The below itinerary reflects our recommendations for this specific trip. We also offer tailored private excursions, allowing you to personalize the itinerary to match your custom preferences.
Day 1 Vancouver to Jasper | VIA Rail
This afternoon, board VIA Rail’s legendary Canadian for your overnight journey from Vancouver to the majestic Canadian Rockies. Settle into the nostalgia of classic rail travel aboard restored stainless-steel railcars, complete with a dining car, lounge car and panoramic dome car. As the train leaves the city behind, watch the scenery unfold from the fertile Fraser Valley to the rugged Coast Mountains and dramatic Fraser Canyon. This evening, follow the Thompson River through changing landscapes as you enjoy dinner onboard, then settle into your comfortable upper or lower berth, prepared for the overnight journey. (Dinner included today onboard VIA Rail)
Day 2 Arrive Jasper | VIA Rail
Wake to the beauty of the Canadian Rockies as the train continues through mountain valleys, forests and snow-capped peaks on its approach to Jasper. Enjoy breakfast onboard before arriving in this welcoming alpine town, surrounded by the wilderness of Jasper National Park. After transferring to your hotel, the rest of the day is free to explore at your own pace, browse the local shops and cafés, or simply take in the fresh mountain air. (Breakfast included today onboard VIA Rail)
Day 3 Jasper | Freedom of Choice - Choose 1 of 3 Private Excursions
Today you can personalize your day by choosing one of these excursions.
Option 1. Explore Jasper and Maligne Lake Cruise
Jasper, located in the Athabasca Valley of Jasper National Park, encompasses some outstanding mountain scenery. Explore the spectacular natural treasures of Canada's largest national park. Stand above the massive walls of Maligne Canyon for stunning views of rushing waterfalls. Continue on to Maligne Lake for an interpretive cruise providing unobstructed views of the magnificent shoreline with dense forests and glacial peaks that rise abruptly from the water's edge. Near Spirit Island, enjoy an opportunity to go ashore and create your own photographs of this world famous spot.
Option 2. Discover Jasper & its Wildlife with Gourmet Picnic Lunch
Admire diverse animal life in the Canadian wilderness on this wildlife discovery tour from Jasper. Delve into Jasper National Park with your guide. Travel through the mighty Athabasca Valley and marvel at the park's beautiful landscapes by twilight. Seek out timid native wildlife such as coyotes, deer, elk, big-horned sheep, moose, mountain goats and wolves. Learn of the steps taken to ensure their safety and survival in the park, and gain insight into the region's rich ecology, history and geology.
Option 3. Signature Hike with Gourmet Picnic Lunch
Experience the majestic scenery of Jasper National Park on foot. This 3-hour guided nature walk will feature a spectacular array of rolling hills, jagged peaks, forests, meadows, marshes, streams and stunning glacial lakes. Your licensed interpreter will lead this leisurely walk as you explore the abundant flora and fauna along these routes that often offer incredible opportunities to spot wildlife. Marvel at snow-capped peaks during the months of May and early June, in mid-summer the forest and alpine meadows are ablaze in glorious wildflower shades of red, blue, yellow and white. By late August and through the month of September, the mountain landscapes glow with the red, orange, and gold of the Larch and Aspen trees
Day 4 Jasper to Banff | Private Sightseeing with Gourmet Picnic Lunch
Includes Ice Explorer Ride onto the Athabasca Glacier + Glacier Skywalk
Travel along the breathtaking Icefields Parkway today, one of North America’s most spectacular mountain highways. This full-day sightseeing journey showcases jagged peaks, turquoise lakes, glacier-fed rivers, hanging glaciers, deep valleys and cascading waterfalls, with possible stops including Athabasca Falls, the Weeping Wall, Bow Lake and Crowfoot Glacier. At the Columbia Icefield, board the Ice Explorer for an unforgettable ride onto the ancient Athabasca Glacier, then step out over the Sunwapta Valley on the glass-floored Glacier Skywalk. Continue through dramatic mountain scenery with time to experience the turquoise waters and soaring peaks of Lake Louise before arriving in Banff. (Gourmet picnic lunch included today)
Day 5 Banff | Freedom of Choice - Choose 1 of 3 Private Excursions
Today you can personalize your day by choosing one of these excursions.
Option 1. Discover Banff & Its Wildlife Tour + Banff Gondola
Explore the natural wonders near the town of Banff on this half-day tour. Then maximize your views of Banff National Park with minimal exertion during this round-trip gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain.
Option 2. Discover Yoho National Park
See the best of Yoho National Park in a half day. Visit the engineering marvel of the Spiral Tunnels, see the Natural Rock Bridge over the Kicking Horse River, and enjoy stunning scenery and power of Emerald Lake and finally Takakkaw Falls, Canada's second highest waterfall.
Option 3. Signature Hike
We have selected what we consider the best of the best for spending time in the National Parks. From the explosion of wildflowers in the spring, to the clear glacier views in the summer, to the brilliant golden of the larch trees in the fall, hiking in the Rockies should not be missed.
Day 6 Banff to Kamloops | Rocky Mountaineer
Board Rocky Mountaineer this morning and begin your spectacular westbound journey through the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Depart Banff surrounded by towering peaks and pristine alpine scenery, then travel through a succession of celebrated rail landmarks that showcase both the beauty and history of this remarkable route. Highlights include the famous Spiral Tunnels, the dramatic cliffs of Kicking Horse Canyon, the breathtaking mountain scenery of Rogers Pass, Stoney Creek Bridge and historic Craigellachie, where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven. Later, the landscapes soften into the wide-open scenery of British Columbia’s Interior as you continue to Kamloops. (Breakfast & lunch is included today)
Day 7 Kamloops to Vancouver | Rocky Mountaineer
Rejoin Rocky Mountaineer this morning and continue west through the striking landscapes of British Columbia. Follow the Thompson River through dry grasslands, rolling hills and rocky canyon country before entering the dramatic Fraser Canyon, where steep cliffs, powerful currents and remarkable rail engineering create some of the route’s most iconic scenery. Watch for highlights including Cisco Crossing and the surging whitewater of Hell’s Gate, then continue alongside the Fraser River through the fertile farmlands of the Fraser Valley before arriving in Vancouver later today. (Breakfast & lunch is included today)
