We really enjoyed our stay here and greatly appreciated the private tour of the Sky Walk and…read moreGlacier which they provided for guests only. That made life much easier and we avoided the crowds. The beds were great and the rooms were nicely appointed. A very special treat at a fair price.

This was a fun excursion that I would highly recommend to anyone who visits the area. You lead up…read moreto the experience driving on the Icefields Parkway, a very cool (no pun intended) experience. We arrived at the visitor center where we had some lunch at the cafeteria while viewing the glacier. There was a lot of anticipation as we were all looking forward to the ride on the ice designed vehicle that can get to speeds of up to eight miles an hour. There are only 23 of these specialized machines designed for glacier travel and 21 of them are located here at the Columbia Icefield and the other 2 are in Antarctica. It's a 6 wheel drive vehicle with 6 monstrous wheels and it can travel up or down a 35 degree incline at at a blazing speed of only 5 mph The other part for me [besides having my wife and great friends to share the experience with] was our fabulous tour guide Riley. She is a wonderful-enthusiastic person. MAKE SURE, you hit the restroom prior to the trip as there are no restrooms on the glacier. We exited the vehicle once we landed on the Athabasca Glacier. We were told to be careful of the puddles, and potholes were clearly marked. I stepped out of the bus into a puddle... So much for listening. Once you're there, you just walk around, enjoy the scenery and snap lots of pictures. I was with Riley snapping many pictures. Again, she is a terrific guide. I walked a glacier 25 year's ago in Alaska and that was fun arriving by helicopter. Again, I highly recommend this tour as it becomes part of the whole Canadian Rockies experience.

The Columbia Icefields Center is the prime spot for getting tickets primarily for the Athabasca…read moreGlacier and Skywalk. You can do either one or a combination of the two. I prebooked through Get your Guide however if you go this route, you still need to check in at the ticket counter to receive a physical copy of your ticket. Both the Glacier and Skywalk tours were worth it. The guides for both itineraries were insightful and on time. The Center itself is big. They have a Starbucks, a nice patio viewing deck that overlooks the Athabasca Glacier (great for photos btw) and a gift shop with restaurant on the premises. I was a little confused as to where to park. I accidentally entered in on the bus drop off side. Drive a little more west, past the facility, to find the public parking area. There is an elevator at ground level but if you choose to, be prepared to walk up a significant number of stairs to get to the entrance since the main entrance/ticket area is on the 2nd floor.

We stayed here after finishing the Glacier Tour and the Sky Walk tour. The inn seems to be able to…read moreaccommodate 30 groups at a time -- we counted and there are 30 rooms available. It is a convenient place to stay after the tours--which are a must Do if you visit the national park. Overall. The price seems expensive for what you get but not when compared to lodging at this national park generally.

Review from Tripadvisor posting…read more----------------------------------------- Located right AT the Columbia Icefield centre is your hotel. You can't miss it! Google this place before you come here so you know you're in the right place and don't end up driving towards the other side of Jasper to find your hotel! (That's obviously not what we did....) We ended up checking in at 1am. The place is super dark. There's not a single street light in the parking lot and with the humongous mountains on both sides, the experience was pretty eerie. There's only one staff member working at that time but he was kind enough to lend us a flashlight so that the rest of the members could disembark and carry our luggage in some light. Although the "hotel" portion is only on the 3rd floor at the Columbia Icefield centre since the first 2 floors are for the centre, our room was two floors. For a 4 people booking, we got a queen sized bed on the bottom and two twin beds upstairs. The place was super comfortable and cozy (perhaps it was the 2am settling down that made me fall asleep so quickly). Despite it having no cell service here, there is wifi at the inn. Just get it from the front desk. I had this fascination that I wanted to see the sun rise at the mountains cause heck, I'm waking up smack dab in the middle of literally the mountains so why not! The day was cloudy with light showers so the view wasn't the same as the beauty we saw the day before :( For breakfast, you'll probably be having it at the second floor cafe unless you're planning on driving out to Banff or Jasper to have breakfast! There's only two places so that's all the options you get. Of course, since this space is open to the people visiting the Columbia Icefield centre, don't expect kind prices. The panini I got in the morning was around $14 and it definitely was not worth it's money. I enjoyed my stay at the hotel. It wasn't a terrible experience but the dining options could be better!

I'm about to see my very first glacier, out in the vast wilderness of the Columbia Icefields, and…read morewhat do I see? A Starbucks! That is both ridiculous, and funny. The Starbucks is part of the larger lodge which also contains a couple of restaurants. The views from the windows or outside on the patio are amazing. They did a great job on my custom chai latte. It might be asking for a lot, but what about a special glacier drink?

Honestly may be silly to review a Starbucks but this is such a great spot for snacks, coffee, and…read moremeals in a pinch after doing the glacier discovery adventure. There also isn't a decent place to eat for an hour so this is awesome. Vegan, veg, and gluten free options with beautiful scenery and amazing service! Super sweet and fast can't recommend enough!

We came in for a quick cafeteria lunch. My husband had a sandwich, I got a veggie burger, friends…read moregot tomato soup, chicken fingers and fries. Lunch was pretty expensive, tasteless & disappointing.

The food here is overpriced and tastes so bland I'd rather eat the snow on top of the mountains…read more The poutine is fire but let this be a warning to not get the chicken sandwich. They only got like 1 server at a time so.? Ok I guess.... It's really clean and cute and they play some nice music so if you want some vibes it's alright

Nice stop for bathrooms or a snack. If you're from the US, try the ketchup Lays potato chips. Small…read moregift shop.

On a bus tour and stopped for a restroom and beverage. It has a restaurant and convenience store…read more There are books about the falls and the surrounding area. It's a nice enough place, but hot chocolate of a machine? Seriously? I know, I sound like an entitled American :( We did not see the actual falls as this stop.

One of my tour guides at the Columbia Field Skywalk recommended I visit Athabasca Falls as one of…read moremy stops so on my return trip from Jasper back to Canmore, I spent some time here. Athabasca Falls is not a tall waterfall however the raw power of the falls is impressive. I was on a viewing platform at least 50 meters above the base and I felt like I was getting showered by the mist because the waterflows were that strong. The trail loop is doable and not strenuous of a walk if you're able bodied. It's definitely worth the visit.

So beautiful! Allot 10+ minutes to explore. Use a GoPro or similar for the best pictures. Outhouses…read moreavailable.

Peyto Lake is a glacier-fed lake in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. The lake itself is…read moreoff the Icefields Parkway. It was named for Bill Peyto, an early trail guide and trapper in the Banff Park. The lake is turquoise it's just spectacular; It looks like it was just painted. It was a spectacular day. We went off the main trail and climbed around here. Unfortunately, they had a photograph of the glacier not too long ago, and we peaked through the window and saw how it is shrinking.

You've got to come to see peyto lake if you're in the area visiting…read more Peyto lake has a beautiful bright blue colour to it that is spectacular to see and makes for great photos. There's main parking lot at the base and then it's about a 10-15 minute hike uphill to the main viewpoint. Warning - some parts are a bit steep on the way up. Tourbuses and those with handicap parking can drive further up the hill for their designated parking lot for a shorter walk to the viewpoint. We opted to drop off older family members at the higher point and then park at the main base to make their hike a bit easier physically. The path is clear and it's a pretty popular place since it's quite short walk to the view point. Definitely recommend making a short stop there to see the beautiful peyto lake.

The Icefields Parkway is along Alberta Highway Route 93 and is not to be missed if you're on your…read moreway to visit Jasper from either Banff or Canmore. The 288-kilometer route through the Canadian Rockies is one of the most scenic routes in the world when it comes to stunning mountain ranges and lake backdrops. I've witnessed this firsthand and am guilty of doing the same but resist the urge to take photos or videos while driving. Use a GoPro or have someone else capture the footage. The beautiful views are distracting and I've seen people swerve while driving trying to get that Gram worthy photo. It's not worth getting into an accident or even worse, lose your life over it. There is one lane for traffic going in and outbound. I guarantee you will encounter a slow poke during your travels through this stretch of road. Oftentimes it's a slow RV or camper. Just overtake when appropriate and use caution. If you run into wildlife, also proceed with caution. Lastly I'll leave you with a few tips... #1) Make sure you have gas. Fill up your gas tank at Lake Louise before entering through the Icefields Parkway a.k.a. Alberta Route 93. There is a second opportunity if you still have about 150km left in your tank to fill up at the Crossing Gas station near the Saskatchewan River Crossing. This will be your last opportunity to get gas. You will be sorry and stranded if you don't do this. If you're ultra paranoid, carry an extra portable fuel tank and fill that up too. #2) There is no cellphone service for a good portion of this highway. Your phone will go dead for the most part and only Emergency SOS calls are allowed with very limited signal. The reason being is due to Parks Canada restricting infrastructure development. Also the Canadian Rockies are protected wilderness. Google maps will still work and get you to your destination but that's pretty much it. #3) Prepare to make unexpected stops and allow for a few hours on top of your expected commute to make it to your destination. As mentioned earlier, there are several breathtaking points of interest along the way that will lure you out of your car and satisfy your wanderlust. Thankfully there are a bunch of overlook rest stops along the way where you can park your car and enjoy the views.

Pretty decent mode of travel; sometimes it can be annoying to be stuck in a slow moving group and…read moreunable to pass. If that happens, pull over at an overlook and take a break.

Visited the Columbia Icefield Skywalk on the way to Jasper and it was a good experience. In order…read moreto access and visit the skywalk, you have to check in and line up at the nearby Discovery center, and take a short shuttle ride to the skywalk location. It's an easy walk from the shuttle stop to the actual skywalk. I will say, if you're scared of heights, it may be best to skip this attraction. The views are quite nice, but I had hoped to get a closer view of the glacier. Customer service was friendly and both shuttle drivers were welcoming and very helpful. Overall, it was a nice experience, but didn't leave a major impression and could be skipped if your schedule is limited. It was quite cold when we visited, so we spent less than an hour before heading back. One area was under repair and closed off, so you could not walk around the entire skywalk area. Pricing is a bit high for what is offered, but it is a tourist attraction. However, I'd recommend visiting if you're interested & it's your first time in the area.

We were here a part of a Rocky Mountaineer Rail tour. After having lunch at the Altitude…read moreRestaurant, we stopped at the Skywalk. It was early in the season, so there were very other people visiting. There a long walk from the bus drop off to the actual skywalk. To me that is a very good design. It cuts down the the congestion of large crowds, and also allow the curation of other information about the geology, wildlife and history. There were park rangers narrating some of the displays. The skywalk itself if amazing. Not only is it impressive from an engineering perspective, but the views are amazing. It might seem scary at first, but once you set foot on it, and realize how well built it is, your confidence will urge you forward. It's literally breathtaking. After the tour, they did a nice job of providing a instagram photo op, and the guides are happy to help you with picture taking. Definitely a bonus if you are out this way.