Maligne Lake Cruise
Description
Declared the “Best Boat Cruise in Canada” by 8 million Reader’s Digest subscribers, the Maligne Lake Cruise is an experience like no other. Join us on a panoramic tour across the crystal waters of magical Maligne Lake, fed by the glaciers of Jasper National Park. Glide past the jagged mountain peaks as we cruise to Spirit Island, a world-famous destination only accessible by boat.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your 90-minute cruise of the lake starts dockside near the Maligne Lake Boathouse and Chalet. Boats leave approximately on the hour and your ticket is good for any trip during your selected day. After boarding, you will pull away from the dock and be treated to a fully narrated, interpretative tour of the area's unique history and special ecology. Each boat is glass enclosed and fully heated, ensuring you will stay warm while experiencing majestic views throughout the trip.
From Spirit Island, which is only accessible by boat near the center of the lake, you will be treated to some of the most spectacular views found anywhere in the world. Jagged, snow-capped peaks ring a lake of vibrant blue water and ancient forest. Wildlife regularly prowl the shoreline, so keep your camera close and your senses alert as you scan the area for the eagles, bears and deer that call this area home. Expert and amateur photographers alike will be treated to incredible opportunities to attempt to document the natural splendor surrounding them, all the while recognizing that no photograph can do justice to the alpine scenery surrounding them. Each cruise last approximately 90 minutes, after which you will return to the boathouse where you can grab a warm beverage or bite to eat from the nearby lodge and chalet.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date
- Opening/closing dates are weather dependent
- Infants are free and ticket is required for this Attraction
- Maligne Lake is located one hour from the Jasper townsite. Plan to arrive early for parking and check-in, and be ready to board 15 minutes before your departure time. During the summer season, traffic and parking can take longer than expected.
- Maligne Lake is a remote location with limited cell service and no Wi-Fi — we recommend downloading your e-tickets in advance.
- Missed cruises are non-refundable, and cruise times may vary slightly due to operating conditions.
- Check in at the tour boat docks and follow on-site signage to your departure area.
- Seating is unassigned and available on a first-come, first-served basis, with great views from every seat.
- Note that cruises can run up to 15 minutes longer than scheduled to comply with Transport Canada wake regulations.
Reviews(699)
Amazing and incredible cruise on the Mary Shafer with Captain Grace and Mitchell. Learned so much about this very special place. My eyes feasted on more beauty of the earth than they ever have before. Really appreciated Mitchell’s’ passion and comprehensive knowledge of the Jasper area, the glaciers, climate and indigenous people that he shared along the way. Highly recommend!
The scenery was breathtaking, and the cruise takes you to beautiful sights that you simply can’t see by car or shuttle bus. Our guide, Sydney, and captain, Bree, were incredible. They were both skilled, funny, and incredibly knowledgeable, making the experience even more enjoyable.
Great tour. Our guides Kai & boat captain Ricky were super knowledgeable about friendly and showed genuine joy fit what their work! Beautiful scenic cruise. We felt the positive energy of the Lake & Spirit Island.
Fantastic cruise! Sarah and Ricki provided a really fun adventure. They were very knowledgeable and shared lots of interesting information. Ricki was an excellent captain, and Sarah made certain that each and every guest had all their questions answered. Highly recommend!
I took the cruise early in the season when there was still snow on the ground. My tour guide Sydney was incredible - very knowledgeable - and the captain Carson can make the best cow noise I have ever heard - I have been dreaming about it ever since.
Our captain Kat and tour guide Julie were fabulous! The tour was filled with useful information without it being excessive. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. Kat gave us a great ride and Julie’s bubbly spirit kept us going. A spectacular team!
Sydney and Grace were amazing guides! They were both hilarious and informative, we learnt so much about the history of Maligne and Jasper. We had the best time! Thank you!
The boat cruise on lake and Spirit Island stop was nothing short of breathtaking; Safe on board with Capable young boat crew
Our guide Michael and captain Sydney were incredible. Don't miss this experience. Out of all of the tours we took while in Banff and Jasper, it was by far our favorite 😍
We had an incredible experience on our July 26 cruise. Assembling passengers and embarking/disembarking was well organized and efficient. The 2x2 seating is comfortable with plenty of large windows for viewing. There is a small deck at the rear (stern) for anyone wanting to step outside for photos (standing room only). Captain Nelson was fantastic, gliding us smoothly over the lake, gently crossing wakes from passing boats, minimizing wakes when passing canoes and very smooth docking skills. Tour guide Asher was excellent and an asset to have on staff. Truely the best guide we experienced during our two weeks traveling Banff+Jasper. He was welcoming, charismatic and knowledgable. His stories with integrated jokes felt natural and not scripted. The 15-20 min stop at Spirit Island gave us plenty of time to explore and soak in the views. Although you could easily spend hours watching the views change as clouds roll by with their shadows rolling along the landscape. On the return ride is when Asher really shined. We had never experienced on any other tour what came next. In addition to asking the entire boat if there were any questions, he personally stopped at each row of seats to check-in with each person or couple to see if they had any questions/comments and make sure they were having a good time. If your answer was simply "OK" or "good" he didn't just walk away to the next person but would engage in light conversation by asking where you were traveling from, or seen wildlife, or if you had questions on the surrounding area or region. You could tell passengers loved the interaction as both sides would soon exchange stories or wildlife photos. Nelson and Asher kept all on board entertained so well we didn't realize the ride each way was over (45 min each way went by quickly). At the end everyone on board had smiles and no one appeared bored. An excellent cruise and well worth taking.
