Ice Explorer + Skywalk
The only vehicle allowed on the Athabasca Glacier, plus Skywalk entry. No gear, no fitness floor, and it works for families and mixed-ability groups. The trade-off is time: 20 minutes on the ice inside a roped area.
Departures every 15–30 minutes
Weather cancellations refunded
- 2¼ hr Drive from Banff (185 km)
- May 1 – Oct 12 2026 attraction season
- ~325 km² Icefield area, up to 365 m deep
- 9 languages Audio guide on the Skywalk
- Free Parking at the Toe of the Glacier
Why the Ice Explorer Is the Easiest Way onto the Athabasca Glacier — and When It Isn’t
First, the thing most visitors get wrong: the Columbia Icefield is the ice mass on the Continental Divide, and the Athabasca Glacier is the outlet flowing off it that you actually visit. Here is the tour we recommend starting with — and the honest reasons it might not be the one you book.
The Columbia Icefield Adventure is the tour we recommend first, for one narrow reason: it is the only way to ride a vehicle onto the Athabasca Glacier without hiking gear or a guide’s rope. Pursuit’s Ice Explorers leave the Glacier Discovery Centre every 15 to 30 minutes, drop down one of the steepest vehicle roads in North America, and park you on the ice. Two things trip people up. The glacier stop is capped at 20 minutes — enough to stand on a glacier, not enough to explore one — and most cheap “Columbia Icefield tours” are transport, not admission: they drive you the two-plus hours up from Banff and leave you to buy attraction tickets yourself at the counter. If you want real time on the ice, book the guided IceWalk instead. And if you simply want to see the glacier, the Toe trail is free, and it always has been.
Highlights
- Ride an Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier — the only vehicle permitted on the ice
- Step out and stand on the glacier surface itself
- Drink meltwater straight from the glacier
- Walk the glass-floored Skywalk, 280 m above the Sunwapta Valley
- Live commentary on the ice from a Pursuit glacier guide
What’s Included
- Guided Ice Explorer trip onto the Athabasca Glacier
- Entry to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk
- Live English commentary aboard the Ice Explorer
- Multilingual audio guide on the Skywalk
- Shuttles linking the Discovery Centre, the glacier and the Skywalk
Check Availability & Prices
Pick a date and departure time for the Columbia Icefield Adventure. Ice Explorers run every 15–30 minutes through the season, and later departures are usually the quietest.
4.6/5 from 3,100+ verified reviews
Weather refund if the glacier trip can’t run
Includes the Ice Explorer onto the glacier, not just a viewpoint stop
Columbia Icefield Adventure Itinerary: 3 Hours, 2 Attractions, 20 Minutes on the Ice
From check-in at the Glacier Discovery Centre to the Skywalk shuttle back — what happens at each stage, and where the waiting actually is.
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Check in at the Glacier Discovery Centre
You make your own way here — there is no pickup. Arrive 20–30 minutes before your slot; the car park fills from late morning.
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Shuttle to the glacier transfer bay
A coach takes you across the Icefields Parkway to the transfer point below the moraine. This leg is short but it is where queues build at midday.
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Board the Ice Explorer and descend the moraine road
The six-wheeled Ice Explorer drops down a grade of roughly 28% onto the glacier. Your driver-guide narrates the descent in English.
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Step out onto the Athabasca Glacier
Twenty minutes inside a roped, crevasse-free area, where you can fill a bottle from a meltwater channel. Bring gloves — the surface runs far colder than the valley.
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Shuttle to the Skywalk, then back to the Centre
A second shuttle runs 6 km to the glass-floored Skywalk, where you can stay as long as you like before the return leg.
The Columbia Icefield in Photographs
The Ice Explorer, the Skywalk, a guided ice walk and the free trails — scroll or drag to browse.
Which Columbia Icefield Experience Is Right for You: Ice Explorer, IceWalk, Skywalk or Free Trail
Four genuinely different days out, from the Toe of the Glacier trail to a six-hour hike toward the icefalls — and the one trade-off that decides each.
Guided IceWalk
An ACMG-certified guide leads small groups well beyond the roped zone, with micro-spikes, boots and poles supplied. The half-day covers about 5 km; the full-day option runs roughly six hours toward the icefalls. You need to be able to walk on uneven ice.
Skywalk on its own
A glass-floored platform 280 m above the Sunwapta Valley, fully wheelchair- and stroller-accessible, reached by free shuttle from the Discovery Centre. Worth knowing before you book: it sits about 6 km from the ice and puts you no closer to the glacier.
Toe trail & Wilcox Pass
The Toe of the Athabasca Glacier trail runs about 1.5 km return past markers showing where the ice once reached. Wilcox Pass climbs to a better elevated view over the Athabasca and Dome glaciers. Both are free, and neither permits stepping onto the ice.
What Travellers Say About the Columbia Icefield Adventure
Verified GetYourGuide reviews of our top pick, left in the two weeks before this page was updated.
★★★★★
“The transport links were smooth and moved us well from Columbia Icefield Centre to Glacier then to Skywalk and finally back to the centre. All experiences were stunning for the scenery and for the what we learned about the glacier and how it helped to shape this regions geography! Riding in the ‘Bus’ was an experience all by itself.”Graham · United Kingdom · August 2026
★★★★★
“Amazing and great weather prevailed the day we went. Morning was the best time for this experience. Icefields were amazing, skywalk so interesting. Perfect using a tour because it cost 1/2 of what 2 people would have cost if you just went to the Center! Worth it!!”Jaynee S. · United States · August 2026
★★★★★
“We had a fabulous time on the glacier, Aaron our driver was great. Every part of travel between Glacier and Skywalk was managed efficiently.”Lynn · United Kingdom · September 2026
★★★★★
“A truly unique experience. The guide’s explanations helped us understand the phenomenon.”Lea · Israel · August 2026
Rating reflects 3,124 verified GetYourGuide reviews as of 4 September 2026. We earn a commission if you book through the links on this page, which never changes what you pay or which tours we recommend.
The Other Ways onto the Columbia Icefield: Longer on the Ice, Cheaper, or Without a Car
Every option below genuinely includes what it says it does — we checked the inclusions on all 59 listings. Still torn? Our guide to which Columbia Icefield tour to book compares all of them side by side.
Guided glacier hike
Columbia Icefield: Guided Glacier Hike
IceWalks takes small groups well past the roped zone with micro-spikes, boots, poles and rain gear supplied, plus transport from the meeting point to the trailhead. This is the option for people who came for the glacier itself.
IceWalks · ★ 4.9 (94 reviews) · From $100 · Free cancellation 24 h Choose this if 20 minutes on the ice would leave you wanting more.
Day trip with admission included
From Banff: Athabasca Glacier & Columbia Icefield Day Trip
One of only ten listings we found that bundles the Ice Explorer and Skywalk into the tour price rather than leaving you to buy tickets at the counter. It covers the full 185 km each way from Banff, so you need no car and no separate ticket.
★ 4.8 (430 reviews) · From $274 · Ice Explorer + Skywalk included Choose this if you have no car and want one price that covers everything.
Skywalk only
Jasper: Columbia Icefield Skywalk
The glass-floored platform on its own, reached by free shuttle from the Discovery Centre. Fully wheelchair- and stroller-accessible, and the cheapest ticketed thing to do here — but it is a viewpoint, not glacier access.
Pursuit Collection · ★ 4.3 (1,000+ reviews) · From $37 Choose this if the view matters more than standing on ice, or step-free access does.
Small group, exclusive site
Columbia Icefield: Ice Odyssey Glacier Experience
Pursuit’s premium alternative: groups of up to ten, an all-terrain vehicle, mountaineering gear to try, and a disembarkation point away from the main Ice Explorer area. Availability has been intermittent — the earliest date we could see when we checked was 9 September 2026.
Pursuit Collection · ★ 4.9 (34 reviews) · From $203 Choose this if you want a small group and will check dates before committing.Know Before You Go: Driving the Parkway, Dressing for the Ice, and What the Ticket Leaves Out
The Columbia Icefield sits between Lake Louise and Jasper rather than beside either — which makes the drive, the layers and the ticket small print matter more here than at most attractions.
Timing, the drive, and where you actually meet
Everything happens at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre on the Icefields Parkway, and you must make your own way there: no Columbia Icefield ticket includes pickup. It is roughly 185 km and 2¼ to 2½ hours from Banff, about two hours from Lake Louise, 1¼ to 1½ hours from Jasper, and 3½ to 4 hours from Calgary. There is no public transit, so without a car you need a packaged day tour. The attractions run 1 May to 12 October in 2026, weather dependent, and the Centre closes entirely in winter even though the Parkway stays open. July and August are busiest; June and September trade a little weather for far shorter queues. Aim for an early departure or one after 3:30 p.m. and skip the 1–3 p.m. peak. Book on the first available day of your trip rather than the last — if weather cancels your slot, that gives you room to rebook. Our honest worth-it verdict goes through the caveats in more detail.
On the ice: what to wear, and what you must not do
The glacier surface sits above 2,000 m and runs roughly 10–15 °C colder than the valley, with wind funnelling straight down the ice. Bring layers, a windproof shell, gloves and closed shoes with grip, even in July, plus sun protection — ultraviolet reflects hard off the ice. The Ice Explorer stop is inside a roped, crevasse-free area, and that boundary is not decoration: crevasses on the Athabasca can be hidden under a snow bridge, and people have died walking onto the glacier unguided. You may walk toward the toe on your own; you must not walk onto the ice without a licensed guide. Our guide to seeing the Athabasca Glacier for free covers exactly how far the Toe trail and Wilcox Pass let you go.
What the price does not cover
The Columbia Icefield Adventure ticket covers the Ice Explorer, Skywalk entry, the shuttles and the commentary. It does not cover food or drink, or transport to the Discovery Centre. Separately, every visitor needs a valid Parks Canada pass to drive the Icefields Parkway — a day pass runs about $11 per adult, with an annual Discovery Pass around $83.50, and under-18s free. Parking at the Centre and the Toe of the Glacier lot is free. Pets and large bags are not allowed on the Adventure, and accessible departures need at least 72 hours’ notice arranged directly with the operator. Fuel matters here more than people expect: the only station on the Parkway is at Saskatchewan River Crossing and it is seasonal, so fill up in Lake Louise, Banff or Jasper. There is essentially no mobile signal along the route — download offline maps before you leave.
The numbers behind the icefield, and how fast it is changing
The Columbia Icefield covers roughly 325 km² and reaches about 365 m deep, though older sources put the area nearer 230 km² — treat the figure as a range. It sits at the hydrographic apex of North America, feeding meltwater toward the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic, and it is the source of about 30 glaciers. The ice you stand on is ancient but variously dated, from around 10,000 to 25,000 years. The change is the part you can see for yourself: per NASA, the Athabasca Glacier has lost about half its volume and receded more than 1.5 km in 125 years, and the roadside year markers show where the ice stood decade by decade. If you want to choose between every operator rather than just our pick, start with which Columbia Icefield tour actually includes the glacier.
You might also enjoy
If you are driving the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper anyway, Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, Athabasca Falls, Maligne Canyon and Lake Louise all sit along the same route — and Abraham Lake’s frozen methane bubbles are the reason some people come back in winter.
Columbia Icefield Tours: Frequently Asked Questions
Prices, inclusions, free alternatives and safety — answered straight, and updated 4 September 2026.
Are the Columbia Icefield and Skywalk tickets included in my day tour?
Usually not. Of the 59 Columbia Icefield listings we checked on GetYourGuide on 4 September 2026, 34 explicitly exclude glacier and Skywalk admission — they sell transport, a guide and the park pass, then drop you at the Discovery Centre to buy attraction tickets yourself. Ten include the Ice Explorer outright, and those run $244–$402 rather than $50–$90. Read the “not included” list before you compare prices.
Is the Columbia Icefield Adventure worth it?
For a first visit, yes — with one caveat you should know first. The $96 ticket buys the only vehicle that drives onto the Athabasca Glacier plus Skywalk entry, and Pursuit’s own terms cap your time on the ice at 20 minutes. If standing on a glacier is the point, that is enough. If exploring one is the point, the guided IceWalk gives you far longer on the ice for $100.
Can you see the Athabasca Glacier for free?
Yes. The Toe of the Athabasca Glacier trail is free, roughly 1.5 km return, and passes year markers showing where the ice reached in past decades. Wilcox Pass — about 3.4 km return to the Parks Canada red chairs — gives the better elevated view over the Athabasca and Dome glaciers. Parking at both is free. Neither lets you set foot on the ice.
Is the Columbia Icefield the same as the Athabasca Glacier?
No. The Columbia Icefield is the ice mass on the Continental Divide — around 325 km² and up to 365 m deep — feeding roughly 30 glaciers. The Athabasca Glacier is one outlet flowing off it, and it is the one you can see from the Icefields Parkway and visit. Almost every tour sold as a “Columbia Icefield tour” actually visits the Athabasca Glacier.
How long does the Columbia Icefield tour take, and how long are you on the ice?
Allow 2.5 to 3 hours at the Discovery Centre for the combined Ice Explorer and Skywalk. Of that, Pursuit caps glacier time at 20 minutes; the rest is check-in, two shuttle legs, the drive down the moraine road, and as long as you like on the Skywalk. Ice Explorers depart every 15 to 30 minutes.
Is the Glacier Skywalk worth it?
It depends what you want from it. The glass-floored platform juts about 35 m from the cliff and hangs 280 m above the Sunwapta Valley, it is fully wheelchair- and stroller-accessible, and it suits visitors who cannot manage the glacier. But it is not a glacier experience — it sits about 6 km from the ice and the glass section is short. If the glacier is your priority, put the money toward a guided ice walk instead.
Ice Explorer or guided glacier walk — which should I pick?
Take the Ice Explorer if you want the easiest way to stand on the Athabasca Glacier: no gear, no hiking, and it works for families and mixed-ability groups. Take the IceWalks guided hike, $100 and rated 4.9, if the glacier itself is the reason you came — micro-spikes, boots and poles are supplied, groups are small, and you cover real ground on the ice. Neither is better; they are different days.
Is the Ice Explorer safe after the 2020 accident?
An Ice Explorer rolled down a moraine embankment on 18 July 2020, killing three of the 27 people aboard. Brewster later pleaded guilty to two Alberta Occupational Health and Safety charges — failing to mandate seatbelts and failing to control a slope hazard — and was fined $475,000. Tours resumed in 2021 with seatbelts fitted, revised driver training and brake oversight, and the vehicles now stay in full-wheel drive for the whole descent rather than shifting at the top of the hill.
The Guides Behind Our Recommendations
Three deeper reads, each answering one decision this page can only summarise.
- Which Columbia Icefield Tour Should You Book? All 59 GetYourGuide listings checked, and the 34 that don’t include glacier entry named.
- Is the Columbia Icefield Adventure Worth It? An honest verdict on the $96 ticket, the 20-minute cap, and the eight caveats worth knowing first.
- How to See the Athabasca Glacier for Free The Toe of the Glacier trail and Wilcox Pass — how far each gets you, and what you can’t do.
- Compare the Four Ways to Visit Ice Explorer, guided IceWalk, Skywalk or free trail, side by side on this page.