Banff & The Icefields Parkway | Small Group Full Day Adventure

Icefields Parkway

Widely regarded as the most scenic driving road in the entire world, the Icefields Parkway is punctuated by more than 100 ancient glaciers, cascading waterfalls, dramatic rock spires, and emerald lakes set in sweeping valleys of thick pine and larch forests. The abundance of wildlife in Jasper National Park and Banff National Park will have you peering around every turn. So as we take our time to explore, stop for a short hike or two to a breath-taking view point, capture that stunning photo to share with friends and enjoy a roadside picnic amidst the splendour of the Canadian Rockies pristine wilderness, you can be rest assured that you're clocking the Icefields Parkway the right way! We'll explore all the locations below, plus a handful of other locals secret spots that are well and truly worthy of your Instagram story! Along the way at around 12:30, we'll stop at our favourite picnic spot with incredible sweeping mountain & valley views for lunch!

Bow Lake

The neon blue Bow Lake is the headwaters of the Bow River, that big beauty of a river that you'll see running through Lake Louise, Banff, Calgary and across the country until it hits Hudson Bay all the way out in the east of Canada! The lake lines the Icefields Parkway and makes a perfect place to go for a walk down to the lake shore to see Crowfoot Glacier, Wapta Icefield, Bow Glacier, Crowfoot Mountain and Mount Thompson.

Duration: 30 minutes

Peyto Lake

The incredibly shaped glacier-fed Peyto Lake is one of the most visited and photographed lakes in the Canadian Rockies for good reason. During the summer, glacial rock flour flows into the lake and these suspended rock particles give the lake its bright, turquoise colour. We'll take an easy walk to view the lake from Bow Summit, 2,088 metres (6,800 feet) above sea level. Bow Summit is the highest point on the Icefields Parkway and is the highest elevation crossed by a public road in Canada.

Duration: 30 minutes

Mistaya Canyon

Mistaya Canyon is a real hidden & scenic gem on the Icefields Parkway. Sculpted by the rushing water of the Mistaya River, which originates from Peyto Lake to the southeast, this deep slot canyon features curvy limestone walls and eroded pothole depressions. It's just a short walk to experience this beauty of a place.

Duration: 40 minutes

Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre

Just as the name implies these glaciers or “fields of ice” straddle Banff National Park and Jasper National Park and are the largest south of the Arctic Circle! They are 325km2 in area and 100 to 365 metres (328 to 1,197 ft) in depth and receives up to seven metres (275 in) of snowfall per year. Here we can walk right up to the foot of the retreating glacier and explore the area, following the path of the glaciers through the years. Please note, this tour does not include the Skywalk or Icefields bus trip. Instead, we show our guests local secrets and viewpoints of the glaciers via the easygoing trail system, escaping the crowds and giving you a more authentic experience.

Duration: 1 hour

Weeping Wall

A mountain that cries?! Located at Cirrus Mountain, the Weeping Wall resembles a mountain with a river of tears. More than 100 metres high (330 feet) water cascades in a series of jaw dropping waterfalls.

Duration: 15 minutes