Honest review of the Columbia Icefield Skywalk: what the experience involves, how much it costs, and whether it's worth it on the Icefields Parkway.

Columbia Icefield Skywalk: is it worth it?

Quick answer

Is the Columbia Icefield Skywalk worth it?

For most visitors, yes — especially combined with the Glacier Adventure (Athabasca Glacier bus tour). The Skywalk is a 15-minute walk on a glass-floored cantilevered walkway above the Sunwapta Valley with icefield views. The experience is short but visually dramatic. Combination tickets with the Glacier Adventure offer better value than either alone.

The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is a glass-floored, cantilevered observation walkway that extends over the Sunwapta Valley 280 metres above the valley floor, directly opposite the Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca Glacier tongue. When Pursuit (the operator) opened it in 2014, it generated both excitement and scepticism — another glassy platform, another “thrilling” viewpoint requiring the usual courage narrative. Several years of visitor experience have clarified where it actually sits: a genuinely impressive vantage point with a reasonable price point that works well as part of a broader Columbia Icefield day.

This guide answers the question visitors ask most: is it worth it — and in what context?

What the Skywalk is

The Skywalk is a 1-km accessible path that leads from a staging area off the Icefields Parkway to a glass-floored, U-shaped viewing platform cantilevered over the valley edge. The structure is engineered to withstand the severe weather conditions of the Icefields Parkway and is open (conditions permitting) from May through October.

The glass floor: The glass sections are laminated safety glass rated to hold multiple times the typical load. They are perfectly transparent — the effect of looking straight down through 280 m of air to the valley floor below is genuinely vertiginous. Most visitors spend 2–5 minutes on the glass section before moving to the railings.

The view: The Skywalk faces directly across the Sunwapta Valley toward the Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefield above it. The glacier tongue is clearly visible from the platform; the icefield’s broader extent is framed by surrounding peaks. The sense of scale — from the platform height and the width of the valley — is more apparent than from the road level.

Interpretation: The path to the Skywalk is lined with interpretive panels about glacier dynamics, ice age geology, and climate change. These are well-designed and genuinely informative — visitors who read them emerge with a meaningfully better understanding of what they are looking at.

Duration: Plan 30–45 minutes total including the walk from the bus drop-off and time on the platform.

How to get there

The Skywalk is not directly accessible by private car. Access is via a shuttle bus from the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre, located on Highway 93 (Icefields Parkway) approximately 103 km south of Jasper and 230 km north of Banff.

Shuttle: Buses run from the Discovery Centre to the Skywalk staging area. The shuttle is included in the Skywalk ticket price.

Driving to the Discovery Centre: The Discovery Centre has a large parking area (free). It sits immediately off the highway, well-signed from both directions.

Pricing and tickets

Pursuit operates the Skywalk and offers it both as a standalone experience and in combination with the Glacier Adventure (Athabasca Glacier bus tour).

Approximate 2025 pricing:

  • Skywalk only: CAD $36 adults, CAD $24 youth (6–15)
  • Glacier Adventure only: CAD $64 adults, CAD $42 youth
  • Glacier Adventure + Skywalk combination: CAD $90 adults, CAD $58 youth
  • Children under 6: Free

Combination tickets represent substantially better value than purchasing separately. The price difference between standalone and combination is small relative to the added experience.

Booking: Tickets can be purchased at the Discovery Centre on the day (subject to availability) or in advance online through the Pursuit/Columbia Icefield website. Advance booking is recommended for peak season (July–August), particularly for specific time slots.

Parks Canada entry: A valid Parks Canada Discovery Pass is required for park entry separately from attraction tickets. The Discovery Centre sits within Jasper National Park.

Book Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure and Skywalk experiences

The Glacier Adventure: what to combine it with

The Glacier Adventure is the companion experience at the Columbia Icefield — a guided tour onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier in large Ice Explorer vehicles (purpose-built bus-trucks with oversized wheels designed for glacier travel). The tour drives from the Discovery Centre across the terminal moraine and onto the glacier surface, stopping for a 20-minute walking period on the ice itself.

What the Glacier Adventure adds:

  • Scale: Standing on the glacier ice surrounded by the icefield gives a completely different sense of scale from any viewpoint
  • Tactile experience: Touching and tasting glacial ice directly (the meltwater is clean and cold)
  • Guide commentary: The Ice Explorers are narrated by trained guides who explain glacier dynamics, climate change evidence, and the specific history of the Athabasca Glacier’s retreat
  • Photographs: The opportunity to photograph the glacier from its surface — looking out toward the valley, or looking up at the ice faces — is distinctive

The combination logic: The Skywalk provides the high-level aerial perspective; the Glacier Adventure provides the ground-level immersive perspective. Together, they give visitors a comprehensive experience of the Columbia Icefield from two complementary viewpoints. Most visitors who skip one or the other report wishing they had done both.

Honest assessment: is the Skywalk worth it?

Yes, in context. Specifically:

Worth it if: You are doing the Glacier Adventure and the combination ticket price is offered. The Skywalk adds a genuinely different perspective and the interpretive content is valuable. At the combination price, the incremental cost per unit of experience is very reasonable.

Worth it if: You are visiting the Columbia Icefield area and want a dramatic viewpoint with minimal physical effort. The Skywalk is fully accessible (paved path, no elevation gain) and the view is impressive. It is a legitimate experience, not a gimmick.

Potentially not worth it if: You are hiking Wilcox Pass on the same day — the free view from the pass (at similar or greater drama) may make the paid Skywalk feel redundant. Budget-conscious visitors might choose one or the other.

Potentially not worth it if: You have severe fear of heights and the glass floor is your primary expected experience. The glass section is 10–15 metres and many visitors find it less intimidating than expected. But if heights create genuine distress, the view from the railing sections (no glass underfoot) is good but not distinctively different from roadside viewpoints.

The Discovery Centre

The Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre itself is free to enter (park entry required). It includes:

  • Exhibition space on glacier science and climate change
  • Restaurant and cafeteria (good quality by highway standards)
  • Gift shop
  • Washrooms and facilities
  • Viewing areas facing the Athabasca Glacier toe

The Centre is a legitimate stop independent of paid attractions — the glacier is visible from the viewing areas, the restaurant is a practical lunch stop on the parkway, and the exhibition is informative.

Driving the Icefields Parkway

The Columbia Icefield sits at the midpoint of the Icefields Parkway, one of the world’s great scenic drives. The full Banff-to-Jasper route (230 km) passes through terrain that has no equal in accessible scenic driving — waterfalls, glaciers, wildlife, and 3,000-metre peaks for over 3 hours of driving.

The typical plan for a Columbia Icefield day:

  • Drive the parkway north from Banff or Lake Louise (allow 2.5–3 hours to the Discovery Centre)
  • Glacier Adventure and/or Skywalk (2–3 hours)
  • Continue to Jasper (1.5 hours from the icefield)

Or reverse from Jasper with a stop at the icefield before proceeding south. Most visitors do the parkway as a one-way drive with accommodation on both ends.

See our Wilcox Pass hike guide for a free complement to the icefield experience from above, accessible 3 km south of the Discovery Centre.

Frequently asked questions about Columbia Icefield Skywalk: is it worth it?

Can I walk to the Athabasca Glacier without a ticket?

The glacier toe is accessible from the highway on foot (free), but you cannot walk onto the glacier surface without the Ice Explorer tour — the ice surface has crevasse hazards that require guide management. A free path from the highway parking area leads to the marked glacier terminus point. You can touch the ice at the very edge without a ticket; the glacier surface tour requires the Glacier Adventure booking.

How long should I budget for the Columbia Icefield?

Allow 3–4 hours for the combination of Discovery Centre, Glacier Adventure, and Skywalk. This is enough time to experience both without rushing but not so long that it dominates your day. Leave time for the Wilcox Pass hike (2–3 hours additional) if conditions and energy allow.

Is the Skywalk accessible for wheelchairs and strollers?

Yes. The Skywalk path is paved and accessible for wheelchairs and strollers throughout. The Discovery Centre is fully accessible. The Glacier Adventure Ice Explorer vehicles have steps and are not wheelchair-accessible; contact Pursuit directly regarding accessibility accommodation.

What time does the Columbia Icefield area open?

The Glacier Discovery Centre opens at 9 am (summer hours). First Glacier Adventure departures are approximately 9:30 am. Arriving at opening time minimises wait time for tickets and tours. Midday periods on summer weekends are the most congested.

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