Region

West (Jasper)

School year/Age

Preschool to Grade 12

Language level

French as a First Language
French immersion
French as a Second Language

School subject (primary)

Sciences

Description

Our tours are fully guided and are 1 hour and 20 minutes, round trip. The tour begins in a regular shuttle bus for 8 minutes; guests then transfer onto the Ice Explorer which begins the journey onto the glacier itself! At the midpoint of the tour guests are encouraged to get off the Ice Explorer and embark onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier. 

There is approximately 15 minutes to explore, take photographs, ask questions and if it's warm enough, sample some glacier melt water. The driver provides information about the Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefield and how they both impact their immediate surroundings and North America. There is also information about wildlife, mountains and local history. 

The drivers encourage questions and are happy to explain the unique features of the surrounding landscape. Visitors may also wish to learn more about the area in the Glacier Gallery, an interpretive museum located on the lower level of the Icefield Centre.

The grand finale to this experience is a stroll along the cliff-edged walkway of the Glacier Skywalk, where giant glaciers rest above and the spectacular glacier-formed Sunwapta Valley teems with wildlife below. Experience waterfalls, wildlife, fossils and more on this exciting 1-kilometre cliff-edged walkway that leads to a platform where glass is all that separates you from a 918-foot drop. The entire journey is presented in an interpretive storytelling format that will leave you feeling connected to a natural world that few people get to experience.