Glacier Skywalk Overview

Take in the incredible landscape of Jasper National Park from high up with this visit to the Glacier Skywalk and transfer from Columbia Icefield. Feel the adrenaline rush of stepping out onto the glass-bottomed, 1,312-foot long (400-meter) walkway, perched 1,000 feet (304 meters) above the floor of the Sunwapta Valley, offering unobstructed vistas of the snow-capped mountains and valleys beyond.

Booking the Glacier Skywalk

- Admission to the Glacier Skywalk in Jasper National Park
- Admire panoramic views of glacial valleys and snow-capped peaks
- Learn about the geology, ecology, biology and Aboriginal history of the glacial region from the interpretive displays that line the Skywalk
- Feel your heart pound as you stand almost 1,000 feet above the valley floor on the glass-bottomed platform
- Enjoy the stunning drive from Jasper to the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre along the Icefields Parkway. Book the Glacier Skywalk

What is Included in the Glacier Skywalk

- Scenic transfer by coach to the Glacier Skywalk from Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre

Columbia Icefield Glacier Skywalk

Enjoy the breathtaking views (and breathtaking walk) out on the Glacier Skywalk, a glass-bottomed walkway situated 1,000 feet above the valley below. This unique viewing platform is the perfect spot to take your Alberta visit to new heights with incredible views and fascinating on-site exhibits.

Travel on your own along the Icefields Parkway – one of the most stunning highways in the world, with views of more than 100 glaciers and other alpine landscapes, before arriving at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre, where your Glacier Skywalk experience begins. Board your coach for the quick five-minute transfer to the Glacier Skywalk, after which you’ll have plenty of time to explore the site at your leisure. It’s recommended you allow at least 45 minutes, though you’re free to stay at the site until closing time, when the last coach returns to the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre.

Step out onto this incredible glass-bottomed viewing platform (called Discovery Vista) feeling your heart pump as you take in the amazing views of the nearby glacial valleys and snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies. If you’re looking for more to do while on-site, check out the Discovery Trail, offering interpretive displays on the region’s geology, biology, ecology and Aboriginal history, plus a walk along a cliff-edge boardwalk with great views of the valley.

Book the Glacier Skywalk

Columbia Icefield Skywalk

Step out on a cliff-edge walkway where giant glaciers perch above you and the spectacular Sunwapta Valley spreads out below. The Columbia Icefield Skywalk experience features waterfalls, wildlife, fossils and more on an exciting 1-kilometre walkway that leads to a platform where glass is all that separates you from a 918-foot (280 m) drop. The walk is presented in an interpretive storytelling format that will connect you to the natural world in a deep and meaningful way. Book the Glacier Skywalk

Glacier Skywalk and Athabasca Glacier Tour from Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre

Combine the Glacier Skywalk and the Athabasca Glacier tour from the Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre. Ride in a huge ice explorer for a guided tour of the glacier and listen to engaging commentary about glaciers, the local ecosystem, and environmental changes. Then walk on the glass-bottom Skywalk for photo-worthy views over the cliff's edge.

Book Glacier Skywalk and Athabasca Glacier Tour

Glacier Skywalk and Athabasca Glacier Tour

- Ice explorer tour to Athabasca Glacier with visit to the Glacier Skywalk
- Narrated tour of the Columbia Icefield on a rugged ice explorer vehicle
- Stop to walk along the glacier
- Access to the glass-bottom Glacier Skywalk
- Guided drive to Athabasca Glacier
- Access to Glacier Skywalk

Glacier Skywalk and Athabasca Glacier Tour Itinerary

Departure Point
Athabasca Glacier
Athabasca Glacier, Alberta T0E 1E0, Canada
Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Center. Latitude 52°13.220 N and Longitude 117°13.441 W.

Departure Times
Athabasca Glacier Tour 2026
Monday - Sunday: 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

Return Details The Glacier Skywalk and Athabasca Glacier Tour will end where it started.

The Glacier Skywalk and Athabasca Glacier tour departs from the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre; tours depart every 15 to 30 minutes, and your ticket is valid for any departure on the day you select.

Climb aboard a specialized ice explorer, an enormous, rugged vehicle built to handle the glacial terrain. As you travel through the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies, listen to your guide's informative commentary.

Pass sights such as the Weeping Wall, Crowfoot Glacier, Peyto Lake, and Bow Lake on what is widely considered one of Canada's most scenic drives.

At the Athabasca Glacier, you can walk along the glacier, where you can even fill up your water bottle with pure, pristine snowmelt.

On the return trip, stop at the Glacier Skywalk for refreshments and walk along the glass-bottom walkway out over the cliff's edge. Then, back to the ice explorer for the final drive back to the Discovery Center and a return to your vehicle.

Book Glacier Skywalk and Athabasca Glacier Tour

Jasper, Columbia Icefield, Maligne Lake 2 Day tour Overview

Fascinating 2-day guided tour exploring Banff & Jasper National Parks of Canada. Transparent travel itinerary, ensuring you a productive and pleasant tour during your visit to natural gems in Banff and Jasper National Parks, Columbia Icefield's Athabasca Glacier and Jasper's Beautiful Maligne Lake. Enjoy visiting Ancient Glaciers along the World Famous Icefields Parkway! Book Jasper, Columbia Icefield, Maligne Lake 2 Day Tour

What is Included in the Jasper, Columbia Icefield, Maligne Lake 2 Day Tour

- Breakfast
- Air-conditioned Banff - Jasper Columbia Icefield tour vehicles
- GST (Goods and Services Tax)
- Hotel accommodations - standard room
- Bilingual Tour Guide (English and Chinese)
- Admission for Banff and Jasper National Parks
- Traffic Accident Insurance
- NOTE: The sequence of itineraries is subject to change without prior notice. Book Jasper, Columbia Icefield, Maligne Lake 2 Day Tour

Jasper, Columbia Icefield, Maligne Lake 2 Day Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Calgary - Columbia Icefield - Jasper

7 Stops
Crowfoot Glacier
Attached to the Northeast side of the Crowfoot Mountain and overlooking the Bow Lake lies the Crowfoot Glacier. This huge mass of ice was named a century ago because its appearance resembled that of a three-toed crowfoot. Be sure to take lots of photos because the next time you visit Crowfoot Glacier, it might not look the same anymore!
Duration: 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Free

Bow Lake
Bow Lake is a bright turquoise color which is due to the glacial runoff from Bow Glacier. Historical Simpson's Num-Ti-Jah is located on the shores of Bow Lake at the foot of Mount Jimmy Simpson.
Duration: 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Free

Icefields Parkway
Joining the hamlet of Lake Louise in Banff with the Town of Jasper in Jasper National Park is one of the most scenic highways in the world.. The "Icefields Parkway". Along the 230 km mountain road, every corner on the Icefields Parkway reveals another one of nature’s splendor, from the ancient glaciers and cascading waterfalls to the vivid colours of lakes and lush forests. Many stops along the Icefields Parkway deserve a stop.
Duration: 45 minutes
Admission Ticket Free

Peyto Lake
Stop at Peyto Lake for its beautiful shape like a Maple Leaf. (If Peyto Lake area is under maintenance or other force majeure, we will go to Waterflow Lake as an alternative attraction)
Duration: 20 minutes
Admission Ticket Free

Columbia Ice Field
Columbia Icefield is the largest ancient icefield in the Canadian Rockies. A ride on the Ice Explorer (additional charges) to explore Athabasca Glacier. Discover a different perspective of the remarkable scenery as you peer into what seems like the heart of the planet through a glass-bottomed Skywalk (additional charges). The Columbia Icefields Skywalk arches out away from the building approximately 280 m above the valley floor, offering an amazing mountainous view of Sunwapta Valley on either side of the skywalk and directly beneath you.
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (2 activity Sightseeing: 150 mins)
Admission Ticket Free

Athabasca Falls
Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park is not the highest or widest waterfall in the Canadian Rockies but it is the most powerful.
Duration: 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Free

Jasper National Park
Drive to Town of Jasper, the simple folk style, vast space that makes us return to nature. Jasper National Park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Accommodation: Overnight in Jasper
Meals: Not Included
Admission Ticket Free



Day 2

Jasper National Park - Maligne Lake - Maligne Canyon

4 Stops
Medicine Lake
Medicine Lake, also known as "the lake that disappears" is located 20 km southeast of the town of Jasper. Medicine lake is a 7 km long narrow lake that is formed by the Maligne River. Interesting enough, the lake loses water as it flows. Why is that you may ask? When the water is on its way to merge with the Athabasca River, it reaches the medicine lake area, and pools up to form the Lake over the largest inaccessible limestone cave system.
Admission Ticket Free

Maligne Lake
22km long, majestic Maligne Lake is the second-largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies. Discover the world-famous Spirit Island only accessible by boat, on a cruise that has been running for over 60 years in Jasper. The Maligne Lake Cruise (additional charges) was once declared the "Best Boat Cruise in Canada" by 8 million Reader Digest subscribers. (Seasonal/*Alternative attraction: Pyramid Lake, Patricia Lake *). Spirit Island is a spiritual place for the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, who believe mountains are physical representations of their ancestors.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Included

Maligne Canyon
Explore Maligne Canyon, located 1.8 km past the Jasper exit. Maligne Canyon is the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park. You will not regret exploring this remarkable natural landmark by crossing six bridges built across several different points of the canyon. Every bridge gives you an all-new perspective of the canyon and are all photo taking opportunities you do not want to miss.
Duration: 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Free

Sasketchawan River Crossing
South of the Icefield Avenue, in addition to the beautiful scenery of the Rocky Mountains, the Saskatchewan River Crossing is an interesting place to stop for a short rest. This place was named The Crossing because back in the 19th century, travelers and fur traders would use this spot to cross the North Saskatchewan River on their way to the beautiful province of British Columbia.
Duration: 15 minutes
Admission Ticket Free
Accommodation: Not Included
Meals: Breakfast Book Jasper, Columbia Icefield, Maligne Lake 2 Day Tour

Wildlife You might Encounter near the Columbia Icefields Skywalk

Wildlife Near the Columbia Icefield Skywalk
The Columbia Icefield Skywalk sits above the dramatic Sunwapta Valley in Jasper National Park, surrounded by steep cliffs, rocky alpine terrain and subalpine habitat. This rugged landscape is particularly important for mountain goats and bighorn sheep, although many other Rocky Mountain species inhabit the broader Icefields Parkway region.

Mountain Goats
Mountain goats are the wildlife species most closely associated with the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. The steep cliffs around the Sunwapta Canyon and Skywalk provide excellent escape terrain where goats can move across exceptionally rugged slopes to avoid predators. Mountain goats have been specifically monitored around the Skywalk because the surrounding cliffs and wildlife trails form established habitat. Parks Canada identifies the Sunwapta Canyon and Columbia Icefield Skywalk viewpoint as an area where significant visitor use overlaps mountain goat habitat.

Mountain Goat Kids
Early summer is an especially important period for mountain goats because females may be accompanied by young kids. The rugged cliffs provide protective terrain where females and their offspring can escape predators. If goats are present, visitors may occasionally have an opportunity to observe family groups from a considerable distance.

Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn sheep also inhabit the mountainous terrain surrounding the Skywalk and Sunwapta Valley. Unlike the white-coated mountain goat, bighorn sheep have sandy-brown coats and white rumps, while mature rams develop massive curved horns. Bighorn sheep favour grassy slopes near rocky escape terrain and are found throughout the Icefields Parkway corridor.

Grizzly Bears
Grizzly bears inhabit the broader Jasper National Park landscape and can travel through valleys and mountain environments surrounding the Columbia Icefield region. Bears generally use lower elevations more extensively during spring and early summer before following seasonal food sources into different habitats. Seeing one from the Skywalk itself would be unpredictable rather than something visitors should expect.

Black Bears
Black bears are also found within Jasper National Park. Forested sections of the Icefields Parkway provide considerably more typical black bear habitat than the exposed cliffs immediately surrounding the Skywalk. Bears are most commonly observed in Jasper's valley bottoms during spring and early summer.

Elk
Elk are widespread within Jasper National Park but are more strongly associated with productive valley bottoms, open meadows and forest edges than the steep terrain immediately around the Skywalk. Visitors travelling north toward Jasper have a greater chance of encountering elk as the Icefields Parkway descends into broader forested valleys.

Mule Deer
Mule deer inhabit Jasper's valleys, forests and open slopes. They may be encountered while travelling the Icefields Parkway, although the exposed cliffs surrounding the Skywalk are not among the park's most typical deer-viewing environments.

Moose
Moose occur within Jasper National Park but generally prefer wetlands, willow flats, lakeshores and productive valley-bottom environments. They are therefore considerably less characteristic of the immediate Skywalk landscape than mountain goats or bighorn sheep.

Wolves
Wolves inhabit Jasper National Park and travel across extremely large territories. They can move through valleys throughout the broader Icefields Parkway region while following prey, but seeing a wolf near the Columbia Icefield Skywalk would be an uncommon wildlife encounter.

Coyotes
Coyotes occur throughout Jasper and are generally more readily encountered than wolves. They use valleys, meadows and open terrain while hunting rodents and other small animals. They are more likely to be noticed while travelling along the Icefields Parkway than from the Skywalk itself.

Hoary Marmots
Hoary marmots are well adapted to rocky alpine and subalpine environments. They inhabit talus slopes, rocky meadows and mountainous areas throughout the Canadian Rockies. Visitors exploring suitable higher-elevation areas around the Columbia Icefield region may occasionally hear their distinctive whistles.

American Pikas
American pikas are small mountain mammals associated with cool rocky environments and talus slopes. Their colouring allows them to disappear remarkably well among rocks, so their sharp calls may reveal their presence before they are actually seen.

Golden Eagles
The cliffs and broad mountain valleys surrounding the Skywalk provide excellent places to watch the sky for large birds of prey. Golden eagles inhabit mountainous environments and may occasionally be observed soaring high above valleys and ridgelines.

Ravens
Common ravens are among the more noticeable birds of the high mountain environment. Their large size, dark plumage and aerial manoeuvres make them relatively easy to recognize as they soar around cliffs and valleys.

Best Wildlife to Look for From the Skywalk
Mountain goats should be at the top of the wildlife list. Carefully scan the steep cliffs, rocky ledges and slopes above and below the Skywalk rather than looking only toward the distant mountains. Bighorn sheep are another important possibility. The area's wildlife monitoring has specifically documented both species using terrain around the Skywalk.

Wildlife Along the Icefields Parkway Near the Skywalk
The drive surrounding the Columbia Icefield Skywalk can provide more varied wildlife opportunities than the attraction itself. Bighorn sheep are frequently associated with sections of the Icefields Parkway around Tangle Falls, while mountain goats occur at several locations along the highway. Forested valleys farther north provide habitat for elk, deer, bears and other mammals.

Why Mountain Goats Like the Skywalk Area
The extremely steep landscape is one of the main reasons mountain goats use this area. Rocky cliffs provide escape terrain that makes it difficult for many predators to pursue them. Long-term monitoring around the Skywalk has documented goats using cliffs and wildlife trails around the Sunwapta Canyon area.

Wildlife Viewing Safety
Wildlife around the Columbia Icefield and Icefields Parkway remains completely wild. Animals should never be approached, followed or fed. Particular care should be taken around roadside animals, where stopping vehicles and crowds can create dangerous situations for both wildlife and visitors.

Why the Columbia Icefield Skywalk Is Interesting for Wildlife
What makes the Skywalk unusual is that visitors are standing immediately beside genuine high-elevation wildlife habitat. The cliffs are not simply scenery - they form part of an established mountain goat and bighorn sheep landscape. The combination of Sunwapta Canyon, exposed rock, alpine slopes and the enormous surrounding mountain wilderness makes wildlife another fascinating element of the Columbia Icefield Skywalk experience.