Itinerary

Arrive at Vancouver Airport where you will be met and taken to your hotel by private transfer.

Vancouver is a fascinating, multicultural city and one of its highlights is Capilano Suspension Bridge. Take the shuttle to the north of the city where the bridge stretches over 130 metres across a canyon, some 70 metres above the river and park of the same name. Take a vertigo-inducing walk across the bridge, see the First Nation totem poles, tackle the Cliffwalk and Treetops Adventure, then hike in the rainforest of the surrounding 27-acre park.

Explore the restaurants and nightlife of Vancouver in the afternoon and evening. Gastown is the city’s oldest district with cobbled streets and the famous Steam Clock. Along with adjacent Chinatown and Japantown districts, you’ll find some of the best cuisine in the city here, especially Can-Asian specialties.

Spend another day exploring Vancouver. A highlight is the urban rainforest of 1000-acre Stanley Park. Explore the gardens, see the totem poles at Brockton Point, walk along the famous Sea Wall or take a bike tour to cover more of the park.

After working up an appetite, another great option is to head for Granville Island Market to browse a huge variety of local produce cooked up by expert chefs.

Alternatively, get out on the water to watch humpback whales and orcas on a half or full-day whale-watching tour in the Strait of Georgia.

Explore more of Vancouver’s restaurants and nightlife in the evening.

Board your Rocky Mountaineer train early this morning. This luxury train has spacious, comfortable coaches with large windows to enjoy the panoramic mountain scenery between Vancouver and Jasper.

Included in your tour is Silver Leaf Service with gourmet breakfast and lunch, but we recommend you upgrade to Gold Leaf Service, which includes food prepared by executive chefs, glass-domed coaches and an outdoor viewing area to maximise enjoyment of the views.

The Rocky Mountaineer departs Vancouver for Kamloops in the heart of British Columbia’s interior. You will see dramatic changes in scenery, from lush green fields of the Fraser Valley through forests and winding river canyons surrounded by the peaks of the Coast and Cascade Mountains. Highlights include the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon and steep slopes along the Thompson River.

Your train travels along the shores of Kamloops Lake into the town of Kamloops. Overnight at your hotel, arranged by the Rocky Mountaineer.

Early this morning, your journey continues north and east to the Canadian Rockies and the province of Alberta. Enjoy dramatic scenery as you follow the banks of the North Thompson River through the Monashee and Cariboo Mountains.

Today’s highlights include Mount Robson, at 3,954 metres, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, followed by Pyramid Falls and the climb over the Yellowhead Pass into Jasper National Park. Your rail journey ends this evening on arrival in the resort town of Jasper where you stay overnight.

The town of Jasper is the gateway to the park of the same name, the largest in the Canadian Rockies with emerald lakes, glacial peaks, waterfalls, canyons and evergreen forest filled with wildlife including elk, moose, big-horned sheep, bears and wolves.

We recommend you take a nature tour to Maligne Lake and Maligne River, which thunders through a 50-metre gorge in a series of waterfalls. Take a cruise on the lake to beautiful Spirit Island or a guided walk along the shoreline.
Alternatively, take in the scenery while working up an appetite on a half-day Peak Nic food tour for lunch or dinner. A 3.8km hike is followed by a backcountry cookery class to enjoy a meal while admiring the views.

Today you will experience one of the world’s best drives along Icefields Parkway through breathtaking mountain scenery between Jasper and Banff national parks.

Highlights of the Jasper to Lake Louise Tour include Columbia Icefield, the largest ice field of its kind outside the poles, Athabasca Glacier, and the Glacier Sky Walk, a stunning glass-floored observation platform 280 metres over the Sunwapta Valley.

Arrive at one of the most beautiful sights in Canada – the shining turquoise waters of Lake Louise, known as the ‘Jewel of the Rockies’ It’s the kind of place where it’s impossible to take a bad photograph and the lake can be viewed from various vantage points – a lakeside picnic, a canoeing trip or on many hiking trails in the surrounding hills. The region is incredibly diverse, home to wildlife such as goats, elk, deer and occasionally bears.

The historic lakeside Fairmont Château Lake Louise is one of the world’s most stunningly located hotels. Even if you don’t stay here, we recommend afternoon tea to admire the wonderful backdrop. The hotel also has a day spa offering a range of therapeutic treatments.

Today you take a tour of the mountains, lakes and waterfalls from Lake Louise to Banff. Travelling through Banff and Yoho National Parks, visit spectacular Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks, as well as Spiral Tunnels and Takakkaw Falls. The tour includes lunch at Emerald Lake Lodge.

Arrive in Banff, Canada’s highest town at over 1,300m, half an hour from Lake Louise. Banff has a stunning location in the heart of the Rockies, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

One of the best ways to take in the landscape is on the Banff Gondola, soaring 700 metres up thickly forested hillsides (included in your tour). From the observation deck at the summit of Sulphur Mountain enjoy panoramic views over six mountain ranges and the Bow Valley, then wander along the boardwalk to Sanson’s Peak. Keen hikers can tackle the South-east Ridge Trail.
If rafting is for you, then we recommend a half-day rafting trip on the Kananaskis River on class II and II rapids.

Check into your hotel and enjoy the town’s restaurants and bars.

Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest protected area and most visited national park with 1,600km of hiking trails and home to 53 species of mammals, including black bears, grizzlies, moose, bighorn sheep and elk.

A wildlife safari through the park is a great way to see animals with a knowledgeable guide, providing plenty of great photo opportunities.

It’s interesting to explore the town of Banff itself, which has museums including Banff Park Museum for natural history and Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum for First Nations heritage. A great way to relax is a dip in Banff Upper Hot Springs.

Learn more about the local geology and wildlife while exploring more spectacular sights around Banff. Head up the Banff Gondola to the peak of Sulphur Mountain before exploring Bow Falls, Tunnel Mountain Drive, Surprise Corner, Two Jack Viewpoint and Lake Minnewanka.

The tour ends by taking you to Alberta’s biggest city Calgary, a cosmopolitan place with a proud cowboy heritage. Ascend the 190-metre Calgary Tower for fantastic panoramic views over the city and surrounding mountains (admission included in your tour), then wander around the unique shops and restaurants of pedestrian-friendly Kensington Village.

If you’re visiting in July, don’t miss one of the Canada’s biggest festival the Calgary Stampede, which attracts over a million visitors to watch rodeos, races and performances over 10 days.

Continue discovering Calgary’s cultural attractions today. We recommend a visit to living history museum Heritage Park (May to October). This historical village recreates Alberta in the late 19th century with over 200 attractions and exhibits including a First Nations camp. Board a steam train, take a horse-drawn wagon ride, pan for gold, explore the nature park and see the large collection of antique vehicles in Gasoline Alley Museum.

Another recommendation is the National Music Centre at Studio Bell in the East Village with exhibitions and collections of Canada’s musical heritage across five floors, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, which features the country’s icons and original costumes.

After a day of sightseeing, enjoy Calgary’s restaurants and nightlife either Downtown or in Kensington Village.

Take your luxury private transfer to Calgary Airport for your flight home.