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Excursion to the Canadian Rockies

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5 days From $2,881 $2,681 per person
4.2 stars(22 reviews)
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See the best of the Canadian Rockies on this 5-day rail adventure combining cosmopolitan fun with spectacular natural beauty from Vancouver to Calgary.

Travel on your own following a well-planned itinerary
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Worldwide Travel Event: Save up to $500 Per Person on Select Tours for 2025. Offer ends February 28th.

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2025 Tour code: PR-ECRE-25

About the tour

Sometimes you just need to get away, even if only for a few days. This 5-day retreat into the Canadian Rockies is the perfect getaway, combining both sightseeing and relaxation, and of course spectacular scenery. Start your trip in Vancouver, where you'll have time to explore on your own. The next day, your train journey starts with a trip to Kamloops on the Rocky Mountaineer. You'll pass through the rushing waters of Hell's Gate in the Fraser Canyon, and ride along the winding path of the Thompson River on your way into the heart of British Columbia. Continue to the Canadian Rockies, traveling through tunnels and emerging into grand vistas as you make your way to Banff, one of the world's most famous resort towns. Here, you'll have time to enjoy the stunning views while on a tour of Bow Falls, Lake Minnewanka, and more. Your getaway ends 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 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.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch
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. 

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 - Banff

Today is a day for exploring this mountain town and it's surrounding areas. You will head out this morning on a tour that will take you around some of Banff's most spectacular sights including Sulphur Mountain, Bow Falls, Surprise Corner, and the Hoodoos. Also included is a ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain to take in panoramic views of the Bow Valley. If you are looking to get more stunning views, opt into a sightseeing tour of Yoho National Park. Highlights of that tour include Lake Louise, Spiral Tunnels, and a lunch at Emerald Lake Lodge. Overnight Banff

*Please note: Yoho National Park tour does not operate until June 14th.*

Day 5 - Banff to Calgary

Your excursion through the Canadian Rockies comes to an end today with a transfer to the Calgary Airport for your flight home. Flights must be scheduled for after 1:00 PM. If you are looking to extend your vacation, opt to add additional nights in Banff or Calgary to explore more of this scenic area.

Additional information

Pricing Plans

Superior
• Hotels include Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center, Royal Canadian Lodge or similar; subject to availability at the time of confirmation. Kamloops hotel is included and will be confirmed upon check-in for the Rocky Mountaineer.
• Rocky Mountaineer accommodations are in SilverLeaf Service. Seats are in a single level dome car with oversized windows.
• Gourmet meal service is served to you at your seat on the Rocky Mountaineer.

Deluxe
• Hotels include Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Fairmont Banff Springs or similar; subject to availability at the time of confirmation. Kamloops hotel is included and will be confirmed upon check-in for the Rocky Mountaineer.
• Rocky Mountaineer accommodations are in GoldLeaf Service. You will be traveling in a bi-level dome car with your seats being on the upper level of the car. You will have exclusive access to an outdoor viewing platform.
• Gourmet meal service is included on the lower level of the car on the Rocky Mountaineer.

Deluxe Plus
• Hotels include upgraded rooms at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Fairmont Banff Springs or similar; subject to availability at the time of confirmation. Kamloops hotel is included in a standard room and will be confirmed upon check-in for the Rocky Mountaineer.
• Rocky Mountaineer accommodations are in GoldLeaf Service. You will be traveling in a bi-level dome car with your seats being on the upper level of the car. You will have exclusive access to an outdoor viewing platform.
• Gourmet meal service is included on the lower level of the car on the Rocky Mountaineer.

Please Note

Taxes are not included on rail portions and are subject to change.

Prices for triples and children are available upon request.

Please note all accommodations in Kamloops are of moderate standard.

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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Rocky Mountaineer

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Reviews

4.2 stars4.2 / 5 · 22 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (14)
  2. 4 stars
    (4)
  3. 3 stars
    (1)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (3)

CHANELLE S.

5 stars

Submitted 11 Oct 2024

The Excursion to the Canadian Rockies package was a wonderful experience that everyone should add to their bucket list. You travel through areas that are inaccessible by car; the only means of transportation through some of these beautiful valleys or twisting tunnels is by rail. Our hosts in Car 13 were Tianna, Deirdre, Gillian, and Althea. All four were personable, helpful, knowledgeable and interesting. They made our trip so much better by telling us historical and geological stories about the areas we were passing and by serving us delicious meals and drinks. We highly recommend spending the extra money and going for the Gold Leaf service. You're up higher and can see above the treeline, plus you have the domed ceiling to really experience the outdoors from inside the car. I'm not a person who can sit for hours, either, and being able to walk down to the dining part of the car or out onto the platform in the open air was important for me. A spiral staircase between the two floors was somewhat challenging for some guests, but they managed with the two sturdy handrails to help them out. We loved the two day length and the order of our days, too. We thought Vancouver to Kamloops was lovely on Day 1, but then Day 2 was absolutely stunning in comparison! If we'd journeyed in the other direction, Kamloops to Vancouver might have seemed a let down. Bring a hat and sunglasses as the morning sun is strong, if you're fortunate enough to have a nice sunny day! The Fairmont Banff Springs is amazing, too, as part of the Gold Leaf service. Swim outdoors! The pool is 90ºF! Wonderful, even in 50ºF October weather. Vacations By Rail did a great job of adding a great day of touring Banff to the rail trip, too. We enjoyed our tour by Mike and Kieran who took us great places for photos and short walks, if we wanted to take them, and they gave us time in each place to spend as we wished. The lunch was delicious, too, and we felt like the two men really loved their community and enjoyed their jobs. Finally, Albert, our driver in Kamloops, was so friendly and welcoming as he drove us to our hotel. Nice folks all around, and a great vacation.

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RICHARD CHASE JR

5 stars

Submitted 23 Sep 2024

Outstanding trip. Great service and exceptional food. Beautiful scenery.

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Phil Cordell

1 stars

Submitted 21 Sep 2024

The actual Rocky Mountaineer train was awesome, as were our hotels pre and post train travel - the Fairmont Hotels in Vancouver and Banff. I would highly recommend this trip; I can not highly recommend booking the trip through Vacations by Rail. Their overall service, attention to detail, and follow up are absolutely unacceptable. For a total trip cost of over $20,000 you would think they could do better. They dropped the ball multiple times - very disappointing.

from Vacations By Rail
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We understand that a trip of this significance should be seamless, and it’s clear we missed the mark in providing the level of service you deserved. Please know that we take your concerns seriously, and we’d like to learn more about the specific issues you encountered. We will have someone from our customer service team reach out to you shortly.
1 comment

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E SNYDER

4 stars

Submitted 11 Sep 2024

On this excursion there are two days spent on the Rocky Mountaineer train, travelling from Vancouver to Banff with an overnight hotel stay in Kamloops. The staff was excellent, the food and drink were good and plentiful, but space was cramped in the Silver Leaf (go for Gold if possible) passenger cars. A real downside is that the train uses the same tracks as the country's freight trains and there were many lengthy delays along the way while negotiating right-of-ways. This is not mentioned in the literature. On our departure from Vancouver, a fellow passenger asked staff what time we might expect to arrive in Kamloops that evening, and they replied, "we have no idea". That was our first notice. We were on the train for 11 hours the first day and 14 hours the second day, finally arriving at our Banff hotel at 9 PM. The sightseeing tour (Brewster) and buffet lunch on the following day was a GREAT way to wrap up the experience, though. Would have enjoyed more time to explore the Banff area.

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Sue Coller

1 stars

Submitted 31 Aug 2024

We ran into the railway strike, so one of our two days on the train was converted to a very uncomfortable 8 hour bus ride, with a boxed lunch and a broken restroom on board - which the driver knew about before we started. The company can't be held responsible for the strike, however in contacting the company about compensation, all I get back is crickets.

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EUGENE GLADSTONE

3 stars

Submitted 13 Jul 2024

Every aspect of the trip met expectations except for one - the scenery. The first 1 1/2 days were mostly wasteland, and only the final few hours delivered the Rocky Mountain experience that I expected.

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