What do you see on a helicopter tour of the Canadian Rockies? — featuring Must Do Canada (Rocky's Heli)
In this video: Alberta Travel Guide: Amazing HELICOPTER TOUR Over the Canadian Rockies!
Must Do Canada · 7 years ago
How long does the longer helicopter tour last?
The extended flight over the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier runs for 55 minutes and covers the most dramatic section of the route, crossing between Alberta and British Columbia.
What this video answers
How long does the longer helicopter tour last?
Can you land the helicopter and hike to a waterfall?
This full-day adventure based near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta showcases what you can pack into one experience in the Canadian Rockies—a combination of scenic stops, a ground-based waterfall hike, and not one but two helicopter flights operated by Rockies Heli Canada. The video captures both a shorter morning tour and an extended 55-minute flight that crosses over the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier, giving you aerial perspectives of mountain valleys, turquoise glacial lakes, and the Continental Divide between Alberta and British Columbia.
This itinerary suits travelers who want dramatic mountain scenery without committing to a week-long trek, wildlife enthusiasts hoping for rare sightings, and anyone who loves high-altitude views. Whether you're based in or visiting Calgary, Banff, Jasper, or the Icefields Parkway, this experience delivers concentrated mountain beauty in a single day.
Key Moments
Highlights You'll See on This Rockies Helicopter Tour
Abraham Lake in summer with its crystal-clear turquoise water and methane-bubble formations frozen below the surface in winter
A guided hike to a waterfall after landing during the morning helicopter tour
Juniper berry plants growing naturally along the trail, which taste similar to gin botanicals
The 55-minute extended flight over the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier, visible even in late July
An unexpected grizzly bear sighting on the roadside, foraging on berries undisturbed by passing vehicles
A rainbow over Abraham Lake at the end of the day, capturing the full spectrum of mountain light
What to Know Before Booking Your Helicopter Flight
Two tour options are available through Rockies Heli Canada: a shorter morning flight with a waterfall hike landing, and an extended 55-minute tour covering the Icefields Parkway route
Summer flights (the video was shot in late July) offer clear views of snow-capped peaks and turquoise glacial lakes, while winter flights to Abraham Lake let you see frozen methane bubbles beneath the ice
Space fills up fast, especially for the longer icefield tour; the operators had extra capacity on the day filmed, but booking ahead is essential
The full itinerary includes ground stops at Abraham Lake for photography and rock-skipping, plus time on a short hiking trail before or between flights
This is a high-altitude experience with significant scenic variation, so dress in layers and bring a camera with good zoom capability
Frequently Asked Questions About This Rocky Mountain Helicopter Experience
How long does the longer helicopter tour last?
The extended flight over the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier runs for 55 minutes and covers the most dramatic section of the route, crossing between Alberta and British Columbia.
Can you land the helicopter and hike to a waterfall?
Yes. The video shows a landing and short hike to a waterfall, which appears to be part of the morning tour itinerary with Rockies Heli Canada.
What is the best time of year for this tour?
Summer (the video was filmed in late July) offers clear skies, turquoise glacial lakes, visible snow, and the chance to spot grizzly bears. Winter is famous for viewing frozen methane bubbles beneath Abraham Lake's ice, making both seasons worthwhile depending on what you want to see.
Is wildlife viewing guaranteed?
No, but the video captured a grizzly bear roadside sighting, along with sightings of other birds, showing that wildlife encounters are possible during the day. Your odds depend on timing, weather, and animal activity.
Do I need experience to take this tour?
No experience is required. The video shows first-time visitors enjoying both the helicopter flights and the ground-based waterfall hike, and the operator handles all technical aspects of the flight.
This video does excellent work showing you both the ground-level experience and the aerial perspective, so you can make a real decision about whether this suits your travel style and budget. It's honest about the scale of what you see in a single day without overselling any one moment.
What stands out most is how the video captures the contrast between intimate moments—like finding juniper berries on a short hike—and the jaw-dropping scale of the Icefield and glacier from the air. If you're drawn to mountain scenery and want to see the Canadian Rockies from angles you can't reach on foot, this is a tour worth booking soon.
Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii
Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.
Whether you're looking for things to do around Calgary, Banff, Jasper, or Rocky Mountain House, the Canadian Rockies have it all. From helicopter tours to the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier to bear sightings and hiking to waterfalls, there's so much you can do in just one day in the Rockies!
This was part of a road trip we did, which included Rocky Mountain House and the Icefields Parkway. You can read about that here: https://www.mustdocanada.com/rocky-mountain-house-alberta-road-trip/
Huge thanks to Rockies Heli Canada for inviting us on two of their sightseeing tours! You can learn more about them at: https://www.rockiesheli.com/
We hope you like this episode! Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, and SHARE our channel/video. Thank you so much!
***
Like Canada? Like Us? Like Our Videos? Please hit subscribe, give us a thumbs up, and leave us a comment! We reply to everyone and appreciate all the support!
You can also visit our website at https://www.mustdocanada.com AND follow us on social media at
**
If you're looking for a drone, we bought our Mavic 2 Pro from Drone Shop Canada at http://bit.ly/2XBKEDz - Check them out!
Video transcript for “Alberta Travel Guide: Amazing HELICOPTER TOUR Over the Canadian Rockies!” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
[Music] hey guys we're in Rocky Mountain House Alberta we're getting ready to have a whole day of adventure in the Rocky Mountains so we thought we'd do a video about how much you can see in one day
[Music] first stop of the day Abraham lake this lake is really famous in the wintertime because of what bro symbols that you can see underneath a frozen lake yeah from what we've heard it's methane gas and so I guess it's rising up it must be coming up now I don't know you don't see
anything but in the winter it freezes and you can actually see below it you look very beautiful but I think it's equally beautiful now in the summer the water is so clear and it's nice and blue turquoise color [Music]
according to Matthew the secret is to get a nice flat rock so let's see if it works no doesn't work yeah I didn't know I was a pro at this kind of a flattish rock as far as you can find it and when I throw it throw it like this so that spins and
try to hit the water but it hits it like this very easy as you can't believe Gracie let's see oh sure like 12 I had huh those may be a record you just witnessed history right there [Music]
we just saw a black bird just on the side of the road we're back here with Rocky's heli we were with them in the winter but we loved it so much that we're back now for the summer now we've actually never been here to take a plate in the summer so it's gonna be totally
different but we're also gonna be landing and going on a cool little hike to a waterfall so will it be forever this [Music]
we navigated back [Music] [Music] [Music]
this is called a juniper berry kinda looks like a mini blueberry but this is what they make gin with so amazing it tastes exactly like gin without the alcohol [Music]
[Music] it looks very good from here I wonder how [Applause] [Music]
really [Music] while we're back again at Rocky's heli
canada we took a little break to go on a hike but they said they had extra room on their long one-hour flight that goes actually over the ice field so the Columbia Icefield supposed to be super spectacular we've never done it so we came back this 55 minute tour truly blew us away we flew by so many incredible
mountain valleys and jaw-dropping mountain peaks all the way to the columbia icefields m Athabasca glacier [Music] it was so awesome to see all the snow in late July as well as turquoise-colored Lakes we even crossed a Continental Divide between the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia
there was really no better way to see the Canadian Rockies and there was no better way to end our tour than with a rainbow over abraham lake [Music]
that is insane dis are grizzly I know our third bird of the day the black bears on Wang Grizzlies the first time we've ever seen a grizzly just randomly on the side of the road like that and she really didn't care that all the vehicles we stopped I know he was just munching in his berries so there
you go only one day in the Rocky Mountains here at the icefields pkway or around there and you can see a lot of awesome things like the drive it's worth everything [Music]
Every video on Helicopter Tour Videos is hand-picked and reviewed by Justin — nothing is added automatically. Each one gets an original written guide and an honest rating: ⭐ 1 out of 2 means a good video worth your time, and ⭐⭐ 2 out of 2 means a great one we would recommend to anyone. The videos belong to their creators — every page links back to the original channel so you can subscribe and support them.
