AdventureLink Tours
Your Canadian source for Rockies Rail Circles

Itinerary

Day 1 Vancouver Arrival

Upon your arrival in Vancouver, independently enjoy the day exploring any of Vancouver’s excellent attractions: such as Stanley Park, or the Vancouver Art Gallery.  Enjoy strolling along the downtown beaches which overlook the harbour and Coast Mountains, or take the opportunity to do some unique shopping on Granville Island.  Use your complimentary exclusive attractions pass to view the city from the Vancouver Lookout, or join the Hop-On Hop-Off Attractions Loop Tour.  Accommodation in Vancouver is included with your tour package. 

Day 2 Vancouver to Kamloops

Depart Vancouver onboard the Rocky Mountaineer train and travel from the coast to central British Columbia.  En route, enjoy passing through British Columbia’s agricultural heartland, the Fraser Valley.  This historic valley is covered by lush green mountainsides, with the salmon rich Fraser River winding through.  The train travels through scenic river canyons carved into the Coast and Cascade Mountains, passing unique geographical attractions, such as the thundering waters of Hell’s Gate.  The environment will gradually change, as the train rises onto the arid environment of the interior plateau, stopping for the night in the city of Kamloops.  Breakfast and lunch are included aboard the train. 

Advance tickets may be purchased for evening entertainment in Kamloops: the Two River Junction Musical Revue or the Great Canadian Lumberjack Show.  Ask your AdventureLink Tour Coordinator for details.

Day 3 Kamloops to Banff

The train gradually leaves the ranchlands of south-central British Columbia and approaches the phenomenal snow topped Rocky Mountains.  Pass through three Canadian National Parks along route: Glacier, Yoho, and Banff.  Travel through the Spiral Tunnels and Kicking Horse canyon, over Rogers Pass, and past Craigellachie, the historic site where the final spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was placed.  Observe as the rivers change their direction of flow as the train passes over the Continental Divide.  Spend the night in the unique town of Banff, where modern amenities and wildlife co-exist within this National Park.  Breakfast and lunch are provided aboard the train.

Day 4 Banff to Lake Louise

Take a three-hour guided bus tour of the Banff area (with pickup at 8:00am) through the towering mountains of Rundle, Tunnel, Cascade, and Norquay and learn about the natural attractions of the wind-shaped hoodoos and the Cave & Basin National Historic Site. Be aware of the Surprise Corner along Tunnel Mountain Drive! Experience a gentle ride to the summit of Sulphur Mountain taking 8 minutes in a four-person fully enclosed gondola. A spectacular view and picture taking opportunity wait at the top of this 360 degree panorama of the Bow Valley. Learn all about how these majestic mountains have shaped this unique community.

Transfer to Lake Louise after your tour and spend the rest of the afternoon exploring beautiful Lake Louise on your own. You may enjoy walking around the lake, watching for rock climbing and listening to the glacier, or perhaps just spending time relaxing in your fabulous room at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Day 5 Lake Louise to Jasper

Today we travel northwest up the Columbia Icefields Parkway, renowned as the most beautiful highway in Canada, if not the world.  Glaciated peaks tower breathtakingly along the roadside.  The bus will also stop for photo opportunities at the pristine Bow Lake, and also later in the day at Athabasca Falls.  Upon arrival at the Columbia Icefields, board the Ice Explorer, a specialized coach that travels directly to the ice, while a qualified guide explains the geology of the region.  Lunch is not included, however, there will be opportunity to eat in the café.  Overnight in Jasper

Day 6 Jasper Sightseeing, VIA Rail Departure

This morning begins with a four-hour tour of the Jasper area. Experience Jasper National Park by travelling the trails of the early explorers and view the park’s unspoiled grandeur. You will begin along the mighty Athabasca River, learning about explorer David Thompson and the valley ecosystem. Enjoy a short hike above Maligne Canyon (optional), with its narrow gorge and limestone walls created by 10,000 years of water erosion and visit a place of mystery and Indian legend at Medicine Lake. On your tour to Maligne Lake, the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies, you are sure to see a variety of mountain wildlife.

At 3:30pm, depart Jasper onboard the VIA Rail 'Canadian' train. Dinner is served as you travel through the wild BC Rockies. Highlights before dinner include Yellowhead Pass, and a chance to see the enormous summit of Mt Robson, the highest peak in the Rockies. There are a few dome cars to visit for fantastic views, a games car for light entertainment and reading, and a parlour car for socializing and having a few drinks, if desired. The train heads south as you enter the Rocky Mountain trench again then turns up into the Monashee mountains to trace the North Thompson River down to Kamloops. Snuggle into your down duvet for a comfortable night in private-bedroom accommodations. Sleeping onboard the train is a real treat, just like the old days.

Day 7 Vancouver arrival and sightseeing

Wake up to a fabulous breakfast onboard the train, arriving in Vancouver at 8:30am. Check-in to your hotel then venture out on a fully narrated tour of the city. Travel through Vancouver’s past, present and future as you visit historic Gastown, colourful Chinatown and the lively entertainment district. Discover the beauty of 1000-acre Stanley Park and English Bay as well as the bustle of Robson Street in the heart of the shopping district. Continue to the prestigious Olde Shaughnessy residential mansions area and Granville Island. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon in Canada's most popular city. Overnight in Vancouver.

Day 8 Vancouver Departure

Your vacation concludes after checkout from your Vancouver hotel. Thank you for travelling with AdventureLink Tours.

 

 

 

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