11 days from Toronto to Vancouver

This 11-day, cross-country adventure by train begins in Toronto and ends in Vancouver. Being the largest city in Canada, Toronto hosts world-class shopping and many spectacular sights. Take a Maid of the Mist cruise and enjoy up-close views of Niagara Falls. Board VIA Rail®’s Canadian premier continental train and head west. The next two days and nights are spent in first-class rail cars observing unparalleled views of Canada’s countryside.

Stops throughout Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta include Sioux Lookout, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Edmonton. After passing through the majestic Canadian Rockies to Jasper, the rail portion of this journey ends. Board an air-conditioned motorcoach to Banff and visit the Columbia Icefield. Travel through Yoho and Glacier National Parks before arriving at the cattle-ranching center of Kamloops. Follow the Fraser River to your final destination, Vancouver, where city sightseeing such as Stanley Park, Gastown, and Chinatown is abundant.

Day 1 TORONTO
Enjoy time at leisure to relax or do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions.

Day 2 TORONTO. NIAGARA FALLS EXCURSION
Today you have two options: join our included sightseeing excursion to Niagara Falls, with a MAID OF THE MIST cruise or continue your exploration of Toronto. World-class shopping abounds in the hundreds of establishments of the Underground City, miles of connected paths with shops and restaurants under the city. Tonight’s optional outing combines dinner with the spectacular sight of Toronto’s lights from the CN Tower, the world’s tallest freestanding structure.

Note: The operation of the Maid of the Mist cruise is subject to favourable weather and/or river conditions. Usually, favourable conditions exist from May to the end of October. When unfavourable conditions exist, a walking tour through the scenic tunnels will be substituted.

Day 3 TORONTO–VIA Rail® CANADIAN TRAIN
Transfer to Union Station for an early morning departure on the Canadian, VIA Rail’s premier transcontinental train. Spend the next two days and nights on this classic trip across Canada’s heartland. Your first-class rail cars are refurbished art deco cars from the 1950s. Try the observation dome for unparalleled views of the Canadian countryside as you roll past Ontario’s landscapes, or pass the time in one of the comfortable lounges. All meals are included, and you won’t want to miss any of them as the chef offers a tempting array of soups, salads, entrées, and desserts. (L,D)

Note: For your convenience, baggage that will not be needed during the train journey will be checked through to Jasper. Checked baggage will not be accessible during the journey. Plan to pack an overnight case with necessities, including medications, eyeglasses, and other important items, for the train portion of the tour.

Day 4 VIA Rail ® CANADIAN TRAIN THROUGH MANITOBA AND SASKATCHEWAN
Continue past sparkling lakes and sun-dappled forests today as you enter Manitoba, arriving at Winnipeg in the early evening. Tonight, relax in your private bedroom as the Canadian continues across the prairies of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. (B,L,D)

Day 5 VIA Rail® CANADIAN TRAIN–JASPER
Wake up and enjoy a delicious breakfast before arriving in Edmonton this morning. After a short stop, continue on the Canadian into the very heart of the Canadian Rockies. Arrive in Jasper this afternoon. An orientation tour includes Jasper’s unspoiled beauty. Perhaps an optional river raft trip on the Athabasca River to end the day? The evening is free for you to enjoy the ambience of this delightful mountain setting. (B,L)

Day 6 JASPER
Consider an optional trip to Maligne Lake, where you embark on a narrated cruise. On the return journey, stop to view mighty Maligne Canyon. With free time this afternoon, you might take a hike along the trails and watch for elk, or stroll the streets of Jasper.

Day 7 JASPER–BANFF
Board your motorcoach this morning and journey through JASPER NATIONAL PARK, stopping along the way at the COLUMBIA ICEFIELD to experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels upon ice that is 365 meters (1,200 feet) thick. Continue down the Icefield Parkway to Lake Louise, where cold waters mirror the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Arrive in BANFF NATIONAL PARK for a leisurely 2-night stay.

Day 8 BANFF
This morning, consider an optional helicopter ride high over the Canadian Rockies. For the afternoon, join the optional excursion to Sulphur Mountain for a thrilling gondola ride, complete with panoramic views of Banff’s spectacular scenery and a stop at sparkling Bow Falls. Tonight, try an optional dinner featuring cuisine and entertainment all about Canada.

Day 9 BANFF–KAMLOOPS
We travel back into Ontario to Ottawa, Canada's beautiful capital city. On arrival, we are taken on an orientation tour This morning leave Banff National Park and travel to Lake Louise, its azure blue waters mirroring the surrounding mountains and glaciers, before proceeding over Kicking Horse Pass on the Continental Divide. Travel through YOHO NATIONAL PARK, where pre-Cambrian fossils were discovered, and GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, where recreational mountain climbing was introduced to North America a century ago. Late this afternoon, arrive at the cattle-ranching center of Kamloops, a Shuswap Indian word for “meeting of the waters.”