Rockies Rail Experience (7 days)
Vancouver - Calgary via Crowsnest |
Your Rockies Rail Experience begins in the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver. Here you will check into the luxurious Fairmont Waterfront Hotel (or similar). Tonight we enjoy a Welcome Dinner, giving you the opportunity to meet your fellow travelling companions. |
| Day 2: VANCOUVER – KAMLOOPS (THE CANYONS) |
Our early morning start sees us departing for Kamloops, some 250 miles away. Our train follows the Burrard Inlet, formed during the last Ice Age, then enter the awesome Lower Fraser River Canyon. Later, we follow the wild and turbulent waters of Thompson River Canyon. If our train arrives in Kamloops on time we join the Spirit of Kamloops heritage train for a short scenic journey. This evening we stay at the Executive Inn in Kamloops. (note: operational constraints may dictate that we depart from Coquitlam in Vancouver’s suburbs) |
| Day 3: KAMLOOPS – GOLDEN (THE LAKES) |
After breakfast, we rejoin our private train and continue on through the awe-inspiring beauty of the Lake District passing Craigellachie, where the last spike was driven to complete the Trans-Continental rail link in 1885. We then visit the excellent Railway Museum in Revelstoke before ending our day at the important junction of Golden, which nestles in the stunning Columbia Valley and is circled by three mountain ranges and five National Parks. We dine here and stay overnight at the Prestige Mountainside Resort. |
| Day 4: GOLDEN – FORT STEELE (COLUMBIA RIVER VALLEY) |
From Golden our train diverges from the Canadian Pacific main line and takes the historic Kootenay Railway, travelling south along the magnificent Columbia River Valley towards the US border. Here we enjoy an overnight stop in Cranbrook at the Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort. This evening we are treated to period entertainment and a fabulous dinner in the faithfully reconstructed Alexandra Hall, the original dining room from the Canadian Pacific Railway Hotel in Winnipeg.
|
| Day 5: CRANBROOK – CROWSNEST PASS – LETHBRIDGE (THE ROCKIES) |
This morning a private tour of the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel offers us an absorbing insight into Canada’s long relationship with train travel. The next leg of our journey is simply outstanding as we experience the spectacular and awe-inspiring views as we climb to Crowsnest Pass, where we cross the Continental Divide. There is an optional visit (at additional cost) to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This 5,500 year old site celebrates Native American culture and customs, offering us an intriguing insight into prehistoric life. We spend this evening in Lethbridge at the Holiday Inn. |
| Day 6: LETHBRIDGE – CALGARY (THE PRAIRIES) |
This morning we have the opportunity to photograph our train on the spectacular 1 mile long and 314 foot high, Lethbridge Trestle. The largest in North America, this amazing steel structure was completed in 1909 to replace the original wooden bridge. Our journey then takes us across the open prairies to Calgary, to arrive after lunch at the Canadian Pacific Railway Pavilion. The Pavilion is attached to the excellent Fairmont Palliser Hotel, where we will stay overnight. (Dinner at your own arrangements this evening) |
Our tour concludes with breakfast at the hotel. Before flying home you may have time to explore Calgary taking in the Calgary Towers and glass observation deck, the Devonian Gardens – one of the world’s largest indoor gardens and even enjoy a drink in a traditional saloon bar. |
