9 AM – 5 PM

2.5-3 hours approx.

Price from: CA$144.21

Columbia Icefield Calgary Tickets – Glacier Adventure, Skywalk & Visitor Guide

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Glacier Adventure: Ice Explorer Glacier Tour and Glacier Skywalk

Highlights

Explore a 10,000-year-old glacier with expert commentary.

Ride specialized Ice Explorer vehicles across rugged icy terrain.

Walk on the thrilling glass-bottomed SkyWalk overlooking stunning valleys.

Enjoy a live guide who provides fascinating insights throughout the tour.

Access audio guides in nine languages for a deeper understanding.

3.9

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Columbia Icefield Skywalk: Entry Ticket

Highlights

Walk safely along a glass-enclosed cliff edge structure that puts you directly in touch with the surrounding wilderness.

Take in the mesmerizing sights of snow-speckled glaciers, changing clouds, and natural rock formations right beneath your feet.

Learn about the local ecosystem, wildlife, and geology through engaging interpretive commentary.

Columbia Icefield: Guided Day Tour from Banff + Skywalk Entry + Lunch

Highlights

Traverse the rugged frozen terrain of the Athabasca Glacier aboard a specially designed, heavy-duty Ice Explorer vehicle.

Stand 900+ feet high on the glass-floored Glacier Skywalk for heart-pumping views over the Sunwapta Valley.

Relax on a scenic 3-hour mountain drive while learning about local natural history from an expert guide.

Welcome to the Columbia Icefield Adventure

The Athabasca Glacier sits roughly four hours north-west of Calgary, on the boundary between Banff and Jasper national parks. An Ice Explorer carries you off the road and out onto the ice, and a free shuttle runs from the same building to the Skywalk, a glass-floored platform 918 feet above the Sunwapta Valley. The season is short: 1 May to 12 October, weather permitting.

About the Columbia Icefield Adventure

The Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure and Skywalk

The Columbia Icefield feeds six glaciers, and the Athabasca is the one you can drive onto. Purpose-built Ice Explorers run from the Discovery Centre out onto the glacier surface, where you get out and stand on the ice. The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is reached by free shuttle from the same building. Together they take about two and a half to three hours.

Location Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 N), Jasper National Park, Alberta
Season 1 May to 12 October 2026, weather permitting
How long it takes Two and a half to three hours for the glacier and the Skywalk together

Why visit the Columbia Icefield

The Ice Explorer takes you onto the glacier itself rather than to a viewpoint above it. You step out and walk on the surface.

The Skywalk hangs 918 feet (280 m) over the Sunwapta Valley on a glass floor, and it comes with the Adventure ticket.

The icefield covers about 325 square kilometres and runs up to 365 metres deep, which is enough ice to bury a skyscraper.

The Columbia Icefield Skywalk in Jasper National Park

Meltwater from here reaches three oceans. The icefield sits on a triple continental divide, which very few places on Earth do.

Getting there means driving the Icefields Parkway, 232 km of mountain highway that is worth the day on its own.

Know before you go

The Columbia Icefield in the Canadian Rockies

The season runs 1 May to 12 October, and both ends depend on the weather.
Peak-season hours are 9 AM to 5 PM; May and October run shorter days.
Allow two and a half to three hours for the glacier and the Skywalk.
Dress in layers and wear flat, closed-toe shoes with grip.
Fuel up before you set off; there is one gas station on the Parkway.

Facts about the Columbia Icefield

325 square kilometres of ice

It covers roughly 325 square kilometres (125 square miles) and reaches 365 metres (1,198 feet) deep in places.

Its meltwater reaches three oceans

It sits on a triple continental divide, draining north to the Arctic, east to Hudson Bay and the Atlantic, and west to the Pacific.

Six glaciers, one source

The Athabasca, Dome, Stutfield, Saskatchewan, Castleguard and Columbia glaciers all flow off the same icefield.

Up to seven metres of snow a year

That snowfall is what keeps the icefield fed and the glaciers moving.

The Athabasca Glacier is retreating

It has pulled back a long way over the past century, which is why the Ice Explorers have further to travel than they once did.

Bow Summit is the high point of the drive

At 2,088 metres it is the highest point on the Icefields Parkway, around 85 km south of the Discovery Centre.

The Parkway runs 232 km end to end

Lake Louise to Jasper, with the Columbia Icefield a little past the halfway mark.

The Columbia Icefield in pictures

The Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefield

FAQs about the Columbia Icefield

Where is the Columbia Icefield?

On the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93 N), on the boundary between Banff and Jasper national parks. It is about 307 km from Calgary, which is close to four hours of driving, and 105 km south of the town of Jasper.

What is included in the Columbia Icefield Adventure?

An Ice Explorer ride onto the Athabasca Glacier with time out on the ice, plus the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. The Skywalk is reached by a free shuttle from the Discovery Centre that runs every 15 to 30 minutes.

How long does the Columbia Icefield Adventure take?

About two and a half to three hours round trip from the Discovery Centre, covering both the glacier and the Skywalk. Most people add time on top for lunch and the viewing decks.

Do I need to book tickets in advance?

Yes, particularly between June and September. Departures are timed and the whole season only runs from May to mid-October, so popular slots go early.

What should I wear at the Columbia Icefield?

Layers, and flat closed-toe shoes with grip. It is noticeably colder out on the ice than in the car park, even in July. Bring sunscreen too, because the glare off the glacier is strong on a clear day.

Can you walk on the glacier without a tour?

No. Access to the Athabasca Glacier is by Ice Explorer with a guide, on a route the operator maintains. You cannot drive or walk out onto the ice on your own.

Is the Columbia Icefield open year-round?

No. The 2026 season runs from 1 May to 12 October, and both the opening and closing dates depend on conditions.

Is the Columbia Icefield suitable for children and families?

Yes. There is no minimum age for the Ice Explorer or the Skywalk, and both are short enough to suit younger children.

Are there dining and restroom facilities?

Yes. The Discovery Centre has the Altitude restaurant, the Chalet for quicker meals and a Starbucks, along with washrooms and viewing areas looking across to the glacier.