Why choose this Alberta tour ?
Download GuideAlong’s self-guided audio tour of the Icefields Parkway for the best way to tour this incredible drive. Along the way, hear stories play automatically as you explore spectacular mountains, brightly coloured lakes & glaciers.
Gaze at Peyto Lake’s vibrant blue waters, marvel at the powerful waters of Athabasca Falls, and walk on the ancient Athabasca Glacier. Voted The World’s Most Beautiful Mountain Drive, make the most of your road trip while uncovering its geology, important characters, & best wildlife spotting locations.
Enjoy the freedom to explore offline at your own pace, spending more time at places that interest you & bypassing any that don’t.
Stories, tips, and directions play automatically based on your location
Travel at your own pace
Tour offline using GPS, no cell service or WiFi needed
Suggested itineraries for half, full, or multi-day use
No time limits or expiry, free updates
Like having a tour guide along for the drive
Purchase one tour per vehicle.
Make the most of your Alberta adventure
What makes Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Icefields Parkway a unique experience ?
As the audio guides play commentary based on your gps location, you can create your own itinerary along the tour route(s) to match your interests and schedule. You can drive the Icefields Parkway in either direction.
Or you can use our trip planners for our suggestions on half, full or multi day itineraries.
Some of the many highlights are listed below;
Located alongside Bow Lake, Crowfoot Glacier is a fine example of a hanging glacier and looks like it is stuck onto the face of the mountain.
The name comes from how the glacier was shaped like the foot of a crow. The Crowfoot originally had 3 toes, but as the glacier has shrunk, it now has just 2 toes.
Bow Lake is fed by the Bow Glacier which sits above it. And all of that water running out of the lake becomes the Bow River which runs through Banff National Park and into Calgary and beyond. A historic lodge sits beside the lake, Num Ti Jah, which was built by Jimmy Simpson, one of Banff’s legendary early guides.
Because only relatively small trees were available, the hand-built log building was constructed in an unusual hexagonal shape to begin with. In its time it was the largest log building in the world. Bow Lake is an excellent photo stop.
An impressive cliff that we drive under as valley narrows, the Weeping Wall oozes snow melt from above and trickles though the rock. This process continues through the winter too, making for excellent frozen falls for ice climbers to scale.
Located at Bow Summit is the simply amazing Peyto Lake. Despite being a full hour drive away from the Columbia Icefield, Bow Summit is the highest point on the Icefields Parkway.
The elevated viewing location, the surrounding mountains, and being glacier fed, makes Peyto Lake perhaps the most superbly coloured, mountain lakes you will ever see. Fingers crossed for a sunny day, as the more sunshine, the brighter the colour.
Located close to the Icefield Centre, Parker Ridge is a popular short but steep hike. The reward for walking to the edge of the ridge is the superb views of the Saskatchewan Glacier which fills the valley behind.
Because of the elevation of 6,000 feet, the hike may be more tiring than you would expect. Just take your time, and take frequent rests if feeling short of breath. The view is worth it and most people will spend about 1 1/2 – 2 hours enjoying the experience. It is common to find snow on the trail year-round.
Located around halfway between Jasper and Banff on the Icefields Parkway, the Athabasca Glacier is one of the route highlights and one of the most accessible glaciers in the world.
Located around halfway between Jasper and Banff on the Icefields Parkway, the Athabasca Glacier is one of the route highlights and one of the most accessible glaciers in the world.
You can take in the views from the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre or book a Columbia Icefield Adventure Tour which will take you up onto the glacier on an Ice Explorer, a giant all-terrain vehicle.
The Athabasca Glacier is one of the outflows from the larger Columbia Icefield, and it’s one of the most accessible glaciers in the world. You can drive right to the toe of the glacier, watching the markers that show how far it has retreated over more than a century.
The Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre is where you can book the Columbia Icefield Adventure Tour which will take you up onto the glacier on an Ice Explorer, a giant all-terrain vehicle. This ticket also includes a separate bus taking you to a glass bottomed SkyWalk out over a canyon, and you’ll need to allow at least 3 hours for the combined experience. If you’re short on time, you can book the SkyWalk by itself.
Sunwapta has one of the prettiest settings of the many impressive waterfalls of the Canadian Rockies. Outstanding viewpoints are accessed within just a minute of the car park.
Those with a little more energy will enjoy exploring the 3km loop trail that explores to peaceful pools lower into the canyon and can be completed easily in an hour.
Located at the Jasper end of the Icefields Parkway, the Athabasca Falls cut through very hard quartz-rich rock, cascading their way through a narrow canyon.
A spectacle at any time, during the spring thaw, snow melt delivers an incredible amount of water over the falls for an impressive show.
Tour Description & Additional Info:
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum mobile OS version iOS 15 / Android 9 (Pie). iPad models with GPS chip.
Options To Choose for Your Trip:
- Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Icefields Parkway
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Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Icefields Parkway Inclusions:
Included with Your Ticket
- Support: Toll free phone, chat and email
- Easy To Use: Pre-download and tour offline
- Trip Planners: In-app, web and PDF
- Location Based: Stories, tips & directions that autoplay
- GuideAlong (GyPSy Guide) Audio Tour: 150 Points
- One-Time Purchase: No time or date use limit or expiry
- Flexible Routes: Suggested itineraries or create your own
Not Included
- National Park Passes
Trending Alberta Nearby Tours Likely To Sell Out
Special Instructions:
- This Tour is Provided by GuideAlong (GyPSy Guide).
- Tour Timezone & Starts at America/Edmonton.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted.
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- This Tour is Rated 5 Stars based on 12 valid reviews on VIATOR.
- Minimum 1 Travelers is required to book.
- Maximum 8 Travelers is accepted for booking.
HOW TO GET YOUR GUIDEALONG AUDIO TOUR:
1. SIGN IN + REDEEM your VOUCHER CODE: https://store.guidealong.com/voucher
2. DOWNLOAD the GuideAlong App
3. SIGN IN to the GuideAlong app with the same Apple or Google account as Step 1
4. DOWNLOAD and OPEN the Audio Tour NOW
*These instructions are also sent via a separate email & text/sms: “Instructions for GuideAlong Audio Tour” or “Your Tour Operator Sent You a Message About Your (Viator) Booking”. Check your junk/spam folder.
PRE-DOWNLOAD THE APP & TOUR NOW
You must pre-download both the GuideAlong app and audio tour files to your phone (audio, maps & images) over reliable wifi or cellular service, before your drive out of signal.
There’s no date/time limit or expiry to use the audio tour, and no data connection is required while touring.
If you are able to OPEN your tour and see the START DRIVING button, you have successfully downloaded all files and are ready to tour.
CHARGING & SOUND
We do not recommend connecting your phone directly into the vehicle usb port. Instead use a usb/c car charger adapter plug into the auxiliary power outlet (cigarette car lighter). It prevents any automatic secondary pairing between your phone and the vehicle for sound and provides a stronger charging option.
HELP & SUPPORT
Have a question – we’re here to help! Lots of information is included in the app and even more is available on our website. Alternatively you can leave a message for support callback toll 18664771791, chat online or email us at info@guidealong.com.
