Golden Circle via Whistler
10 Day(s) / 9 Night(s)
Eastbound
Day 1 Vancouver Arrival
You will be met on arrival at Vancouver International Airport
and transferred to your downtown Vancouver accommodation.
Admission to the Vancouver Observation Deck at Harbour Centre
with spectacular views of the city, mountains and ocean is
included. Overnight at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
Day 2 Vancouver to Whistler, Glacier
Dome Experience
Travel onboard the Whistler Mountaineer Glacier Dome Experience
from the coastal city of Vancouver to the resort town of
Whistler, renowned for outstanding skiing and year-round
outdoor activities. Following your motorcoach transfer from
Downtown Vancouver, the Whistler Mountaineer takes you on
a breathtaking rail journey through the stunning scenery
of this “Sea to Sky” region. Highlights of the
trip include spectacular views across Howe Sound and the
Coast Mountains, Shannon Falls, Mount Garibaldi, and the
impressive Cheakamus Canyon. On arrival at Whistler train
station, you will be transferred to the your overnight accommodation
in Whistler Village. Breakfast is served onboard.
Day 3 Whistler to Quesnel, GoldLeaf
Service
Travel onboard the Rocky Mountaineer in GoldLeaf Service
style from the four-season mountain resort of Whistler to
the charming rural town of Quesnel, the gateway to the North
Cariboo. Enjoy breathtaking and varied scenery, from the
river canyons and lush farmland of the Pemberton Valley,
to the desert-like conditions of the Fraser Canyon, and
the Cariboo Plateau with its rolling hills and vast ranchlands.
Highlights include the shorelines of Anderson Lake and glacial
fed Seton Lake, sweeping views of the Fraser Canyon and
Deep Creek Bridge, one of the highest railway bridges in
the world. Your day concludes as the Rocky Mountaineer follows
the banks of the Fraser River into Quesnel, your overnight
destination.
Day 4 Quesnel to Jasper, GoldLeaf
Service
Your journey continues eastward today to the majestic Canadian
Rockies and Jasper National Park. From Quesnel the Rocky
Mountaineer follows the Fraser River north to the town of
Prince George and then travels east through the forests
of Northern British Columbia, home to plentiful wildlife
including a large population of moose. Entering the Rocky
Mountain Trench you are surrounded to the north by the steeply
rising Rocky Mountains and to the south by the Cariboo Mountains.
Continue climbing past Mount Robson, the highest peak in
the Canadian Rockies at 3,954 metres (12,972 feet), and
through the Yellowhead Pass into the province of Alberta.
Your rail journey ends today on arrival in your overnight
destination of Jasper. Overnight at The Fairmont Jasper
Park Lodge.
Day 5 Jasper Sightseeing
Meet your driver/guide, concierge and fellow travelers for
a morning tour of Jasper National Park. Visit Pyramid and
Patricia Lakes, Maligne Canyon and Athabasca viewpoint before
returning to your accommodation at the historic Fairmont
Jasper Park Lodge. All travelling in the Canadian Rockies
is onboard a specially designed motorcoach providing extra
legroom and additional comfort. The remainder of the day
is at your leisure. Overnight at The Fairmont Jasper Park
Lodge.
Day 6 Icefields Parkway Tour from
Jasper to Lake Louise
Continue your trip through the Canadian Rockies travelling
along one of the most scenic highways in the world, the
Icefields Parkway. Among the highlights are Crowfoot Glacier,
Peyto Lake, the Columbia Icefield, Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca
Falls. The Columbia Icefield is one of the largest accumulations
of ice south of the Arctic Circle and it is here that you
will ride an Ice Explorer to the middle of Athabasca Glacier
to learn more about its geological features. Time will be
available for lunch (not included). Arrive in Lake Louise
late this afternoon in time for a guided one-hour lakeshore
stroll. Overnight at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Day 7 Lake Louise to Banff
Enjoy a full-day tour of Yoho and Banff National Parks.
Begin your morning in Yoho Park visiting the Spiral Tunnels,
Emerald Lake and a natural Rock Bridge that spans the Kicking
Horse River. After free time for lunch (not included) your
tour continues to the main attractions of Banff. Among the
highlights are Bow Falls, the Cave and Basin Centre, Banff
Gondola, Surprise Corner and the Hoodoos*. Overnight at
The Fairmont Banff Springs.
Day 8 Banff to Kamloops, GoldLeaf
Service
Travel onboard the Rocky Mountaineer from the mountain town
of Banff to Kamloops, in the heart of British Columbia’s
interior. Your journey offers you a spectacular range of
scenery as you travel between the high peaks of the Canadian
Rockies, over mountain passes and through remarkable tunnels,
along rocky lakeshores and across the ranchlands of the
interior. Today’s highlights include the Continental
Divide, the Spiral Tunnels a remarkable feat of railroad
engineering, the Kicking Horse Canyon, Rogers Pass, Craigellachie
where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was
driven and of course the glaciers and snow-capped peaks
of the Canadian Rockies. Dinner is included at your Kamloops
accommodation. Overnight in Kamloops.
Day 9 Kamloops to Vancouver, GoldLeaf
Service
Your journey continues west towards the Pacific Ocean and
the coastal city of Vancouver. On today’s journey
you will again see dramatic changes in scenery, from the
desert-like environment of the interior, through winding
river canyons and forests surrounded by the peaks of the
Coast and Cascade Mountains to the lush green fields of
the Fraser River Valley. Highlights include the steep slopes
and rock sheds along the Thompson River and the rushing
waters of Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon. Overnight
at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
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