Ice Odyssey at Columbia Icefield

Gracie and Archie were excellent guides. There were only 4 of us in the tour. Way better than getting in a bus with a lot of people.

At $200 (USD) per person to ride in the "specialized all-terrain vehicle" this is a costly adventure. We paid the higher price to go with a smaller group farther up the glacier, as opposed to the full size buses of people below us. Vacations are for unique experiences so we booked an Ice Odyssey based on all the positive reviews. Unfortunately it was a 30 minute ride (one-way) up the glacier to walk around for 30 minutes in a very slushy 40 x 40 foot area, take photos and drink a tiny cup of tea. We did to keep the 4oz. mug with an oversized carbineer clip handle and a lid that no longer shuts tightly. Useless. I admit from the start I was concerned about the environmental impact of the tour, but we decided to gave this a try hoping for a less impactful experience. Per our guides "up to 2,500 people per day walk on the glacier in the tourist season, 500,00 annually". The guides tried to put a positive spin on the environmental impact by saying that having so many people a year on the glacier "only cuts the glacier's life by a year every year". She never explained this further and quickly moved on to another question. We suspect she's not supposed to mention ice recession. Has she ever wondered how far back the glacier will be in her lifetime. The glacier is beautiful and worth seeing, but admire it at a distance, from the parking area nearby or one of the scenic view stops along the Icefields Parkway. Save your money, and the glacier.

Amazing Odyssey Glacier Tour. Worth every penny. Top 5 life activity for us. We enjoyed the activity and the smaller crowd. Andrew was fantastic guide.

We booked the Ultimate Icefield Experience, and it was easily one of the highlights of our trip through the Canadian Rockies. If you’re deciding between the standard glacier tour and the Ice Odyssey, I highly recommend spending the little extra on the small-group experience. With a maximum of just 10 guests, we travelled by all-terrain vehicle to an exclusive section of the Athabasca Glacier that the larger tours don’t visit. Having the glacier almost to ourselves made the experience feel so much more personal and unforgettable. Our guides, Ava and Andrew, were absolutely fantastic and truly made the experience special. Ava was incredibly thoughtful and went above and beyond, helping everyone fit their ice spikes before we stepped onto the glacier and happily taking photos for us throughout the tour so we could simply enjoy the moment. Andrew was engaging and extremely knowledgeable, explaining the history of the glacier and giving us a fascinating demonstration of the tools and equipment used for glacier hiking and mountaineering. It was both informative and really interesting to see how professionals safely explore the ice. We had plenty of time to walk on the glacier, take in the incredible scenery, and even enjoy a hot cup of tea! The Columbia Icefield Skywalk offered spectacular views across the valley, and the gourmet buffet lunch at Altitude was delicious, with breathtaking mountain views to complete the day. From start to finish, everything was exceptionally well organised. The smaller group, exclusive glacier access, and the outstanding care and enthusiasm shown by Ava and Andrew made this an experience we’ll never forget. If you’re visiting the Columbia Icefield, don’t hesitate to book the Ultimate Icefield Experience—it is worth every dollar. Thank you, Ava and Andrew, for making our day so enjoyable, informative, and truly unforgettable!

You’re taken along a precipitous road built on the glacier by this other worldly vehicle that takes you to the spectacular Athabasca Glacier situated on the Icefield Parkway, in itself one of the greatest car journeys in the world with amazing mountain scenery along the way. Carla & Riley,our guides, explain the story of this place with immense enthusiasm and knowledge. Thank you both for making this an experience of a lifetime.