Overview
Available languages
4 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Trek through Johnston Canyon to a world of frozen waterfalls and pillars of blue ice. Learn about the formation of the canyon and photograph the incredible pillars of ice as you walk through the canyon bottom and over suspended catwalks. Your guide leads you past waterfalls frozen in mid-stream for a close up view of the Lower Falls!
Update: The trail between Lower Falls and Upper Falls remains closed from to late Fall 2022. Until Parks Canada reopens the Upper Falls section, we are offering a combination of Johnston Canyon Lower Falls and Marble Canyon. A short drive from Johnston Canyon into Kootenay National Park reveals a stunning slot canyon hidden within young forests on the western side of the Continental Divide. Enjoy the easy 1.5km walk along this remote slot canyon to peer down into its towering 40 meter drop.
Includes professional hiking guide, transportation from Banff, ice cleats, trekking poles and hot chocolate & cookies.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Minimum age is 8 years
What To Expect
Johnston Canyon
Trek through Johnston Canyon to a world of frozen waterfalls and pillars of blue ice. During the icewalk you will learn about the formation of the canyon, pick out fossil corals in the rocks, and photograph the incredible pillars of ice as you walk through the canyon bottom and over suspended catwalks. Your professional guide leads you past waterfalls frozen in mid-stream, and through a short tunnel for a close up view of the Lower Falls! The grand finale is the incredible "Cathedral of Ice" at the Upper Falls. It's the perfect destination for a break and a chance to see ice climbers in action. Guide, transport and ice cleats included.
Options
Johnston Canyon Icewalk from Banff AM
What‘s Included
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Bottled water
Professional guide
Snacks
Driver/guide
Equipment (Ice Cleats)
Gratuities
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
40 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A fab half day tour
LPF17,Jun 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were fortunate to be the only ones on the tour. Mark our guide was really informative and friendly and the kids were very happy with the hot chocolate and biscuits. As it was just the four of us, we were able to do things more at our own pace. It was one of the highlights of a great holiday in Canada. Thanks Mark!
Johnston watrerfalls and canyon ice walk
stuartaE3255PA,Apr 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00100% recommend the canyon ice walk. The guide was extremely knowledgeable of the history,facts and local wildlife. A must if in Banff during winter season
Gorgeous winter hike!
Jennifer C,Mar 31, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Beautiful hike and knowledgeable guide. Definitely recommend. Winter was a great time to do this trail!
Our guide was...
wesley d,Mar 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide was exceptional. He knew everything about the canyon gave us information about the regions top-notch
Great icewalk tour with Michael!
I2742TTangelag,Mar 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Michael gave us an amazing and informative tour for the Johnson Canyon icewalk. He was very knowledgeable about the surrounding nature and history of the canyon. It was so beautiful we can’t wait to come back!
Johnston Canyon Icewalk
fiona d,Feb 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide was Cindy. She was punctual ( kind enough to pick us up and drop off right outside our accomodations) , very informative, patient and knowledgeable. Dress appropriately in layers as the hike and terrain are moderate ; nothing too bulky but so you can peel off layers if you start to have a bit of a workout. Hiking poles and crampons are provided; both of which were very helpful. It was definitely icy at points with the freeze and thaw so crampons are a must . Most of the trail has a fenced railing which is helpful especially as there is a single pathway going up and down so it tends to get pretty crowded at times as its only single file at some parts. A hiking pole comes in handy for coming down icy bits. Go as early as you can to avoid the crowds and rush. The waterfalls, trees and quiet are lovely if you manage to avoid the weekend or holiday crowds as much as possible. The tour took us to the Lower and Upper falls and Cindy shared some hot chocolate and biscuits right at the perfect time! We even managed to watch some ice climbers as we took a break. All in all, the hike was probably about 2 - 2.5 hours at a good pace, with short bursts of steep inclines but on the whole, moderate. Cindy had great fun facts and stories to share . It was a lovely morning which was smooth from beginning to end. Loved it!
Great winter activity
Tammy K,Feb 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great experience! Beautiful canyon. Very fun & unique winter activity. It was very interesting and informative.
Highly recommend!
jennt803,Jan 29, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wonderful experience! We did the upper and lower falls trail. We rented the ice cleats for our boots in Banff - definitely recommend, it was quite slipperly on some of the inclines. Beautiful views. Worked up a sweat, could have dressed a little lighter on the layers, but was a great time.
Fabulous tour, excellent guides, incredible landscape
Star3874,Dec 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We loved the tour. Both guides Scott and Nicolas were very professional, knowledgeable and made the tour fun and educational. I have four sons aged from 11-16 and they loved to learn about the geology and background of the area. The landscape is stunning and it was a really memorable day out.
Icy upper falls was worth the hike!
Casey R,Dec 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband and I had a really nice time on this tour with our guides, Scott and Nicolas! The whole tour felt very laid back, but we stayed right on time and enjoyed the hike. Our hotel pickup time in Banff was at 10:20am so we could have a nice breakfast in town before. The drop off at our hotel was at 3pm, which gave us enough time to still do a short hike on our own before sunset. Our group was small so the van was nice and roomy. The hike was mostly easy, thanks to the ice cleats they provided, and we went at a very reasonable pace that was okay for the group. The guides shared details about the local history, the park, the canyon, the animals, animal tracks, trees, birds, a little bit about everything. The upper falls were definitely the highlight, the other falls leading up to it were smaller but had some cool icy features too. I’d recommend this tour to anyone looking for a shortish hike with great icy views!
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Operated by White Mountain Adventures