Quick Summary
- Free viewpoint: Park in the free lot and walk about 15 minutes to a viewpoint of the Athabasca Glacier; takes under an hour and costs nothing, though you can't get onto the ice itself
- Ice Field Tour: The most popular paid option, taking you by bus and all-terrain Ice Explorer right onto the glacier, plus a stop at the Skywalk; the full experience takes about 2.5 hours with a fair amount of waiting between transfers
- Ice Walks Tour: A smaller, guided trek onto the glacier with ACMG-certified guides, available as a half day (5km, ~3.5 hrs), full day (8.5km, ~6 hrs), or a limited Indigenous-led tour on select dates; prices range from about $131 to $198 CDN plus GST
- Wilcox Pass Hike: A free, easy hike with a viewpoint reachable in 20 to 30 minutes, offering views of multiple glaciers and the iconic red Muskoka chairs
- Never walk on the glacier without a guide: The ice is constantly shifting and hides deep crevasses; multiple deaths have occurred from doing this unsupervised
- Bottom line: There's no single best option, so pick based on your budget, time, and whether you want a scenic view or a hands-on experience on the ice
Option 1: Free Option
Just from observing the parking situation, this is not the most popular option. The majority of people are opting for the paid tour that takes you out onto the glacier itself.
The free option is just walking up to the viewpoint of the glacier. There is a free parking lot on the opposite side of the road from the tour building. You can park there, and then it is about a 15-minute walk up a well-maintained path to the first viewpoint.
You can continue past this point to get a bit closer to the glaciers, but I actually found that the views got a little worse as you got closer and are looking up at it at a sharper angle. You also can't actually get all the way to the glacier this way, so you won't get the chance to walk on the ice itself unless you book onto a tour.
I'm not sure if there are any park officers around to actually stop you from going onto the glacier from the free parking lot, but even if there is no one around to stop you, absolutely do not walk on the glacier. It is incredibly dangerous since the glacier is constantly shifting and moving and is filled with deep crevasses that are hard to spot. Multiple people have died doing this, so if you want to walk on the glacier, you will need to book a tour to do it safely.
If this sounds like your preferred way to visit, park here, and you can't miss the path (it's the big one that heads in the glacier's direction).
The viewpoint is the main attraction, but take some time to look down at the path along the way too. The path actually leads you right over the glacier's path of destruction. Huge boulders get caught up in the iceflow and as the glacier flows along, the boulders scrape and grind along the ground. On the big rock slabs you're walking over, you can see clear lines and deep gouges where the trapped boulders passed by and left their mark.
Option 2: Ice Field Tour
This is by far the most popular option. It was definitely a cool experience, but it was very different from the free version. I won't say one is better than the other. I have a group of friends in mind that I would recommend the free version to in a heartbeat, but I have an equally large group of friends in mind that I know would much prefer the tour.
The big benefit of the tour is that they take you right up to the glacier, and you can hop out of the big rig and walk around the ice. It is undeniably cool. There are little glacial streams running down; you can feel the cold air blowing off the ice, and you're getting an interesting up-close angle of the glacial flow.
It's also very busy. This is an incredibly popular tour, and buses are running groups up all day.
One thing to consider is that this tour is a bit of a time commitment. The Full tour takes about 2.5 hours. Here is the logistical breakdown of how the tour goes:
- You buy your ticket and get your time slot
- You queue up in the tour building with the group you're going with
- That queue loads up into a coach bus
- That coach bus drives a short distance across the highway and up to a higher parking lot
- The coach drops your group into a small shelter where you wait for your next ride
- An An all-terrain Ice Explorer pulls up, and your group loads into it
- The Ice Explorer takes you the rest of the way over the pretty treacherous dirt road
- The driver shares some fun facts about the glacier and the surrounding lake along the way
- You drive right onto the glacier, where it drives over the ice and drops you at the safe exploration area
- After 15 minutes on the ice, you load back into the Ice Explorer
- It takes you back to the bus area
- A new bus comes to collect you
- That bus takes you 10 minutes down the highway to the Skywalk
- You explore the skywalk at your own pace
- You take any shuttle back up to the tourist building
I really enjoyed the tour overall, but there are a few things to consider:
Pros:
- Walking on the glacier was so cool
- Riding in the Ice Explorers was surprisingly fun
- The Skybridge is a cool additional angle of the glacier
Cons:
- There was quite a bit of waiting around for each bus and transferring between the bus and the Ice Explorer. So the whole experience took about 2.5 hours. There is a lot to see on the parkway, so you need to consider if it's worth the time commitment.
Option 3: Ice Walks Tour
If wandering a small, fenced-off area of the glacier with 200 other tourists isn't intimate enough for you, you can consider booking the Icewalks tour. This is a smaller group that goes out together to the glacier.
These tours all take you on an actual trek across the ice. The knowledgeable guides will explain all the different features of the glacier, and of course, help you get the photos no one back home will believe are real.
You have a few options here:
Half Day Tour
This version of the tour takes you on a 5km hike that climbs around 200 meters and takes about 3.5 hours.
You will be accompanied the entire time by ACMG-certified guides who will keep you safe on the dangerous glacier.
The half-day tours run twice daily between May 16th and October 12th. The morning tour departs at 9:45 am and the afternoon tour departs at 2:00 pm.
Full Day Tour
The full-day tour takes you out on a slightly longer hike with the same certified guides. The operating window for this version is a bit shorter because you can only access the upper part of the glacier safely in peak summer. These tours run daily between June 13 and September 20.
This tour is longer, taking around 6 hours, so it only runs once per day, departing at 10:15 am.
The hike is a bit longer on this one compared to the half day. The guides will lead you along an 8.5 km hike that climbs about 330m up onto the glacier.
Indigenous Led Tour
The hike for this version is more similar to the half-day tour, but it has a special twist. Partnered with Zuc'min Guiding, Athabasca Glacier Icewalks offers limited tours that come with an expert Indigenous guide, Tim Patterson. Tim is an Indigenous Interpretive Guide and Educator and a certified ACMG Hiking Guide.
On this tour, not only do you get to explore the glacier on foot, but you also will learn about the Columbia Icefield region from an Indigenous perspective.
These tours run less frequently, but are quite special if you can line up your visit.
They run twice a day on select dates, departing at 9:30 am and 1:30 pm. The available dates for 2026 are June 16th at 1:30 pm, July 3rd at 9:30 am, July 4th at 9:30 am, July 16th at 9:30 am, and Aug 25th at 9:30 am.
Prices
| Tour | Customer | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Half day | Adult (17+) | $131.43, plus 5% GST |
| Half Day | Children (7-16) | $68.62, plus 5% GST |
| Full Day | Adult (17+) | $198.15, plus 5% GST |
| Full Day | Children (7-16) | $96.40, plus 5% GST |
| Indigenous-led | Adult (17+) | $158.00, plus 5% GST |
| Indigenous-led | Children (7-16) | $96.40, plus 5% GST |
Option 4: Higher Viewpoint Along Wilcox Pass Hike
If the view of the glacier(s) is what you're after, a short hike along the Wilcox Pass trail is the best bet for you. You don't need to do the whole trail for the great glacier views. There is a spot within 20 to 30 minutes of starting the trail that offers amazing views of multiple glaciers, and better yet, you have the iconic Canada Parks red Muskoka chairs to complement the views.
The hike up is simple, with no navigation needed and just a steady incline to endure. The red chairs are placed strategically at a cliff section where you can see clearly over the surrounding forest canopy.
There is a small parking lot at the trailhead, but we had no problem finding a spot even during a busy day in August.
The hike is pretty easy, but the path is absolutely riddled with roots, so make sure you watch your footing.
So Which Option Is The Best?
I don't just say this to be democratic. I really don't think there is a clear winner. There are pros and cons to all of them, and it really depends on what you're interested in, how much time and money you're willing to commit to this, and whether you are more of a visual or a tactile person.
For me personally, I loved the free walk-up option. I love a good view, and the view from the free viewpoint is incredible, and you can really easily see the multiple layers of the ice flow as it falls down the mountain. Also, it is free and takes less than an hour.
I will admit, though, getting out on the ice itself through a tour was a really cool experience. There is a lot of waiting around for buses and only a short time on the ice, but it is a tactile experience that will stick with you long after the trip ends. Slipping on the ice, hearing the glacier streams trickling by, and feeling the cold air blowing over the ice and numbing your cheeks is a unique moment that will stick with you.
The Ice Walks tours are pretty interesting, but are a lot more work than sitting on a bus. If you don't shy away from a challenging hike and you have the time to do a full half-day or full-day tour, this is definitely one of the cooler options. Getting up close and personal with the glacier is a rare experience, and with the knowledgeable guides by your side, you will definitely learn a thing or two, especially if you can line it up to join one of the indigenous guided tours.
And the Wilcox Pass viewpoint is perfect for anyone who is just there for the views. It's completely free and it's a pretty quick and easy hike. You get a great high vantage point of several glaciers in the area, and the two iconic red Muskoka chairs are really just the cherry on top.
Final Thoughts
There's no single "right" way to visit the Columbia Icefield. Whether you're after a quick free view, a bucket list walk on the ice, an in-depth guided trek, or a scenic hike with a chair to relax in, there's an option here that fits.
If you're short on time or budget, the free viewpoint delivers a great view of the Athabasca Glacier in under an hour. If you want the classic bucket list experience, the Ice Field Tour gets you out onto the ice with minimal effort, though be ready for some waiting around between buses. For a deeper, more active experience, the Ice Walks tours let you actually trek across the glacier with certified guides, including the option to join an Indigenous-led tour for a different perspective on the area. And if the view is really what you're chasing, the Wilcox Pass hike gives you a stunning vantage point over multiple glaciers for free, red Muskoka chairs included.
Since the Columbia Icefield is just one stop along a route packed with incredible scenery, be sure to check out our full guide to driving the Icefields Parkway for everything else worth seeing along the way.
FAQ
What are the different ways to visit the Columbia Icefield?
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