking. You're just moving through it all in one direction.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup in Banff, a driver/guide for the entire journey, sightseeing stops at Lake Louise, Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, the Weeping Wall, and Athabasca Falls, approximately four hours at the Columbia Icefield with entry included, the Glacier Adventure tour onto the Athabasca Glacier, the Glacier Skywalk experience, a picnic lunch, and drop-off in Jasper at the end of the day.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 11 May 2027

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 32 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by SunDog Tour Co

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see both Banff and Jasper National Parks in one day without driving themselves or coordinating transport and timing. The full-day format is what makes fitting the icefield stop and all the major viewpoints into a single journey possible.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What's included in the Banff to Jasper tour?

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Banff, a driver/guide for the full day, picnic lunch, entry to the Columbia Icefield, the Glacier Adventure tour onto the Athabasca Glacier, and the Glacier Skywalk experience.

How long is the drive from Banff to Jasper?

The full tour takes most of the day. You spend approximately four hours at the Columbia Icefield, with additional time for sightseeing stops along the Icefields Parkway and the drive itself.

What can you do at the Columbia Icefield?

You can take the Glacier Adventure tour onto the Athabasca Glacier, walk the Glacier Skywalk (a glass-floored viewpoint over the Sunwapta Valley), visit the interpretive exhibits at the Columbia Icefield Centre, or take a guided walk to a scenic viewpoint.

What are the main stops on the route?

Lake Louise, Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, the Columbia Icefield, the Weeping Wall, and Athabasca Falls.

Is this tour suitable for people with limited fitness?

Yes, it's suitable for all physical fitness levels. You can choose your activities at the icefield based on what you're comfortable with.

What should I wear?

Dress appropriately for mountain weather. The tour operates in all weather conditions, so bring layers and weather-appropriate clothing.

Is lunch included?

Yes, a picnic lunch is included in the tour price.

Can I stop for photos along the way?

Yes, the itinerary includes sightseeing stops at Lake Louise, Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, the Weeping Wall, and Athabasca Falls, all designed for viewing and photography.