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Empire Builder with Glacier National Park - Chicago to Seattle

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7 days From $1,887 $1,787 per person
4.1 stars(28 reviews)
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Discover all the natural beauty and scenic wonders of Glacier National Park, "The Crown of the Continent" in the majestic Pacific Northwest.

Travel on your own following a well-planned itinerary
Save $200

$200 per booking on independent Glacier National Park Vacations

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2024 Tour code: RM-EGPW-24

About the tour

Travel from Chicago or Seattle aboard Amtrak's Empire Builder and relax in comfort as the glorious scenery passes by.

Your Glacier National Park 7-day adventure includes two nights onboard Amtrak's Empire Builder as well as two nights each in Glacier Park Lodge and St. Mary Lodge. This well-planned itinerary lets you enjoy the best of Glacier National Park with tour highlights including the Swift Current Lake Boat Cruise and "The Crown of the Continent." Consider upgrading to a roomette or bedroom, which includes meals aboard the train.

This vacation can be booked online for departures from the following Amtrak stations: Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, and St. Paul/Minneapolis. For other departure cities, please select the Chicago location, and a rail specialist will contact you within 48 hours with a package customized with a departure from your most convenient Amtrak station.

This itinerary is available from Seattle to Chicago based on your travel preference.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - Depart Chicago aboard the Empire Builder

Board Amtrak's Empire Builder for your 2:15 pm departure and follow the route of the explorers as you head towards the magnificent Pacific Northwest. Read, listen to music or chat with your fellow travelers as you gaze at the magnificent scenery. Check out your journey on a map as the train makes it way through Wisconsin, Minnesota and the grasslands of the "Northern Prairie State" of North Dakota. Overnight train.

Day 2 - East Glacier Park, Montana

Welcome to East Glacier Park, covering more than 1.2 million acres of lakes and waterfalls, dramatic peaks and breathtaking ice-carved glaciers. Your hotel for the evening is the Glacier Park Lodge. Modeled after a Swiss Chalet, this historic lodge offers enticing amenities including a heated outdoor swimming pool and nine-hole golf course. Overnight Glacier Park Lodge.

Day 3 - St. Mary's Lake Boat Cruise

Your adventure continues as you arrive at the St. Mary Hotel, situated at the eastern entrance to the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Enjoy a delightful boat ride on St. Mary Lake showcasing the alpine beauty and grandeur of the park. Overnight St. Mary Lodge. 

Day 4 - Crown of the Continent Tour

Spend another day in Glacier National Park by taking a breathtaking "Crown of the Continent Tour." The historic Red Jammers of Glacier National Park will take you around the park just as they did in the 1930's. Journey across one of the most stunning roads in North America. The Going-to-the-Sun Road is unsurpassed in alpine splendor and you will enjoy several picture-perfect stops along the way. Overnight St. Mary Lodge.

*Subject to change based on seasonal road closures

Day 5 - Glacier National Park

Today, experience pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, and spectacular lakes and discover why Glacier National Park is considered the birthplace of mountaineering in North America. With over 700 miles of trails, Glacier is a hiker's paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness and solitude. Deer are among the most commonly spotted wildlife but elk, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, wolves, grizzly and black bears roam its wild vastness and are often seen by visitors. Spend another night at Glacier Park Lodge. Overnight Glacier Park Lodge.

Day 6 - Empire Builder to Seattle

Board your Amtrak train in the evening bound for Seattle and relax as you watch the Cascade Mountains come into view. Snow-capped volcanoes and forested mountains dot the landscape as you reach your destination. Overnight train.

Day 7 - Seattle

When you see Mount Rainier looming in the distance, you'll know you've arrived in Seattle. Visit the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, a combination shopping mecca and farmer's market, Chinatown, and the Experience Music Project. Sip a cup of java at any one of the hundreds of coffee shops throughout the city and reflect on your amazing Alpine adventure.

Additional information

Pricing Plans

Amtrak accommodations are available in Coach class, Roomette and Bedroom.

Coach accommodations include a reclining seat with leg rest.

Roomette accommodations include a private cabin that features two comfortable seats beside a picture window during the day, which converts to an upper and lower berth at night.

Bedroom accommodations feature a sofa and chair by day and upper and lower berth by night. Bedroom accommodations also include a sink and self-enclosed toilet and shower. 

Please Note

Prices do not include National Parks Entrance Fee.

Arrival and Departure times are subject to change without notice. Please be advised that passengers traveling on Empire Builder Trains may encounter delays of approximately three to six hours due to heavy congestion, speed restrictions and other operating conditions.

Prices are off-peak rates, per person based on double occupancy and include taxes.

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.

Hotels

Glacier Park Lodge, East Glacier Park

Glacier Park Lodge, East Glacier Park

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St. Mary's Lodge, St. Mary

St. Mary's Lodge, St. Mary

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Train

Amtrak's Empire Builder

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Reviews

4.1 stars4.1 / 5 · 28 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (11)
  2. 4 stars
    (12)
  3. 3 stars
    (4)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (1)

Thomas donnelly

3 stars

Submitted 01 Nov 2023

The Glacier trips were great. Amtrak was horrible. From the train rocking side to side and the rooms being cramped, I will never go on an Amtrak train again. The Glacier portion could have been fewer days. There was lots of down time.

Collected by Trustpilot

JULIA ADAMS

5 stars

Submitted 09 Sep 2023

The ride was as comfortable as it could be for the space confinement of a train. We got the roomette which was well worth the upgrade over coach. All meals were included and you can lay down to sleep. There is a private cabin available for quite a bit more money where there is a sink and private toilet/shower. It’s nice to let someone else do the driving while you just sit and look at the scenery or rest.

Collected by Trustpilot

SUSAN STEVENS

5 stars

Submitted 30 Aug 2023

Great service

Collected by Trustpilot

Frances Chin

5 stars

Submitted 26 Aug 2023

Vacations By Rail was so responsive to our custom requirements. They answered our questions promptly and planned a trip that was so easy for independent travel. We enjoyed every tour and stop at Glacier National Park.

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CHRISTINE MOSCA

3 stars

Submitted 21 Aug 2023

The beds are hard, the bathroom was usually dirty, the PA system didn’t work well. They ran out of all appetizers and all deserts on the Seattle leg. The attendant Lynn was really nice on the Chicago half of the trip. The break was nice to get out and stretch. The observation car was nice. The food was pretty good. The hotels didn’t have TV or air conditioning. There wasn’t much to do at the hotel area while waiting all day until 7:40pm to wait for the train. The boat tour and bus tour were great! It was a unique experience but doubt we will do another one.

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JACK EUGENE PLETCHER

4 stars

Submitted 05 Aug 2023

Roomette was small as expected. Would have been nicer if windows extended into upper bunk. Observation car was always crowded when we tried to get in. Never got to sit there. Except for mealtimes, we spent the trip in our roomette.

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