Johnston Canyon by daylight or by headlamp
Discover Banff Tours runs two icewalks into Johnston Canyon at the same price. One goes by day, the other after dark. They share a trail and a hot chocolate stop but little else. The hour you pick changes the light and the cold, and the distance too.
Two walks from one operator
Both walks come from Discover Banff Tours and both start from ~$78. Each picks you up in Banff, drives the Bow Valley Parkway and hands out ice cleats and a hiking pole at the trailhead.
The day icewalk takes about 4 hours with a morning or an afternoon departure. The evening icewalk takes about 2.5 hours and sets off after dark.
The listings give pickup points with their own times rather than one start hour. Look up the pickup time for your date on the listing, and arrive about five minutes early.
The drive is part of both slots. The minibus follows the Bow Valley Parkway west from Banff, about 30 minutes each way, so your time on the trail is shorter than the listing length suggests.
The daytime icewalk in two slots
The day walk climbs about 2.7 km (1.7 mi) to the Upper Falls with about 135 m (440 ft) of gain. The Lower Falls come first, with the option to step through the natural rock tunnel to a platform facing the ice.
Along the way the guide talks through the geology and history of the canyon and points out winter wildlife when any shows up. Nothing is promised there; ravens and the odd small bird are the likely sightings.
Hot chocolate and maple cookies come out partway along. The walk holds 4.9 from 530+ reviews on Viator and 4.8 from 280+ on GetYourGuide, the stronger record of the two icewalks.
Morning or afternoon makes less difference than you might think. Mornings tend to be colder; afternoons bring softer light on the upper canyon on clear days. Pick the slot that fits the rest of your Banff day.
The evening icewalk under headlamps
The evening walk sets off after dark. Each guest gets a souvenir headlamp plus ice cleats and a hiking pole, and the group stays small, with up to 12 guests.
Hot chocolate and maple cookies come out mid-route, and on a cold night that stop matters. Every guest signs a waiver, and parents sign for anyone under 18.
The walk holds 4.9 from 90+ reviews on Viator and 4.6 from 60+ on GetYourGuide. Fewer reviews than the day walk, but a strong score on both sites.
The canyon by lamplight, in a group of 12 or fewer
Discover Banff's 2.5-hour evening icewalk, with a headlamp to keep and hot chocolate halfway. It fits after a day on the ski hill.
What you see, and what your camera sees
By day the frozen falls show their colours, from white curtains to the blue of thick old ice. The catwalks and the canyon walls read clearly, and phone photos come out well without a tripod.
At night you see what the lamps light and little else. Icicles glow when a beam crosses them, and the walls close in around the group. It feels more like a cave than a gorge.
Night photos are harder. A phone in night mode on a railing works better than a hand-held shot, and a friend's headlamp makes good side light. The ice forms themselves are described in our guide to the frozen canyon.
Crowds through the day
Few trails in Banff National Park draw more walkers than this one, and midday is usually the peak. Narrow catwalks mean waiting to pass at the viewing spots.
Early starts and the evening tend to be quieter, though that varies with the weather and the school holidays. After dark you mostly share the canyon with your own group and the odd other lamp.
The cold after dark
The canyon floor sees little sun in winter, and after sunset the temperature drops further. Evening walkers also stand still more often. They stop at the falls and again for the hot chocolate.
Dress a layer warmer for the night walk than you would by day. Discover Banff asks for ski wear and warm boots. Bring a hat and mittens as well. Our guide to dressing for the icewalk goes through it layer by layer.
The day walk has its own chill. Spray from the falls freezes on railings and sleeves, and the shaded stretches of trail stay well below the temperature in town, even on a sunny afternoon.
How far each one walks
The day listing names both falls and gives the full 2.7 km to the Upper Falls. The evening listing does not say how far up the canyon it goes, and a 2.5-hour slot leaves less time on the trail.
If reaching the Upper Falls matters to you, the day walk is the sure choice. For how the two stretches differ, see our comparison of the two waterfalls.
Which hour suits whom
- First-timers and photographers, or anyone set on the Upper Falls: the day icewalk
- Skiers by day, plus anyone who wants something quieter and stranger: the evening icewalk
- Children who tire fast: the shorter evening walk, if they cope with cold
- Anyone who feels the cold badly: the day walk in the afternoon
Some visitors book both. They do the day walk first and the evening walk a night or two later. The canyon looks different enough by lamplight that the second visit does not feel like a repeat.
Both cost the same, so price does not decide it; our breakdown of tour prices covers tips and the park pass. For younger walkers, read Johnston Canyon with kids, and for the months when the ice forms, the best time for Johnston Canyon.