The Canadian at Christmas

We depart from London Heathrow for Toronto, where on arrival you have some time at leisure.

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A visit to Niagara Falls is one of the highlights of any holiday to Canada, and we embark upon a full-day excursion to the magnificent natural wonder today. We enjoy lunch in the Falls View Restaurant of the Sheraton Hotel whilst admiring the views over the falls. Niagara Falls are all the more dramatic in winter, when thick snow covers the ground and the water freezes into giant icicles.

After a relaxed morning at leisure in Toronto, we transfer to Union Station and board the The Canadian, beginning our unforgettable journey through the majestic Rockies to Vancouver.

Day 4 is our first full day on board, and is spent crossing the Canadian Shield - a wild land of frozen lakes, snow covered trees and isolated communities. Sit back and relax as the incredible panoramas of Canada pass by your window, keeping a watchful eye on the passing scenery for a possible glimpse at the captivating local wildlife, including bear, moose, eagles and elk.

We arrive in Winnipeg on Christmas Eve, where the train stops for a short while this morning, giving us the opportunity to explore this railway city and there is time for a festive stroll, known as the 'Gateway to the West'. Union Station was built in 1911 by the same architects as the famous Grand Central Station. The walls are faced with local limestone and studded with prehistoric fossils from the ancient seabeds that once covered the prairies. We continue westwards from Winnipeg where dinner is served onboard the train, crossing the prairies and arrive in the province of Saskatchewan this evening.

Relax and enjoy the journey today, as we pass glaciers, lakes, plunging canyons, frozen waterfalls and soaring snow-covered peaks. The Rockies are not just a line of mountains, but the edge of the Western Cordillera, a complex array of plateaus and folded rock layers that stretch to the Pacific Coast. We make a short stop in Jasper, a quaint mountain town at the edge of the wilderness in the heart of the Rockies. The town is surrounded by tree covered mountains, blanketed in snow to create a fabulous setting. As you wander through the streets, past pretty houses and shops, it wouldn't be unusual to see a family of elk crossing the road.

The Canadian arrives into Vancouver this morning. We leave the train after breakfast and travel by coach to Grouse Mountain for an exciting excursion to the peak, with a cable car trip and delightful sleigh ride included.

Vancouver enjoys a fabulous natural setting, with beautiful snow-covered mountains and deep fjords providing a dramatic backdrop to the urban landscape of modern skyscrapers. Today, we enjoy a guided tour of the city before dinner together at the 'Top of Vancouver', a revolving restaurant in a fabulous rooftop location with superb views of the city.

Today you are free to enjoy this fabulous city. On Day 10, you are free until the early evening when we transfer to Vancouver airport for our overnight flight to London Heathrow, arriving early in the morning of Day 11.

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