Rockies by Rail

We'll meet you on arrival to Calgary and transfer you to your hotel for the first night of your Rockies by Rail escorted tour.

Calgary is the gateway to the resplendent Rockies and we use that gateway this morning as we leave to drive through the prairies and into those majestic mountains. On our way out of the city we pass the 1988 Olympic Park and Ski Jump, then head westward through green and gorgeous Bow Valley vistas on the short and ultra scenic run along the Trans-Canadian Highway to Banff National Park. We make a short stop in the village Canmore which has some amazing little shops, ideal for all your gifts. For those of you wishing to gain an aerial view of the Rocky Mountains there will be the opportunity to take our optional helicopter flight. This area of its National Park is so inspirational that its full title seems to be 'Beautiful Banff', while the town itself is a great blend of shops, eateries and activities. There's a brief orientation tour on arrival before checking-in at our hotel. The remainder of your day is at your leisure.

You have a full day at your leisure in Canada's first National Park, Banff. Founded as a modest 10 square miles back in 1885, Banff is now 2,564 square miles of incredibly dramatic mountain landscape, glaciers, lakes and rivers. An excellent opportunity to see panoramic views of what this park has to offer is on the optional Sulphur Mountain Gondola excursion. Banff has some wonderful shops and restaurants but if you want some more stunning scenery why not join us for an optional excursion to Canyons & Peaks.

Make sure your camera is loaded with film for today's journey as you need to keep your eyes open for elks and moose. We head north to Icefields Parkway with our first stop at the incredibly beautiful Lake Louise. This is a stunning glacial lake nestling at the foot of the Victoria Glacier and the mountain cliffs from which it drops. It is famed for its turquoise blue water and the imposing Chateau Lake Louise that sits on the waters edge. We continue on to the picture postcard Peyto Lake and then the Columbia Icefield. Weather permitting this is where you can take the optional snocoach ride on the Athabasca Glacier. A little further on, we will stop for photos at the dramatic Athabasca Falls, before arriving in Jasper for our two-night stay.

A full day to enjoy Jasper, a little town delightfully set amid the lakes, mountains and waterways that form Jasper National Park. It's the perfect place to take a breather, and our optional cruise of the 14-mile long Lake Maligne, crossing its glassy surface to the almost ethereal Spirit Island is perfect. For the more adventurous, a gentle 'float' down the Athabasca River might be just what you are looking for.

It's all aboard this morning for the Rocky Mountaineer. No ordinary train, its picture windows give you moving panoramas of soaring snow-capped mountains, cascading waterfalls, forested canyons and fast flowing rivers. When the scenery is simply too superb to miss, the train even slows down for photo opportunities! Enroute you'll pass Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Rockies, the startlingly stark Albreda Icefields, the winter white Monashee Mountains and Little Hell's Gate Canyon. On arrival at Kamloops, we transfer you to your overnight hotel.

Reboard the train for day two of its journey, which follows the whitewater rush of the Thompson River, cuts through the steep sided Fraser Canyon and passes the immeasurably thundering waters surging through Hell's Gate gorge. Just to make the journey an absolute joy, the scenery is complemented by superb service aboard the train and the comfort of reclining seats. We reach the end of the iron road in the Pacific Rim city of Vancouver. Our coach awaits to transfer you to your hotel for a two night stay. The rest of the evening is at your leisure in the city commonly referred to as the 'Jewel of the Pacific'.

Perhaps the most stunning city setting in the world, cosmopolitan Vancouver sits beside a natural harbour, with majestic mountains at its back and the ocean at its feet. There are great shopping venues here and, as you have a full day at your eisure, there is ample opportunity for exploration too. Take a walk in Stanley Park, absorb the atmosphere of Gastown with its steam powered clock, explore Chinatown, and cross the Lion's Gate Bridge to Capilano Park with its century old suspension bridge. Vancouver has many shopping malls or visit Granville Island with its many artist studios, craft galleries and the public market. Optional excursions are richly varied. City sightseers' needn't stop at the landmarks of Vancouver. Victoria is well within reach on an organised tour that ferries you past the Gulf Islands and takes in famous Butchart Gardens enroute to the historic city. In the evening, enjoy the chance to sample some of the city's super restaurants, or try to get seats for a night at the theatre.

Enjoy your final morning in Vancouver before transferring to the airport for your return flight to Ireland, a perfect time for last minute shopping in the huge department stores and elegant boutiques.