Welcome to Canada! After checking into your Vancouver hotel, the rest of the day is yours at leisure, to relax after your flight or head out to start discovering this wonderfully welcoming city.

GoldLeaf: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver or similar

You have a full day to explore Vancouver, where there are activities for all interests. You could visit historic Gastown, dine in lively Yaletown, or enjoy a walk on the Stanley Park Seawall. No matter what you choose to do, the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean surround you.

GoldLeaf: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver or similar

All aboard! Today, you’ll be taken on a breathtaking rail journey through the stunning scenery of the Sea to Sky Corridor. Following the Rocky Mountaineer Rainforest to Gold Rush route, journey from the coastal city of Vancouver to the resort town of Whistler, renowned for outstanding skiing and mountain biking, an array of culinary delights and year-round outdoor activities.

Highlights of the trip include spectacular views of Howe Sound, the Coast Mountains, Brandywine Falls, Mount Garibaldi and the impressive Cheakamus Canyon. You’ll arrive in the early afternoon and the remainder of the day is at your own leisure.

GoldLeaf: Selected Whistle hotel (comfortable, moderate standard)

Breakfast

A pre-arranged motorcoach will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and take you to the Pemberton train station (approximately a 35-minute drive), where you will board the Rocky Mountaineer train and travel to the charming rural town of Quesnel, the gateway to the North Cariboo.

Enjoy breathtaking and varied scenery, from the river canyons and lush farmland of the Pemberton Valley, through the desert-like conditions of the Fraser Canyon, to rolling hills and vast ranchlands of the Cariboo Plateau. Highlights include the shorelines of Anderson Lake and glacier-fed Seton Lake, sweeping views of the Fraser Canyon, and the crossing of Deep Creek Bridge, one of the highest railway bridges in the world. Your day concludes as the train follows the banks of the Fraser River into Quesnel. Overnight in Quesnel.

GoldLeaf: Selected Quesnel hotel (comfortable, moderate standard)

Breakfast, lunch

Today, your journey continues eastward to the majestic Canadian Rockies and Jasper National Park. From Quesnel, Rocky Mountaineer follows the Fraser River north to the town of Prince George, then travels east through the forests of northern British Columbia, home to plentiful wildlife, including a large population of moose, caribou and bears.

Upon entering the Rocky Mountain Trench, you are surrounded by the steeply rising Rocky Mountains to the north and the Cariboo Mountains to the south. You’ll continue climbing past Mount Robson, at 3,954 metres (12,972 feet), the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, through Yellowhead Pass into the province of Alberta. Your rail journey ends on arrival in Jasper.

GoldLeaf: Forest Park Hotel or similar

Breakfast, lunch

Today is yours to explore Jasper or the surrounding National Park at your leisure. Why not pre-book a Jasper Wildlife Discovery Tour, for a great chance to see grizzly or black bears and other iconic Canadian wildlife?

GoldLeaf: Forest Park Hotel or similar

Swap rail for road today, as you travel from Jasper to Lake Louise via one of the most scenic highways in the world, the Icefields Parkway. Bow Lake, the Columbia Icefield Skywalk, and Athabasca Falls are among the day’s highlights.

The Columbia Icefield is one of the largest accumulations of ice south of the Arctic Circle and one of the most accessible icefields in North America. Here you will ride on an Ice Explorer to the middle of the Athabasca Glacier to learn about its geological features. Lunch is provided at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre. Afterwards, a brief stop will be made at Bow Lake before arriving in Lake Louise in the late afternoon. Overnight in Lake Louise.

GoldLeaf: Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise or similar

Lunch

Today is yours at leisure, in the simply stunning surroundings of Lake Louise. You could learn about the local wildlife, paddle the lake by canoe, or simply relax amongst the natural beauty. Overnight in Lake Louise.

GoldLeaf: Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise or similar

This morning you are free to explore beautiful Lake Louise on your own. After lunch, a half-day transfer takes you into Yoho National Park to view some of its natural wonders. Among the attractions are the Spiral Tunnels, Emerald Lake and a natural rock bridge that spans the Kicking Horse River. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Banff.

Please note: While departure from The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise will be approximately 14:00, scheduled checkout time is normally 12:00. Your luggage will be stored upon checkout, and you are free to enjoy the amenities of the hotel before the tour departs.

GoldLeaf: Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel or similar

Today is yours to explore the mountain town of Banff. There are activities for all, from outdoor wildlife adventures to taking the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain or relaxing in Banff hot springs. Overnight in Banff. 

GoldLeaf: Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel or similar

Travel onboard Rocky Mountaineer, First Passage to the West, from Banff to Kamloops, in the heart of the British Columbia Interior. Your journey takes you through ever-changing scenery as you travel between the iconic glacier and snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies over mountain passes and through remarkable tunnels, along rocky lakeshores and across the ranchlands of the Interior. Today’s highlights include the Continental Divide, the Spiral Tunnels, Kicking Horse Canyon, Rogers Pass and Craigellachie, where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven.

GoldLeaf: Selected Kamloops hotel (comfortable, moderate standard)

Breakfast, lunch

Your journey continues west towards the Pacific Ocean and the coastal city of Vancouver. On today’s journey, you will again see dramatic changes in scenery, from the desert-like environment of the B.C. Interior, through winding river canyons and pristine forests, to the Cascade and Coast Mountains and the lush green fields of the Fraser Valley. Highlights include the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River and the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon. Your rail journey ends on arrival in Vancouver this evening.

GoldLeaf: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver or similar

Breakfast, lunch

Enjoy a final day in Vancouver at your leisure, or ask your Travel Consultant if you’d like to visit Victoria and the Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island.

GoldLeaf: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver or similar

Your Rocky Mountaineer holiday comes to an end today. Head to Vancouver Airport for your flight home, or next destination.