Adventure on the Columbia Icefield
A trip from the Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre combines visits to the Glacier Skywalk and the Athabasca Glacier.
Tour overview
Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, a trip from the Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre combines visits to the Glacier Skywalk and the Athabasca Glacier. Take a guided tour of the glacier in a massive ice explorer while listening to an informative discourse on glaciers, the surrounding ecology, and environmental changes. Then, for photo opportunities, go along the glass-bottom Skywalk.
- Ice Explorer excursion to the Athabasca Glacier, including a stop at the Glacier Skywalk.
- A robust ice explorer van takes you on a guided tour of the Columbia Icefield.
- Stop and take a stroll along the glacier.
- Access to the Glacier Skywalk with a glass bottom.
Tour itinerary
Your trip begins at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre; tours run every 15 to 30 minutes, and your ticket is good for any departure on the day you choose.
Climb onboard an ice explorer, a massive, sturdy vehicle designed to handle glacial terrain. Listen to your guide’s fascinating comments as you journey across the biggest icefield in the Canadian Rockies. On what is widely regarded as one of Canada’s most magnificent drives, you’ll see vistas like the Weeping Wall, Crowfoot Glacier, Peyto Lake, and Bow Lake.
Hop off and wander down the glacier at the Athabasca Glacier, where you can even fill up your water bottle with clean, pristine snowmelt.
On the way back, stop for refreshments at the Glacier Skywalk and walk along the glass-bottom walkway out over the cliff’s edge. Then it’s back to the ice explorer for the last journey back to the Discovery Center and your vehicle.
Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre
A journey to Jasper would be incomplete without a stop at the legendary Columbia Icefield, the biggest ice field in the Canadian Rockies. Views of towering mountains, boulders, ice, and pristine white snow as far as the eye can see. From the Discovery Centre, you will board a customized Ice Explorer that will transport you down a frozen roadway to the Athabasca Glacier. Along the route, your driver will give comments about glaciers, their influence on the surrounding ecosystem, and the environmental changes that are swiftly altering these vast beautiful wonders. When you get to the Athabasca Glacier, you will be able to disembark, wander along the glacier, and even fill your water bottle with clean, pristine snowmelt. After the tour, proceed to the Glacier Skywalk, where you will walk along the glass bottom walkway out over the cliff’s edge. After pausing to take in the breathtaking scenery and snap a few photos, it’s back to the Discovery Center.
Includes:
- Athabasca Glacier guided tour.
- Glacier Skywalk access.
- Guide.
- All taxes, fees, and handling costs are included.
- Infant Tickets are free, but Attraction Tickets are needed.
Excludes:
- Gratuities.
- Transport to and from the Glacier Discovery Center.
Testimonials
Tour highlights
- This is a non-refundable experience that cannot be modified for any reason. If you cancel or request an adjustment, you will not receive a refund.
- This experience is weather dependent. If it is canceled due to inclement weather, you will be given an alternate date or a full refund.
Important details
Point of convergence:
- Icefields Parkway, 93
93 Icefields Parkway, Jasper, Alberta, T0E 1E0, Canada.
Glacier Discovery Center on the Columbia Icefield. Longitude 117°13.441 W and latitude 52°13.220 N.
Before you go, be aware of the following:
- When you book, you will receive confirmation.
- An adult must accompany children.
- Depending on acceptable weather conditions. If the event is canceled due to inclement weather, you will be provided an alternate date.
- Wheelchair access is available.
- Accessible for strollers.
- Infants must sit on their parent's lap.
- Wheelchair-accessible transportation is available.
- Infant Tickets are not required for the attraction but are recommended.
- The majority of passengers are able to participate.
- There will be a maximum of 14 people on this tour/activity.