Columbia Icefield Skywalk — Attraction in Alberta

We visited the Columbia Icefield and Skywalk on a rainy weekday in July and were glad we pre-purchased our tickets through Pursuit. Highly recommend doing the same—it was packed, and we didn’t see any availability for walk-ons. Even poor weather didn’t reduce the crowds.

We chose a 10:00 AM tour, and that early time was a smart move. It only got busier as the day went on, and by the afternoon, the massive parking lot (which fits all types of vehicles, including RVs) was visibly fuller. Definitely book early and arrive early.

The tour is well-organized with clean buses transferring you from the Columbia Icefield Centre to the Ice Explorer vehicles (those giant glacier buses). The ride up was bumpy but super fun! Our guide was knowledgeable and engaging—sharing facts about the melt rate of the Athabasca Glacier, which has receded over 100 metres since we were last here in 2003. It was wild to compare with old photos.

We had about a half hour to walk on the glacier, take photos, and even taste the glacier water—bring a water bottle or cup if you want to try it! It’s cold, fresh, and such a unique experience.

The Skywalk was included in our ticket, but it was a bit underwhelming. It's a self-guided walk along the Sunwapta Canyon to a glass platform. It’s well built and very safe (not fully suspended), so it might be great for those who are a little nervous about heights. But for us, the glacier experience was definitely the highlight.

We grabbed lunch at the Columbia Icefield Centre’s grab-and-go café—quick and efficient, but pricey. Expect to pay around $16 per sandwich. There’s also a sit-down restaurant if you want more options. Afterward, we browsed the gift shop, where our teen grabbed a hoodie (they had a buy one, get one half off deal—$80 for one, or $60 each if you buy two).

Tips:

🕘 Go early in the day. 🎟️ Prepurchase your tickets—do not rely on walk-up. 💧 Bring a reusable water bottle to try glacier water. 💵 Budget extra for food and souvenirs—they’re tourist-priced. ☁️ Tours run in all weather, and there are no refunds for rain or fog—so bring a raincoat just in case.

Overall, it's a unique, bucket-list Canadian Rockies experience. Just come prepared—and expect to leave with a lighter wallet but...

The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is a glass-floored platform that juts out 918 feet over the stunning Sunwapta Valley in Jasper, AB, deep in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. The costs about: -Adults: $36 (CAD) -Children: $18 (CAD) -Kids under 5: Free

The begins at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre, where to book a ticket and take a bus that will transport you to and from the Skywalk. The Skywalk itself is quite the experience - while I will be honest in saying that it is not quite as impressive in person as it looks in the photographs used in advertising - it will still get your adrenaline pumping. The recommended time to spend at the Skywalk is about an hour. We only spent about 45 minutes in total at the Skywalk, but it all depends on how much you're hoping to get out of your experience. For me, standing on a glass platform nearly 1,000 feet above the valley was slightly terrifying at first, but after a few minutes I built up the courage to walk out to the middle of the Skywalk. We were lucky to be visiting at a time that wasn't super busy, which meant that we could snap some fantastic photos, but be prepared that your photos will likely have throngs of tourists in the background as this is a very popular attraction.

I'd say that the Skywalk experience was worthwhile, however you may want to include a few other activities if you're making the long drive in from a place like Edmonton. The trip from Edmonton is almost 8 hours of driving, and if the Skywalk was the only thing you drove out to see, you may find yourself slightly underwhelmed. However, it is definitely worth a visit if you've got another reason to...

Not worth for the price paid and time spent. There is no exceptional view or experience as illustrated in the website. In the website, it shows that skywalk is closer to glacier or over the glacier but it is just next to main road. You can get the same view and photos free if you stop on the road. Very crowded. It was 1km length of walk but actual glass walk is very short. Probably 200-300 meters. 1 km is from the beginning which is just a walk. This is exactly turning a free look out point into a tourist trap to grab money.

We purchased skywalk ticket as no tickets were available for icefield adventure online. When we were at the location, we inquired about availability and there were tickets available for the icefield adventure. Hence, we request to exchange our ticket (basically get the ticket for both skywalk+ icefield adventure instead of skywalk ticket we purchased earlier) however, the girl in sales counter was not flexible at all and she emphasized that we had to buy ticket for icefield adventure which includes skywalk but no deduction can be made for the skywalk ticket already purchased. This is really a scam. We decide not to do icefield adventure and only to do skywalk which is an excellent decision. Because skywalk it a such a disappointment and we were sure that icefield adventure would be the same.

More importantly, you can go closer to glacier free of charge through park Canada entrance and it has free parking. So instead of paying high fee for this experience, enjoy glacier free and you will be amazed...