£4,098
Discover the best of Canada on this truly epic coast to coast rail journey from Vancouver to Halifax. On superb trains, the view outside your window changes every day, from the towering Rockies to the central plains, Great Lakes and finally the coast of Nova Scotia.
- Vancouver
- The Canadian rail journey
- The Rockies
- Jasper National Park
- Toronto & Niagara Falls
- The Corridor rail journey & The Ocean rail journey
- Quebec
- Nova Scotia
- Peggy's Cove & Lunenburg
- Halifax
We depart from London for Vancouver and transfer to the welcoming Blue Horizon Hotel for a two-night stay. On Day 2 our morning city tour cherry-picks Vancouver's best sights. We visit the old Gastown quarter - an area of coffee shops, galleries and native art stores, and experience the scents and sights of Chinatown. We drive to leafy Stanley Park where the world famous totem poles are situated, before visiting Granville Island and Queen Elizabeth Park.
Today you are free to explore at your own leisure, until this evening. We then meet up to board the Canadian for our evening departure and the first leg of our trans-Canada adventure. We settle into our Sleeper Touring Class carriages as we leave the city behind and travel into the mountains.
You may wake up to a magnificent sunrise over the Rockies on Day 4 as we enter the Jasper National Park, designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1984. Dense pine forests, glittering lakes, snaking rivers and soaring snow-capped peaks all pass by our window as we journey towards our destination, the town of Jasper, where we stay at The Amethyst Lodge for two nights. We spend Day 5 at leisure, giving you chance to explore the National Park area.
On Day 6 we enjoy a scenic journey discovering the beautiful Maligne Canyon and Lake in Jasper National Park before we rejoin the Canadian in the late afternoon, bound for Toronto. This evening we travel along the Athabasca River Valley to reach Saskatoon early on Day 7 and continue to Winnipeg, arriving late evening. The train travels overnight to the Canadian Shield and we spend Day 8 on board, admiring the rugged landscape whilst keeping an eye out for bears and moose.
We arrive in Toronto after breakfast on Day 9. Leaving the Canadian, we check in to the Fairmont Royal York Hotel for a two-night stay. Our guided tour this morning takes in highlights including the CN Tower. If you are feeling adventurous, there is time to ascend to the Outdoor Observation Deck (ticket not included). Your afternoon is free to explore. On Day 10 our full day excursion to Niagara Falls starts with a buffet lunch overlooking the thundering Falls from the Penthouse Restaurant of the Sheraton Hotel. Afterwards you have some free time, so why not board the Maid of the Mist for a cruise to the foot of the Falls?
Departing on VIA Rail's Corridor service mid-morning, we arrive in Montreal late afternoon. We then change trains for the journey to Québec, where we spend the next two nights at the beautiful and historic Manoir Victoria Hotel, located in the heart of this French-speaking city.
Our day begins with a guided tour of Québec, including the Citadel and the 'Plains of Abraham', the site of the battle between British and French forces during the Seven Years' War. This afternoon is free to explore at leisure. Québec has a wealth of historic and cultural sites you may wish to visit including the Basilica-Cathedral of Notre Dame, or rue Saint-Jean, Saint-Louis and Saint-Paul all lined with restaurants, boutiques and souvenir shops.
Today you are free to continue exploring Québec at your leisure. This evening we board the Ocean train for the overnight journey to Nova Scotia. We travel comfortably in Sleeper Touring Class - except on our May departure when we travel in Sleeper Class.
During the night, the Ocean travels along the St Lawrence River to Chaleur Bay. The train then heads south across New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia, arriving in Halifax, the provincial capital. Our hotel in Halifax for two nights is the ideally located Westin Nova Scotian. On Day 15 we explore the province's maritime treasures. Peggy's Cove is a charming, working fishing village with a famous and much-photographed lighthouse. Picturesque Lunenburg was founded in 1753. Its quaint waterfront and colourful wooden buildings have earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.
The first British town in Canada, founded in 1749, Halifax is set beside the world's second largest natural harbour. You have a free day on Day 16 to explore the city, including its most famous feature, the star-shaped fortress of the Citadel. Alternatively, visit the Titanic Cemetery, where many who perished in the 1912 disaster are buried. Pier 21, Canada's equivalent to New York's Ellis Island, is also an excellent option. We later transfer to the airport for the overnight flight home. We return to London early on Day 17.
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Comprising 'The Canadian', 'The Corridor' and 'The Ocean', this holiday really give an impression of the vastness of Canada. Travelling in September meant we had the colours of the fall, snow falling on the Rockies and, in Jasper, freezing mornings and pleasantly warm afternoons. An optional excursion to the Columbia Icefield was a real highlight on a glorious day.
Customers enjoyed Stanley Park and Capilano Park in Vancouver. The city tour of Toronto gave some the opportunity to ascend the CN Tower, whilst others took a harbour cruise. At Niagara the Falls roared, the sun shone and after 'The Maid of the Mist' there was lunch overlooking the falls.
'The Corridor' took us to Montreal for a city tour before continuing to Quebec, with its old houses, colourful buildings, the quayside and Citadel all dominated by the Chateau Frontenac. 'The Ocean' took us to Halifax with its memories of 'Titanic', the poignancy of Pier 21 and a tour to Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg before our flight home.
Allan Greenwood, Tour Manager