Vacation Overview

This cross-country train adventure across Canada begins in Toronto, ends in Vancouver, and includes beautiful scenery and fun-filled activities in some of Canada’s most popular cities. Cosmopolitan Toronto, the largest city in Canada, hosts world-class shopping and many spectacular sights. Start your vacation in Toronto and head to Niagara Falls, where you take a Maid of the Mist cruise to enjoy up-close views of Niagara Falls from river level. Then board VIA Rail®’s The Canadian—a premier continental train—and head west. The next three days and nights are spent in first-class, refurbished art deco rail cars. Observe unparalleled views of Canada’s countryside as you journey through Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, including stops in Winnipeg and Edmonton. After passing through the majestic Canadian Rockies to Jasper, the rail portion of this journey ends. Spend two nights in Jasper with free time to explore. Then board your motorcoach to Banff National Park. On your way to Banff, take a thrilling ride aboard an Ice Explorer on the Columbia Icefield, the largest expanse of ice in the Canadian Rockies. In Banff, you have two nights and time to relax, hike, or join an optional activity, such as a helicopter ride over the Canadian Rockies or a gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain. Stop in Lake Louise and travel through Yoho and Glacier National Parks before arriving at the cattle-ranching center of Kamloops. Then follow the Fraser River to your final destination, Vancouver. Spend an additional two nights in Vancouver and choose from a variety of optional excursions. See Canada’s spectacular mountain scenery, stunning lakes, and exciting cities on this Canadian Train Odyssey—what a fantastic vacation!

Map

Use this map as an overview for your Globus vacation. It will provide you with a visual guide on where your vacation will begin and end as well as the number of nights you spend in at each location. Once you have booked your vacation, a more comprehensive map will be provided.

Itinerary

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

Day 2 TORONTO–NIAGARA FALLS–VIA RAIL® THE CANADIAN.
  This morning, enjoy an included sightseeing excursion to Niagara Falls with a MAID OF THE MIST cruise. Return to Toronto and join this evening’s 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 first-class rail cars are refurbished art deco cars from the 1950s. Try the observation dome for 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, main course, and desserts.
NOTES:

Day 3 VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN.
  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. Enjoy the many great onboard features, like use of the lounges and access to the domed skyline car for spectacular viewing. (B,L,D)

Day 4 VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN.
  An early arrival into Winnipeg, Manitoba’s capital, a city rich in history and culture. In the early afternoon we continue our journey through Manitoba’s prairies and into Saskatchewan. (B,L,D)

Day 5 VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN–JASPER.
  Wake up and enjoy a delicious breakfast before your arrival this morning in Edmonton. 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 float trip on the Athabasca River to end the day? The evening is free to enjoy the ambiance of this delightful mountain setting. (B,L)

Day 6 JASPER.
  Consider an optional trip to Maligne Lake, where you embark on a narrated cruise to much-photographed Spirit Island. 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 wildlife, 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 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.

Day 8 BANFF.
  This morning, consider an optional helicopter ride high over the Canadian Rockies. Later, 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.
  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.”

Day 10 KAMLOOPS–VANCOUVER.
  We continue west along Kamloops Lake and follow the mighty Fraser River to Vancouver, spectacularly set on Burrard Inlet. Upon arrival in Vancouver, see STANLEY PARK, Gastown, Chinatown, and the harbor on your included city tour.

Day 11 VANCOUVER.
  Remain in your Vancouver hotel for an additional two nights. Choose from a variety of optional excursions covering many of Vancouver’s major attractions. Perhaps revisit Stanley Park and rent a bike to ride around the seawall. View the beautiful gardens, towering evergreen forests, and inviting beaches, or a day trip to explore more of Victoria might be the perfect way to spend the day.

Day 12 VANCOUVER.
  Today, consider an optional trip to the Capilano Suspension Bridge followed by afternoon tea. For shoppers and browsers, take a water taxi to lively Granville Island with its outdoor markets, street musicians, entertainers, and waterfront cafés. Or, visit historic Gastown with its steam-powered clock, antique shops, art galleries, and street vendors. Your Local Host will have suggestions for sites to visit and the best places to eat.

Day 13 VANCOUVER.
  The trip ends today with guests departing on individual schedules. Transfers are provided to Vancouver International Airport.

Vacation Highlights

In Niagara Falls and Vancouver; orientation tour in Jasper; Maid of the Mist cruise; snocoach ride on the Athabasca Glacier (Columbia Icefield); Stanley Park. Inside visits as shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges where applicable.NOTES:

• The operation of the Maid of the Mist cruise is subject to favorable weather and/or river conditions. Usually, favorable conditions exist from May to the end of October. When unfavorable conditions exist, a walking tour through the scenic tunnels will be substituted.
• 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.
• The Canadian Rockies are blessed with stunning lakes, exquisite mountain scenery, and extraordinary outdoor attractions. Visiting and participating in activities in these locations is subject to favorable weather conditions.

INSIDE VISITS

Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges when applicable, including admission charges when applicable.

STANDARD INCLUDED FEATURES

Accommodations

MEALS

3 breakfasts (B), 3 lunches (L), 2 dinners (D). The option to prepurchase breakfast daily is available on this vacation and will include an additional 11 full and 1 continental breakfasts.