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  • 66 Reviews

    Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 🏆 Badge of Excellence
  • Edmonton, Canada

Icefields Parkway and Ice Bubbles of Abraham Lake Tour

  • 8 hours (approx.)

  • Mobile ticket

  • Offered in: English

Winter's best kept secret. Walk onto Abraham Lake's crystal ice and stare down at thousands of methane bubbles frozen in time. The bubbles reveal themselves once the lake freezes clear, typically from late December into February, and your guide tracks ice conditions daily so you see the lake at its best. Then explore the quietest stretches of the Icefields Parkway and walk or snowshoe to our favourite lookouts. Hot drinks in hand while the Rockies put on their best winter show. ★ Banff's top-rated tour provider, with 5,000+ five-star reviews and four Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice awards. Highlights: ❄ Frozen methane bubbles of Abraham Lake ❄ Peyto Lake viewpoint on a snowy forest trail ❄ Picnic lunch: gourmet sandwich, fruit, and a baked treat Why book with Radventures: ▸ Max 10 guests in a premium van, never a coach ▸ Banff-born, independently owned ▸ 1% of every booking protects the places you explore

What to Expect

Shared tour (max 10)
4 stops
5 places
8 hrs duration

Pass by: Icefields Parkway

Your local guide plans each day's route on the day. Every morning, we check the weather, road conditions on the Icefields Parkway, and the ice on Abraham Lake, then choose the order of stops so you see each one at its best. Dress for a full day outside in freezing temperatures. Wear warm layers, a hat and gloves, and waterproof winter boots. Conditions in the mountains can change quickly. The stops below are a sample of where the tour may go.

Stop at: Abraham Lake

60 min Admission included

Walk out onto the frozen surface of Abraham Lake, just east of Banff National Park, where methane bubbles freeze in stacked white layers beneath clear ice. Your guide finds the best patch of ice for the day, so you can see and photograph the bubbles up close.

Stop at: Peyto Lake

45 min Admission included

At Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefields Parkway, your guide fits you with snowshoes or ice cleats and shows you how to use them. If you can walk, you can snowshoe. Follow a snowy forest trail to the Peyto Lake viewpoint, where the lake's famous wolf-head shape sits below a ring of peaks and glaciers. The walk is optional but well worth it: an easy to moderate 1.5 km (0.9 mi) round trip, about 45 minutes.

Stop at: Bow Lake

15 min

At 1,920 m (6,300 ft), Bow Lake is one of the largest lakes in Banff National Park and the source of the Bow River. In winter it freezes into a wide white plain beneath Crowfoot Mountain, with the Bow Glacier, part of the Wapta Icefield, spilling down the peaks above it.

Stop at: Banff National Park

360 min

Every full-day tour includes Abraham Lake, Peyto Lake, and Bow Lake. Along the way, your guide may add extra stops based on the weather, road conditions, and recent wildlife sightings. These could include Waterfowl Lakes, Herbert Lake, Cline River Falls, or a quiet roadside pullout with a view worth stopping for.

What's Included

INCLUDED
  • Comfortable, premium transportation
  • Small group experience (max 10 guests)
  • Polaroid souvenir
  • A fresh picnic lunch from a local favourite: a gourmet sandwich (turkey by default), fruit, and a baked treat. Have a preference or dietary restriction? Reach out for an alternative.
  • Fresh water refills (BYO bottle)
  • Local guide trained in photography and storytelling
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off at select Banff and Lake Louise locations
  • Hot drinks (hot chocolate, coffee, or tea) & sweet treat
  • Ice cleats/crampons & hiking poles
NOT INCLUDED
  • Ice-skates or snowshoes rentals (please contact Radventures after booking to select your size)
  • Guide gratuities (optional)

Meeting And Pickup

Start time:

8:30 AM

Additional Info

  • Service animals allowed
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Guests who wish to participate in snowshoeing will need to be free of mobility issues.

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the start time, the amount paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience's local time.
This experience requires good weather. If canceled due to poor weather, you'll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If canceled because the minimum isn't met, you'll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Customer Reviews

Source: Viator and Tripadvisor

5.0

66 total reviews

Rating Distribution

5
66
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From
CA$290.00 per person

Explorists Max 10
Adult (Age 12-75)
Minimum: 1, Maximum: 10
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