Canadian Rail Adventure with Prestige Class

Your memorable trans-Canada journey begins today as you arrive at Vancouver International Airport and transfer on your own to your centrally located hotel. After checking in for the night, the rest of the day is at leisure for you to explore the city.

From the bustling waterfront to serene parks, Vancouver offers something for every traveler. Enhance your experience by speaking to a Rail Specialist about adding extra nights and excursions, such as a guided city tour, whale watching or a day trip to Whistler. Overnight Vancouver.

Your day begins with an included early morning transfer to the railway station, where you board the luxurious Rocky Mountaineer. Stepping aboard your bi-level train car, make your way to your upper-level seat in GoldLeaf Service for today's scenic introduction to Western Canada.

Settle in and watch the beauty unfold as the train travels through the Coast Mountains and Hell's Gate en route to Kamloops. Savor gourmet meals prepared by onboard chefs in the Dining Room, and revel in panoramic views from your seat or the exclusive outdoor viewing platform.

The train arrives in Kamloops later today, and upon transferring to your hotel, you are free to find dinner locally. Overnight Kamloops.

• Breakfast, Lunch

A coach transfer takes you back to the Kamloops train station this morning. Here, reboard Rocky Mountaineer for another day of stunning scenery and impeccable service.

Enjoy breakfast and lunch in the lower-level Dining Room and relish a privileged perspective on the increasingly dramatic scenery as the train enters the Canadian Rockies. Highlights of today's route include the Spiral Tunnels and Kicking Horse Pass.

Arriving in Banff this evening, you are transferred to your hotel, and then you are free to begin exploring this vibrant resort town surrounded by nature. Overnight Banff.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Discover Banff on a guided excursion this morning. Highlights of your tour include Banff townsite, Surprise Corner and Tunnel Mountain. Your final stop will be at the Banff Gondola for a ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Lunch is included as you explore.

Alternatively, elect to explore Banff in a different way by choosing one of the following options:

• Half-Day Discover Banff & Its Wildlife with Banff Gondola (no lunch included)
• Full-Day Discover Grizzly Bears - 10 Hours (This tour is only available for the August 24th departure and does not allow for an evening excursion)

Following your tour, enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure to browse Banff's diverse shops and galleries or hike one of the local trails. If you would like to discover further, consider adding admission to the Banff Hot Springs to relax with panoramic mountain views, or take an evening wildlife safari. Overnight Banff.

• Lunch

Venturing to a new location in the Canadian Rockies, today's sightseeing excursion takes you through Banff and Yoho National Parks. While the itinerary varies slightly depending on the season, each version showcases the natural and manmade wonders found throughout these lands.

See the Spiral Tunnels, and cross the Continental Divide to enter Yoho National Park, where you visit Emerald Lake and have lunch at its scenic lakeside lodge. May departures will also venture along the Bow Valley Parkway to uncover regional highlights, including Johnston Canyon and Natural Rock Bridge, whereas August departures may venture to the beautiful Takakkaw Falls and Moraine Lake.

Arriving in Lake Louise later today, check into your elegant lakeside hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure to soak up these jaw-dropping surroundings. Overnight Lake Louise.

• Lunch

With a full day at leisure in Lake Louise, you can soak up nature's majesty while exploring or relax in the Chateau's opulent surroundings.

Lake Louise is surrounded by hiking trails catering to all activity levels, including the Lake Louise Lakefront Trail, which offers fantastic views from every angle. You can stay on this trail for a short journey or connect the Lakefront Trail with the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail for an even more impressive adventure. During the warmer months, you can even get out on the lake, with canoe rentals available at Chateau Lake Louise's Boathouse.

For a more relaxing day, you might like to book a treatment in the onsite spa, with options ranging from massages to facials, or grab a drink and soak up the scenery on the outdoor patio. Overnight Lake Louise.

Even more incredible sights lie ahead today as you set out on a full-day excursion along one of the most spectacular highways in the world, the Icefields Parkway. With cascading waterfalls, broad-reaching valleys, tranquil mountain lakes, ancient glaciers and snow-capped peaks, this byway is rightfully acclaimed for its outstanding vistas, and you can watch them unfold with every glance.

Your excursion pauses at the Columbia Icefield, where there is time to experience an Ice Explorer ride onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier. Back at the Glacier Discovery Centre, you can experience the Columbia Icefield Skywalk and enjoy a hot buffet lunch before continuing the tour to Jasper.

Here, check into your hotel for the night and then enjoy a free evening to explore and find dinner locally. Overnight Jasper.

• Lunch

You are free to explore Jasper at leisure today. The townsite is surrounded by the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper National Park, and you might like to head into it to see a spectacular showcase of Canada's grandest landscapes.

Uncover craggy, snow-dusted mountains, plunging waterfalls and crystalline lakes. There is plenty of wildlife to keep watch for, such as gray wolves, hoary marmot, caribou and moose. Elk can also be found wandering through the town of Jasper and out on the mountains, while ospreys, eagles and other birds circle overhead.

Staying in town instead, you might like to explore the shops and galleries or taste your way through Jasper's restaurants. One spectacular attraction in Jasper is the planetarium, and by booking a tour (payable locally), you can explore Jasper's status as a Dark Sky Preserve and observe the cosmos. Overnight Jasper.

Late this morning, your journey across Canada continues with an included transfer to Jasper's train station, where VIA Rail's Canadian awaits. Step on board and settle into your Prestige Class accommodations. As the train departs Jasper, you can relax in your private cabin with en suite amenities, stunning views through extra-large panoramic windows and included gourmet dining and bar service.

Prestige Class also gives you access to any of the lounges on the train, including the exclusive Prestige Park Car. There are a select number of reserved seats for Prestige passengers in the scenic dome of the Park Car. The Skyline Car is available to all passengers and has a panoramic top-floor view through the large windows.

These lounges are the perfect place to admire Canada's diverse landscapes until the sun sinks over the mountains. Overnight train.

• Dinner

Having left the dramatic peaks and lush forests of Alberta behind, the train continues toward Toronto this morning, entering the mid-point of your journey. The western provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are commonly known as "The Prairies" and are awash with sights of plains, hills, lakes and rivers.

Spend the day enjoying the views of Canada's ever-changing landscape while savoring exclusive access to the Park Car, dining on superb meals and delighting in impeccable service. With a population smaller than Dallas in an area similar to Texas, Saskatchewan is perfect for sitting back and watching the world go by. Look for wildlife, such as deer, as the train crosses the southern plains, and then later, the Canadian crosses into Manitoba, a province with more than 100,000 lakes stretching up to the shores of the Hudson Bay. Its capital is Winnipeg, considered the geographic center of Canada, and the train pulls through this fascinating and cultural city tonight before continuing east. Overnight train.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Canadian Shield is one of the world's largest continental shields, with vast expanses of exposed Precambrian rock and pretty lakes peppered throughout the landscape. The terrain alternates between gently rolling and primarily flat, hinting at the glacial activity here millions of years ago. These visions set the backdrop for today's travels as you pass through Ontario on your third full day aboard the Canadian. A highlight of this stretch of track is Longlac, which, located at the northern tip of Long Lake, played an important role as part of the historic canoe route for fur traders.

Between meals, you could spend some time in the Park Car, enjoying its two salons and observation deck, all of which provide fantastic views of Canada and its constantly changing scenery. Overnight train.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy breakfast and brunch in the Dining Car as the final miles of this epic journey through Western and Central Canada lie ahead. The Canadian leaves the wide-open spaces of rural Canada behind, and suburban and urban scenery guide the way to Toronto's Union Station.

Toronto's Union Station is Canada's largest and most elegant train station. Its Great Hall looks like a temple to the railroad, and its limestone exterior features 22 Romanesque columns. And this is just one of Toronto's iconic buildings you will see today; your accommodations for the next two nights are at the Fairmont Royal York, another elegant Canadian Pacific Railroad hotel. After disembarking the train, transfer independently to your hotel to check in, and then you are free to explore Toronto.

Peruse the iconic markets, such as the St. Lawrence Market for a famous peameal bacon sandwich or Kensington Market to savor its street food, vibrant murals and shop fronts. Or, stroll along the waterfront as you gaze at the city's skyscrapers. Overnight Toronto.

• Breakfast, Brunch

This morning, set out on a full-day sightseeing excursion to one of the great wonders of the world, Niagara Falls. Travel through the orchard-laden Niagara Peninsula to Niagara Falls.

Highlights of today's excursion include a lunch buffet while overlooking the waterfalls, and a trip into the mist on a world-famous boat, The Hornblower, which travels to the base of the majestic Horseshoe Falls. Also included is a trip along the beautiful River Road that winds its way along the Niagara Gorge. Stops are made at the Floral Clock and at the historical community of Niagara-on-the-Lake before you are returned to Toronto later in the day.

Alternatively, you can stay in Toronto and explore more of Canada's largest city by switching to an optional private sightseeing tour of Toronto. This excursion introduces the city's most notable attractions in a memorable way.

Following your chosen excursion, you are free to dine independently this evening. Overnight Toronto.

Please note: The optional sightseeing excursion does not feature lunch.

• Lunch

Having traveled from Vancouver into the Rockies onboard the luxurious Rocky Mountaineer and onward to Toronto on VIA Rail's Canadian, you have seen many of Canada's greatest contrasts on this two-week journey. Upon checking out of your hotel this morning, enjoy an included transfer to Pearson International Airport for your return flight home. Should you wish to see more of Canada instead, speak with a Rail Specialist about adding additional nights or sightseeing opportunities in Toronto.