Great Canadian Rail Journey

Drive along the shores of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls. For the adventurous, your Tour Director will suggest optional flightseeing over the falls. Then, enjoy a Niagara Falls sightseeing CRUISE for a thrilling boat ride to view the thundering falls from river level. Return to Toronto for an orientation tour of the downtown area. Enjoy a dinner atop the 1,815-foot-tall CN TOWER before transferring to the train station for your departure on THE CANADIAN later this evening.

NOTE: Operation of the Niagara Falls sightseeing cruise is subject to favorable weather and/or river conditions. Favorable conditions usually exist from May to mid-October. When weather is unfavorable, a walking tour through the scenic tunnels will be substituted. For your convenience, baggage that will not be needed during the train journey will be checked through to Jasper. Checked baggage will not be accessible during the journey. Plan to pack an overnight bag with necessities for the train portion of the tour, including any medications, eyeglasses, and other important items.

Watch the scenic countryside from your windows as you relax in first-class refurbished art deco cars from the 1950s. Travel past the sparkling lakes and sun-dappled forests of Ontario. Try the observation dome for unparalleled views or enjoy quiet conversation in one of the comfortable lounges.

Enter Manitoba with its endless golden prairies and vast cultivated fields. Arrive this morning in Manitoba’s capital city of Winnipeg, where you will disembark the train for time to explore this historic city, including Forks National Historic Site, a commercial hub for more than 5,000 years and now home to the Forks Market that boasts a vast number of boutiques and restaurants. Reboard the train late this morning and continue west.

From Winnipeg to Jasper, the train roughly parallels the famed Yellowhead Route, Canada’s historic trail of westward expansion. Arrive in Jasper this afternoon for a 2-night stay.

Enjoy a day in Jasper to explore at your leisure. You may wish to play a round of golf on one of the top-rated courses in North America or stroll the streets of Jasper with its array of specialty stores. This evening, enjoy an excursion to Maligne Lake for a fully-narrated CRUISE to Spirit Island. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

This morning, travel through JASPER NATIONAL PARK on Icefields Parkway to the 1,200-foot-thick Columbia Icefield for a thrilling ICE EXPLORER RIDE. Climb Sunwapta Pass to savor stunning vistas of alpine meadows, waterfalls, and massive glaciers. Next, stop at Lake Louise, whose green-blue waters form a perfect mirror reflection of Mount Victoria. Continue into BANFF NATIONAL PARK.

This morning’s sightseeing includes the Bow River, Bow Falls, and the Hoodoos. The rest of the day is at leisure. Consider an optional helicopter flightseeing trip for a bird’s-eye view of the Rockies.

This morning, travel through the spectacular beauty of Yoho National Park, one of Canada’s most popular recreational areas and site of pre-Cambrian fossil finds. On to Canada’s Glacier National Park, where the motorcoach climbs 4,379-foot-high Rogers Pass, a perfect spot for photos of the surrounding mountain cliffs and glaciers. Continue to the resort city of Kelowna, attractively set on the shores of Okanagan Lake. Before arriving at your hotel, learn about this wine-growing region and enjoy a WINE TASTING. The evening is at leisure.

Catch a BC FERRY to Vancouver Island and the very British “Garden City” of Victoria. Upon arrival, visit world-famous BUTCHART GARDENS. Later, your orientation tour of Victoria includes the gardens of Beacon Hill Park, the Fairmont Empress Hotel, Bastion Square, and Thunderbird Park. Over dessert this evening, enjoy a private PRESENTATION about why Victoria is considered the most haunted city in Canada. A local storyteller and historian will entertain you with stories of the city’s interesting characters and colorful events.

Today is at leisure for independent sightseeing and shopping. Your Tour Director suggests an optional wildlife and whale-watching trip. For shoppers, Government Street’s elegant shops and Market Square’s collection of specialty stores are good places to start. History buffs should be sure to visit the Royal British Columbia Museum. Enjoy dinner on your own at one of the many restaurants in this harbor city.

This morning, take the FERRY and sail through the Gulf Islands, an archipelago known for its Mediterranean-type climate. Arrive in Vancouver for a city tour that includes the harbor and beaches, Chinatown, historic Gastown, and Stanley Park with its towering evergreen forests and totem poles. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner.

Your tour ends after breakfast with guests departing on individual schedules. Airport transfers are provided.