Canada Coast to Coast

Meeting our fellow travellers and Tour Manager at London Heathrow this afternoon, we board a flight to the west coast of Canada, arriving in Vancouver early evening local time.

The city is regularly regarded as one of the world's most desirable places to live, thanks to its charming atmosphere amid the incredible setting of mountains and the Pacific coast. Blending the vibrancy and culture of a cosmopolitan city with spectacular scenery, Vancouver calmly impresses its many visitors.

Our hotel is a short distance from both Downtown and this picturesque city's gorgeous harbour. After check in there is a free evening to unwind or head out to try some of western Canada's finest cuisine. Top class seafood, such as salmon, oysters and Dungeness crab can be found in many of the city's restaurants. With a multicultural population, you can also find delicious local versions of Asian and Mexican dishes.

Our first full day in Canada sees us embark on a guided sightseeing tour of Vancouver's most characterful districts this morning.

As Vancouver's original Downtown, Gastown is the city's most historic area. Redbrick Victorian buildings dot the tree-lined streets surrounding pretty Maple Tree Square. Many upmarket fashion boutiques, trendy coffee shops, art galleries and the famous Gastown Steam Clock can be found in this area named after talkative Hull-born sailor and barman 'Gassy' Jack Deighton.

Crossing East Hastings Street, we arrive in Chinatown - the largest in Canada - where we relish the sights and sounds of the lively streets and tranquil squares. From leafy Stanley Park, where we view colourful totem poles celebrating the region's Native American history, we travel to Granville Island. Boasting mouthwatering food markets, this is where our tour concludes.

The rest of the day is free to explore independently, and you could head to North Vancouver and find the Capilano Suspension Bridge hanging 450 feet above the forest floor. Alternatively, take the cable car to the top of Grouse Mountain for sweeping views of Vancouver.

Making the most of a full day on the wild Vancouver Island, we make our way by coach early this morning to Tsawwassen for the ferry over to Swartz Bay. Known for its population of black bears, this is Canada's 11th largest island and, while rugged in parts, is also dappled with charming towns and cities.

One of its most renowned manmade attractions is Butchart Gardens, where we head on arrival. These beautiful botanical gardens started out as Robert Butchart's limestone quarry in 1904, before his wife Jennie spotted the potential to create a wonderful sunken garden. The grounds expanded to include a Japanese garden, an Italian garden and a fragrant rose garden.

After exploring this picturesque haven, we transfer by coach to British Columbia's capital, Victoria. There is free time to explore and lunch independently. You might like to visit the Inner Harbour lined with grand buildings including the parliament, Royal BC Museum and Fairmont hotel, or wander the charming streets of Canada's oldest Chinatown. Later, we sail back to Vancouver where you can dine on your own tonight.

Our great trans-Canadian adventure gets under way in earnest today as we leave Vancouver by coach for a scenic journey along stunning valleys, with Canada's grand landscapes laid out before us.

Following the course of the Fraser Valley, we arrive in the historic trading post of Hope surrounded by huge mountains. Here, there is time to grab a bite for lunch before joining the Coquihalla Highway. Swathes of undulating land blanketed in deep forests pass our windows as we climb through the Cascade Mountains, their ridged peaks guiding us through this incredible landscape to Kamloops.

On arrival in Kamloops in the early evening, there is free time to find dinner independently. You could also explore this charming town that started out as a fur trading centre in the early 1800s and became an important railway town with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railroad in 1886.

Canada's iconic scenery becomes even more incredible today as we enter the Rocky Mountains. Joining the Yellowhead Highway after breakfast at the hotel, we follow the course of the North Thompson River to the small town of Clearwater. There is time to wander and enjoy a light lunch before continuing our breathtaking journey deep into Canada's wilderness to the jaw-dropping Mount Robson.

With a summit at nearly 13,000ft, this rugged peak is often called the King of the Rockies and its seemingly vertical southern face dominates views from miles around. The varied stratum of rock gives the impression of a road twisting round the mountain - a fact noticed by the indigenous Texqa'kallt people who call it Mountain of the Spiral Road.

Jasper is a beautiful enigma. One of the most important towns for miles around and a popular destination for visitors to the Rockies, yet it retains a calm, small-town feel. Charming buildings line its streets peppered with interesting shops and enticing restaurants. After checking in to our hotel, you are free to explore this picture-perfect town this evening.

A free morning provides the opportunity to unwind at our hotel or take a casual stroll around Jasper, admiring its location surrounded by imposing mountains.

Around noon, we board our coach for a scenic excursion deep into Jasper National Park. While this UNESCO-listed park surrounds the charming town, we head into the stunning wilds on a tour of the Maligne River valley. A spectacular showcase of Canada's grandest landscapes, we view craggy and often snow-dusted mountains, plunging waterfalls, hot springs and crystalline lakes.

Visiting the otherworldly Maligne Canyon, we are greeted by year-round beauty as the rushing river squeezes dramatically through a narrow fissure rich with fossils. Continuing from the gorgeous Medicine Lake, we are treated to an array of staggering vistas on the approach to Maligne Lake - the largest glacier-fed body of water in the region.

Before returning to Jasper for a free evening, there is plenty of time to admire the azure waters and look out for some of the area's rare wildlife, including mule deer, moose, eagles and ospreys - as well as bears, caribou and wolves.

There is time to enjoy lovely Jasper this morning before we transfer to the train station for one of the world's most epic train journeys.

Boarding the evocative steel carriages of the Canadian, we settle into our berths for a three-night ride across Canada to Toronto. As we follow the Athabasca River, we wind down the Rocky Mountains into the verdant foothills. With lunch and dinner served on board, we can enjoy views of glaciers, plunging canyons, soaring mountains and endless pine forests.

As we cross further into Alberta, the scenery changes as remote settlements and serene lakes dot the landscape. Leaving Edmonton this evening, we can relax and look forward to a laid-back day as the Canadian continues its remarkable journey.

Waking up on the Canadian, we are welcomed to Saskatchewan's vast prairies which we can view while enjoying our breakfast. The seemingly endless grasslands of the Great Plains stretch as far as the eye can see, with boundless farming communities passing by our windows as the Canadian rolls on.

With a population similar to that of Glasgow's and an area greater than France, Saskatchewan is ideal for sitting back and watching the world go by and the glass-roofed panoramic observation car is the ideal place to do this, either side of lunch. We travel through the southern plains of Saskatchewan, home to deer, eagles and, in select areas, antelope, moose and bison. Dinner is also served on board.

We later cross into Manitoba, a province with more than 100,000 lakes stretching all the way up to the shores of Hudson Bay. Its capital is Winnipeg, considered the geographical centre of Canada. Late this evening, the train pulls into this fascinating city, home to more than 50 ethnic communities before continuing eastwards overnight.

Over breakfast on the VIA Rail Canadian train this morning, we cross the rocky ground of northwestern Ontario, a landscape pocked with primordial lakes and thick, verdant forests of ancient trees.

For the isolated communities we pass through, the Canadian Pacific Railway has been a lifeline for decades. While Ontario might be the most populous of Canada's provinces, the remote areas we travel through today are raw Canadian wilderness, with moose, lynx and black bears prowling its dense woodlands.

After lunch on board, the Canadian changes direction, continuing its journey in a southeasterly direction towards the Great Lakes. Spend some time in the observation car or lounge as we travel through this evocative scenery before dinner is served. The Canadian continues its epic journey overnight towards its destination.

Our final morning onboard the Canadian begins with a continental breakfast as we travel south towards Toronto. The views change from the mountains and prairies of the past few days to more familiar suburban scenes as we make our way round Lake Simcoe into the Greater Toronto area.

Brunch is served before our arrival in mid-afternoon at Toronto's Union Station, Canada's largest and most elegant train station. Its Great Hall looks every bit a temple to the railroad, while its resplendent limestone exterior is dominated by 22 Romanesque columns. Built in 1927, this glorious Beaux-Arts structure is actually the third incarnation of the station - a testament to the importance of railways in connecting Canada. Nearby is the iconic CN Tower built by the Canadian National Railway Company and the world's tallest free-standing structure from 1975 until 2007.

We transfer to our Downtown hotel where there is time to unwind or explore Canada's most populous city at leisure. There is no shortage of restaurants nearby for you to find somewhere to eat - from steak and seafood to European and Asian cuisine.

Today is a highlight of our trans-Canadian adventure as we are joined on a coach by an expert local guide for a full day trip to the incredible Niagara Falls.

Connecting two of the Great Lakes - Erie and Ontario - the Niagara River plunges down three astonishing waterfalls. When we arrive, we set sail on a cruise to get closer to one of the world's most impressive natural sights - with protective ponchos supplied. Marvelling at the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and the iconic Horseshoe Falls is an unforgettable experience as the clouds of spray and thunderous roar emphasise the awesome majesty of nature.

Back on shore, there is time for lunch independently in one of Niagara's restaurants before viewing the falls from above at Table Rock. Continuing our exploration, we reach the whirlpool where the river bursts out of the Niagara Gorge.

We conclude our excursion at the pretty town of Niagara on the Lake, where there is time to stroll its quaint streets. Returning to Toronto this evening, you are free to dine on your own tonight.

After a relaxing morning in Toronto, we board the VIA Rail train service to Montreal.

Following the shores of Lake Ontario and the course of the St Lawrence River, we arrive in this UNESCO city of design in the early evening, with a short transfer to our central, 4-Star hotel. Being in the province of Quebec, Montreal has a cosmopolitan air blending French- and English-Canadian influences, visible in the street names and elegant architecture. Across the Place du Canada from our hotel, you can find the charming Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, built in the 19th century. Just beyond here is the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel, where John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their second 'bed-in' for peace in 1969. It was during this two-week stay that Lennon's first solo single, Give Peace a Chance, was written.

In Montreal's historic centre, you could admire the towering, Gothic-revival Notre-Dame Basilica and savour some traditional Québécois cuisine - including the incredibly popular poutine.

Breakfast is included at the hotel this morning before we make the short distance to Montreal's Central Station just before noon for an afternoon journey on VIA Rail's Corridor Service to Québec City.

Founded as a French settlement in 1608, historic Old Québec is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has the only remaining fortified city walls in the Americas north of Mexico. We arrive late afternoon and check into our 4-Star hotel near the province's stately national assembly building and the city walls.

The evening is free to explore authentic and ancient Old Québec where you can wander the picturesque, cobbled streets lined with cafés, independent shops, pubs and restaurants. Dinner is on your own this evening, and you may wish to indulge in some French-inspired dishes with a local touch, such as soups, tourtiére meat pies, bourguignon or crepes.

Today's guided city tour begins with a look at the historic conflicts between France, Great Britain and the United States that led to the founding of Canada in 1867. Constructed between 1820 and 1850, the star-shaped citadel served to protect British North America on early French fortifications. The British gained control of this important city in 1759 after the French surrender at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.

We visit this battlefield overlooking the St Lawrence River, just outside the citadel, before transferring by coach to an authentic 1920s sugar shack where maple syrup is produced. Amid a forest of maple trees, we learn the history of maple syrup on an informative short tour followed by a tasting of this iconic staple of Canadian cuisine. Afterwards, we sit down for a three-course lunch of traditional food inspired by the syrup.

Returning to Québec City, the rest of the afternoon and evening is free for independent exploration. You could view Old Québec's opulent 17th-century Notre-Dame Basilica or admire the open-air art displays on the charming Rue du Trésor.

There is plenty of time today to continue exploring the varied charms of the city that the local French-speakers call La Vieille Capitale, or the 'Old Capital'.

One of its most iconic structures is the fairytale turrets and towers of the mesmerising Fairmont Le Château Frontenac hotel - the first of the iconic castle-like hotels constructed by Canadian railway companies from 1893. Originally built to attract tourists to the trans-Canadian railways, this revivalist masterpiece is regularly considered to be the most photographed hotel in the world, and it's easy to see why.

In front of the hotel, you can find Dufferin Terrace, a popular place to admire views across the St Lawrence River, and a delightful electric funicular dating from 1879. Travelling down this cableway takes you to the quaint Place Royale, a square that has the feel and architecture of a small village in rural France but surrounded by stylish museums and galleries.

This evening, we transfer to Sainte-Foy train station and board VIA Rail's Ocean service for an overnight journey to Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Ocean.

During the night, the VIA Rail Ocean train makes its way along the widening mouth of the St Lawrence River before crossing into New Brunswick near Chaleur Bay. Reaching the Canadian Maritimes in time for breakfast on board, the scenery changes once again. Windswept shores and shaded coves speckle the coast as the Ocean rumbles onwards. Inland, we push on through spruce forests, crossing the Miramichi River towards Moncton.

Lunch is served as we wind our way closer to our eighth and final of Canada's provinces, Nova Scotia. The terminus of our epic trans-Canadian overland adventure is the attractive city of Halifax on the Atlantic coast. A cultural centre of the Maritimes, Halifax retains many of his historic seafaring traditions. Arriving in the early evening, our 4-Star hotel is attached to the train station near the old port. Dining independently this evening, there is an on-site restaurant serving local specialities or perhaps you might like to try one of the nearby eateries.

With an expert local guide, we explore "Canada's Ocean Playground", a historic land of picture-book fishing villages and cosy coves dappled with small bobbing boats and wooded islands.

With Nova Scotia meaning New Scotland in Latin, it is perhaps unsurprising that its capital, Halifax, blends Celtic influences with unmistakable North American style. Our first stop outside Halifax is charming Peggy's Cove, a tiny settlement of colourful buildings on a headland dotted with wave-battered boulders. Keeping seafarers safe for more than a century is Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, reputedly Canada most photographed lighthouse. There are also many traditional inukshuks here - age-old rock structures used to navigate the frozen north.

A scenic drive leads us to pretty Mahone Bay, an idyllic village adorned with rustic Gothic revival buildings. The UNESCO-listed harbour town of Lunenburg is our next destination. Here, the splash of colour provided by quaint waterfront houses along Bluenose Drive - Bluenosers being an old nickname for Nova Scotians - is reflected in the tranquil waters.

This evening is free to try some delicious local food, including chowder and the famed Digby scallops.

A free morning and afternoon afford you the chance to explore Halifax at your leisure. You could head to Point Pleasant Park, in Halifax's south end peninsula. This wooded 75-hectare park is popular with locals and offers several walking trails. Alternatively, take a step back in time at the historic Alexander Keith's brewery, take a stroll along the bustling waterfront boardwalk, sample the renowned local lobster at a waterside diner, or spend some time in the maritime museum.

We depart the hotel for Halifax airport in late afternoon as we begin our journey back to the United Kingdom. A short connecting flight takes us to Montreal, before we board an overnight flight across the Atlantic Ocean to London Heathrow.

As our plane touches down at London Heathrow this morning, our incredible Canadian adventure comes to an end.

This spectacular expedition has seen us travel overland from Pacific Coast to the Atlantic, crossing the world's second biggest country and witnessing many highlights with new friends.

From the thriving cultural scene of Vancouver and the awe-inspiring vistas of the Rocky Mountains, we travelled on board the iconic Canadian train for three nights, reaching vibrant Toronto. The unforgettable experiences continued as we visited the majestic Niagara Falls and an authentic sugar shack, before arriving in charming Halifax and viewing some of Nova Scotia's most attractive towns.

We say farewell to our fellow travellers and Tour Manager with whom we will share these fantastic memories for a long time to come.