Canada by Rail - Starting in Halifax
Canada by Rail - Starting in Halifax (14 days)
Taking the train harkens back to a bygone era when travel was a more relaxed endeavor. Let Atlantic Tours take care of the details as you sit back, unwind, and see Canada as it was meant to be seen.
From your front row seat, discover how the landscape shifts as you travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. See Nova Scotia’s charming small towns, New Brunswick’s vast forests and catch the sunrise as the rails take you through southern Quebec. Watch the rugged Canadian Shield, the untamed wilderness of Northern Ontario, and the vast rolling prairies of Manitoba and Saskatchewan pass by your window. Marvel at the majestic, snow-capped mountains of the Canadian Rockies. See the rushing waters, fertile farms, and sheer rock faces of the Fraser River Valley. Undoubtably, the train is the best way to appreciate the incredible scale and diversity of this vast nation.
While traversing Canada, delight in first-class service and amenities aboard VIA Rail, first on The Ocean from Halifax to Montreal and then The Canadian from Toronto to Jasper. Enjoy delicious food and cozy accommodations as you ride the rails. In Banff, board the Rocky Mountaineer – “The Most Spectacular Train Trip in the World.” During the daytime see panoramic vistas from glass-domed coaches and outdoor viewing areas. Gourmet meals are delivered to your comfortable seats. It is a true feast for the senses!
Highlights
VIA Rail’s Sleeper Plus Class from Halifax to Montreal and Toronto to Jasper
Rocky Mountaineer 2-Day Rail Tour from Banff to Vancouver
Canadian Rockies
Columbia Icefields Ice Explorer and Skywalk
Tours of Jasper, Banff, Victoria, and Vancouver
2 Nights in Jasper
2 Nights in Banff
3 Nights in Vancouver
25 Meals
Fully escorted from Halifax
Flight to Halifax
Itinerary
DAY 1: September 27, 2024
Halifax NS to Montreal QC
Depart Halifax for Montreal in the early afternoon aboard VIA Rail’s The Ocean. This includes your own cabin and use of the lounge car. Overnight VIA Rail (Sleeper Plus Class). (Lunch, Dinner)
DAY 2: September 28, 2024
Montreal QC to Toronto ON
Business Class service takes you from Montreal to Toronto. Stay the night in the heart of the city at the historic and elegant Fairmont Royal York. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
DAY 3: September 29, 2024
Depart Toronto ON
This morning, depart on VIA Rail’s transcontinental train, restored to its original 1950’s style. “The Canadian” is a handsome stainless-steel re-creation of the great era of train travel. Enjoy your private room, socialize over a drink with friends in the Mural Lounge, or ascend the staircase to the dome of the Park Car for coffee under the stars. Overnight VIA Rail (Sleeper Plus Class). (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
DAY 4: September 30, 2024
Northern Ontario to Manitoba
After a peaceful night’s rest, awake and enjoy the view of the untamed wilderness of Northern Ontario. Cross the rugged rocks of the Canadian Shield to enter the Province of Manitoba. Overnight VIA Rail (Sleeper Plus Class). (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
DAY 5: October 1, 2024
Manitoba to Saskatchewan to Alberta
As your westward journey continues, be sure to visit the Dome for sweeping views of the vast rolling prairies as you travel across Saskatchewan and into Alberta today. Overnight VIA Rail (Sleeper Plus Class). (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
DAY 6: October 2, 2024
Jasper AB
This morning, arrive in the resort town of Jasper, in the heart of the mountains. No trip to Jasper National Park is complete without seeing Maligne Canyon and Lake, one of the most picturesque spots in the Canadian Rockies. Keep your eyes open for grizzly bears and other wildlife as you drive through the park. Spend two nights in Jasper, Alberta. (Continental Breakfast)
DAY 7: October 3, 2024
Jasper AB
The entire day is yours to explore Jasper at your leisure. (Breakfast)
DAY 8: October 4, 2024
Jasper AB to Banff AB
Travel by motorcoach south on the Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Icefields. Board the Ice Explorer for a ride up the Athabasca Glacier, followed by the exhilarating Skywalk (weather permitting). Continue along the Parkway, whose scenery is rated “the most spectacular in the entire Canadian National Parks System”, en route to Lake Louise. Spend two nights nested under imposing peaks in the bustling resort village of Banff, Alberta. (Breakfast)
DAY 9: October 5, 2024
Banff AB
Today’s tour of Banff includes Bow Falls, the Banff Springs Hotel and Tunnel Mountain. The Banff Gondola takes you to the top of Sulphur Mountain to experience a stunning bird’s eye view of six mountain ranges. The rest of the day is free to explore on your own. (Breakfast)
DAY 10: October 6, 2024
Rocky Mountaineer
Today it’s “All Aboard” as you pull out of the Banff Station on the Rocky Mountaineer two- day rail tour, “the Most Spectacular Train Trip in the World”. Sit back and relax in spacious, comfortable reclining seats with picture windows in Silverleaf service. Meals, snacks, and non-alcoholic drinks are served at your seat. Your Onboard Service Attendant provides interesting and informative commentary on the history and geography along the route. Travel through the snow-capped mountains of Banff, Yoho, and Glacier National Parks. Twist a figure eight through the “Spiral Tunnels”. Watch for wildlife on the hillsides. Traverse Rogers Pass. Discover Craigellachie where, in 1885, the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railroad was driven. Overnight in Kamloops, British Columbia. (Continental Breakfast, Lunch)
DAY 11: October 7, 2024
Kamloops BC to Vancouver BC
Re-board the train as you continue westward through Canada’s semi-arid desert. Travel down the Thompson River, where whitewater rafters challenge the rapids at the Jaws of Death Gorge. Along the historic Fraser River, see Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon before entering the lush, fertile fields of the Fraser Valley. In the late afternoon, arrive in Vancouver, British Columbia for a three-night stay. (Continental Breakfast, Lunch)
DAY 12: October 8, 2024
Day Trip to Victoria BC
It’s an early start for a day trip to charming Victoria. Board the ferry at Tsawwassen to cross the Strait of Georgia to Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island. Victoria – “the Emerald of the West and Sunshine City” – is a regal capital with a British accent and old English charm. Your tour of the city includes the Tudor-style buildings, parks, flower-lined streets and more. Visit Butchart Gardens, offering four seasons of magnificent flowers, trees and much more. Return to Vancouver for overnight. (Breakfast)
DAY 13: October 9, 2024
Vancouver BC
A morning city tour will acquaint you with this impressive western Canadian city, site of the 1986 World Exposition and the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics. See historic Gastown, 1000-acre Stanley Park, the downtown area, English Bay beaches, the waterfront and Chinatown. The afternoon is free to pursue your own interests. This evening, join your tour director for a Farewell Dinner. (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 14: October 10, 2024
Homeward Bound!
Depart Vancouver for Halifax on your included flight back home taking with you fond memories of your cross Canada rail adventure!
Ask us about beginning this tour from other VIA stations en route to Toronto.
Accommodations
Hotels
| Day 1 | VIA Rail Sleep Plus Class (Overnight on the Ocean) |
| Day 2 | Fairmont Royal York, Toronto ON |
| Days 3, 4 & 5 | VIA Rail Sleep Plus Class, Toronto ON - Jasper AB |
| Days 6 & 7 | Forest Park Hotel, Jasper AB |
| Days 8 & 9 | Mount Royal Hotel, Banff AB |
| Day 10 | Riverland Inn or similar, Kamloops BC |
| Days 11, 12 & 13 | Blue Horizon Hotel, Vancouver BC |
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