Beautiful Banff Rail & Drive - Vancouver to Calgary
Discover the Canadian Rockies by rail and car. Enjoy two days aboard the scenic Rocky Mountaineer, combined with the freedom to discover spectacular Banff National Park at your leisure by rental car.
Tour Description
Your tour kicks off in Vancouver, where you can explore the scenic city on your own and visit the Vancouver Lookout for panoramic views. After a relaxing evening, you’ll start your second day with travel aboard the Rocky Mountaineer, from Vancouver to Kamloops, the heart of British Columbia. Get your cameras ready for dramatic scenery, from the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate to mountain peaks. Continue east to Alberta, across ranchlands, lakeshores, mountain passes and tunnels, arriving in the picturesque resort town of Banff. Spend the next day enjoying Banff on your own, then drive to Lake Louise and Yoho National Park. Travel through Kananaskis Country and the wide-open ranches of Alberta before arriving in Calgary, where you’ll spend an evening touring the city before your trip comes to an end.
Highlights and Inclusions
- 2 days of scenic rail travel onboard Rocky Mountaineer
- Hotel accommodations for 5 nights
- 4 meals
- 3-day full-size car rental with GPS and unlimited mileage
- Vancouver Lookout
- Calgary Tower
Itinerary
Day 1 - Vancouver
Arrive in Vancouver and spend time exploring this scenic city on your own. Included is admission to the Vancouver Lookout, offering panoramic views of the city. Overnight in Vancouver.
Day 2 - Vancouver to Kamloops
Travel onboard the Rocky Mountaineer from the coastal city of Vancouver to Kamloops, in the heart of British Columbia's interior. On today's journey, you will see dramatic changes in scenery, from the lush green fields of the Fraser River valley, through forests and winding river canyons surrounded by the peaks of the Coast and Cascade mountains, to the desert-like environment of the interior. Highlights include the rushing waters of Hell's Gate in the Fraser Canyon and the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River. Your day concludes as the Rocky Mountaineer travels along the shores of Kamloops Lake and into Kamloops. Overnight in Kamloops. (B, L)
Day 3 - Kamloops to Banff
Your journey continues eastwards to the mighty Canadian Rockies and the province of Alberta. Once again you will see a spectacular array of scenery as you travel across ranchlands, along rocky lakeshores, over high mountain passes and through the remarkable tunnels that form part of the rich rail history of the Canadian Rockies. Today's highlights include Craigellachie, where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven, the climb over Rogers Pass, the Kicking Horse Canyon, the Spiral Tunnels and, of course, the glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies. Your rail journey ends in the resort town of Banff this evening. Overnight in Banff. (B, L)
Day 4 - Banff to Lake Louise
Today, collect your rental car in Banff, giving you the freedom to explore the area at your own pace. After exploring Banff, enjoy the short drive to Lake Louise and Yoho National Park to see the Spiral Tunnels and Emerald Lake. Overnight in Lake Louise.
Day 5 - Lake Louise to Calgary
Travel through awesome Kananaskis Country and the ranching regions of Alberta before arriving in Calgary. Enjoy admission to the Calgary Tower. Overnight in Calgary.
Day 6 - Calgary
Drop off your rental car in downtown Calgary or at Calgary International Airport, where your vacation comes to an end.
Rail Your Way
Add more flexibility to your rail vacation by choosing when and where to begin and end your vacation. Whether you want to go east to west, west to east, north to south, south to north, start at the beginning, travel the reverse itinerary or begin in the middle, Rail Your Way allows you to tailor make your rail vacation so you can have the experience you want.
Look for the Rail Your Way icon to identify those vacations that offer customized rail connections or joining points. Ask your rail specialist how you can have Rail Your Way!
Add a Cruise
Many of our rail vacations begin and end in popular port cities. Spice up your vacation by adding an ocean or river cruise aboard your preferred cruise line to your itinerary and experience the best of both worlds. Popular cruises include Alaska’s Inside Passage, the Panama Canal, New England and Eastern Canada, and historic river towns along the Mississippi River.
Look for the Add a Cruise icon to identify those vacations that offer pre- or post-cruises. Ask your rail specialist how you can Add a Cruise!
Extend Your Vacation
Extend your rail vacation with new city packages in Chicago, Toronto, and Vancouver. Optional pre- or post-night packages include hotel accommodations for two nights and popular local sightseeing, and may be added to the beginning or end of qualifying rail vacations.
Look for the Extend Your Vacation icon to identify those vacations which offer new city stay packages. Ask your rail specialist for details about these pre- and post-night extensions.
Train and Hotel Accommodations
SilverLeaf Service
Take in the awe-inspiring scenery of the Canadian Rockies through the panoramic windows of the custom-designed single-level dome coach in the new SilverLeaf Service. Hotels include the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, Rimrock Resort, Post Hotel, and Westin Calgary.
GoldLeaf Service
Discover why travelers rave about
Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Service. A custom-designed bi-level dome coach puts you right in the middle of the awe-inspiring scenery of the Canadian Rockies as you enjoy gourmet meals prepared by talented onboard chefs. Hotels include Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Palliser Calgary.
GoldLeaf Deluxe Service
Hotels include Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, and Fairmont Palliser.
Spoil yourself by making your Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf rail journey through the Canadian Rockies a deluxe one. Enjoy all of the same luxurious onboard amenities in GoldLeaf Service plus deluxe hotel accommodations.
Testimonials
Click here to view testimonials for Beautiful Banff Rail & Drive - Vancouver to Calgary.
How could we have asked for anything more? We were in a very comfortable and beautiful place riding through time!
Accommodations were wonderful. Food was delicious. Service was amazing. Loved the scenery, stories and the people from all over the world, guests and staff.
It was all that was promised and exceeded my expectations. Service, on board the train and in the hotels was outstanding.
Dates & Prices
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Prices are in USD. Prices are land-only, per person based on double occupancy. Prices are correct at the time of this web page going live; however are subject to confirmation at time of booking. Prices for triples and children are available upon request. Pricing is based on currency exchange of 10/1/2018. Hotels & Accommodations are subject to change based on availability. Please note all accommodations in Kamloops are of moderate standard and any applicable parking fees during the trip are not included.