2010 CANADIAN ROCKIES EXPLORER CIRCLE

Includes VIA Rail Canada’s CANADIAN domeliner and the ROCKY MOUNTAINEER all-daylight train on both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Rys. through the Rockies! 

Departs every Tuesday and Friday, until September 14

Tour from $2335.00

All Prices Are in US Dollars

Rail Travel Center has developed an excellent Canadian Rockies rail circle tour in conjunction with VIA Rail Canada and the all-daylight ROCKY MOUNTAINEER train. Our tour follows a circle from Vancouver to Jasper, the Columbia Icefields Parkway, Lake Louise, Banff, and Kamloops before returning to Vancouver. Extensive sightseeing is included in the National Parks, but there also is free time to walk, visit museums, do other sightseeing or shop. Our tour features an overnight journey on VIA Rail’s legendary CANADIAN domeliner, plus one night hotel stays at Lake Louise, Jasper, Kamloops and Vancouver, and a two-night stay in Banff.

The tour begins with journey from Vancouver to Jasper on VIA Rail Canada’s legendary domeliner, the CANADIAN, using “Touring Sleeper Class” Pullman accommodations. Breakfast and lunch in the diner are included, as well as use of the “Park Car” (a vista-dome observation-lounge) and the Skyline-dome coffee shop lounge cars. The train makes a late evening departure from Vancouver for the overnight trip to Kamloops. Morning finds the train beginning the ascent of the Rockies on the Canadian National Railway’s scenic route over Yellowhead Pass. Highlights include vistas of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and the lovely lakes along the Continental Divide. The stunning stretch through the Fraser and Thompson Canyons traversed eastbound by night on the CANADIAN will be traveled by day on the ROCKY MOUNTAINEER on the return journey, so participants miss none of the grandeur!

The ROCKY MOUNTAINEER provides a fine way to see the Canadian Pacific railway route through the mountains of the Rockies and the Selkirk Range during your first day on that train.  The next day it traverses the Canadian National’s line through the Thompson and Fraser Canyons. All travel is by day, with an overnight hotel stay in Kamloops included. The basic tour price includes “Red Leaf” reclining seat coach accommodations on the ROCKY MOUNTAINEER with at-seat continental breakfast and lunch service. For the supplement noted below, an upgrade is offered to “Gold Leaf” Dome class.

Two levels of hotel accommodations are offered. Popular Hotels offer quality motor hotel rooms with private bath.  Deluxe Hotels include properties such as the legendary (former Canadian Pacific Railway) resorts:  the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, and the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver.  

This is a “hosted tour”. Although fully-narrated sightseeing, lodging, transportation and transfers are included, you will not necessarily have the same host/driver/narrator each day. All arrangements are fully pre-booked and prepaid. You enjoy significant price savings on a hosted tour in contrast with a fully escorted trip, as you are not paying the travel cost of the same escort throughout. Complete details follow. All aboard!

Day One, Tuesdays or Fridays 

Independent arrivals into Vancouver; depart on the CANADIAN. Upon arrival in Vancouver, an included transfer takes you to Pacific Central Station for your rail trip to Jasper.  You board VIA Rail’s CANADIAN, departing at 8:30 PM traveling east through the Fraser Valley. The great domeliner traverses the coastal region overnight. The magnificent Fraser and Thompson River canyons will be seen by day from the train as you return to Vancouver at the end of tour. You overnight in “Touring Sleeper Class” Pullman accommodations. Popular hotel passengers enjoy Section berths, with an option to upgrade to Roomettes or Bedrooms. Deluxe hotel passengers have Roomette or Bedroom accommodations. 

Day Two, Wednesdays or Saturdays (B,L)

VIA across the Canadian Rockies to Jasper.  The new schedule of the CANADIAN includes the full crossing of the Canadian Rockies by day when traveling eastbound. For best viewing, the train has several glass-topped dome cars. Most elegant is the “Park” observation-lounge car at the rear of the train, and there is also the “Skyline” dome-lounge car mid-train. You depart Kamloops at 6:00AM and closely follow the canyon of the North Thompson River as it ascends toward its source in the peaks beyond Blue River. There are wonderful views of rapids and waterfalls, and the mountains soar close above. In the early afternoon, towering Mount Robson marks the ascent to the summit of the Continental Divide at Yellowhead Pass. This is a triple water divide! West of the pass, rivers flow to the Pacific. To the east, all waters flow either to the Arctic Sea or to the Hudson Bay, an arm of the North Atlantic. Here you pass from the endless highlands of British Columbia into the mountain grandeur of Alberta’s Jasper National Park. Upon arrival in Jasper, you are transferred to your selected Jasper hotel for a comfortable night’s stay. Popular hotels include the Chateau Jasper and similar. The Deluxe hotel is the The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. 

Day Three, Thursdays and Sundays

Columbia Icefields Parkway; SnoCoach on the Athabasca Glacier; drive to Lake Louise. 

You take what very possibly is the most scenic mountain drive in North America today, motoring south on the Columbia Icefields Parkway. Enroute, see thundering Athabasca Falls and cross soaring Sunwapta and Bow Passes. A highlight is the stop at the Columbia Icefields, where you board a unique SnoCoach to venture nearly a mile out onto the ice of the Athabasca Glacier! You cross into Banff National Park in early afternoon.  Overnight accommodations for one night are included at either the The Deer Lodge at Lake Louise, located just one hundred yards from the shoreline for Popular hotels; or at the legendary Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise for Deluxe hotel participants.

Day Four, Fridays and Mondays

Drive to Banff via Yoho National Park and Emerald Lake. This morning you have free time at Lake Louise. Enjoy the gardens of the Chateau and the matchless vistas of the Victoria Glacier and the emerald-green waters of the lake. In early afternoon, motor west across Kicking Horse Pass into Yoho National Park in British Columbia. Yoho is the Cree Indian word for “amazing”, and the scenery certainly meets this description. You can view the unique Spiral Tunnels on the Canadian Pacific Railway and pause to admire the glacial green waters of exquisite Emerald Lake and unique Kicking Horse River Natural Bridge. This evening you return east to Banff for a relaxing two-night stay. Popular hotels include the Mount Royal Hotel or similar. Deluxe hotels are the Rimrock Resort or the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

Bow River Valley: Rail Travel Center photo contest by Ernst Dieter Boehme

Day Five, Saturdays and Tuesdays

Banff General Drive; ascent of Sulphur Mountain by Gondola; free time in Banff. You tour Banff this morning, viewing the unique Hoodoo rock towers, Bow River Falls and the great view from Buffalo Mountain. A highlight is the ascent of Sulphur Mountain on the gondola tramway. The balance of the day is free to visit the hot springs, the Museum of Natural History, and to shop or walk the lovely paths through the village.

Day Six, Sundays and Wednesdays (CB, L in “Red Leaf”; B,L,D in “Gold Leaf”)

ROCKY MOUNTAINEER on the Canadian Pacific thru Banff, Yoho, Canadian Glacier and Mount Revelstoke National Parks to Kamloops.

Rocky Mountaineer on the Stoney Creek Viaduct--CPR mainline--Canadian Glacier National Park

This morning you board the all-daylight ROCKY MOUNTAINEER train and roll west over Canada’s “National Dream” railway, the Canadian Pacific through the Rockies. The route takes you back across the Continental Divide over Kicking Horse Pass, through the Spiral Tunnels, down the Kicking Horse River Canyon, across the Columbia River, over soaring Stoney Creek Viaduct and, in succession, through Banff, Yoho, Canadian Glacier, and Mount Revelstoke National Parks. Overnight accommodations are included in Kamloops in Popular hotels for all passengers and are assigned by the ROCKY MOUNTAINEER.

Day Seven, Mondays and Thursdays (CB, L in “Red Leaf”; B, L in “Gold Leaf”)

ROCKY MOUNTAINEER on the Canadian National through the Coast Range. You continue west through the Thompson and Fraser Canyons. Noble peaks rise over 4,000 feet straight up from the river’s edge! These astonishing canyons were traversed overnight on Day One, so this completes the full railway journey by day. You arrive in Vancouver in late afternoon, with hotel transfers included. Popular hotels include the Pacific Palisades or similar. Deluxe hotels include the Sheraton Wall Centre or similar.

Day Eight, Tuesdays and Fridays

Tour ends with independent departures from Vancouver today. A taxi transfer to the Vancouver Airport is included.

TOUR PRICES include all rail and coach fares; meals and sightseeing noted as included above; on-board narration; transfers round-trip from the Vancouver airport and at all stops; checked baggage service on the train; baggage handling; and hotels in the category selected. The basic tour price includes rail travel in “Red Leaf” coach class on the ROCKY MOUNTAINEER. Please note the price below for upgrades to "Gold Leaf” Dome class on this train, which is available on a limited basis. Canadian Goods and Services Tax must be added to all prices at the rate outlined below.

POPULAR HOTELS

Main Season (departures May 25-August 20)

$3055.00 per person, double occupancy, using Sections on VIA

$3918.00 single occupancy, using a lower Section berth on VIA

$3275.00 per person, double occupancy, using either two Roomettes or a Bedroom on VIA

$4138.00.00 single occupancy using a Roomette on VIA

Late Season (departures August 27-September 14)

Popular Hotels

$3243.00 per person, double occupancy, using Sections on VIA

$4106.00 single occupancy, using a lower Section berth on VIA

$3518.00 per person, double occupancy, using either two Roomettes or a Bedroom on VIA

$4381.00 single occupancy using a Roomette on VIA

Deluxe Hotels

Main Season (departures May 25-August 20)

Deluxe Hotels

$3709.00 per person, double occupancy, using either two Roomettes or a Bedroom on VIA

$4957.00 single occupancy using a Bedroom on VIA

Late Season (departures August 27-September 14)

Deluxe Hotels

$3951.00 per person, double occupancy, using either two Roomettes or a Bedroom on VIA

$5198.00 single occupancy using a Roomette on VIA

OPTIONAL UPGRADE TO “GOLD LEAF” DOME

Participants may upgrade to the "Gold Leaf" dome class for the two days on the ROCKY MOUNTAINEER. This offers guaranteed dome car seating; full, gourmet, cooked-on-board breakfasts and lunches; dinner in Kamloops; access to an open-platform observation car; and upgraded baggage handling for the Kamloops stopover.

$880.00 per person

MANDATORY CANADIAN GOODS AND SERVICES TAX

A 2.5% Canadian Goods and Services Tax must be added to all prices above and is not subject to rebate under Canadian law.

Stoney Creek Viaduct in Canadian Glacier National Park: Rail Travel Center photo contest by Ernst Dieter Boehme

Conditions and Booking Information (the fine print)

Call Toll-Free: 800-458-5394

Website created and maintained by Glenn Spiegel, Effective Websites.

Last modified: August 05, 2010