Rockies by Rail
One of the world's great train journeys, on one of the world's great trains - is the highlight of our Rockies by Rail tour. You'll fly into Calgary, coach through the spectacular scenery of the Canadian Rockies as we head for Jasper, then join The Rocky Mountaineer for its two-day trip to Vancouver.
Day 1 - Arrive Calgary
Start your journey with a flight to Calgary. We'll meet you on arrival and transfer you to your hotel for the first night of your Rockies by Rail escorted tour.
Accommodation - Best Western Village Park Inn.
Day 2 - Calgary to Banff
Calgary is the gateway to the Rockies and as we leave to drive through the prairies and into those majestic mountains. 'Beautiful Banff', is a great blend of shops, eateries and activities. There's a brief orientation tour on arrival before checking-in at our hotel. The remainder of your day is at leisure.
Accommodation - Banff Inn.
Day 3 - Banff
A day at leisure in Canada's first National Park, Banff. An excellent opportunity to see panoramic views of what this park has to offer is on the optional Sulphur Mountain Gondola excursion. Banff has some wonderful shops and restaurants.
Accommodation - Banff Inn.
Day 4 - Banff to Jasper
Make sure your camera is loaded with film for today's journey as you need to keep your eyes open for elks and moose. We head north to Lake Louise for a stop and then we continue on to the picture postcard Peyto Lake. At the Columbia Icefield,weather permitting; this is where you can take the optional snocoach ride on the Athabasca Glacier, before arriving in Jasper for our two-night stay.
Accommodation - Lobstick Lodge.
Day 5 - Jasper
A full day to enjoy Jasper, a little town delightfully set amid the lakes, mountains and waterways that form Jasper National Park. It's the perfect place to take a breather, and our optional cruise of the 14-mile long Lake Maligne, crossing its glassy surface to the almost ethereal Spirit Island is perfect. For the more adventurous, a gentle 'float' down the Athabasca River might be just what you are looking for.
Accommodation - Lobstick Lodge.
Day 6 - Rocky Mountaineer Jasper to Kamloops
All aboard the Rocky Mountaineer. No ordinary train, its picture windows give you moving panoramas of soaring snow-capped mountains, cascading waterfalls, forested canyons and fast flowing rivers. When the scenery is simply too superb to miss, the train even slows down for photo opportunities! Enroute you'll pass Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Rockies, the winter white Monashee Mountains and Little Hell's Gate Canyon. On arrival at Kamloops, we transfer you to your overnight hotel.
Day 7 - Rocky Mountaineer Kamloops to Vancouver
Reboard the train for day two of its journey, which follows the whitewater rush of the Thompson River, cuts through the steep sided Fraser Canyon and passes the immeasurably thundering waters surging through Hell's Gate gorge. We reach the end of the iron road in the Pacific Rim city of Vancouver. The rest of the evening is at leisure in the city commonly referred to as the 'Jewel of the Pacific'.
Accommodation - Century Plaza Hotel & Spa.
Day 8 - Rocky Mountaineer Kamloops to Vancouver
Perhaps the most stunning city setting in the world, cosmopolitan Vancouver sits beside a natural harbour, with majestic mountains at its back and the ocean at its feet. There are great shopping venues here and, as you have a full day at leisure, there is ample opportunity for exploration too. Take a walk in Stanley Park, absorb the atmosphere of Gastown, explore Chinatown, and cross the Lion's Gate Bridge to Capilano Park with its century old suspension bridge. Accommodation - Century Plaza Hotel & Spa.
Day 9 - Depart Vancouver
The day is at leisure until transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK, a perfect time for last minute shopping in the huge department stores and elegant boutiques of the city known as the 'Jewel of the Pacific'. A transfer is arranged to give a comfortable check-in time for your overnight flight.
