"We had an awesome sunny day guided by Neil, who was very knowledgeable of the area. The stops were beautiful and we had plenty of time to explore. Highly recommended!"
From Banff · Ice Explorer + Skywalk Included
Icefields Parkway Tour from Banff — Ice Explorer & Skywalk Included
The one Icefields Parkway tour from Banff where nothing is left to arrange — the Ice Explorer, the Glacier Skywalk and a packed lunch are all in the price. Pickup from 14 Banff hotels.
Booked 4 times yesterday
From
$267
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.8 / 5 424+ Reviews
- 3 hours At the Columbia Icefield
- Live Guide English-speaking
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What Makes This Icefields Parkway Tour from Banff Special
Everything bundled: the Columbia Icefield tickets, the Skywalk, lunch, and door-to-door pickup across Banff.
Highlights
- xplore the iconic Icefields Parkway, renowned as a top scenic drive.
- Climb aboard the Ice Explorer and travel onto the ancient Athabasca Glacier
- Take in unparalleled views from the glass floored Glacier Skywalk
- See Rocky Mountain landmarks like Bow Lake and the Bow River's headwaters.
- Pass by numerous peaks, glaciers, waterfalls, and lakes
What's Included
- Round-trip transportation
- Tour guide
- Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure: Ice Explorer and Glacier Skywalk
- Packed lunch
The Banff tour where you don’t buy anything at the gate
Most Icefields Parkway tours from Banff are coach seats. They drive you up Highway 93, drop you at the Glacier Discovery Centre, and leave you to buy the Ice Explorer and Skywalk tickets yourself. That is not a criticism — it keeps the headline price at $69–$75 and it works fine if you plan for it.
This one is the other kind. The Discover Banff small-bus day trip includes:
- the Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure — the Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier
- the Glacier Skywalk
- a packed lunch
- round-trip transport and a guide
Nothing to buy on the day. Nothing to time-slot. That is what the $267 buys, and it is why comparing it head-to-head with a $69 coach seat is misleading: add Icefield tickets to the cheap seat and the gap is a fraction of what the listing prices suggest.
Which is right for you comes down to one question: do you want to manage the day, or have it managed?
Two things to check before you book this one
Cancellation here is 3 days, not 24 hours
Nearly every other tour on this corridor lets you cancel free up to 24 hours
before departure. This one is 3 days — and groups of 9 or more are on a
7-day policy. No-shows and missed departures are non-refundable.
Mountain weather turns fast, and a 3-day window is a materially different bet from a 24-hour one. If you want to keep the option to bail on a bad forecast, one of the 24-hour-cancellation coach tours is the safer booking.
Mountain weather turns fast, and a 3-day window is a materially different bet from a 24-hour one. If you want to keep the option to bail on a bad forecast, one of the 24-hour-cancellation coach tours is the safer booking.
Second: the pickup times are early and they are exact. Published pickups start at 7:30am and the schedule runs through Banff hotel by hotel — 7:31 at the Caribou, 7:42 at the public bus parking behind the Mount Royal, 7:55 at the Fairmont Banff Springs. If you have not selected a pickup point, the default is the Mount Royal bus parking at 7:42am. Lake Louise Village boards last, at 8:41am outside Wilson’s Sports.
Why “from Banff” is the strongest departure on this road
Banff has the deepest supply of Icefields Parkway tours of any base, and it is not close. It is the only town on the corridor where you can genuinely choose between:
- all-inclusive small-bus (this tour, $267)
- budget coach, tickets separate (from $69, see the cards below)
- one-way northbound to Jasper ($246 — you do the Parkway and end up in Jasper, with your luggage)
- a guided walk on the glacier itself if you can get yourself to the Icefield Centre
Compare that with Jasper, where the number of tours that actually pick up in town can be counted on one hand. If you have not booked accommodation yet and the Parkway is the point of the trip, this asymmetry is worth knowing.
The trade-off nobody mentions: this tour skips Peyto
Look closely at the itinerary and something is missing. This tour gives you three hours at the Columbia Icefield — more than any other on this site — but the lake stops are five-minute photo pauses, and Peyto Lake is not a scheduled stop at all.
That is a deliberate design. It is an ice tour, not a lakes tour. If the Columbia Icefield is what you came for and you want the maximum time on it with nothing to arrange, this is plainly the best product on the corridor.
But if the turquoise lake from Bow Summit is the image in your head, you want a tour that actually schedules Peyto — 45 minutes there, and a different day entirely.
Booking the tickets yourself instead
If you would rather take a cheap coach from Banff and buy the attraction separately, you can get Columbia Icefield Skywalk tickets direct. Operators recommend booking a time slot around 2:00–2:30 PM so it lines up with when the coach tours reach the Discovery Centre.
How the Icefields Parkway Tour from Banff Works
Hotel pickup before 8am, three hours at the Columbia Icefield, back by evening.
Hotel Pickup Across Banff — from 7:30am
Fourteen designated pickup points with published times: Canalta Lodge 7:30, Banff Caribou Lodge 7:31, Fox Hotel 7:32, Red Carpet Inn 7:33, Douglas Fir 7:36, Ptarmigan Inn 7:40, the public bus parking behind the Mount Royal Hotel 7:42, Rimrock 7:50, Fairmont Banff Springs 7:55, Banff Train Station 8:00, Juniper 8:05 — and Lake Louise Village at 8:41.
North Up the Parkway
Quick photo stops at the Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint and Waterfowl Lakes (5 minutes each), then the Saskatchewan River Crossing (10 minutes). A 35-minute picnic break on the Parkway — lunch is included.
Three Hours at the Columbia Icefield
The Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier — ticket included, not an add-on — plus a guided tour and a walk. The longest Icefield allocation of any tour on this site.
The Skywalk, Then Bow Lake
An hour on the glass-floored Glacier Skywalk over the Sunwapta Valley (also included), and 20 minutes at Bow Lake on the way south.
Photo Gallery
The Icefields Parkway from Banff — Through the Lens
The Columbia Icefield, the Glacier Skywalk, Bow Lake and the Saskatchewan River Crossing.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Icefields Parkway Tours from Banff, Compared
Banff has the deepest supply on the corridor. These are the three shapes it comes in.
| Feature | NOTHING TO ARRANGE All-Inclusive Small Bus | Budget Coach, Tickets Separate | One-Way North to Jasper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $267/per person | From $69 | $246 |
| Icefield + Skywalk tickets | Both included | Buy separately | Check listing |
| Lunch | Packed lunch included | Not included | Check listing |
| Time at the Columbia Icefield | 3 hours + 1 hr Skywalk | 1 hr + 1.5 hr Skywalk | En route to Jasper |
| Peyto Lake | Not a scheduled stop | 30 minutes | On the route |
| Ends where | Back in Banff | Back in Banff | Jasper — one way |
| Free cancellation | 3 days (7 for groups of 9+) | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Rating | 4.8/5 (424 reviews) | 4.7/5 (348 reviews) | 4.7/5 (69 reviews) |
| Book Now | View Tour | View Tour |
More Options
Other Icefields Parkway Tours from Banff
Every tour on this site that genuinely collects you in Banff — cheaper coach options where the Icefield tickets are bought separately.
TICKETS INCLUDEDCalgary Banff: Columbia Icefield, Skywalk and Lakes Day Tour - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
TOP RATEDBanff/Calgary: Louise, Moraine, Emerald & Peyto Lake-4 Lakes - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
TICKETS INCLUDEDFrom Banff/Lake Louise: 1-Way Sightseeing Tour to Jasper - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
TOP RATEDFrom Canmore/Banff: Icefields Parkway Experience - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
BEST VALUEBanff & Jasper: Columbia Icefield, Bow Lake Peyto Lake Tour - 2026 (Verified Reviews)
Guest Reviews
What Our Guests Say
5/5
from 424 verified guests
"Ed was a really helpful and informative guide. Could not have asked for better. Guides on Glacier Adventure were great as well."
"My girlfriends and I chose to travel to Canada for our annual girl's trip this year! We booked this day trip since we wanted to explore nature and see the glaciers. Jake was our tour guide and he was the best guide we could have had. He was patient, funny, and very majestic (didn't know that unicorns existed here in Canada). We learned so much from Jake about the Rockies and nature in general. The tour was awesome but with Jake's company and touring skills, it was truly a once of a lifetime experience."
"Although the day was long, it passed quickly with all the amazing sights and experiences. Neil was an excellent tour guide providing interesting insights along the way and answering all our questions. He was relaxed and entertaining which helped the drive pass quickly. The lunch provided was delicious. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this tour and highly recommend it."
"Awesome. Really loved our guide Roz, she was so informative and we learnt heaps from listening to her. It is a well planned tour and value for money. We would definately recommend."
"Fantastic day . Saw loads of different places and our guide Ed was very knowledgable very approachable and a thoroughly nice bloke ."
"Amazing day. Scenery was stunning and the glacier was a great experience. Lunch provided was excellent and there were a couple of extra scenic stops made including Peyto lake which was beautiful. Our guide Chloe was fantastic and very knowledgeable, highly recommend."
"I liked the guide that are from Canada rather than Australia. Native Canadians know their country and have so many more personal stories and experiences."
Read all 424 verified reviews
See All ReviewsThe All-Inclusive Icefields Parkway Tour from Banff
424 verified reviews at 4.8/5. Ice Explorer, Glacier Skywalk and packed lunch included — nothing left to book at the gate. Note: cancellation is 3 days, not 24 hours. Starting from $267 per person.
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Icefields Parkway Tour from Banff — Frequently Asked Questions
Pickup times, what's bundled, and the cancellation policy that differs from every other tour here.
Round-trip transportation, a tour guide, the Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure (the Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier), the Glacier Skywalk, and a packed lunch. That is the whole point of it — nothing to buy at the gate and no time slot to coordinate. It is why the $267 price is not really comparable with a $69 coach seat.
Early, and to a published schedule. Canalta Lodge 7:30am, Banff Caribou Lodge 7:31, Fox Hotel & Suites 7:32, Red Carpet Inn 7:33, Douglas Fir Resort 7:36, Banff Ptarmigan Inn 7:40, the public bus parking behind the Mount Royal Hotel 7:42, Rimrock Resort 7:50, Fairmont Banff Springs 7:55, Scout-Guide Hall and Banff Train Station 8:00, Juniper Hotel 8:05, and Lake Louise Village outside Wilson's Sports at 8:41. If you do not select a pickup point, the default is the Mount Royal bus parking at 7:42am.
Yes. Lake Louise Village is the last pickup on the route, outside Wilson's Sports at 8:41am. This is also why searches for an Icefields Parkway tour from Lake Louise land on the Banff departures — it is the same tour, boarding later.
Three days, not the 24 hours most tours on this corridor offer — and seven days for groups of nine or more. No-shows, missed departures and unused services are non-refundable. Mountain weather turns fast, so if you want to keep the option of cancelling on a bad forecast, one of the 24-hour coach tours is the safer booking.
No — and this is the trade-off. The all-inclusive Discover Banff tour gives you three hours at the Columbia Icefield, the longest allocation of any tour on this site, but the lake stops are five-minute photo pauses and Peyto is not on the itinerary. It is an ice tour, not a lakes tour. If Peyto is the image you came for, book a tour that schedules it.
From $69 for a coach seat where you buy the Columbia Icefield tickets separately, up to $267 for the all-inclusive small-bus trip with the Ice Explorer, Skywalk and lunch included. A one-way northbound run to Jasper is $246. Add the attraction tickets to the cheap coach and the spread narrows considerably.
Because the corridor is sold southbound. Of the 39 corridor tours on this site, 28 pick up in Banff and only two pick up in Jasper. Many tours have Jasper in the title, but that is the destination, not the departure point. If the Parkway is the reason for your trip and you have not booked accommodation yet, this asymmetry is worth knowing.
Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint (5 minutes), Waterfowl Lakes (5 minutes), Saskatchewan River Crossing (10 minutes), a 35-minute picnic break on the Parkway, three hours at the Columbia Icefield, an hour on the Glacier Skywalk, and 20 minutes at Bow Lake on the way south.
Still have questions? Email us at info@icefields-parkway-tour.com