Icefields Parkway tour: Lakes, glacier & Columbia Icefield Skywalk

Walk on ancient glacier ice, then step onto a glass floor high above the valley.

This full-day tour travels the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper, stopping at four turquoise glacier-fed lakes and two mountain viewpoints. The summer option (June 1–October 10) adds an Ice Explorer ride onto the Athabasca Glacier and entry to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. The winter option visits Abraham Lake for frozen bubble formations instead. Groups stay under 12, with a professional guide, bottled water, park pass and air-conditioned transport included throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Bow Lake30m · entry included
2. Crowfoot Glacier15m · entry included
3. Peyto Lake30m · entry included
4. Columbia Icefield Skywalk1h · entry included
5. Icefields Parkway2h

Icefields Parkway and Glacier Adventure

• Drive along Icefields Parkway
• Stop at Bow Lake
• Visit Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint
• Stop at Peyto Lake
• Stop at Waterfowl Lakes
• Ice Explorer tour on Athabasca Glacier
• Walk on Columbia Icefield Skywalk

The experience

The Icefields Parkway itself is the route: a 144-kilometer drive through the Canadian Rockies that connects Lake Louise to Jasper, lined with turquoise lakes and hanging glaciers. The tour stops at Bow Lake first, where the water reflects Crowfoot Mountain and the glacier-fed clarity lets you see the glacial melt that gives it its color. From there, the Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint shows the hanging glacier on Crowfoot Mountain's side. The operator notes it was named for a three-toed shape that has gradually melted over time. Peyto Lake comes next, famous for its brilliant turquoise and the wolf-head shape visible from the overlook, then Waterfowl Lakes, where emerald and turquoise waters sit surrounded by peaks and dense forest.

On the summer option (June 1–October 10), the tour continues to the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park. You board a specially designed Ice Explorer vehicle that drives directly onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier (part of the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains and thousands of years old), so you walk on real glacier ice. After that, the Skywalk is a glass-floored observation platform suspended over the Sunwapta Valley, extending out from the cliff edge with views of rugged peaks, waterfalls and deep valleys over 900 feet below. The winter option (November–May) replaces the glacier and Skywalk with a stop at Abraham Lake, where frozen methane bubbles form under the ice surface, conditions permitting.

The tour runs 9 to 11 hours round-trip with a professional guide in English, air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water and park pass included. Groups are capped at 12 people. You can book a private tour or join a shared departure. The winter and summer options are separate bookings, so you choose which season and which group size at checkout.

What’s included

• Professional guide in English.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• bottled water.
• park pass.
• Ice Explorer tickets and Skywalk admission on the summer option (June 1–October 10).
• round-trip transport from Lake Louise to Jasper.

Options for this experience

4 options

Private Winter ItineraryGuide in English · 07:30Private vehicle: each booking can accommodate up to 12 guests. Duration: 9 hours, though the tour may last up to 12 hours. Please plan your reservations accordingly. Winter route via Abraham Lake, October 11 to May 31: Abraham Lake takes the place of the Ice Explorer and Skywalk.

Abraham shared winter optionGuide in English · 07:30Duration: 9 hours, though the tour may last up to 12 hours. Please plan your reservations accordingly. Winter route via Abraham Lake, October 11 to May 31: Abraham Lake takes the place of the Ice Explorer and Skywalk.

Shared Icefield Adventure tourGuide in English · Available from 1 Jun 2027Columbia Icefield Adventure: the Ice Explorer and Skywalk tickets are included in the price from June 1 to October 10. Duration: 12 hours. Please plan your reservations accordingly.

Summer private tour optionGuide in English · Available from 1 Jun 2027

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Child (6 to 15 years): free · Infant (under 6): free

GroupUp to 24

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go 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 or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Vista Chase

Is this one for you?Choose the summer option if you want to walk on glacier ice and cross the glass-floored Skywalk. Pick the winter option if you prefer frozen landscapes and Abraham Lake's bubble formations. Private tours work for groups traveling together. Shared departures suit solo travelers and smaller parties joining others on the same day.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 15 years): free; Infant (under 6): free.

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 and why is it so blue?

Peyto Lake is one of the most photographed lakes in the Canadian Rockies, famous for its brilliant turquoise color created by glacial meltwater carrying fine rock particles. The lake sits in Banff National Park along the Icefields Parkway and has a distinctive wolf-head shape visible from the viewpoint, surrounded by towering peaks and dense forest.

Can I walk on the glacier on this tour?

Yes, on the summer option (June 1–October 10). You board an Ice Explorer vehicle that drives onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier, part of the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains, so you can walk on real glacier ice thousands of years old. The winter option visits Abraham Lake instead.

What is the Columbia Icefield Skywalk like?

The Skywalk is a glass-floored observation platform suspended high above the Sunwapta Valley in Jasper National Park, extending out from the cliff edge over 900 feet above the ground. It offers panoramic views of rugged mountain peaks, glaciers, waterfalls and deep valleys, designed to feel like you're floating above the wilderness.

How long is this tour and what's included?

The tour runs 9 to 11 hours round-trip and includes a professional guide in English, air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water and park pass. On the summer option, Ice Explorer tickets and Skywalk admission are also included. Groups stay under 12 people.

What happens on the winter option instead of the glacier?

The winter option (November–May) visits Abraham Lake, where frozen methane bubbles form under the ice surface, conditions permitting. You still stop at Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint and Waterfowl Lakes along the Icefields Parkway.