Vancouver
from £175 per personView detailsThe Canadian in Winter
11 Days from £2,795per
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person
The Award Winning Leader in Escorted Worldwide Rail Holidays
You are viewing the 2019 itinerary
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On this intrepid cross-continental adventure by train, we spend two unforgettable nights in fantastic Toronto, visit the incredible Niagara Falls and travel through the spectacular frosted scenery of the Canadian Rockies.
We depart from London Heathrow for Toronto, arriving late afternoon for a two-night stay. Toronto is a multicultural melting-pot with an inviting, laid-back atmosphere. The city looks out across mesmerising Lake Ontario from its position on the northern shore, and is overlooked by the CN Tower, one of the tallest structures in the world.
Our morning guided sightseeing tour is the ideal introduction to this friendly, multicultural city. Your afternoon is free to discover Toronto at your leisure. Perhaps take in Chinatown or Kensington Market, browse the hundreds of shops in the grand covered malls or visit the excellent Art Gallery of Ontario, with its wonderful collection by Canadian artists.
A visit to the magnificent Niagara Falls is one of the highlights of any holiday to Canada. 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. We return to Toronto to board The Canadian and begin our unforgettable journey in Sleeper Plus Class through the majestic Rockies to Vancouver.
Our first full day on board is spent crossing the Canadian Shield - a wild land of frozen lakes, snow covered trees and isolated communities. Sleeper Plus Class guests enjoy use of the art-deco style Dome Car, its lounges and observation area. Here, you can relax with fellow travellers whilst taking in the passing scenery as you enjoy complimentary refreshments. During our journey, staff on board keep a watchful eye on the passing scenery, pointing out wildlife and points of interest.
We arrive in Winnipeg today, where the train stops for the morning, giving us the opportunity to explore this railway city, known as the 'Gateway to the West'. Union Station was built in 1911 by the same architects who designed New York's 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, crossing the prairies and arrive in the province of Saskatchewan this evening.
After a brief stop at Edmonton in the morning, we begin the climb into the foothills of the Rockies, travelling through some truly spectacular scenery. Relax and enjoy the journey 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 Rocky Mountains. The town is surrounded by tree-covered mountains, blanketed in snow to create a fabulous winter setting. As you wander through the streets, past pretty houses and small 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 begin our stay with a guided sightseeing tour. We visit Gastown, Chinatown and Stanley Park with its famous totem poles. We transfer to our hotel for a three night stay. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this cosmopolitan city at your leisure.
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. You have a free day in Vancouver to visit excellent museums, art galleries and shops, as well as some beautiful parks, the famous waterfront and bustling port. Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner together at the 'Top of Vancouver', a revolving restaurant in a fabulous rooftop location with superb views of the city.
On Day 9 you are at leisure to explore further. Why not escape the city and take the bus to Grouse Mountain for a ride up the mountain on the Skyride cable car, with spectacular views over the city, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf Islands.
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.
CHRISTMAS DEPARTURE - Tour Code: CWX We are pleased to offer a Christmas departure of this tour. Days 1-5 are the same, with Christmas Eve (Day 4) spent crossing the Canadian Shield aboard The Canadian with festive treats throughout the day.
Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.
An escorted experience and all travel arrangements
Comfortable accommodation in your destination
Delicious meals included
Exciting excursions and free time to explore
Enhancing your tour
This tour may be suitable for reduced mobility passengers, please call for further information.
We just wanted to thank you for a truly memorable "trip of a lifetime" for my mother and myself.
The whole trip from start to finish was wonderful and something
my mother will never forget.
Thanks again for such a lovely experience.
Toronto and Vancouver are very cosmopolitan cities and a comprehensive half-day tour of each gave a flavour and ideas of where to explore further during the free time.
The Canadian train was a lovely experience. The single
cabin was compact, self-contained and had sufficient storage.
It was difficult to sleep at times while travelling but
imagine being able to open the blind and look at the stars from the
comfort of your bed and see the scenery passing by. An unexpected
pleasure.
Food on the train was prepared to a high standard with plenty of
variety. Observation of scenery from the dome was good. Short stops
along the way provided an opportunity to get a glimpse of Jasper
and Winnipeg.
This tour had been on my wish list for a while and I was not disappointed, in fact it exceeded my expectations. A pretty country where good service standards appear to be high on the agenda.
I cannot praise the holiday enough.
The centrepiece of this holiday was our four-night trip on The Canadian - the wonderful train that travels across Canada.
We boarded in Toronto at night. Although the bunks were in place, we had space for an airline-type suitcase, a holdall and two rucksacks - not merely an overnight bag, as indicated in the holiday itinerary. We awoke early and went straight to breakfast in the superb restaurant car.
What a feed! And we returned to find our bunks replaced by two comfortable armchairs - with plenty of room. Later, we went to enjoy the view of the snow-covered countryside from the tail observation car, which characterises this train.
Our main stop was at Winnipeg on Christmas morning, but there were many other shorter stops to stretch our legs. The highlight was seeing The Canadian snaking its way through the Rockies on its way to Vancouver.
A joy and an adventure.
An epic journey through the snowy Rockies by train
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