Canmore to Columbia Icefield Skywalk & Peyto Lake: Private Tour

Walk on ancient ice and cross a glass floor suspended above the valley.

A private full-day tour from Canmore through the Canadian Rockies along the Icefields Parkway, stopping at Bow Lake and Peyto Lake before reaching the Columbia Icefield, where you step onto the Athabasca Glacier in a specialized Ice Explorer vehicle and walk the glass-floored Skywalk high above Sunwapta Valley. The tour includes park entry, an air-conditioned SUV, a live guide, and water. It runs nine hours with ample time to photograph and explore each site.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Icefields Parkway2h
2. Bow Lake30m
3. Columbia Icefield Skywalk1h
4. Peyto Lake45m · entry included
5. Crowfoot Glacier10m

Explore Icefields Parkway and Glacier Attractions

• Travel Icefields Parkway scenic route
• Stop at Bow Lake for views
• Visit Peyto Lake viewpoint
• See Crowfoot Glacier briefly
• Pause at Herbert Lake
• Explore Athabasca Glacier on Ice Explorer
• Walk Columbia Icefield Skywalk

The experience

The Icefields Parkway stretches 232 kilometers through the Canadian Rockies, and this tour covers its most dramatic stops in a single day. You start with Bow Lake, a glacial lake at 1,920 meters fed by meltwater from the nearby Bow Glacier, its turquoise water reflecting the surrounding peaks. The route passes Crowfoot Glacier and Herbert Lake before reaching Peyto Lake, famous for its striking turquoise color and distinctive wolf-shaped outline: one of the most photographed lakes in the region.

At the Columbia Icefield, the experience shifts from viewing to doing. You board a specialized Ice Explorer vehicle that carries you onto the Athabasca Glacier, one of North America's most accessible glaciers. You step out onto ancient ice, walk its surface, and learn about glacial formations from your guide. Nearby, the Glacier Skywalk is a glass-floored observation platform suspended above the Sunwapta Valley, offering panoramic views straight down to the landscape below: a moment that combines exposure and perspective in a way a photograph cannot capture.

The tour runs nine hours with private transportation in an air-conditioned SUV, so the pace is yours to set at each stop. National park entry and water are included. A live English-speaking guide travels with you throughout, providing context for what you're seeing and answering questions as you go.

What’s included

• National park entry.
• private air-conditioned SUV transportation.
• live English-speaking guide.
• parking fees.
• water throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00, 08:30, 09:00 and 09:30

Book up to12h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Journey to Banff tours

Is this one for you?This is a private tour, so your group travels alone with a guide at a pace you set, which suits anyone wanting flexibility to linger at viewpoints or ask questions without keeping others waiting. The nine-hour commitment and moderate physical fitness required (walking on the glacier and the Skywalk platform) fit travelers comfortable with a full day in the mountains and some time on their feet.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Peyto Lake actually like when you get there?

Peyto Lake is a glacial lake along the Icefields Parkway known for its vivid turquoise water created by glacial meltwater and its distinctive wolf-shaped outline when viewed from above. It's one of the most photographed spots in the Canadian Rockies, with a viewpoint accessible from the roadside.

Do I actually walk on the glacier, or just look at it from a distance?

You walk on the Athabasca Glacier itself. A specialized Ice Explorer vehicle carries you onto the ice, and you step out to walk on its surface and learn about the glacial formations from your guide.

What does the Skywalk experience involve?

The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is a glass-floored observation platform suspended high above the Sunwapta Valley. You walk across the glass floor to view the surrounding glaciers, mountains, and valleys from an elevated vantage point directly above the landscape.

How much of the nine hours is actually driving versus time at each stop?

The tour covers roughly 232 kilometers along the Icefields Parkway with multiple stops: Bow Lake, Crowfoot Glacier, Peyto Lake, and the Columbia Icefield area. You have ample time to explore, photograph, and take in each site. The itinerary is designed to balance the drive with meaningful time at each location.

Is the tour private, or will I be sharing the vehicle with other travelers?

This is a private tour, so you travel in your own air-conditioned SUV with your guide. The vehicle accommodates your group only.

What's included in the price, and what costs extra?

The tour includes national park entry, the air-conditioned SUV, parking fees, water, and a live English-speaking guide. The Athabasca Glacier walk and Skywalk entry are part of the experience. Tips are not included.