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Trans Canada by Rail

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You are viewing the 2024 itinerary. Select your departure year
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7 days From $2,317 per person
4.6 stars(37 reviews)
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Heritage Tour

Two of Canada's most popular cities combine with an exciting train journey across Canada to create one amazing Canadian train vacation.

Travel on your own following a well-planned itinerary
Save $300

Offer ends April 3rd: Save $300 per booking on Independent Canada Tours in 2024.

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2024 Tour code: TC-TCRE-24

About the tour

Two of Canada's most popular cities combine with an exciting train journey across Canada to create one amazing Canadian train vacation. Enjoy all the pleasures of train travel as the Canadian takes you from Vancouver through an ever-changing landscape east to Toronto.

Your 7-day tour includes time at leisure in Vancouver, first-class sleeping accommodations aboard VIA Rail's Canadian, and access to the Skyline Car and the Park Car for amazing views of the passing scenery. You'll arrive in Toronto relaxed, refreshed, and ready to discover all the treasures of this city.

This itinerary is also available from Toronto to Vancouver based on your travel preference.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1- Vancouver

Arrive in the coastal city of Vancouver and check-in to your hotel. Located in the heart of the city, you're close to many of the city's attractions, shops, and restaurants. Spend time exploring this scenic city on your own. Opt to add admission to FlyOver Canada, a thrilling multisensory journey across Canada aboard the latest in flight ride technology. Or, choose to explore the Capilano Suspension bridge and park. Overnight Vancouver.

There is so much to see and do in this iconic city. Speak to your rail specialist about adding additional nights and sightseeing experiences in Vancouver. Some highlights include a city or food tours, a day trip out to Victoria, or whale watching.

Day 2 - Depart Vancouver onboard VIA Rail Canadian

Spend the morning and early afternoon at leisure taking in all Vancouver has to offer. Or, opt to fill your free with adding a food tour in Granville Market before making your way to the train station for your afternoon departure. Visit Granville Island, historic Gastown, or take a hike through Stanley Park. Later on, head back to the hotel to grab your luggage before transferring on your own to the train station. Once on board the train, settle into your Sleeper Plus accommodations on VIA Rail's Canadian and prepare for your trans-Canada rail journey. Overnight train.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 3 - En Route to Jasper

Awake this morning to the beauty of the Canadian Rockies. Take advantage of your access to the Park Car and Skyline Car, offering panoramic views of the passing scenery. Overnight train.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - En Route to Toronto

Today's travels take you through Saskatoon, Canada's leader in the high technology and mining industries, and Melville, named after Charles Melville Hays, President of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad Company. Spend the day chatting with other travelers, enjoying the sweeping views from the sightseeing lounges, or relaxing in your comfortable accommodations. Overnight train.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - VIA Rail to Toronto

A highlight of today's scenic trip includes Longlac, which, located at the northern tip of Long Lake, played an important role as part of the historic canoe route for fur traders. Overnight train. 

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Toronto

Your train is scheduled to arrive in Toronto this afternoon. On your last day on the Canadian, spend time in the Park Car enjoying its three salons and observation deck as well as the Skyline Car with an observation dome offering 360-degree views of the ever-changing landscape. After settling into your hotel opt to add admission to CN tower to have 360 degree view of Toronto at night. Overnight Toronto.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7 - Conclusion

Your rail tour through the heart of Canada ends this morning. Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.

There is so much to explore in the largest city in Canada. Speak to your rail specialist about adding additional nights and sightseeing activities in Toronto.

Additional information

Pricing Plans

Moderate Accommodations
Hotels include the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel and the Chelsea Hotel. VIA Rail accommodations are in Sleeper Plus Class in a semi-private berth. Meals are included onboard the train along with access to the Park Car with its lounges and 360-degree panoramic views. 

Deluxe Accommodations
Hotels include The Fairmont Waterfront and The Fairmont Royal York. VIA Rail accommodations are in Sleeper Plus Class in a private cabin. Meals are included onboard the train along with access to the Park Car with its lounges and 360-degree panoramic views.

Prestige Class
Hotels include The Fairmont Waterfront and The Fairmont Royal York, with accommodations in upgraded rooms. Onboard VIA Rail's Canadian, each Prestige Cabin has a modular leather L-shaped couch by day and a Murphy bed for two by night facing the window with electric radiant heated cabin floors and walls that maintain a comfortable and constant temperature. Highlights of this Prestige Class include personalized dedicated service by a Prestige Concierge; a spacious cabin, large windows and a private washroom with shower; flat-screen TV with video selection; minibar stocked with a selection of beverages and more.

Departure times

Departure times vary based on selected rail vacation. This information will be provided in your final documents. For more information please speak with your rail specialist.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular vacation with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

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VIA Rail's Canadian

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Reviews

4.6 stars4.6 / 5 · 37 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (26)
  2. 4 stars
    (9)
  3. 3 stars
    (0)
  4. 2 stars
    (1)
  5. 1 star
    (1)

ALLEN KOHLER

5 stars

Submitted 08 Nov 2023

When you consider the service provided: 1) Book train w/chosen sleeper, 2) Book accommodation at each end of trip, cost of service was on expensive side. Next time we would do our own booking and save the hundreds. Trip was spectacular.

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BECKY FRANZEN

5 stars

Submitted 02 Nov 2023

This trip was so wonderful, I could have turned around and repeated it.

Collected by Trustpilot

BECKY FRANZEN

5 stars

Submitted 29 Oct 2023

If I could have I would turn around and do the whole trip over again. It was that spectacular!

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ROBERT ALLAN FRINIER

5 stars

Submitted 03 Aug 2023

Food - outstanding Accommodations / cabin - great except that it was very hard to exit the bed when there are two people. Staff - dining and concierge - great Views - super across Canada

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Judy Pest

1 stars

Submitted 10 Jun 2023

I booked the Trans Canada by Rail Moderate tour, from Vancouver to Toronto. I know that booking through a tour company can be quite expensive but I’d booked a tour with another tour company and expected a comparable level of services so I may not have done due diligence in exploring what was included in the tour. Best I can tell, the only services provided were booking the train with VIA Rail and booking 2 nights in hotels. There were no meals or gatherings other than the ones that were included in the VIA Rail fee. Most of the transfers between hotels and train stations were not included, which is unusual. There was no representative from Vacations by Rail on site, at the pre and post trip hotels or on the train. But unfortunately that was not the issue I’m writing about. Due to wild fires in Canada, the train only made it to Jasper and had to turn around and go back to Vancouver. Clearly, no one was at fault for that. And the rail company, VIA Rail, handled the situation beautifully. They paid airfare for everyone to get from Vancouver to Toronto and paid for a hotel for the night in Vancouver before our flights home. They announced on the public address system that passengers would receive a refund that would be the difference between the economy fare and the upgraded fare that we had paid (through Travels by Rail). My traveling companion spoke with a representative of VIA Rail after the trip and was told that the refund would be $908, which would be refunded to Travels by Rail and then they would refund us. So I assumed that would be the refund we would receive with maybe a small percentage deducted for administration. But the refund that Travels by Rail provided was $352! So you gotta wonder, where did the other $550 go? Several requests for an explanation as to how the refund amount was determined went unanswered. My advice—book with the rail line yourself. These people are not honorable.

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KATHRYN CLAIRE BORDAGARAY

2 stars

Submitted 18 May 2023

The part of the trip we had was wonderful. However, we spent a lot of money for this trip. We were stopped at Jasper due to wildfire and had to return to Vancouver, We spent the night in a hotel in Vancouver. In the morning when we went downstairs to catch the shuttle, we were informed that several people had returned to the rail station because they were going to reboard the train and take the planned trip from Vancouver to Toronto. Neither my sister nor I were informed of this option. We paid for the prestige and were royally screwed. Kathryn C Bordagaray

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