Grotto Canyon and Grassi Lakes in one day from Canmore
One tour on our list fills a whole day. The Journey tour walks up to the Grassi Lakes above Canmore, then heads east for the Grotto Canyon ice walk. This guide covers what each stop looks like in winter and who should choose the long day over a half-day walk.
Two stops in one long day
The Journey tour (listed as Grassi Lakes and Grotto Canyon Hiking) runs 6–8 hours with pickup in Calgary or the two mountain towns. It starts at the lakes above Canmore and finishes with the canyon walk.
On GetYourGuide it comes from Vancouver Journey and starts at ~$70 per person. On Viator the same day appears under Banff Journey, priced higher for the same two stops.
That makes it the cheapest tour in our price comparison and the longest. The trade is time, since a half-day walk leaves your afternoon free.
The Grassi Lakes in winter
The Grassi Lakes are two small lakes above Canmore, known for their green-blue water in summer. In winter they are often frozen and covered in snow, so the color is far less striking.
Be ready for that gap. Many listing photos show the lakes in summer, and a midwinter visit swaps that for white ice and dark pines below grey cliffs.
The path up can be slippery after snow. The Journey listing includes free crampon hire, so you are not left to sort out grip yourself.
Then the Grotto Canyon ice walk
From Canmore the tour drives east to Grotto Canyon in Kananaskis Country. The walk follows the frozen creek between limestone walls to the icefalls where the canyon forks.
Discover Banff's listing puts this route at about 4.2 km (2.6 miles) return with around 100 m of climb. Journey's listing gives less detail, so confirm the walking time when you book.
Look for the red ochre pictographs on the canyon wall partway in. Do not count on bare blue ice either, because snowfall can hide it and mild weather may leave water on the surface.
Reviews and the price gap
The GetYourGuide listing scores 4.9 from 10+ reviews, and the Viator one 5.0 from 6. The ratings are high, but the base is small, so a single off day could move them.
Check both sites for your date. GetYourGuide lists this pairing lower than Viator and lets you reserve now and pay later. It also cancels free up to 24 hours before.
Frozen lakes first, canyon ice after
Journey's 6–8 hour hiking day with pickup in Calgary or the Bow Valley towns. The two sites price it differently, so compare both.
Full day or half day?
Pick the Journey tour if you want more than the canyon and do not mind a long day out. It also suits Calgary guests, since the pickup there saves a separate drive.
Pick a half-day walk if the ice is the whole point or the cold wears you out. Discover Banff's icewalk from ~$78 takes four hours from Banff and includes poles and hot chocolate.
Staying in Canmore, you could book Canmore Raft Tours from ~$93, which spends about 2.5 hours in the canyon and ends at a brewery. It is new, with no reviews yet.
Children tire on long cold days, so families may prefer the shorter format. Our guide for families covers age limits and snacks.
Doing both stops on your own
Both stops are public trails, so a driver with cleats can pair them without a tour. Grotto Canyon lies about 15 minutes east of Canmore, so the drive between the two walks stays short.
The trade is that you read the ice and the trail yourself. Our self-guided guide lists the gear and the hazards, from thin ice to falling ice near the frozen falls.
A guide does save effort on a double day. Someone else drives between trailheads and knows where the pictographs are, which leaves you free to look around.
Daylight on a winter full day
Midwinter days in the Bow Valley are short, with sunset by late afternoon. A 6–8 hour tour uses most of the light, so on the shortest days the second stop can end as the light fades.
That matters more in the canyon, where the walls block low sun early. Bring a headlamp even on a tour, and keep a warm layer handy for the walk out.
Later in winter the days stretch out and the timing feels less tight. Our month-by-month guide weighs longer light against softer ice as the cold eases.
Who the long day does not suit
Travelers who feel the cold badly may find two outdoor walks in one day too much. The canyon floor stays shady, and a long day leaves little chance to warm up between stops.
It also suits anyone on a tight schedule poorly, since the tour runs up to eight hours. If you only have a morning, the four-hour walks cover the canyon and still leave time for Banff or Canmore.
With so few reviews, the Journey tour is a smaller-sample bet than our pick. If a long track record matters to you, Discover Banff's 50+ reviews on Viator give more to go on.
Packing for six to eight hours
- Warm layers you can open on the climb and close at the lakes
- Insulated, waterproof boots that take ice cleats
- A thermos and more food than for a half-day walk
- Spare gloves, since the first pair often gets wet
- A power bank, because phone batteries drain in the cold
Our what to wear guide goes through each layer. On the ice, the cleat safety rules apply at both stops.
Check the start time on the listing, as a full day can mean an early pickup. If you would rather drive yourself, our directions guide covers the road to the canyon.