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Johnston Canyon Evening Icewalk

4.997 reviewsJohnston Canyon

  • 2h 30m
  • Free cancellation up to 24h before
  • Guided in English
  • Instant confirmation

Highlights

Johnston Canyon is one of Banff National Park’s most popular hiking spots, but most people don’t think to experience it at night. Your headlight (yours to keep after the tour) makes the frozen waterfalls shimmer as you hike along the suspended catwalk in quiet darkness. The evening icewalk is all about heightening your senses, appreciating the darkness, the scents of the fresh pine forest and enjoying the silence of a night spent beneath the stars as you follow your guide through this narrow, water-formed canyon.

Inclusions

What's included

  • Maple cookie snack, hot chocolate
  • Small group size (up to 12 guests per guide)
  • Professional guide
  • Ice cleats
  • Souvenir headlamp to keep
  • Pick up from the public bus parking located behind the Mount Royal Hotel.
  • Hiking pole

What's not

  • Optional gratuities

Itinerary

  1. Travel through breathtaking scenery and nature on your way to the trailhead and learn about the history and geology of Johnston Canyon.

    Passes by

  2. Light your way through this narrow, water-formed canyon as your small group follows your guide to the Canyon’s lower falls. The suspended catwalks, built into the limestone walls, make this an easy trip for everyone. Along the way, your guide will highlight unique features by powerful flashlight and pause for moments of darkness and quiet to foster an appreciation for spending time in the canyon at night. At the turn around point, your guide will illuminate the expanding ice that encases the rushing water and escort you through a natural tunnel onto the viewing platform, beside the cascading Lower Falls themselves. Warm up with hot chocolate and maple cookies while you look around the Lower Falls, the turnaround point. The return journey is your opportunity to travel without your headlamp (should you wish!). You’ll be amazed as to how quickly your eyes adjust to the darkness, enough for you to travel through the pine forest guided only by the ambient light of the moon and the stars above your head. What to expect: • Walking Time: 1 - 1.5 hours • Return Distance: 1.4 miles (2.2 kilometers) • Elevation Gain: 213 feet (65 meters)

    1.5 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

4.9

  • 593
  • 43
  • 30
  • 21
  • 10

Ratings come from 97 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

Pickup
Pickup is included for everyone.
Ticket type
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group size
Up to 12 travellers
Operated by
Discover Banff Tours
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Minimum age is 8 years. All children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied by someone 18 years and older.
  • All adults must sign a waiver prior to the tour. A waiver must also be completed by the parent or guardian of any child under the age of 18.
  • Guests should dress in ski wear for this trip including hats, mittens, and warm boots. A detailed list of items to wear and bring is provided on your voucher.
  • Group bookings of 9 or more guests have a 7 day cancellation period.
  • In accordance with our Cold Weather Policy, if safety conditions deteriorate, we may cancel the tour, offering guests the option to receive a refund or reschedule for another date or time.

How it compares in Banff

  • Its from-price is 25% below the median of the 476 experiences we list in Banff.
  • It is shorter than most of them.
  • By number of reviews it ranks 65 of 476.
  • The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Banff

Banff is a small mountain town inside Canada's first national park, set among the Rocky Mountain peaks of Alberta with hot springs, lakes and wildlife.

The town of Banff sits in the Bow Valley at about 1,400 metres, with Mount Rundle's sloping ridge rising over the main street and Cascade Mountain at the other end. It began as a railway town beside hot springs, and the Cave and Basin National Historic Site marks the discovery that led to Canada's first national park. A gondola climbs Sulphur Mountain for views, and the Bow Falls and a château-style hotel add to the river scenery.

Top-ranked sights in Banff: Moraine Lake, Bow Falls, Lake Louise.

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