Experience exclusive, crowd-free access to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, a cliff-edge walkway with a glass-floored platform suspended high above the Sunwapta Valley. Look straight through to waterfalls, forests and the braided river far below.

Interpretive displays illuminate the area’s geology, wildlife corridors and glacial story while alpine stillness settles over the valley. The lingering evening light and wide-open views of peaks and ice set a contemplative tone rarely possible during regular hours.

Step aboard a purpose-built Ice Explorer for early access onto the Athabasca Glacier, reaching the ancient ice before most visitors arrive. Under the guidance of a Local Specialist, feel the textured surface beneath your boots and breathe the crisp alpine air.

Hear how this tongue of the Columbia Icefield advances and retreats, feeding distant watersheds. The quiet of morning and close-up encounters with crevasses and blue ice turn a scenic vista into a vivid, tactile experience.

Explore Yoho’s twin marvels: the Lower Spiral Tunnels, an early 20th-century engineering feat that tames the Kicking Horse Pass, and the towering Takakkaw Falls, plunging 373 m (1,224 ft) in a fine mist.

Learn how helical rail tunnels solved a treacherous grade for transcontinental trains, then feel the cool spray at a cascade whose Cree name means “it is magnificent.” Alpine cliffs, larches and glacier-fed torrents frame every viewpoint. Takakkaw access is seasonal.

Gaze over intensely turquoise Moraine Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, where rock flour suspended in the water creates striking color even on overcast days. Short paths lead to classic lookouts ideal for wide-angle photography.

Hear how glaciers, avalanches and seasonal snowmelt shape the lake’s hue and level. The interplay of soaring peaks and mirrored water makes this a signature Rockies scene and a favorite spot to pause for photos and reflection. Access is seasonal.

Dine at the storied Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise with uninterrupted views of turquoise water and the Victoria Glacier. Savor regional ingredients as sunlight drifts across the amphitheater of peaks.

Learn how rail-era explorers and mountaineers helped place Lake Louise on the world map. This is a rare chance to pair a refined Canadian menu with one of the Rockies’ most celebrated vistas, capturing photographs between courses from the promenade.

Discover Banff’s best vantage points, from the wind-carved Hoodoos above the Bow River to Surprise Corner, where the castle-like Fairmont Banff Springs appears across a bend in the forest.

Hear about the region’s glacial geology and the tourism boom that followed the Canadian Pacific Railway. With photo stops framed by peaks and river valleys, these overlooks showcase the interplay of rugged wilderness and elegant alpine architecture.

Walk the trails with an Indigenous Local Specialist to identify healing and edible plants used for millennia. Participate in a respectful tobacco smudging ceremony, a ritual of purification and gratitude offered to the land and ancestors.

Hear stories connecting wildlife and medicine—how bears, beavers and ravens figure in teachings that guide stewardship. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER experience deepens understanding of traditional ecological knowledge and today’s efforts to sustain living cultural practices.

Choose to explore the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, delving into art, artifacts and photography that trace mountain life and lore. Galleries and heritage homes illuminate the evolving relationship between people and peaks.

Founded by artists Peter and Catharine Whyte, the museum encourages dialogue on environment and culture. Expect thoughtful curation, compelling alpine stories and opportunities to reflect on how creativity has long interpreted these storied landscapes. Offered as part of your included choice in Banff.

Opt to join a hotel ambassador for a heritage tour of the Fairmont Banff Springs, a railway-era grand hotel famed for its Scottish baronial architecture. Corridors, ballrooms and terraces reveal tales of royals, mountaineers and film stars.

Opened in 1888, the hotel helped define alpine resort culture in North America. Learn how geology, hot springs and the railway intersected to create a legend—and appreciate panoramic Bow Valley views from this storied perch. Offered as part of your included choice in Banff.

Unwind at an exclusive evening reception at Glacier View Lodge, where cocktails and canapés accompany floor-to-ceiling views of the Columbia Icefield. Step onto the terrace as alpenglow fades to indigo over the surrounding ranges.

With Jasper National Park’s Dark Sky credentials nearby, conditions often favor brilliant constellations. Settle into the library or viewing deck to savor the hush of night and skyline silhouettes of ice and stone.

Drift along the gentle Athabasca River on a guided float, watching for elk on the banks and eagles riding thermals above forested slopes. Calm riffles and wide bends make this a relaxing way to absorb Jasper’s panoramas.

Your guide shares river history and wildlife insights as peaks reflect in the current. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to weather and seasonal water levels.

Ride the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for 360-degree views of the Bow Valley, glacial peaks and river bends. Boardwalks fan out to Sanson Peak and interpretive exhibits enrich the scenery.

Time your visit for soft evening light or crisp morning clarity—either way, the vantage is superb for photography and quiet contemplation. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Traverse the legendary Icefields Parkway, one of the world’s great mountain roads, where glacier-fed lakes, hanging valleys and serrated peaks fill every window. Your driver-guided journey reveals turquoise Bow and Peyto waters, sunlit meadows and distant icefalls that tumble toward the forest.

Gain perspective at viewpoints facing the vast Columbia Icefield, a rare hydrological apex that feeds three oceans. Learn how ice and time sculpted the Rockies and pause for photos and reflection amid sweeping summits and ever-changing alpine light.

Cruise the serene waters of Maligne Lake on a narrated voyage through a corridor of snow-streaked mountains and spruce-scented air. Glide over milky-blue depths colored by glacial silt as panoramas widen around every bend.

Disembark near Spirit Island, an icon of Jasper National Park accessible only by boat. Hear stories of the Stoney Nakoda name for these waters and frame photographs of jagged peaks and mirrored reflections. Operates seasonally, typically late spring to early fall.

Visit thundering Athabasca Falls, where the river surges through a narrow limestone gorge with astonishing force. Walk safe viewpoints to feel spray on the breeze and watch blue-white water carve potholes and ledges.

Learn how glacial meltwater and grit shaped this dramatic canyon over millennia. The contrast of modest height with immense volume makes every echoing surge memorable—an ideal place to pause for photos and reflection amid the raw power of Jasper’s landscape.

Insight Vacations

• 7 Breakfast (B)
• 3 Dinner (D)
• 1 Lunch (L)

• Banff: Discover the history and culture of the Rocky Mountains of Canada at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Venture out on to the amazing Glacier Skywalk where you will be treated to an after-hours visit onto the cliff-edged glass floored walkway or learn about the history of the Fairmont Banff Springs, highlights and stories that took place around and at the hotel.

• Visit Banff National Park • Lake Louise • Jasper National Park • Moraine Lake • Icefields Parkway scenic drive • Maligne Lake • Sunwapta Falls • Athabasca Falls

• Business class coach with extended leg room
• Top-rated dining, from farm-to-table to local restaurants
• Premium regional accommodation

• Kananaskis: Enjoy a flavourful dinner at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.
• Icefields Parkway: At Altitude Restaurant, dine on locally sourced, fresh ingredients while overlooking the Columbia Icefield, one of the world’s largest accumulations of ice south of the Arctic. As you sip on your drink, enjoy one of the most spectacular dinner views you’ll ever see. Framed by six mountain ranges, this high-altitude setting offers a rare view of ancient glaciers, where ice up to 365 m (1,197 ft) thick continues to shape the dramatic Rocky Mountain landscape.
• Banff: Celebrate your journey with dinner at the Fairmont Banff Springs, a landmark hotel in the heart of the national park. Dine in a setting inspired by Scottish baronial architecture and enjoy a menu that highlights regional Canadian ingredients.

• Icefields Parkway: Enjoy an after-hours visit to the amazing Glacier Skywalk. Step onto the cliff-edged, glass-floored walkway rising 918 ft (280 meters) above the Sunwapta Valley offering sweeping views of the valley and Columbia Icefield.
• Icefields Parkway: Enjoy an evening reception at the Glacier View Lodge. After dinner, step out onto the viewing deck and marvel at the evening sky, relax with a drink in the library or hang out inside the Moraine Lounge.
• Icefields Parkway: Take a seat in a specially designed Ice Explorer for a visit onto the Athabasca Glacier before other travellers arrive. Follow your Local Specialist as you stroll on its icy surface and experience the enormous glaciers up close. 

• Banff: Learn about the history, highlights and stories that took place around the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel.
• Banff: Discover the history and culture of the Rocky Mountains of Canada at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. With the mission of cultivating the exchange of knowledge, the museum engages you with the evolving history, peoples, cultures, environment and ideas of mountain cultures. Museum founders Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte were local artists and philanthropists who wanted to create a place where people could gather and appreciate the culture and beauty of the area.