Great Two Trains Explorer

From Montreal  - 11  Days - VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer
Toronto - Winnipeg - Saskatoon - Edmonton - Jasper - Banff - Lake Louise - Vancouver 

Day 1 Transfer by train in coach class from Quebec City to downtown Toronto.     Arrive at Toronto's Union Station to board VIA Rail's Trans-Continental (10:00PM departure) and unpack for the next 3 nights aboard.  Your porter is on-hand throughout the journey to ensure that you have a comfortable stay.  Roll across the Canadian Shield, boreal forests, countless lakes and the hardest rock on Earth! 1/3 of the fresh water in the World is in Canada and you will see some of it on this trip. 
VIA RAIL BEDROOMS  /  DINING CAR  /  DOME CAR  /  PARK-LOUNGE CAR

Day 2 and Day 3  Arrive into Winnipeg to take on more passengers and continue rolling through Manitoba, the province of 100,000 lakes.  Drink in the vistas from the dome cars and enjoy the terrific on-board service. 

Day 4  Enjoy a delicious breakfast and relax as we forge across the great wheatfields of Saskatchewan before our morning arrival into Edmonton, capital and oil capital of North America.   After a brief stop we continue the train journey to the "Jewel of the Canadian Rockies" Jasper, Alberta.  Disembark and pick up your car or van rental in the train station.  Drive the short distance to your chosen hotel in Jasper.  Unpack at one of our Jasper hotels for 2 nights  

Day 5  This morning we tour JASPER and, above the townsite, beautiful PYRAMID LAKE.   Perhaps take an optional cruise of magnificent MALIGNE LAKE and its incredible aquamarine waters.  The views are stunning and the water is a shade of blue found only in these mountains.   Spirit Island is a famous spot for  photographers seeking the perfect picture.  Return to Jasper via the Valley of the FIVE LAKES.  Those staying for additional nights can travel on their own a few miles to the south of  Jasper to the JASPER GONDOLA from where the views of the valleys and peaks are outstanding and ATHABASCA FALLS / HORSESHOE LAKE.  Overnight at one of our Jasper Hotels

Day 6  Depart Jasper for Banff on our deluxe motor coach along the Icefields Parkway.  This is one of the most scenic drives on earth.  We'll ride a Sno-Coach (weather permitting) onto the Columbia Icefield's ATHABASCA GLACIER.  The Columbia Icefields are 125 square miles in size (massive!), with no fewer than 30 glaciers where 3 river systems flow to three different oceans.   The Icefields Parkway delivers us  past BOW LAKE, PEYTO LAKE and MISTAYA LAKE  south to LAKE LOUISE, one of the most enchanting spots on earth.  We see the reflections of the mountains in her aqua blue waters and we'll find out how rock flour helps the water retain its mesmerizing color.  Continue further into BANFF NATIONAL PARK to the majestic town of  BANFF. 

Day 7  Tour today includes mountains lakes and waterfalls.  Depart Banff on our motor coach and travel the beautiful Bow Valley Expressway to JOHNSTON CANYON where you are given time for a short nature walk.  We continue to beautiful MORAINE LAKE to see its mystical green waters and then visit LAKE LOUISE.  Visitors come from all over the World to stand before the lake.  After lunch at Lake Louise (lunch not included in fare),  cross the Great Divide and enter Yoho National Park. You’ll visit Yoho’s scenic highlights such as tumbling Takakkaw Falls, Emerald Lake and the Natural Rock Bridge before returning to BANFF TOWN in the late afternoon.  What a great day!  Overnight Banff

Day 8  Enjoy a free day in delightful Banff.  Rent a car, take the SULFUR MOUNTAIN GONDOLA to the top for amazing views, stroll the massive Banff Springs hotel or take one of the many hikes available from town.  Helicopter tours can be arranged as well as boat tours on LAKE MINNEWANKA. 

Day 9  This morning, board the Rocky Mountaineer westbound (Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays).  The Rocky Mountaineer is all daylight travel and is one of the most dramatic train trips in the World.  Service by on-board multi-lingual attendants is superb.  You will travel through rugged terrain and experience the great Spiral Tunnels (where the train circles around inside a mountain and comes out over itself) and ascent over Rogers Pass.  Roll on through 5 mountain ranges to the city of Kamloops.  We stop and transfer to our hotel for the night (included).  

Day 10  Re-board the Rocky Mountaineer in the morning and continue west.  This region of Canada is interesting as we emerge from the great Rockies into Canada's only desert.  Dramatic scenery rolls by as we parallel the mighty Thompson and Fraser Rivers past Hell's Gate.  Arrive in Canada's most beautiful city, VANCOUVER in the early evening.  Transfer on your own to our downtown Vancouver hotel (a very easy cab ride) 

Day 11  End of services or extend your stay and visit

   
Toronto Skyline

Delicious meals, marvellous views

 
Wildlife of the Rockies

 
  
Vermilion Lakes

 

We can pre-book  7 night ALASKA CRUISES at wholesale rates.