Combine visits to the Glacier Skywalk and the Athabasca Glacier on a tour from the Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre. Ride in a huge ice explorer for a guided tour of the glacier and listen to engaging commentary about glaciers, the local ecosystem, and environmental changes. Then walk on the glass-bottom Skywalk for photo-worthy views over the cliff's edge.

Ice explorer tour to Athabasca Glacier with visit to the Glacier Skywalk
Narrated tour of the Columbia Icefield on a rugged ice explorer vehicle
Stop to walk along the glacier
Access to the glass-bottom Glacier Skywalk

What's Included

Guided drive to Athabasca Glacier
Access to Glacier Skywalk
Guide
All taxes, fees and handling charges

Gratuities
Transportation to/from Glacier Discovery Center

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Athabasca Glacier
Athabasca Glacier, Improvement District No. 12, AB T0E 1E0, Canada
Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Center. Latitude 52°13.220 N and Longitude 117°13.441 W.

Start time

Opening hours

5/6/2023 - 10/9/2023
Monday - Sunday : 10:00 am - 06:00 pm
5/6/2023 - 10/9/2023
Monday - Sunday : 10:00 am - 06:00 pm

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Your tour departs from the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre; tours depart every 15 to 30 minutes, and your ticket is valid for any departure on the day you select.
Climb aboard a specialized ice explorer, an enormous, rugged vehicle built to handle the glacial terrain. As you travel through the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies, listen to your guide's informative commentary. Pass sights such as the Weeping Wall, Crowfoot Glacier, Peyto Lake, and Bow Lake on what is widely considered one of Canada's most scenic drives.
At the Athabasca Glacier, hop out and walk along the glacier, where you can even fill up your water bottle with pure, pristine snowmelt.
On the return trip, stop at the Glacier Skywalk for refreshments and walk along the glass-bottom walkway out over the cliff's edge. Then, back to the ice explorer for the final drive back to the Discovery Center and a return to your vehicle.

Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible

Infants must sit on laps
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Please contact us on the number provided on your Voucher, so we could arrange your preferred time for the activity.
Most travellers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Featured review

Olga_S

It was a very positive experience in many ways: wonderful weather, beautiful views, no waisted time waiting for the buses or in lineups, no problems with parking, very well organised overall. If you do reservation and payment online you do need to phone the provided number in advance to book your time slot and get actual tickets. A special round of applause to our bus driver/guide Coby!!! Not only he was very knowledgeable about glaciers and bombarded us with lots of interesting facts, but he did it in such a fun and entertaining way as if we had a comedian show! We had such a great time!

Reviews

4.5

446 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 446 reviews

Experience the glacier while you can.

Eric_Y, May 2023

Glacier is a very good experience. On top of it, with the global warming, glacier might be a history in the near future. Everyone in the world should experience the beautiful and magnificent scenery before ot may disappear.

Must Do Rockies Highlight

Francesca_B, May 2023

Really great staff and guides that were knowledgeable and friendly. Such a great experience! The centre was clean and well signed with lots of amenities.

Our Glacier Trip

Davidrichardson2, May 2023

Rococo’s knowledge was invaluable in making it an enjoyable experience. Overall well worth every penny.

Super excursion!

selli98282, Oct 2022

While traveling along the Icefield Parkway from Lake Louise to Jasper we stopped at the Columbia Icefield. Here we took the Ice Explorer Glacier Tour. What a thrilling excursion this was. We boarded the Ice Explorer with our driver/tour guide, Simon (pictured). Simon was very informative and also very funny. We learned a lot about glaciers and aslo about the ice explorer. We spent about 45 minutes on the glacier which gave us plenty of time to walk around and explore. After the glaciers tour we were taken to the glacier skywalk which was very interesting. I could see there were people hesitant (those fearful of heights)about waking on this glass walkway in fear of it giving way. But it is perfectly safe and I totally enjoyed the experience. It also helped that we had a perfect weather day with excellent visiablilty. this is a must-do excursion if traveling along the Icefield Parkway! Maybe you will be lucky enough to have Simon as your tour guide.

Not to be missed

Pam_E, Oct 2022

Even though we had rain this was still an amazing experience. Knowledge from guide on trip, and bus drivers was very informative. excellent experience, highly recommended.

Majestic!

DarleneN, Oct 2022

Amazing experience on the sky walk and walking on the Ice field and seeing close up of the glacier is definitely a bucket list thing to do seeing as our environment is threatening both all over the world.

Out of the world Experience!!

Felicia_I, Sept 2022

Loved the Ice Explorer vehicle. The best part was setting my foot on the glacier and breathing the fresh air and drinking the glacier water. What an amazing experience !! My parents and my husband enjoyed it thoroughly !!

We loved it!

John_L, Aug 2022

Perfectly organized, drivers of the vehicles used gave a great background story of the glacier😍. Spent a nice time walking the glacier and the skybridge. Money well spent, a must do/see.

Amazing opportunity

Denise_D, Aug 2022

Standing on the icefield with my 13 year old grandson was a highlight of our Rockies road trip for both of us - and that says something for a 13 year old. The guides were all great and entertaining but delivered lots of fascinating information as well. The whole trip was smooth and a once in a lifetime opportunity. I thought the price of the tour was too much...but afterwards, I felt that it was fully justified given the way the tour was run and the investment in the vehicles that are used to get tourists on to the icefield with minimum damage to the glacier. Thank you sooooo much. We will be talking about this for a long time to come.

A must do tour, when in the Rockies.

George_M, Aug 2022

When you walk onto the ice field, even though it has receded, you fell part of the history, from the time it first began. The scenery is stunning, and the sheer size of the ice field, makes you feel small. This trip is a must when visiting the Rockies.

A must do if you are anywhere near Jasper

Kevin_S, Aug 2022

Best part was waking on the glacier. Learning about the glacier and the whole eco system was very informative

Very good tour, reservation process needs some work.

Jim_W, Aug 2022

We got there fine but there was not much in the way of directions of where to park and go to get tickets. It would also have been a LOT nicer to have a window a little tighter than 4-5 hours. With a 4 hr excursion if you get there near the beginning of your reservation window (which we did) and you have to wait til the near the end of your reservation window (which we did) to start a 4 hour excursion it makes for a LONG day (which it was). It was a great tour but the reservation process could use some work.

The Glacier was amazing...

Barbara_N, Aug 2022

The Glacier was amazing but the weather wasn’t. Couldn’t stay out for more than 5 minutes. Maybe they should have canceled. The only downside was the ice explorer. Need to remember not everyone is 5 foot 5. There was no leg room and extreme uncomfortable.

recommended tour

sun187osu, Aug 2022

Absolutely worth it! And the skywalk is a bit flexible in time.. The shuttle is frequent and the drive from glacier to skywalk is about 10 min one way

Not worth it

Patricia_P, Aug 2022

It was raining. They should have canceled the tour & returned our money. Because of the wind the rain was pelting us so hard we spent 5 minutes on the glacier & twenty minutes in the truck. We couldn’t even take pics. Not just because of the rain but because there was nothing to see, it was shrouded in clouds. Big let down & totally not worth the money. Got better pics off the side of the road.

Very entertaining

Olga_S, July 2022

Dissatisfied

David_P, July 2022

Arrived at 11:00am with our voucher and were advised the next available was 5:00pm You really must allow scheduled times for your vouchers- we left and requested a refund

A must see!

Emily_M, July 2022

This was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. Both the Glacier and skywalk are must do activities! Tip: the tickets are good for any bus 11:00-4:00, but you aren’t scheduled on a bus until you arrive and check-in. We arrived at 11:30 and the first bus available was at 3:45. Chances are you will have a decent drive after your tour, especially if driving all the way to Banff. You can get to the ice fields visitors center as early as 9:30 to check-in for an earlier bus.

Wonderful experience in the land of glaciers.

BILL_S, June 2022

Walking on the Athabaskan Glacier was a thrill. The staff was friendly, informative and humorous. The Skywalk was truly a unique experience.

Blue ice!

Nancy_G, June 2022

Walking on the glacier was amazing. The blue ice sparkled in the sun. I learned that glacier ice is more dense due to its mineral content.

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