On this vacation, enjoy the romance of train travel as you journey via two trains from Toronto to Vancouver. Your first train travels from Toronto to Jasper on VIA Rail’s® the Canadian. Your second train travels in the Canadian Rockies from Banff to Vancouver via the Rocky Mountaineer. During your train travels, admire breathtaking scenery, stunning mountain peaks, serene lakes, glittering glaciers, thundering waterfalls, and vast prairie grasslands. You’ll spend two nights in Jasper and three nights in Banff National Park, where you’ll have time to relax, hike, shop, admire wildlife, and join optional activities. Other fun experiences include a cruise at Niagara Falls and a ride in an all-terrain vehicle on the Columbia Icefield, Canada’s largest expanse of ice. Stunning scenery, enjoyable train travel, leisure time to relax and explore, and fun experiences—you can anticipate all of this and more on this marvelous Canadian rail vacation.
Highlights:
Scenic Highlights:Toronto, Niagara Falls, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Canadian Rockies, Jasper National Park, Banff National Park, Yoho National Park, Rogers Pass, Shuswap Lake, Kamloops, Fraser Canyon, Hell’s Gate, and Vancouver.
Itinerary:
Day #1 Toronto. Enjoy time at leisure to relax or to do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions.
Day #2 Toronto–Niagara Falls Excursion–VIA Rail The Canadian. This morning, wake up to the promise of an unforgettable excursion. Travel to Niagara Falls, one of the world’s greatest natural splendors. Towering to 180 feet, the 12,000-year-old falls are nothing less than awe-inspiring. As well as soaking up spectacular views of the falls from the rim of the gorge, your sightseeing includes a trip on the MAID OF THE MIST, which cruises close to the thunderous columns so you can experience their power from the deck. Afterward, return to Toronto, where you’re invited this evening to join our optional dinner outing to enjoy stunning vistas over the city’s illuminated 1,815-foot CN Tower. Next, transfer to the station for your late-evening departure on the Canadian, VIA Rail’s premier transcontinental train, for your classic 3-day trip through Canada’s heartland.NOTE:Operation of the Maid of the Mist cruise is subject to favorable weather and/or river conditions. When unfavorable conditions exist, a walking tour of the scenic tunnels will be offered.
Day #3 VIA Rail The Canadian. Today, watch, spellbound, as your train glides effortlessly through the ever-changing vistas that form the heart of this beautiful country. Alternatively, enjoy some of the train’s excellent amenities, perhaps chatting over coffee in the comfortable Skyline Car, soaking up the 360-degree views from the observation dome, or relaxing in the luxurious Bullet Lounge. Later, settle into your private sleeping berth for a restful night of moonlit train travel. (B,L,D)
Day #4 VIA Rail The Canadian–Winnipeg. After a brief stop in Winnipeg, the largest city in the Canadian prairies, reboard your train for a memorable journey through the country’s stunning plains. This evening, savor the onboard cuisine once more, with supper in the train’s exclusive “Sleeper Touring” dining car. (B,L,D)
Day #5 VIA Rail The Canadian–Edmonton–Jasper. After a hearty onboard breakfast, a short morning stop in Edmonton, Alberta’s capital. Next, onward to the scenic highlight of your journey: the magnificent Canadian Rockies. This unspoiled wilderness is rich in wildlife, so you may spot mountain goats, caribou, and even grizzlies along the way! This afternoon, arrive in Jasper and disembark for your 2-night stay. Surrounded by soaring mountains, this charming resort is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts. Enjoy an orientation tour and, later, why not take our optional float trip on the Athabasca River? This leisurely afternoon excursion takes you over gentle river rapids amid phenomenal scenery. (BR)
Day #6 Jasper. Make the most of your surroundings today, starting with an optional cruise around stunning Maligne Lake, the Rockies’ second-largest glacier-fed lake, which is ringed by ice-clad mountains and thick forests. This evening, perhaps walk along one of the many local hiking or wildlife trails.
Day #7 Jasper–Columbia Icefield–Lake Louise–Banff. Today, bid farewell to Jasper for your journey through JASPER NATIONAL PARK to Banff. This epic park is the most northerly in the Canadian Rockies and combines lingering serenity with dazzling mountains, glistening glaciers, and crashing falls. On the way, stop at the COLUMBIA ICEFIELD to experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice measuring 1,200 feet (365 meters) thick. Continue down Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise, where cold waters mirror the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Arrive in BANFF NATIONAL PARK for a leisurely 3-night stay.
Day #8 Banff. Nestled in BANFF NATIONAL PARK, Banff draws nature-lovers year round with its outdoor attractions. You have two whole days to explore this scenic area, so why not start with a thrilling optional helicopter ride, giving you a unique birds-eye view over the snow-clad peaks? Don’t miss the optional gondola ride to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for amazing views, and a stop at beautiful Bow Falls.
Day #9 Banff. Nestled in BANFF NATIONAL PARK, Banff draws nature-lovers year round with its outdoor attractions. You have two whole days to explore this scenic area, so why not start with a thrilling optional helicopter ride, giving you a unique birds-eye view over the snow-clad peaks? Don’t miss the optional gondola ride to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for amazing views, and a stop at beautiful Bow Falls.
Day #10 Banff–Rocky Mountaineer–Kamloops. Another rail adventure begins today as you board the iconic Rocky Mountaineer for an unforgettable 2-day, all-daylight journey. Enjoy a delicious breakfast as your train sets off along the legendary first passage to the West route, which traces the historic transcontinental railroad linking Canada’s east and west. On the way, marvel at rugged Yoho National Park, where your train passes through the incredible Spiral Tunnels, a series of corkscrew-shaped mountain tunnels. Other highlights include spectacular Rogers Pass, which winds through glittering glaciers and dark tunnels. After continuing past ranchlands and picturesque Shuswap Lake, arrive in Kamloops, gateway to British Columbia’s interior. (CB,L)
Day #11 Kamloops–Rocky Mountaineer–Vancouver. All aboard today as the Rocky Mountaineer follows the Thompson River and majestic Fraser Canyon—a stunning, 600-foot walled gorge. En route you’ll see legendary Hell’s Gate, a thundering waterfall that powers millions of gallons of water through the narrowest point of Fraser Canyon. From here, travel through the dramatic Pacific Coastal Mountains, arriving in Vancouver in the early evening. (CB,L)
Day #12 Vancouver. The trip ends today with guests departing on individual schedules. Transfers to Vancouver International Airport are included. You can extend your vacation with extra nights and explore Vancouver further with a variety of exciting optional activities.
Hotels:
TORONTO Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Toronto (F)
VIA RAIL CANADIAN TRAIN Sleeper Plus class
JASPER Marmot Lodge (F)
BANFF NATIONAL PARK Banff International Hotel (MF)
KAMLOOPS Comfort Inn or similar (ST)
VANCOUVER Quality Hotel Downtown-False Creek (MF)