Columbia Icefield Adventure: Tickets and Tips

The Columbia Icefield is one of the most popular stops along the Icefields Parkway, and for good reason. Just north of Banff National Park in Jasper National Park, the Columbia Icefield Adventure gives you the chance to ride in a massive Ice Explorer vehicle, step onto the Athabasca Glacier and walk out over the Columbia Icefield Skywalk.

As locals who spend a lot of time exploring Banff, Jasper and the Icefields Parkway, we know visitors typically have a lot of questions about this experience. Is it worth the price? How long does it take? What should you wear? Should you buy Columbia Icefield tickets in advance, or wait until you get there?

The real highlight of the Columbia Icefield Adventure is stepping onto the glacier itself. It’s not every day you get to stand on ancient ice surrounded by some of the most impressive mountain scenery in the Canadian Rockies. Don’t rush this part. Take a few minutes to enjoy the views, take your photos and soak in the experience.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly what to expect from the Columbia Icefield Adventure by Pursuit, including the Ice Explorer ride, the Athabasca Glacier experience, the Skywalk, ticket options, discounts, what to wear and tips to help you decide if this Jasper tour is right for your trip.

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What is the Columbia Icefield Adventure?

The Columbia Icefield Adventure is a guided glacier tour in Jasper National Park, located along the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and the Town of Jasper. The experience starts at the Glacier Discovery Centre and includes two main parts: the Ice Explorer ride onto the Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefield Skywalk.

What makes this tour unique is that it gives regular visitors a way to step onto the Athabasca Glacier without needing technical gear or a guided glacier hike. It’s one of the easiest ways to experience a glacier up close in the Canadian Rockies, which is why it’s such a popular stop for travellers driving between Banff and Jasper.

Below, I’ll walk you through each part of the Columbia Icefield Adventure in more detail, including what to expect, how long it takes, what to wear and whether it’s worth booking for your trip.

Where is the Columbia Icefield Adventure

If you’re planning to visit the Columbia Icefield, you’re in for a treat. This massive field of ice sits along the Icefields Parkway, the highway between Lake Louise and the Town of Jasper. It’s widely considered one of the most scenic drives in the world.

To make the most of this incredibly scenic drive, you may wish to read our guide to the Icefields Parkway. Then, before you head out, we recommend you buy the GuideAlong audio tour. We live here, yet we still listen to it, especially along the Icefields Parkway.

What’s Included in the Columbia Icefield Adventure?

Your Columbia Icefield Adventure will include:

• A ride on a massive, purpose-built Ice Explorer vehicle to and from the Athabasca Glacier.
• The opportunity to walk on the ancient ice of the Athabasca Glacier.
• Enjoy a thrilling walk on the glass-floor Columbia Icefield Skywalk.

All told, the Columbia Icefield Adventure tour lasts 2.5 to 3 hours. Based on our most recent visit, here is a glimpse into what you can expect on the Columbia Icefield Adventure:

1. Bus Ride to the Ice Explorer Terminal

When you check in at the Glacier Discovery Centre within your predetermined time window, you’ll enter an indoor queue. From there, you’ll wait to board a regular bus which takes you from the Glacier Discovery Centre, across the highway to a spot closer to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier. As you can see, the views from this bus are still incredible!

It’s a really quick bus ride, and soon you’ll transfer from the regular bus to the much more exciting Ice Explorer vehicle.

2. Ice Explorer Ride to the Athabasca Glacier

One of my favourite parts of the Columbia Icefield Adventure is the ride on the giant Ice Explorer vehicles onto the glacier itself. These massive, six-wheel all-terrain vehicles are custom built to navigate the steep, icy slopes of the Athabasca Glacier, and they’re one of only a few of their kind in the world.

Once you are on the Ice Explorer, your driver will take you on a slow, bumpy descent down a steep moraine (a formation of rocks, gravel, and sediment created by a glacier as it moves). Portions of this road are oone of the steepest commercial roads in North America!

The driver takes this section very slowly and carefully., but it’s still thrilling, though! Along the way, your guide shares fascinating facts about glaciology, climate change, and the unique terrain you’re crossing.

It takes roughly 35 minutes for the Ice Explorer to reach the glacier, so you’ll have plenty of time to soak in the spectacular views. The real excitement happens when you step out and walk on the glacier itself.

3. Walking on the Athabasca Glacier

We have visited many glaciers around the world, and there are very few places where you can actually get out onto a glacier. This experience is truly what makes the Columbia Icefield Adventure special. It’s a surreal, humbling experience to stand on a living piece of ice that formed thousands of years ago and still flows slowly down the mountain today.

Once your Ice Explorer comes to a stop, you’ll step out onto the Athabasca Glacier, and it’s likely a moment you’ll never forget. You’ll be surrounded by towering peaks standing on a floor of ancient ice that’s been slowly flowing for thousands of years.

You’ll have about 30 minutes to explore a designated safe area on the glacier. Take your time and thoroughly explore the area. Wander around, take some pictures, and even fill your water bottle with freshly melted glacial water. It’s cold, clear, and incredibly pure.

The glacier surface can be wet and/or slippery in places, so watch your step and wear good, closed-toe shoes. Staff are on-site to answer questions and help make sure everyone stays within the safe zone. As a real glacier, there are dangerous crevasses and unstable ice on the Athabasca Glacier, so please respect the safe zone boundaries.

For many people, walking on the Athabasca Glacier is the highlight of their trip to Jasper National Park. It’s a chance not just to see a glacier, but to stand on one.

4. Columbia Icefield Skywalk

After your exciting walk on the Athabasca Glacier, you’ll reboard your Ice Explorer and take the return journey to the bus terminal. Here you’ll get back on a normal bus which will whisk you to the nearby Columbia Icefield Skywalk.

The final stop on your Columbia Icefield Adventure is the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, a dramatic glass-floored walkway that juts out 280 metres (918 feet) above the Sunwapta Valley.

The Skywalk itself is a thrilling experience, especially if, like me, you’re a little afraid of heights. But the views are worth it: glaciers, waterfalls, and jagged peaks stretch in every direction. Interpretive signs along the route share the geology, ecology, and Indigenous stories of the region, adding depth to your experience. There’s also a non-glass-bottom section for those who prefer solid ground.

You’ll walk along a short, interpretive path before reaching the main, horseshoe-shaped viewing platform. Plan to spend 30 – 45 minutes here taking in the views and learning about the powerful forces that shaped this landscape.

Whether you’re into photography or just soaking up the scenery, the Skywalk is a fantastic way to end your Columbia Icefield Adventure. When you are done here, you board a bus, which takes you back to the Glacier Discovery Centre.

Columbia Icefield Adventure Tickets, Prices and Discounts

Columbia Icefield Adventure Ticket Prices

The price of the Columbia Icefield Adventure fluctuates a little bit, depending on how far in advance you make your reservation. If you book at least two weeks in advance, the base price of this tour is around $126 for adults and $82 for kids. If you book your tickets within the two week window, prices usually increase as your tour date gets closer.

To increase your chances of getting the best price and departure times for your tour, book your Columbia Icefield Adventure tickets as early as possible.

Off-Peak Savings and Alberta Resident Discounts

We have a wide variety of discounts on Banff attractions available for readers of our blog, but unfortunately a promo code for the Columbia Icefield Adventure isn’t one of them. That said, there are some discounts for the Columbia Icefield Adventure available:

Off-Peak Pricing

You can save approximately 20% if you buy a tour with a departure time after 3:30 pm.

Alberta Residents Rate

Alberta residents can also enjoy a discount of approximately 20% with proof of residency, and agreeing to receive email offers from Pursuit.

Family Experience – Kids Go Free

If you are visiting Banff with kids, this one can save you a lot of money. If you book your Columbia Icefield Adventure departure before 11 am, you can get one free child admission for kids aged 6-15 for each regular-priced adult ticket purchased.

Kids 5 and Under Are Free Anytime

Children aged 5 and under are free anytime as long as they share a seat with an adult.

Pursuit Pass and Banff/Jasper Ticket Bundles

You can save up to 25% by purchasing tickets for several top area attractions as a package. The very popular Pursuit Pass Rockies package bundles tickets for six excellent Banff and Jasper attractions including:

• The Banff Gondola
• Columbia Icefield Explorer
• Columbia Icefield Skywalk
• Open Top Touring
• Golden Skybridge
• Either the Lake Minnewanka boat cruise in Banff or the Maligne Lake boat cruise in Jasper

If you are flexible on your timing, you can save up to 40% on your tickets by purchasing a Pursuit Pass Rockies Value package. This package is identical to the Pursuit Pass Rockies package, except you can only visit the two Columbia Icefield attractions after 3:30 PM.

You can easily buy the Pursuit Pass Rockies ticket packages while you are making a Columbia Icefields reservation.

Tours to the Columbia Icefield

Given its location at the midpoint of one of the most scenic drives in the world, an excellent way to visit the Columbia Icefield is on an organized tour. This way no one in your party needs to bother with driving and everyone can soak in the world-class mountain views.

There are two tours which visit the Columbia Icefield:

Columbia Icefield Discovery Tours

The Columbia Icefield Discovery Tours are an excellent and convenient way to see the majesty of the Icefields Parkway and enjoy the exciting attractions at the Columbia Icefield. The highlight of these tours is a chance to ride an Ice Explorer vehicle onto the Athabasca Glacier, along with a walk on the Columbia Icefield Skywalk.

This round-trip tour is offered from either Banff or Jasper:

The Banff tour can originate in either Calgary, Canmore, Banff or Lake Louise. You can begin and end in two different locations. In addition to the exciting Columbia Icefield activities, the Columbia Icefield Discovery tour from Banff may also include stops at Lake Louise, the Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake and Peyto Lake.

The Jasper tour begins and ends in the Town of Jasper. In addition to the exciting Columbia Icefield activities, the Columbia Icefield Discovery tour from Jasper may also include stops at Athabasca Falls and the Stutfield Glacier.

Icefield Parkway Discovery Tours

The Icefield Parkway Discovery Tours are perfect for visitors who wish to travel one-way from Banff to Jasper (and vice-versa), while seeing the highlights along the way. This tour includes stops at Lake Louise, the Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Falls.

While at the Columbia Icefield, you’ll enjoy a trip onto the glacier with the Columbia Icefield Adventure along with a thrilling visit to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk.

Depending on which tour you book, you can enjoy one-way transportation between Calgary, Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, or vice-versa.

No matter which option you choose, the Icefields Parkway is sure to be a highlight of your trip to the Canadian Rockies.

What to Wear on the Columbia Icefield Adventure

The Columbia Icefield Adventure is one of the premier tours in Jasper National Park, with a price tag to match, so let’s make sure you are properly prepared for your visit. You need to know that it can be cold on the glacier, and it often feels like winter up there, even in the middle of summer.

Temperatures on the Athabasca Glacier can be up to 15°C (27°F) colder than at the Discovery Centre, thanks to both the higher elevation and the chilly breeze that blows in off the icefield. The key to having a very enjoyable time on the Columbia Icefield Adventure is to dress in layers.

We recommend you bring a fleece jacket, a water-resistant or wind-resistant jacket, and even a hat and gloves. Hopefully you’ll have a perfect weather day and you can store all unneeded layers in your day bag, but you’ll be glad to have the warmer layers if required!

Closed-toe, water resistant shoes with good grip are also a good idea. You’ll be walking on slippery, uneven frozen surfaces, which can range from wet slush to snow to hard ice.

Glacier Discovery Centre

The Columbia Icefield Adventure begins from the Glacier Discovery Centre, which is located not far from the foot of the Athabasca Glacier (the second largest glacier in the icefield). The Glacier Discovery Centre is in Jasper National Park, but it is just minutes from the northern boundary of Banff National Park.

In addition to the Pursuit ticket counter, you can enjoy a large photo exhibit of the glacier, a Starbucks, a gift shop stocked with glacier-themed souvenirs, and a variety of dining options.

Can You Visit the Columbia Icefield Adventure in Winter?

The Columbia Icefield Adventure is not a year-round activity and does not operate in winter. The operating season typically runs from early May to mid-October.

Where to Stay for the Columbia Icefield Adventure

As mentioned several times already, the Icefields Parkway is one of the most scenic drives in the world, and the Columbia Icefield Adventure is one of the top attractions along the way. Many people do the drive and the glacier experience in the same day, but if you’d like to do a deeper dive into the Icefields Parkway, you way want to look into staying at the Glacier View Lodge, located right above the Glacier Discovery Centre.

We recently stayed here for two nights during a family adventure on our way to Jasper National Park. The best part was enjoying the stillness and quiet of the landscape after all the day-trippers had left for the day.

We share our experience in our honest Glacier View Lodge review.

Is the Columbia Icefield Adventure Worth It?

For most first-time visitors driving the Icefields Parkway, I do think the Columbia Icefield Adventure is worth it. It’s not the cheapest activity in Jasper National Park, but it gives you a very memorable way to experience the Athabasca Glacier up close without needing technical gear or a guided glacier hike.

The best part is stepping out onto the glacier itself. The Ice Explorer ride is fun, especially for kids, and the Columbia Icefield Skywalk adds another scenic stop to the experience. Together, it feels like more than just a quick roadside viewpoint.

That said, this is still a popular, structured tour. If you prefer quiet hikes and more independent exploring, you may find it busy or expensive for the amount of time you spend on the ice. But if you want an easy, family-friendly way to stand on a glacier and add something memorable to your Banff and Jasper itinerary, the Columbia Icefield Adventure is well worth considering.