Canada Rail Expedition - Canada Holiday Package

Today you will be met and transferred to the hotel. Rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Toronto.

Leave bustling Toronto and travel along the shores of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls. Sightseeing here includes a SIGHTSEEING BOAT CRUISE past the world-famous falls. Later, visit picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake, where there is time to browse the shops of Main Street. Return to Toronto and spend the evening exploring the city sights on your own, including Harbourfront Centre, Ontario Place, and Chinatown.

Setting Toronto’s exciting architectural pace are City Hall; the downtown banking district; Roger’s Center; and stunning CN Tower, more than a third of a mile high. See all this and more on your city sightseeing tour. This evening, join the optional outing that combines dinner with the spectacular sight of Toronto’s lights from the CN Tower. Afterward, transfer to Union Station for a late-evening departure on the CANADIAN, VIA Rail’s premier transcontinental train. Spend the next three days and nights on this classic trip across Canada’s heartland. Your Sleeper Plus class rail cars are refurbished art-deco cars from the 1950s. Domed observation cars let you enjoy views of the Canadian countryside as you roll past Ontario’s landscapes. All meals are included, and you won’t want to miss any of them, as the chef offers a tempting array of soups, salads, main courses, and desserts.

Today, watch the scenery as you whisk by the ever-changing Canadian landscape and travel the full length of the Canadian National Railway’s breathtaking mainline

An early arrival into Winnipeg, Manitoba’s capital, a city rich in history and culture. Mid-morning, we continue our journey through Manitoba’s prairies and into Saskatchewan.

This morning enjoy a delicious breakfast as you continue on the Canadian into the very heart of the Canadian Rockies. Arrive in Jasper this evening. An orientation tour includes Jasper’s unspoiled beauty. The evening is free to enjoy the ambiance of this delightful mountain setting.

Consider an optional trip to Maligne Lake for a narrated cruise to much-photographed Spirit Island. On the return journey, stop to view mighty Maligne Canyon. With free time this afternoon, maybe hike on the trails and watch for wildlife, or stroll the streets of Jasper. Perhaps an optional float trip on the Athabasca River to end the day?

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 on ice that is 1,200 feet (365 meters) thick. Continue down Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise, where cold waters mirror the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Arrive in BANFF NATIONAL PARK for a leisurely 2-night stay.

This morning, consider an optional helicopter ride over the Canadian Rockies. Later, join your group for a fun filled optional dinnertime experience. Enjoy a horse drawn wagon ride along scenic trails before returning to Boundary Ranch for a BBQ steak dinner.

This morning, leave Banff National Park and travel 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.”

As you travel through the Coast Mountain Range to its majestic Pacific coastline, the vegetation changes from desert landscape to lush alpine forests. Board your afternoon ferry for the spectacular crossing to Vancouver Island. Sightseeing in Victoria includes the Inner Harbour, Bastion Square, Thunderbird Park, and world-famous BUTCHART GARDENS. This evening, consider strolling along the Waterfront Promenade.

Be sure to discover some of the attractions this splendid city has to offer, including the Royal British Columbia Museum, Afternoon Tea at the Empress Hotel, a whale-watching cruise on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and fine shopping along Government Street.

This morning, set sail across the Strait of Georgia and through the spectacular Gulf Islands, an archipelago known for its climate. In Vancouver, city sightseeing includes STANLEY PARK, Gastown, Chinatown, and many other famous landmarks. The remainder of the day is free to explore Robson Street and experience British Columbia’s premier shopping and entertainment location.

Today is at leisure for independent sightseeing. Maybe take a water taxi to lively Granville Island with its outdoor markets, street musicians, and waterfront cafés. Or, re-visit historic Gastown with its steam-powered clock, antique shops, art galleries, and street vendors.

The trip ends today with guests departing on individual schedules. Transfers are provided to Vancouver International Airport.