Day 1: Vancouver, British Columbia - Tour Begins

Join Collette as you explore the beautiful Canadian Rockies by train. Your exciting tour begins in the beautiful city of Vancouver.

 

Day 2: Vancouver

Enjoy breakfast at Capilano Suspension Bridge and experience breathtaking views as well as “walking on the tree tops”!! Experience the splendor of Vancouver with a sightseeing tour that begins at beautiful Stanley Park, an “urban” rainforest which juts out into the sea.  You will also visit Chinatown, one of North America’s largest, and the waterfront area.  Your tour will end in Gastown, Vancouver’s turn-of-the-century pedestrian mall filled with pubs, restaurants, art galleries, specialty stores, and the world-famous steam-powered clock, perhaps the most photographed subject in all of Vancouver. (B, D)

 

Day 3: Vancouver - Victoria - Vancouver

Early this morning you will take a scenic ferry to Vancouver Island where you will visit the lovely Butchart Gardens, created on the site of a worked-out quarry. These gardens are among the world’s most beautiful and are a veritable explosion of color and fragrances.  Next, take a short sightseeing tour of the "City of Gardens", Victoria, and have some leisure time to explore this lovely seaside city.  This evening you will journey back to the mainland via a short ferry ride.

 

Day 4: Vancouver - Rocky Mountaineer® Train - Kamloops

Board your train for the scenic journey of a lifetime.  The Rocky Mountaineer® Train will take you on a spectacular voyage from Vancouver to Jasper.  Spend two days viewing coastal forests, roaring river canyons and lofty mountain peaks. Today, your route takes you along the verdant fields of Fraser Valley and the scenic Fraser River. You will also view the beauty of the Thompson River and the shimmering, fish-filled waters of Kamloops Lake before arriving in Kamloops for an overnight stay.  (B, L)

 

Day 5: Kamloops - Jasper, Alberta

Continue east aboard your train, passing the striking mountain peaks of the Monashee Mountains and viewing Pyramid Falls cascading down Mt. Cheadle.  In addition, you will see the glaciers of the Albreda Icefields and view Mt. Robson (weather permitting), the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.  The area is home to moose, mountain goats, bear and caribou.  Early this evening you arrive in Jasper, the northern gateway to the Icefields Parkway.  (B, L, D)

 

Day 6: Jasper

*Begin your day with a trip to the extraordinary Maligne Canyon. *  Later, travel to the sparkling waters of Maligne Lake, the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies, where an optional cruise, highlighting the beauty of Spirit Island, will be offered.  Return to Jasper where the remainder of the day is at leisure to explore this lovely town..  (B)

 

Day 7: Jasper - Icefields Parkway - Lake Louise

A wonderful day of sightseeing is in store for you while en route to Lake Louise.  The highlight is a journey along the unforgettable Icefields Parkway: behold majestic waterfalls, rushing rivers, glacial peaks, imposing cliffs and snowcapped mountain ranges.  A stop will be made to marvel at the beauty and power of Athabasca Falls which has carved fanciful features into stone. Then you will continue on to the Columbia Icefields, where a special ride is in store for you (weather permitting) across this mass of glacial ice which is over 1,000 feet thick and represents the largest accumulation of ice south of the Arctic Circle.  As you continue down the parkway, you will most likely see bears, furry marmots and stately elk. *Stop at the serene Peyto Lake and arrive in Lake Louise, where you will enjoy a stay at the world-famous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. * (B, D)

Day 8: Lake Louise - Banff

En route to Banff, view the spectacular Moraine Lake and the awesome Valley of the Ten Peaks.  The jagged Ten Peaks are distinctively saw-toothed and stand out even in this stunning Alpine region. Arrive at the magnificent Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, known as the “Castle in the Mountains.”  The afternoon is at leisure for exploring or strolling through the many well-known shops of Banff.  (B, D)

 

Day 9: Banff - Calgary