Can You See Columbia Icefield From a Plane? Best Seat Side Guide

123 flight routes pass within 80 km of Columbia Icefield. Find out which side of the plane has the best views.

The largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies feeds glaciers flowing into three oceans. Visible on flights across the Canadian Rockies between Calgary and Vancouver.

Routes that pass it123

MCO YYC Orlando to Calgary · 0 km Both YYC MCO Calgary to Orlando · 0 km Both SEA MXP Seattle to Milano · 1 km Both BFI KEF Seattle to Keflavik · 2 km Both FCO SEA Rome to Seattle · 2 km Both KEF BFI Keflavik to Seattle · 2 km Both LIN SEA Milan to Seattle · 2 km Both RKV SEA Reykjavik to Seattle · 2 km Both SEA FCO Seattle to Rome · 2 km Both SEA LIN Seattle to Milan · 2 km Both SEA RKV Seattle to Reykjavik · 2 km Both CIA SEA Rome to Seattle · 4 km Both SEA CIA Seattle to Rome · 4 km Both YYC YXS Calgary to Prince George · 4 km Both FLR SEA Firenze to Seattle · 6 km Both GRU YYC Sao Paulo to Calgary · 6 km Both KEF SEA Keflavik to Seattle · 6 km Both SEA FLR Seattle to Firenze · 6 km Both SEA KEF Seattle to Keflavik · 6 km Both YYC GRU Calgary to Sao Paulo · 6 km Both FAI BJC Fairbanks to Denver · 7 km Both YED YVR Edmonton to Vancouver · 7 km Both YVR YED Vancouver to Edmonton · 7 km Both PDX PRG Portland to Prague · 10 km Both PRG PDX Prague to Portland · 10 km Both ATL YYC Atlanta to Calgary · 11 km Both DEN FAI Denver to Fairbanks · 11 km Both FAI DEN Fairbanks to Denver · 11 km Both YYC ATL Calgary to Atlanta · 11 km Both YVR YXD Vancouver to Edmonton · 12 km Left YXD YVR Edmonton to Vancouver · 12 km Right BNA YYC Nashville to Calgary · 15 km Right YYC BNA Calgary to Nashville · 15 km Left AMS SEA Amsterdam to Seattle · 16 km Left BFI LHR Seattle to London · 16 km Left LHR BFI London to Seattle · 16 km Right SEA AMS Seattle to Amsterdam · 16 km Right LCY SEA London to Seattle · 17 km Right NRT YYC Tokyo to Calgary · 19 km Right YYC NRT Calgary to Tokyo · 19 km Left AMS BFI Amsterdam to Seattle · 20 km Left BFI AMS Seattle to Amsterdam · 20 km Right CDG SEA Paris to Seattle · 20 km Right SEA CDG Seattle to Paris · 20 km Left LHR SEA London to Seattle · 21 km Right SEA LHR Seattle to London · 21 km Left SKF FAI San Antonio to Fairbanks · 22 km Right MBJ YYC Montego Bay to Calgary · 23 km Left NCE SEA Nice to Seattle · 23 km Right PUJ YYC Punta Cana to Calgary · 23 km Right SEA NCE Seattle to Nice · 23 km Left YYC MBJ Calgary to Montego Bay · 23 km Right YYC PUJ Calgary to Punta Cana · 23 km Left FRA SEA Frankfurt to Seattle · 25 km Left SEA FRA Seattle to Frankfurt · 25 km Right SYD YLJ Sydney to Meadow Lake · 25 km Right YLJ SYD Meadow Lake to Sydney · 25 km Left AKL YVR Auckland to Vancouver · 27 km Right YEG YVR Edmonton to Vancouver · 27 km Right YVR AKL Vancouver to Auckland · 27 km Left YVR YEG Vancouver to Edmonton · 27 km Left BFI FRA Seattle to Frankfurt · 28 km Right FRA BFI Frankfurt to Seattle · 28 km Left MNL YYC Manila to Calgary · 28 km Right YYC MNL Calgary to Manila · 28 km Left AEY SEA Akureyri to Seattle · 29 km Left SEA AEY Seattle to Akureyri · 29 km Right KIX YYC Osaka to Calgary · 30 km Right YYC KIX Calgary to Osaka · 30 km Left BFI DUB Seattle to Dublin · 34 km Left DUB BFI Dublin to Seattle · 34 km Right MUC SEA Munich to Seattle · 36 km Left SEA MUC Seattle to Munich · 36 km Right BCN YXX Barcelona to Abbotsford · 37 km Left DUB SEA Dublin to Seattle · 39 km Right SEA DUB Seattle to Dublin · 39 km Left YEG YYJ Edmonton to Victoria · 39 km Right YEG YYT Edmonton to St. John's · 39 km Right YYJ YEG Victoria to Edmonton · 39 km Left CLT YYC Charlotte to Calgary · 41 km Right YYC CLT Calgary to Charlotte · 41 km Left KOA YVR Kona to Vancouver · 42 km Left YVR KOA Vancouver to Kona · 42 km Right SEA YZS Seattle to Coral Harbour · 52 km Left YZS SEA Coral Harbour to Seattle · 52 km Right RDU YYC Raleigh-durham to Calgary · 56 km Right YVR OGG Vancouver to Kahului · 56 km Right YYC RDU Calgary to Raleigh-durham · 56 km Left FRA PDX Frankfurt to Portland · 57 km Right PDX FRA Portland to Frankfurt · 57 km Left ORD YYC Chicago to Calgary · 58 km Right YYC ORD Calgary to Chicago · 58 km Left NAN YVR Nandi to Vancouver · 59 km Left YVR NAN Vancouver to Nandi · 59 km Right DFW HKG Dallas-fort Worth to Hong Kong · 62 km Right HKG DFW Hong Kong to Dallas-fort Worth · 62 km Left MSP YYC Minneapolis to Calgary · 62 km Right PRG SEA Prague to Seattle · 62 km Left SEA PRG Seattle to Prague · 62 km Right YED YLW Edmonton to Kelowna · 62 km Right YLW YED Kelowna to Edmonton · 62 km Left YYC MSP Calgary to Minneapolis · 62 km Left CUN YYC Cancun to Calgary · 63 km Left YYC CUN Calgary to Cancun · 63 km Right ICN YYC Seoul to Calgary · 64 km Right YYC ICN Calgary to Seoul · 64 km Left AMS PDX Amsterdam to Portland · 67 km Right PDX AMS Portland to Amsterdam · 67 km Left BER SEA Berlin to Seattle · 70 km Left HKG YYC Hong Kong to Calgary · 70 km Right SEA BER Seattle to Berlin · 70 km Right YYC HKG Calgary to Hong Kong · 70 km Left SEA BCN Seattle to Barcelona · 74 km Left YEG YLW Edmonton to Kelowna · 74 km Right YLW YEG Kelowna to Edmonton · 74 km Left YXY YYC Whitehorse to Calgary · 75 km Right YYC YXY Calgary to Whitehorse · 75 km Left BNE YXD Brisbane to Edmonton · 76 km Right HNL YVR Honolulu to Vancouver · 76 km Left YVR HNL Vancouver to Honolulu · 76 km Right YXD BNE Edmonton to Brisbane · 76 km Left LHR YXX London to Abbotsford · 78 km Left YXX LHR Abbotsford to London · 78 km Right

Tip: Visibility depends on cloud cover, time of day, and how close the flight path comes. Sit on the listed side for the best chance of a view. Morning and evening flights often offer the best lighting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see Columbia Icefield from a plane?

Yes — 123 flight routes pass within 80 km of Columbia Icefield. The closest routes include Orlando to Calgary, Calgary to Orlando, Seattle to Milano. Sit on the Both side.

Which side of the plane is best for viewing Columbia Icefield?

The best side varies by route. For the most common routes near Columbia Icefield: on a Orlando to Calgary flight, sit on the Both side; on a Calgary to Orlando flight, sit on the Both side; on a Seattle to Milano flight, sit on the Both side.