Rockies Rail Experience Itinerary (7 days)
Calgary - Vancouver via Banff |
Your Rockies Rail Experience begins in Calgary. Here you will check into the centrally located Fairmont Palliser Hotel for a one-night stay. Tonight we enjoy a Welcome Dinner, giving you the opportunity to meet your travelling companions who will share this thrilling 7-day journey. |
| Day 2: CALGARY – BANFF – LAKE LOUISE (THE PRAIRIES & ROCKIES) |
This morning we board our train and depart from the Canadian Pacific Railway Pavilion. Heading through the suburbs of Calgary, we travel towards Banff, where we stop at lunchtime. A wealth of outstanding natural beauty assaults our senses as we travel through quiet meadows towards thundering waterfalls and towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains. We spend two nights in this fabulous area at the Relais & Chateau Post Hotel & Spa (or similar) in the town of Lake Louise. |
| Day 3: LAKE LOUISE - (ICEFIELDS PARKWAY |
Today we experience the inspirational views of the Icefields Parkway. Waterfalls, emerald lakes, alpine meadows and snow-capped peaks are just some of the natural wonders we will see. At the boundary of the Banff and Jasper National Parks lies the Columbia Icefield, covering an awesome 325 sq kilometres, and contains one of the largest accumulations of snow and ice outside the Arctic Circle. From here we get an excellent view of its eight glaciers including Athabasca, Dome and Stutfield. Brewster’s Ice Age Adventure lets us experience the exhilaration of stepping out onto the icy slopes of the Athabasca Glacier before we return to Lake Louise in the late afternoon and the stunning emerald waters of Lake Louise overlooked by the 11,250 foot Mount Victoria. From here the splintering of glaciers can often be heard as huge ice chunks crash into the lake below. |
| Day 4: LAKE LOUISE – REVELSTOKE (THE MOUNTAINS) |
As we leave Lake Louise behind us, we begin the steepest section of our climb through the indomitable Rockies. On reaching the Continental Divide, we pass from Alberta into British Columbia. Our stunning descent takes us past Lake Wapata into two spiral tunnels down to the magnificent Kicking Horse Pass. We then continue over Rogers Pass in the Glacier National Park before arriving in the delightful town of Revelstoke, where we visit the excellent Railway Museum, and stay overnight.
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| Day 5: REVELSTOKE – KAMLOOPS (THE LAKES) |
Our morning run takes us down to Kamloops. On the way we pass Craigellachie, where the last spike was driven to complete the Trans-Continental rail link in 1885. We then join the Spirit of Kamloops heritage train for a short scenic journey before returning to Kamloops for dinner and an overnight stay. |
| Day 6: KAMLOOPS – VANCOUVER (THE CANYONS) |
Our early morning start sees us departing for Vancouver, some 250 miles away and en-route a kaleidoscope of landscapes competes for our attention. Our journey follows the turbulent waters of Thompson and Lower Fraser River Canyons for most of the day before finally skirting the Burrard Inlet, formed during the last Ice Age. After arriving at Vancouver’s Waterfront Station, we transfer to the five-star Fairmont Waterfront Hotel (or similar) for a one-night stay and our Farewell Dinner. (Note: operational constraints may dictate that the train terminates in Coquitlam in Vancouver’s suburbs) |
Our tour ends after taking breakfast in the hotel. If there is time before your flight, you can explore this vibrant cosmopolitan city. Soak up the atmosphere by taking a stroll along the Stanley Park Seawall, visit Vancouver Art Gallery or simply enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of Vancouver. |
