Our pick
Banff: Grotto Canyon Icewalk, Discover Banff Tours
Discover Banff Tours is a Banff company that runs ice walks in both Johnston Canyon and Grotto Canyon. For Grotto it collects you from one of about a dozen Banff hotels or the train station, and a Canmore hotel can be added on request. The ride east along the Bow Valley takes you out of the national park and into Kananaskis Country.
At the trailhead the guide fits ice cleats over your boots and hands out poles. The walk runs about 2.1 km (1.3 miles) up the frozen creek to the falls, with roughly 100 m of climb, and the listing rates it easy. On the way back down you stop for hot chocolate and maple cookies within sight of the ice.
- Price
- from ~$78 per person
- Duration
- About 4 hours, 2 of them walking
- Distance
- About 4.2 km return, 100 m of climb
- Group
- Up to 12 guests
- Pickup
- Banff hotels and train station; Canmore on request
- Kit
- Ice cleats and hiking poles
- Age
- 8 and over; under 15 with an adult
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours before
How the morning runs, step by step
Start times move with the month, so check yours on the listing. The outline stays the same:
From Banff
- Pickup at your hotel or Banff Train Station
- Minibus east along the Bow Valley, past Canmore
- Cleats on and a short safety talk at the trailhead
In Grotto Canyon
- Up the frozen creek between the canyon walls
- A stop at the pictographs on the rock
- The frozen falls, then hot chocolate with maple cookies
- Back at your hotel about four hours after pickup
What the price covers
The ticket pays for the ride and the kit, which are the two things that are hard to sort out alone. It leaves out the tip and your warm clothes.
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Banff
- A certified guide, twelve guests at most
- Ice cleats and hiking poles
- Hot chocolate and maple cookies
Not included
- A tip for the guide
- Snow pants and mittens, plus winter boots
- Children under 8
- A promise of bare ice
Between us, before you go
A word from one cold-footed walker to another. The listing asks for ski pants and a winter jacket, and it means it, because the canyon floor sees little sun. Wear boots with room for a thick sock, since the cleats strap on tight. Mittens over thin gloves let you take photos without losing your fingers.
Some weeks the creek is buried under snow and you walk on white rather than blue. When the ice is best explains why.
Why it beats the others
Every tour here walks the same canyon. Discover Banff Tours does it in four hours from your hotel door, with a group cap of twelve and the strongest record on both booking sites. The long days add more, but they also add hours in a van. Walking it without a guide sets out what you would have to organize yourself.
Who we would not send on it
Families with children under eight, who will need to ask 1000HOST or Canmore Raft Tours about their age rules. Travelers who want a longer hike, who will be happier on the Grassi Lakes day. And anyone staying in Calgary, for whom a Banff pickup means a long drive first.
Book it if
You are staying in Banff without a car and want the frozen falls in a morning or an afternoon. You like a guide who explains the rock art and the ice, and you would rather not buy cleats for one walk. It suits first-timers and couples, and families with children eight or older.
Skip it if
- Want a full day of hiking? Try the Grassi Lakes day, from ~$70
- Staying in Calgary? Check 1000HOST's pickup points
- Based in Canmore? Go with the walk with a brewery stop
- Have your own car and cleats? Read walking it alone first
Ready for the frozen creek?
The walk is on GetYourGuide and on Viator. GetYourGuide shows the perfect score, Viator the longer list of reviews, and both let you cancel for free up to 24 hours before, so you can watch the weather in Canmore before you commit.
