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Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure Day Tour from Calgary/ Banff

Calgary, Canada
  • 9 to 11 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Spend the day exploring the wonders of the Canadian Rockies—and have the chance to discover the Columbia Icefield on foot—on this full-day tour from Banff or Calgary. In the morning, board your coach and head into nature. You'll see highlights like the Waputik Range, Peyto Lake, Bow Lake, and the Crowfoot Glacier. For an upgrade, you can also set off via Columbia Icefield Ice Explorer to see the landmark up close.
  • Discover highlights of Banff and Jasper National Parks, all in one tour
  • Round-trip transit from Banff or Calgary makes getting around simple
  • Upgrade to explore the Columbia Icefield via Ice Explorer
  • See Peyto Lake, Crowfoot Glacier, and other Rocky Mountain scenery

What's Included

  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • National Park Fee & GST
  • Bilingual Tour Guide
  • Traffic Accident Insurance (10M liability)
  • Standard Sized One Carry-On Luggage Allowance
  • Lunch (Guests can purchase lunch at Icefield Centre) & Person Expense
  • Specific Hotel Pick up (we meet all travelers at a meeting point)
  • Checked-In Luggage Allowance (Extra fee may apply if needed)
  • Please note this tour does not visit Skywalk
  • Gratuities (Suggested: CAD $15 per person per day in cash)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

End points

This activity ends in a different location. See details below:

Itinerary

1

Banff

1 hour 30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

2

Icefields Parkway

2 hours Admission Ticket Free

3

Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre

2 hours 30 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

4

Peyto Lake

20 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

5

Bow Lake

20 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

6

Crowfoot Glacier

15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

7

Banff

2 hours Admission Ticket Free

8

Calgary

1 hour 30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 3 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infant seats available
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Carmen_G
Our guide Eric was the best he gave us information along the way to the Icefield. I didn’t care for the lunch at the lunch stop. I’d pack my own lunch next time. The Icefield is amazing the ride on the ice explorer was cool as well as the driver Lars who was very entertaining. Highly recommend this excursion.

Reviews

4.1
based on 64 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Excellent tour. Very...

winnie_W, Oct 2025
Excellent tour. Very comfortable, driver was excellent, and timing of everything was great. Would definitely recommend.

Columbia Icefield

Carmen_G, Sep 2025
Our guide Eric was the best he gave us information along the way to the Icefield. I didn’t care for the lunch at the lunch stop. I’d pack my own lunch next time. The Icefield is amazing the ride on the ice explorer was cool as well as the driver Lars who was very entertaining. Highly recommend this excursion.

The scenery was absolutely beautiful but will be better with a handy guide.

dimas_c, Sep 2025
There is no guide, only a driver who cant tell many things about the content. His English was also not so clear for me. The tour begun late and ended a bit late too. I think the travel agent is preferable for Chinese traveler.

High on the bucket list

Vinod_C, Sep 2025
Its a long day but well worth it Very cold on the glacier Decent restroom breaks Exhilarating We had fun

Harrowing Experience Getting to the Ice Firlds

Sharon_C, Jul 2025
We enjoyed the Columbia Ice Fields and the stops to see the mountian vistas. However the experience was not worth the safety hazards we experienced by the reckless driving behavior of our driver, Zak. He ran late on our pick up and drove aggressively to make up time to meet our preplanned Ice tour. On the two lane highway he passed other vehicles in no passing zones, tailgated other vehicles within 5 to 10 meters, and exhibited aggressive behavior. We were concerned for our safety and our fellow passengers. We recommend the Columbia Ice Fields, but either drive there yourself or take another tour company besides Calgary Tours.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We sincerely apologize for the discomfort and concern caused during your tour. Your safety—and the safety of all our guests—is our highest priority. We take this matter very seriously and will be following up with the driver and guide involved to thoroughly investigate what occurred. Please be assured that we do not tolerate any form of reckless or unsafe driving, and we will take appropriate actions to ensure that such behavior does not happen again. We’re committed to providing not only memorable travel experiences but also a safe and respectful environment for every guest. We appreciate your feedback as it helps us improve, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for a better experience in the future.

The driver was not very...

gayathri_V, Jul 2025
The driver was not very helpful or forthcoming. He was even quite rude. His English is not clear at all. The vehicle was not very comfortable and very jumpy. And from the front seat, we were not able to see anything in the front.

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear about your experience. If anything is unclear during the tour, we always encourage guests to ask the guide to repeat or contact our team directly—we’re more than happy to assist. Unfortunately, since we only received your feedback through this review, we weren’t able to offer timely support during your trip. Regarding the seating, many guests prefer front-row seats, but preferences vary, and we’re unable to meet everyone’s seating expectations. If needed, guests are welcome to speak with the guide during the tour to request a seat swap with others. We appreciate your understanding and thank you again for sharing your thoughts.

Misinformed

Edilyh_K, Jul 2025
I'm a bit disappointed because I was not able to go to the athabasca glacier ride , I didn’t see any options in Viator that we can book it , I was only able to do the skywalk , they offered a package we won’t have enough time for the 2 activity . And I have to pay criminal for both.

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thank you for taking the time to share your review. We truly appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to clarify a few details. This particular tour includes the option to upgrade to the Ice Explorer ride, but it does not include the Skywalk, and this is clearly stated in the itinerary. During the stop at the Columbia Icefield, we allocate sufficient time for guests to enjoy the Ice Explorer experience. Those who chose to add this upgrade have consistently shared positive and fulfilling experiences. We understand that certain attractions can greatly enhance a trip, and we believe that if the upgrade had been added during your booking, it could have made your journey even more enjoyable. We hope this helps clarify any confusion, and we thank you again for traveling with us to the Rockies!

Amazing tour, travelled from England

Craig_A, Jun 2025
Outstanding day trip, a long drive but 100% worth it, the views along the way cancels the time out. The walk onto the glacier is amazing and it's a must do experience for all!!! When looking at booking trips to the icefields definitely use this company as they put you first and its small groups!!!

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Hello Valued Customer, Thank you for taking the time to leave such a wonderful 5-star review! We are delighted to hear that you had a great trip. We truly appreciate your positive feedback and hope that you created some lasting memories with us. We look forward to seeing you on another one of our tours in the future!

A long day

Damien_M, Sep 2024
The Athabasca Glacier experience was great, but it's a long bus trip from Calgary. Nice scenery but a long trip

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you for joining our tour. The drive from Calgary to the Columbia Icefield is indeed quite long, which may have made the travel time feel extended. However, we remain committed to providing this tour for all guests eager to visit the Icefield. For those who need to make a same-day round trip from Calgary and are unable to join from other locations, we still highly recommend this tour as it allows you to visit the Columbia Icefield in the Rockies in just one day.

Never ending day with a tour guide who didnt want to be there.

Supriya_T, Sep 2024
Felt rushed throughout. Height of nonsense was when the tour guide locked us up in the bus for 30 min while he went off in search of 4 people who could not be bothered with timekeeping. He should have either left them after the courtesy 5 minute wait or let us off the bus to sit out or browse the gift store instead of rotting in hot hell for 30 min cooped up inside the bus. Also the tour company needs to specify in the itinerary that it will make multiple stops at Banff to help check in people at their respective hotels and not just drop off. It added to the time. The 9-11 hours tour turned to 13+ and by the time we got dropped off at our hotel in Calgary, no place was open to eat!! For the amount one paid we deserved better it was badly a run tour.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

We are truly sorry to hear about your experience on this trip. Our goal is to provide excellent service to every guest, and we sincerely regret that we fell short in your case. We greatly value your feedback and will take it to heart as we work to improve. Our guides receive ongoing training, and we maintain strict service standards. Rest assured, we will continue striving to enhance our service quality. We hope to have another opportunity to welcome you and deliver an experience that exceeds your expectations. Thank you again for choosing our tour.

Outstanding tour

ckrcjr, Aug 2024
The tour was amazing. Our guide, Bolen, was very friendly and knowledgeable. The Icefield Explorer was so fun - and very interesting. Our driver, Ethan (aka Snacks) was the best!! His humor, helpfulness and information was the best. Highly recommend the tour!

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and had a great time with Bowne. It’s fantastic that the Icefield Explorer was both fun and interesting for you. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you on another tour soon!

Decent trip

Katherine_D, Jul 2024
The tour description wasn't do great. What we saw was good, but I don't think the description was clear that it would be a 13 hour day with most of the time on the bus. Also wasn't clear the "admission" covered or didn't cover. We didn't pay for it, so we couldn't go on the glacier. We did however enjoy a hike instead.

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the sights and the hike. Please note that the Columbia Icefield is located at a considerable distance, which naturally makes for a longer travel day. However, we’ve carefully arranged stops at several scenic spots along the way to ensure the journey remains engaging and enjoyable, rather than spent entirely on the bus. We hope for your understanding and truly appreciate you choosing our tour. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future!

The tour covers a great deal of information.

Julie_H, Jun 2024
The ice explorers are amazing the way they transport you to the glaciers. Great experience! Shuttle drivers, tour guide and drivers @ glaciers were exceptional!

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Hello Julie Thank you for your recommendation. Jasper Icefield with Ice Explorer is our summer-only experience. With the Canadian special Snocoach, we are allowed to dive in the ancient glacier during summer time! We have another summer-only attraction in Banff national park which is Moraine Lake. If there is a chance, it would be a perfect option for you to explore more in Banff!

Calgary and Ice Fields Fun!!

Raymond_V, May 2024
Our tour departed and returned to Calgary. David, our driver and guide, was professional, knowledgeable, and caring. We had plenty of restroom stops, and he shared lots of context on all the major highlights. We also participated in the Ice Fields Discover add-on. The Ice Fields and the Discovery vehicle ride were amazing! Our driver, Logan, was excellent—and made us feel safe.

Must see

Rima_P, May 2024
Must see. Great tour and kept us all on time. Enough time to explore glacier as well. Recommend taking glacier tour vs lookout

Lovely views!

Susan_B, May 2024
The experience of visiting the ice fields was great but the transport was inadequate! 14 in a van for a whole day was too cramped! Four in the back seat were rather squished!

Response from Host, Jun 2024

Dear Customer, Thank you for your feedback; your voice is invaluable to us. We're delighted to hear that your experience visiting the ice fields was fantastic. We'll certainly review the seating arrangements to ensure a more spacious environment for our travelers. Your comfort is our priority, and we appreciate your insight into enhancing the journey. Thanks once again for sharing your opinion.

Amazing views, great tour guide!

LokTing_C, May 2024
Amazing views! Not just on the glacier and the lakes but also along the Columbia Ice Parkway! The great white north has so much to offer! Our tour guide/driver Alan was very friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. We had a great time! 13/10 recommend!

Don’t bother- go to the Columbia ice field yourself

Nidhi_P, May 2024
This trip cost me 368 Australian dollars and was not worth this small fortune. The highlight was the columbia ice field trip which was not even organised by this company- I could have rented a car, driven out there myself and done the icefield myself The driver added NO value to this trip. His English was poor and it was hard to understand him most of the trip. I speak English as a second language so I understand how hard English can be HOWEVER a tour guide needs to have good English if you’re catering to English speaking guests!!!! He was friendly enough but the info he gave was also wrong most of the time eg he stated that the rockies were formed 1000 years ago, when they were actually formed 80 million years ago. He also confidently told the group that Greenland was in the southern hemisphere.. The other locations were ok- we didn’t stay long enough There was no water provided as stated in booking. The toilet stops were adequate. Please organise your own trip to the ice fields, don’t bother taking this company

Response from Host, May 2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent tour with us to the Columbia Icefield. We appreciate your perspective and want to address your concerns thoroughly. We understand your disappointment with aspects of the tour, particularly regarding our guide's language proficiency and the accuracy of the information provided. Please allow us to provide some insights into these matters. Our tour guides boast extensive experience, with over 20 years in the field. It's important to note that our tours often cater to a diverse group of guests, many of whom have English as their first language. In fact, our guides typically handle communication in English for over half of the capacity of the bus, if not more. We are committed to further enhancing language proficiency among our guides to ensure clearer communication for all guests. Regarding the misinformation provided during the tour, we have investigated this matter internally. While our guide may have encountered challenges in delivering accurate information on some occasions, we strive for factual accuracy in all our tours. Our guide mentioned that he did mention Greenland is in the Northern Hemisphere, we are not sure if there is any misunderstanding for the message delivery. We are reinforcing training and quality control measures to address any concerns and ensure that future tours maintain the highest standards of accuracy. Once again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you experienced during your tour. Your feedback is invaluable to us as we continue to improve our services. We hope that you may reconsider and give us another opportunity to provide you with a more enjoyable experience in the future. Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention, and we look forward to serving you again soon. Best regards, Calgary Tours

Fun experience at the Icefields.

Nicholas_A, May 2024
It was a memorable experience. Our guide was bilingual and I could understand both languages. The translation was accurate and well spoken. He prioritized English although the passengers were 60% Mandarin speaking. Remember to opt for the Explorer in order for you to visit the Glacier.

Very disappointing Chinese guide with thick accent

Adrienne_M, Oct 2023
Very difficult to understand the guide with his thick Chinese accent. Very disappointing given the 300$ we spent on this trip. We only saw a portion of the glaciers. The sites and weather were amazing. The bus driver took a few too many chances for my liking and overtook on a double yellow line.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your feedback. We're glad you enjoyed the sights and weather. We apologize for any language difficulties with the guide, and we'll work on improving this. Safety is paramount, and we take your concerns about the bus driver seriously. We'll address this issue internally. If you have more feedback, feel free to reach out. Best regards, Calgary Tours

Please refund!!

Kathy_B, Sep 2023
Humongous Horrible memory—The lady at Viator who booked the Columbia Glacier excursion for me and forgot to add that awesome desired part to our trip. We sat at the lodge for 3 hours. Ended our trip horribly.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear Valued Customer, We deeply regret the oversight and the impact it had on your trip. Please contact us directly so we can discuss this matter further and work towards a resolution. Best Regards Calgary Tours

Great day out!

Kerry_L, Sep 2023
Great day out! Samy our guide was highly entertaining. Stunning scenery and a great experience. 😊😊😊

Athabasca glacier

Anahita_S, Sep 2023
Walking on the glacier. However it was disappointing not to go on the skywalk. I thought I could purchase the tickets while there, but it was not clear on your website that the process takes a long time and needs to be planned

It was a great...

Kathy_P, Sep 2023
It was a great experience. Tour guide is nice and friendly. I enjoyed the trip and had many beautiful pictures.

Tour shortened due to late bus arrival.

Vanessa_M, Aug 2023
Tour bus was 2 hours late and time spent at key stops was substantially shortened. The tour guide did his best given the situation but it is evident that we were robbed of time when a stop was made eg only given 10 mins at Bow Lake and other stops. it felt very rushed and no discounts were given to persons in the tour based on the tardiness of the bus and the shortened duration of the tour.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Dear Valued Customer Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent tour with us. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the unexpected issue that led to the delay of the shuttle and the subsequent impact on the tour's schedule. After internal investigation by checking our driver log, we can prove that we stop 20 minutes at Bow lake, which is the time as described in the products. Therefore, we would like to sincerely invite you to contact us at 1-403-276-7816 or tour@calgarytours.ca. We would like to hear more details as your comments are different from our investigation. We understand that the delay affected your experience, and we appreciate your patience and understanding during this situation. Your insights are crucial to us as we continue to improve our operations. We are committed to delivering a seamless and enjoyable tour experience for our guests, and your comments will aid us in making the necessary adjustments. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and we hope to have the opportunity to offer you a more satisfying tour in the future. Best regards, Calgary Tours

Awesome experience!!...

Vikas_D, Aug 2023
Awesome experience!! David is a amazing coach, very knowledgeable, humorous made our trip a memorable one! Would recommend this trip!

Great Experience

Nkiru_N, Aug 2023
It was a great experience. The scenery is breathtaking and our tour guide, Robert was very helpful. I advise however that since it is a full day journey, a bus with in-bus toilets should be used. I had to hold mine till we got to the next convenient stop, which was quite uncomfortable. Also, no port to charge your phone on the bus, so make sure to take a power bank with you.

It was an amazing...

Prachi_J, Jul 2023
It was an amazing experience. Our tour was very well organized and the tour guide- Allan was very knowledgeable and friendly. The drive to Icefields was breathtaking. Wow seems to be a very small word when you are at the glacier. Will go back again…

Not great, talked too much and fast.

Mitul_P, Jul 2023
It was an okay tour. The operator was hard to understand and instructions were not well communicated. He talked way too much. He would ask travelers questions, but never really listened to what they had to say. For example, there was unexpected traffic and he actually ran out of things to say and asked if we wanted music, everyone said no, but he still turned it on. Once the tour was paid for, it was really hard. To revisit what we paid for and what was included. Could have sworn the icewalk was part of my package, but operator said no.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for taking the time to provide your valuable feedback. We sincerely apologize for any communication issues that occurred during the tour, and we understand how important clear and effective communication is for our travelers. Regarding the tour inclusions, we want to clarify that the optional tour to the Columbia Icefield Ice Explorer is indeed mentioned in our tour description as an add-on option and is not included in the base package. We truly appreciate your feedback, and it will be instrumental in helping us improve our services and ensure better communication with our valued customers. Best regards, Calgary Tours

The ice field is highly...

Wen_R, Jul 2023
The ice field is highly recommended! Peter gave us a full introduction of all the amazes scene. We went to all points of view and the entire trip is great

From $102.31

per person

-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.

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On average, this is booked 32 days in advance.

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