Day 1 Vancouver
Your Rockies Rail Experience begins in the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver. Here you will check into the luxurious Fairmont Waterfront
Hotel (or similar). Tonight you enjoy a Welcome Dinner, giving you the opportunity to meet your fellow travelling companions.
Day 2 Vancouver - Kamloops - The Canyons
Your early morning start sees you departing from Granville Street Station for Kamloops, some 250 miles away. Your train follows the
Burrard Inlet, formed during the last Ice Age, then enter the awesome Lower Fraser River Canyon. Later, you follow the wild and turbulent
waters of Thompson River Canyon. If the 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, you reboard the 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. You then visit the excellent Railway Museum in
Revelstoke before ending your 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. You dine here and stay overnight at the Prestige Mountainside Resort.
Day 4 Golden - Fort Steele - Columbia River Valley
From Golden your train diverges from the Canadian Pacific Railway main line and takes the historic Kootenay Railway, travelling south
along the magnificent Columbia River Valley towards the US border. Here you enjoy an overnight stop in Cranbrook at the Prestige Rocky
Mountain Resort. This evening you 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 the journey is simply outstanding as you experience the spectacular and awe-inspiring views as we climb to
Crowsnest Pass, where you 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 you an intriguing insight
into prehistoric life. You spend this evening in Lethbridge at the Holiday Inn.
Day 6 Lethbridge - Calgary - The Prairies
This morning you have the opportunity to photograph the 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. The journey then
takes you 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 you will stay overnight. (Dinner at your own arrangements this evening)
Day 7 Calgary
The 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.
