Canadian Rockies Rail Circle

Day 1 - Vancouver

On arrival at Vancouver International Airport, your private driver will be waiting to take you to your hotel downtown. The rest of the day is yours to settle in after the flight. Your hotel is just around the corner from Robson Street, so it's an easy place to stretch your legs. Overnight: Vancouver.

Day 2 - Vancouver City Highlights

This morning's included Vancouver City Highlights tour is a good way to get your bearings before the rail journeys begin. You'll see Gastown, where the city began, and the historic streets of Chinatown, then stop at Granville Island with its artisan market and studios. The tour continues through Stanley Park, with its towering cedars and views across the harbour to the North Shore Mountains.

The tour finishes in the early afternoon, leaving time to explore at your own pace. If you'd like to, you could walk or cycle part of the Stanley Park seawall. Overnight: Vancouver.

Day 3 - Vancouver to Jasper aboard VIA Rail's Canadian

A private transfer takes you to Pacific Central Station, where you can relax in the business lounge before boarding VIA Rail's Canadian for its afternoon departure. A Bon Voyage reception welcomes you on board, then the train heads east through the farmland of the Fraser Valley and into the Fraser Canyon, following the Thompson River as evening falls.

All meals are served in the dining car, and the glass domed viewing cars are open to you throughout. Your private cabin for two has its own washroom and armchairs by day, converted into beds at night, with showers a few steps away. Overnight: on board.

Day 4 - Arrive in Jasper

Morning on the Canadian is when the Rockies come into view. On a clear day, look out for Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, before the train crosses the Yellowhead Pass and arrives in Jasper late in the morning. A private transfer takes you to your hotel.

In the early evening, the included Wildlife Discovery Tour sets out with a guide who knows where the animals tend to gather. Evening is often a good time to look for elk, deer and bighorn sheep, though sightings are never guaranteed. Overnight: Jasper.

Day 5 - Maligne Valley and Maligne Lake

Today's included Maligne Valley tour begins with a short drive around Jasper town before crossing the Athabasca River into the Maligne Valley. A stop at Medicine Lake explains one of the park's curiosities: the lake drains through underground karst channels and almost disappears each year.

The tour builds to Maligne Lake, where a cruise takes you across the water to Spirit Island, the small wooded island that has become one of the defining images of Jasper. You'll be back in town by mid afternoon, with time to relax before tomorrow's journey south. Overnight: Jasper.

Day 6 - Icefields Parkway to Banff

Rather than have you drive, we've included a guided small group tour along the Icefields Parkway, so you can enjoy the views while your guide explains the geology and history of the route. The first stop is Athabasca Falls, where the river forces its way through a narrow gorge.

At the Columbia Icefield, an Ice Explorer takes you out onto the Athabasca Glacier, before you step onto the Glacier Skywalk, a glass floored walkway high above the Sunwapta Valley. Further south, stops include the Weeping Wall, Crowfoot Glacier and Bow Lake, with Peyto Lake or Waterfowl Lake depending on access. You'll reach Banff in the early evening. Your hotel is on Banff Avenue, an easy walk from the centre of town. Overnight: Banff.

Day 7 - Banff Gondola and Moraine Lake at Sunset

Your Banff Gondola admission is included today. The eight minute ride climbs to the top of Sulphur Mountain, where the views take in the Bow Valley and six surrounding mountain ranges. Take the summit boardwalk to Sanson's Peak and call in at the interpretive centre.

In the early evening, the included small group tour heads to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. We've chosen this tour for its timing: by golden hour the day visitors have thinned and the low sun lights the peaks above the turquoise water. A picnic dinner is included, and you may spot elk or deer on the way. You'll return to Banff late in the evening. Overnight: Banff.

Day 8 - Banff at Leisure

After a busy run of touring, we've left today free. If you'd like ideas close to town, you could walk to Bow Falls, soak in the Banff Upper Hot Springs or take a cruise on Lake Minnewanka. Overnight: Banff.

Day 9 - Rocky Mountaineer, Banff to Kamloops

This is the day many rail enthusiasts look forward to most. You'll board Rocky Mountaineer in GoldLeaf for the First Passage to the West, travelling only in daylight along the historic Canadian Pacific line. GoldLeaf coaches have a glass domed upper level for viewing, a dining room below and an outdoor viewing platform.

The route crosses the Continental Divide at Kicking Horse Pass and winds through the Spiral Tunnels, then continues through Rogers Pass and past Craigellachie, where the last spike of the railway was driven in 1885. Breakfast and lunch are served in the dining room, with drinks included. Your luggage is delivered to your hotel room in Kamloops. Overnight: Kamloops.

Day 10 - Rocky Mountaineer, Kamloops to Vancouver

The second day shows a very different side of British Columbia. Leaving the dry, open country around Kamloops, the train follows the Thompson River into the Fraser Canyon and passes Hell's Gate, where the river narrows dramatically. For rail enthusiasts, there's a satisfying twist: the two railways run on opposite banks of the canyon, so you'll see it from the other side to your outward journey on the Canadian.

Breakfast and lunch are served on board as the line opens out into the Fraser Valley, arriving in Vancouver in the late afternoon. Overnight: Vancouver.

Day 11 - Whale Watching from Granville Island

The morning is yours to enjoy the city again. In the afternoon, the included whale watching cruise leaves Granville Island aboard a catamaran for the Salish Sea, with heated indoor cabins, open decks and expert commentary. Look out for orcas, humpback whales, sea lions, seals and bald eagles, though sightings are never guaranteed. It's a fitting finale, swapping mountain scenery for the Pacific coast. Overnight: Vancouver.

Day 12 - Depart Vancouver

A private transfer takes you to Vancouver International Airport for your flight home.