Icefields Parkway Tour 2027: Stops and Tour Types
An Icefields Parkway Tour takes you along the 232 km stretch of Highway 93 North between Lake Louise and Jasper. You’ll find it is a wonderful road with many beautiful views, such as glaciers, colorful lakes, and waterfalls. On this one road, you can do many things in different ways. In this blog, you will get knowledge about different tour types, the best time to go, and main stops that are worth your time as well.
What Is an Icefields Parkway Tour?
An Icefields Parkway tour is an organized, guided journey along the road that connects Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. For a day tour, you can start your journey from Calgary, Canmore, or Banff and reach the Columbia Icefield. Most day tours leave from Calgary, Canmore, or Banff and turn around at the Columbia Icefield. On the other hand, for a multi-day tour, you can go all the way to Jasper and back some other way or on another day.
| Quick Facts | Details |
| Route | Highway 93 North, Lake Louise to Jasper |
| Length | 232 km |
| Park pass | Required for the whole road |
| Cell service | None along the parkway |
| Fuel and food | Very limited; most services run June to September. |
| Typical day tour from Banff or Calgary | 10 to 12 hours |
Why Take a Guided Tour Instead of Driving Yourself
The Icefields Parkway is a journey to remember. For first-time visitors to the Canadian Rockies, this should definitely be on your itinerary. The more pressing question should be whether you want to drive the Parkway or take a tour to experience it. Below is a comparison of a tour along the Parkway versus driving it yourself.
| Guided tour | Driving yourself | |
| Who watches the road? | The driver—you watch the scenery. | You, on a winding mountain highway |
| Parking at busy stops | Sorted for you | Lots at Peyto Lake and Bow Lake fill up in summer. |
| What you learn | Guided commentary on glaciers, history, and wildlife | Whatever you read up on beforehand |
| Columbia Icefield tickets | Included on some tours | Book and time them yourself |
| Flexibility | Set the route and timing. | Stop wherever you like. |
| Winter conditions | Drivers who know the road | Winter tires and real winter driving experience needed |
Top Stops Along the Way: Bow Lake to Athabasca Falls
These stops run south to north from Lake Louise. Not many tours hit every one of these, so check the itinerary for the stops you’re most interested in.
Herbert Lake and Hector Lake Viewpoint
Herbert Lake is the first stop as you enter the park and is a good, quiet stop to start your day. About 10 minutes up the parkway is Hector Lake. The viewpoint is a good stop to take in the vastness of the valley.
Crowfoot Glacier
Crowfoot Glacier sits along the road and is a classic hanging glacier. Over the years, it has drastically shrunk, and guides often point out the old glacier outline to give you an idea of the change.
Bow Lake
Bow Lake is a good stop for photos and to take in the Crowfoot Glacier and the famous Bow Glacier that looms above the bright blue-green waters and the distinctive red-roofed lodge. There is a path that runs along the lake that is a good stop for a short hike.
Peyto Lake and Bow Summit
Due to its distinctive shape, Peyto Lake is one of the most recognizable in the world. You’ll find the viewpoint for this lake at the top of the short uphill hike from the Bow Summit parking lot.
The best time to go to see this lake is in the summer when the melting glaciers create a shade of blue in the lake caused by light reflecting off of the glacial silt. This spot tends to attract a lot of people in the summer, so expect company if you go then.
Waterfowl Lakes and Mistaya Canyon
The Waterfowl Lakes are located next to the highway and offer a great photo opportunity. Mount Chephren is located in the background of the lakes. Mistaya Canyon is farther north and requires a bit of a walk to get to a footbridge over a narrow, winding gorge. This area is very picturesque and worth the stop.
Saskatchewan Crossing
Saskatchewan Crossing is the only main stop on the Parkway. Located 78 km north of Lake Louise, you can expect to find food, fuel, and a place to use the washroom here. Because the crossing is located just before the Icefields Parkway turns to gravel, many tours make a stop here.
The Weeping Wall and Big Bend Viewpoint
A couple of sights worth seeing before turning off the Parkway are the Big Bend Viewpoint and the Weeping Wall. Cirrus Mountain’s Weeping Wall becomes a frozen curtain in the winter, and in the summer, melting snow creates waterfalls. The Big Bend Viewpoint offers a sweeping view of the North Saskatchewan River Valley.
Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca Glacier
This is the turnaround point for most day tours. Athabasca Glacier is one of the largest and most reachable glaciers in North America. From the parking area, you can see its toe. The Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre (Glacier Discovery Centre) is the main hub for tickets and has food and washrooms.
Most visitors take the Icefield Explorer ride, which takes you onto the glacier. It can be bought with the Glacier Skywalk, a glass floorwalk that extends 280 meters above the Sunwapta Valley. The entire experience takes about 2.5-3 hours. During peak season, you can buy a time ticket online for the Explorer ride.
Tangle Creek Falls, Sunwapta Falls, and Athabasca Falls
On your journey to Jasper, you can find three beautiful waterfalls. The first is Tangle Creek Falls, a picturesque cascade across the road from the highway. Next, Sunwapta Falls spills into a deep limestone gorge. The most thrilling of the three is Athabasca Falls, a short drive from Jasper. From the viewing platforms, you can observe the rushing water and feel the spray on a windy day.
Types of Tours: Day Trips, One-Way, Private, and Self-Guided
There is no single correct option. Mostly it depends on how much time you have and where you are staying.
Icefields Parkway Day Tour from Banff or Calgary
If you are short on time, an Icefields Parkway tour from Banff is the best way to see the park. You take the parkway to the Columbia Icefields, then return to Banff the same day. An Icefields Parkway tour from Calgary will take you the same route but adds about three hours each way, so be prepared for a very long day.
Our Premium Columbia Icefields, Skywalk, and Lakes Tour is a fantastic option that includes the Ice Explorer and Skywalk tickets. If you would rather make the choices yourself, the Columbia Icefield Tour with Crowfoot Glacier and Lakes is a great alternative that offers fewer activities but allows you to explore the park on your own.
Banff to Jasper Tours
A multi-day Banff to Jasper tour offers many advantages over a single-day tour. For one, we won’t be attempting to cram in as many sights as possible in the shortest time. Instead, we can take our time, stopping at various points of interest along the way. You’ll get to see Jasper, including Maligne Canyon and Jasper town, as well as other points of interest on the way up.
A 2-Day Banff and Columbia Icefield Jasper Tour covers both ends of the parkway, with a ticket to the icefields included. If you would like more information to help decide which of the multiple-day itineraries from Calgary are best for you, please visit our multi-day itinerary guide. For information about Jasper, please visit our Jasper highlights guide.
Tours Starting From Lake Louise or Jasper
Tours that begin at Lake Louise offer the added advantage of saving an hour each way, since we start at the southern end of the parkway. Many tours pair Lake Louise in the morning with an Icefields Parkway tour, which heads north from Lake Louise.
If you are staying in Jasper, the same tour heads in the reverse direction, with Athabasca Falls coming first.
Private and Small Group Tours
Private tours of the Icefields Parkways are the most flexible option, where you can linger over the sites you are interested in and pass by those that aren’t interesting to you. Many people book private tours for special occasions, family get-togethers, and photography tours.
A small group tour of the Icefields Parkway is the next best option, offering a more personalized experience than a large coach tour. Browse our private tours if a small group tour of the Icefields Parkway doesn’t suit you.
Bus Tours and Panoramic Coaches
A large, comfortable coach with a good driver and a fixed schedule is the trademark of a good Icefields Parkway tour. A good tour will put stops in the right places, but if a coach is full of people, you may not be able to get out and view the scenery at your leisure. A small van or minibus can access more remote locations, like the parking for Peyto Lake, more easily.
Self-guided Tours and Audio Tours
Doing an Icefields Parkway tour on your own means you have to do all the planning and organization for the tour, as well as pay for all the costs associated with the tour, like fuel, a park pass, and parking.
Adding an audio tour gives you commentary when there would otherwise be none, because there is no cell service along much of the parkway. However, the route is very long, and you will need to plan places to stay and what to do along the way.
Which is the Best Icefields Parkway Tour?
The best tour option depends on what your priorities are: Short on time? Book a tour from Banff that includes Icefields Parkway tickets. Want to see Jasper? Book a longer tour that covers more of the Rockies.
Best Time to Go
Summer (June to September)
Our most popular time to travel is the summer! The lakes are their most brilliant shades of turquoise. The wildflowers are in full bloom, and the meadows are in full display. The trade-off is heavier traffic and larger crowds. Be sure to book your tours and the Icefield Parkway shuttles well in advance!
Spring and Fall
The Columbia Icefield Adventure and Skywalk are seasonal attractions, which usually open in early May and close in mid-October. The listed dates are approximate and are subject to change. In the spring, high elevation lakes may still be frozen, and trails may have snow. In the fall, roads become quieter, mornings become crisp, and the first snow of the season covers the higher peaks.
Winter (November to April)
A winter tour of the Icefields Parkway provides an opportunity to see snow-covered peaks and fewer people, but note that the Icefield Centre is also closed in the winter. Ice Explorers and the Skywalk do not operate in the winter, and most services along the Parkway are closed.
Between November 1 and the end of March, vehicles using the Icefields Parkway are required by law to have snow tires or chains. Avalanche work may be carried out by Parks Canada with short notice, and it may recommend only daytime travel.
Check 511 Alberta for travel conditions before heading out. It may be convenient to book our winter tours for travel between November and April, when icy road conditions may be unpleasant for some.
How Long Is the Icefields Parkway Tour?
How long is the Icefields Parkway Tour? A day trip from Banff to the Columbia Icefield and back usually takes 10 to 12 hours. From Calgary, add about 3 hours in total. Covering the full 232 km to Jasper with real stops takes a full day in one direction, which is why many people split it over two days.
Booking Tips
- Advance booking is recommended for Icefields tickets and tours for July and August, as popular time slots sell out.
- Dress in layers. It can be 10 degrees colder on the glacier than in Banff, even in the summer. Our multi-day Rockies packing list has essentials.
- Bring sunglasses. The glare off the ice is strong.
- Tours for seniors: most of the viewpoints are by the parking lot, but the Peyto Lake trail has a steep incline. Contact the tour company for step-free access and rest stops.
- Hiking: The Parker Ridge Trail, on the Banff-Jasper border, is a good half-day hike with views of the Saskatchewan Glacier. It’s better for private tours or self-drives.
- If booking a tour, know what’s included in your ticket for meals to plan for surprises.
For a more flexible itinerary that still takes you to the main sites, book the Premium Columbia Icefields, Skywalk, and Lakes Tour. The 2-Day Banff and Columbia Icefield Jasper Tour gives you a more leisurely look at the parkway.
FAQs About The Icefields Parkway Tour
1. Is an Icefields Parkway tour worth it?
Yes. The Icefields Parkway is home to some of the most beautiful and scenic vistas in Western Canada. Taking the tour allows you to enjoy the scenery while someone else does the driving and the planning.
2. What is the approximate driving time on the Icefields Parkway?
It takes about 3 to 3 1/2 hours to drive the 232 km from Lake Louise to Jasper without many stops. Expect it to take longer if you plan to make several stops to enjoy the views and/or visit the Columbia Icefield.
3. Do I require a park pass to drive the Icefields Parkway?
Yes, a Parks Canada pass is needed to drive the parkway as it goes through both Banff and Jasper National Parks. Most tours provide the park pass, so check what is provided before buying your own.
4. Is it possible to drive the Icefields Parkway as a day trip from Calgary?
Yes, it is possible to drive the 11-hour round trip from Calgary to the Icefields Parkway. Our day tours provide this option and include pickup from Calgary. For a slower, more leisurely pace, you can plan a multi-day itinerary from Calgary.
