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Exploring Western Canada

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You are viewing the 2024 itinerary. Select your departure year
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8 days From $4,470 $4,320 per person
4.4 stars(38 reviews)
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This Rocky Mountain getaway takes you through the gems of the area, from the highest peaks to the largest icefields.

Travel on your own following a well-planned itinerary
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Save $300 per booking on Independent Canada Tours in 2024

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2024 Tour code: PP-EWCR-24

About the tour

This is one of the most popular tours vacationers choose when planning their Rocky Mountain getaways. All of the must-see attractions of the Canadian Rockies are included in this week-long itinerary. Your rail journey begins aboard the Rocky Mountaineer as you travel toward Kamloops and along rushing waters and vast canyons. Ride past the highest peak of the Rockies and into the gorgeous Jasper National Park. Enjoy a guided tour before time to explore the area on your own. Next, you'll travel the Icefields Parkway and take a glacier ride before you reach Lake Louise. Your trip continues with a visit to Yoho National Park and its famous Spiral Tunnels before arrriving in Banff. Spend a day exploring this resort town. Wrap up your excursion with a transfer to Calgary. 

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

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - Vancouver

Arrive in Vancouver and spend time exploring this scenic city on your own. Overnight Vancouver.

Day 2 - Vancouver to Kamloops

This morning take an included transfer to the Rocky Mountaineer station and board the train for your full-day rail journey into the Canadian Rockies. Highlights include the rushing waters of Hell's Gate in the Frasier Canyon and the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River. Overnight Kamloops.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 - Kamloops to Jasper

Your rail adventure continues north and east to the mighty Canadian Rockies and the province of Alberta. Highlights include Mount Robson, at 3,954 meters (12,972 feet) the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, Pyramid Falls, and the climb over the Yellowhead Pass into Jasper National Park. Overnight Jasper.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 - Jasper

Jasper National Park is a World Heritage Site and Canada's largest National Park. Today you will enjoy a scenic tour including the many natural attractions, rugged peaks, and perhaps even catch a glimpse of some of the many creatures that call this mountain park home. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore more of Jasper independently. Overnight Jasper.

Includes
  • Lunch
Day 5 - Jasper to Lake Louise

Travel along the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise. A stop will be made at Athabasca Falls before arriving at the Columbia Icefield. Here you will ride on an Ice Explorer to the middle of the Athabasca Glacier. Afterward, a brief stop will be made at Bow Lake before arriving at Lake Louise. Overnight Lake Louise.

Includes
  • Lunch
Day 6 - Lake Louise to Banff

A tour takes you into Yoho National Park to view some of its natural wonders. Among the attractions are the Spiral Tunnels, Emerald Lake and a natural rock bridge that spans the Kicking Horse River. The tour ends in Banff. Overnight Banff.

Includes
  • Lunch
Day 7 - Banff

Today is a full day to continue your exploration of Banff. You can opt to add on a a half day excursion taking you to the most popular sights including Sulphur Mountain, Bow Falls, the Hoodoos, and a ride on the Banff Gondola. Round out your day by adding admission to the Banff Hot Springs to relax and get panoramic alpine views, or an evenining Wildlife Safari. Overnight Banff.

Day 8 - Banff to Calgary

Your trip ends today with a scheduled transfer to the Calgary Airport for your flight home. Please make sure your flight is scheduled for after 1:00 PM. If you are not ready for your journey through the Canadian Rockies to end, opt to add additional nights in Banff or Calgary. 

Additional information

Pricing Plans

Superior Accommodations
Hotels include Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, The Crimson, Post Hotel Lake Louise, Rimrock Resort Banff. Travel aboard the Rocky Mountaineer is in SilverLeaf service and includes travel in a single-level dome car featuring panoramic views and hot meal service at your seat.

Deluxe Accommodations
Hotels include Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Fairmont Cheateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Banff Springs. Travel aboard the Rocky Mountaineer is in GoldLeaf service and includes travel in a bi-level dome car featuring panoramic views on the upper level and an elegant private dining room.

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.

Trains

Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer's Journey Through the Clouds

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Reviews

4.4 stars4.4 / 5 · 38 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (22)
  2. 4 stars
    (12)
  3. 3 stars
    (3)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (1)

THOMAS PATRICK KISLER

3 stars

Submitted 13 Oct 2023

My husband and I were very pleased with the service we received from VBR. We scheduled our trip and decided a day or two later to change one of our hotels and we talked to a very kind representative from VBR who got it changed very quickly. She also sent us a changed itinerary very soon after. We would highly recommend getting trip insurance. This trip was not cheap, but it was truly an amazing experience! The scenery on the two days aboard The Rocky Mountaineer were gorgeous. The staff, the food, the accommodations on board were exceptional. The bus tours with Brewster and Sun Dog tours were wonderful each and everyday! When you get your final itinerary from VBR a couple of weeks before your trip, you read your tour includes Lakes, waterfalls, mountains AND lunch. Well boy does it ever!! They take you to some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. I mean jaw dropping magical places. Two of our tours included a wonderful buffet lunch in a chalet and one in a lodge. Sun Dog tours stopped along the way had a picnic overlooking a beautiful lake and glacier. Dave, our tour guide with SD did a fantastic job not only driving us for 11 hours but provided us with so much information. All of our tour guides were so patient and kind. When we got to Banff we decided to not schedule any tours and just do what we wanted. We had a great time exploring Banff. The garden was free and most definitely worth a walk through. The surprise view of the Fairmont was beautiful with the Bow River below. The gondola is a must, with 360 degree breathtaking views from the top. They have an extensive boardwalk to take you up higher for more beautiful shots. What an amazing trip we had and we are so grateful for all the help VBR gave to us! They took the worry and anxiety out of traveling and allowed us to sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty of this magical place called, “The Canadian Rockies.”

from Vacations By Rail
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback about your vacation. We are so glad to hear that you had a great time! We would love to share some of these photos to our social media if we have your permission.
Absolutely you have our permission to use! Thank you so much!
2 comments

Collected by Trustpilot

Paul E. Kreutz

5 stars

Submitted 09 Oct 2023

My wife and I had a wonderful two day experience with Rocky Mountaineer. We started in Vancouver and ended our RM trip in Jasper. Great staff, great food, wonderful fellow travelers.

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MARLENE POLLACK

5 stars

Submitted 02 Oct 2023

Fabulous trip. Was disappointed with two hotels chosen as we paid extra for a suite at Fairmont at Lake Louise and faced the roof next to the noisy a/c units. Same with Banff, overlooked the roof. Otherwise, I would highly recommend this trip!

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Judy F.

4 stars

Submitted 15 Sep 2023

We did the Gold Leaf on the Rocky Mountaineer train. The service and dining options were impeccable. The bus tours were fantastic. The bus drivers and tour guides were very knowledgeable about the areas we visited. The best tour was to the ice field. We were able to walk on a glacier as well as drink fresh glacier water. Bring an empty water bottle with you so you can enjoy the glacier water during the rest of your day. We went in early September and there was already a dusting of snow on the mountain tops. We saw a black bear, moose, elk, and mountain goats on our various train rides and bus tours. Have your camera ready at all times, just in case you see any wildlife. Our only disappointment was the "gold leaf" hotels. We were not offered the option of booking "silver leaf" hotel rooms. Three of the "gold leaf" hotels were not worth the money to stay there. Yes, they are historic hotels, but we just needed a place to stay. We didn't need all the ambiance and fancy architecture. If you like sprawling hotels with beautiful architecture and reading up on the history of the hotels, then these are the hotels for you. The worst hotel was the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Very nice historic hotel (and they had an outdoor heated pool), but the room was extremely small (room 609) and located down a long hallway. The bathroom was the tiniest bathroom ever. The toilet was situated between the sink and bathtub/shower with little room to spare. If you are a larger person, you'd have a difficult time sitting on the toilet without hitting the sink or tub. My traveling companion uses a walker, so it was very difficult for her to walk around the larger "estate" hotels. If you have mobility issues, make sure you let Vacations by Rail know in advance that you need rooms closer to the elevators.

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JULIE ANN HAMILTON-WYMORE

1 stars

Submitted 04 Sep 2023

Vacations by Rail subcontracted the tour and hotel reservations so that I was required to contact and reconfirm, every day, the events for the next day. For what I paid, VBR should have been checking and letting ME know if anything changed. And things did change but I had to figure out what to do. VBR only answers their phone during business hours.

from Vacations By Rail
We regret to hear that the experience was unsatisfactory. We would like to hear more about your experience and will have someone from our travel services team reach out to you shortly.
1 comment

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CAROL BOSSEMEYER

4 stars

Submitted 28 Aug 2023

We were very satisfied with the actual sites visited on this tour. Our train and bus trips were fantastic! We booked a Gold Leaf level and were not happy with our overnight accommodations. Rooms and bathrooms were very small. Not what we considered Gold Leaf.

from Vacations By Rail
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed your time in Canada! We hope you consider traveling with us again. :)
1 comment

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