Montreal to Victoria

Day 1 Monday or Wednesday Transfer by train in coach class from downtown Montreal to downtown Toronto. Overnight in one of our Toronto hotels

Day 2 Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday Arrive at Toronto's Union Station to board VIA Rail's Trans-Continental and unpack for the next 2 nights aboard. Your porter is on-hand throughout the journey to ensure that you have a comfortable stay. Roll across the Canadian Shield, boreal forests, countless lakes and the hardest rock on Earth! 1/3 of the fresh water in the World is in Canada and you will see some of it on this trip.
VIA RAIL BEDROOMS / DINING CAR / DOME CAR / PARK-LOUNGE CAR

Day 3 Wednesday/Friday/Sunday Arrive into Winnipeg to take on more passengers and continue rolling through Manitoba, the province of 100,000 lakes. Drink in the vistas from the dome cars and enjoy the terrific on-board service.

Day 4 Thursday/ Saturday/Monday Enjoy a delicious breakfast and relax as we forge across the great wheatfields of Saskatchewan before our morning arrival into Edmonton, capital and oil capital of North America. After a brief stop we continue the train journey to the "Jewel of the Canadian Rockies" Jasper, Alberta. Disembark and pick up your car or van rental in the train station. Drive the short distance to your chosen hotel in Jasper. Unpack for 2 nights

Day 5 Friday/ Sunday/Tuesday We recommend exploring the Jasper area including beautiful PYRAMID LAKE, a cruise of magnificent MALIGNE LAKE (45 minutes east of Jasper) and its incredible aquamarine waters. The views are stunning and the water is a shade of blue found only in these mountains. Spirit Island is a famous spot for photographers seeking the perfect picture and Medicine Lake is known to disappear into the ground. Not too far from here is MIETTE HOTSPRINGS, Canada's hottest. South of Jasper, and very close are HORSESHOE LAKE and the JASPER GONDOLA. The tram is highly recommended and the hearty hiker can enjoy the Whistlers Trail at the top. The restaurant is a great place for soup and a hot coffee. Return to Jasper via the Valley of the FIVE LAKES for your overnight.

Day 6 Saturday/Monday/Wednesday Depart in your rental car to the south on the Icefields Parkway. Stop at ATHABASCA FALLS Sunwapta Falls and continue south to the massive Columbia Icefields. Here you can board a Brewster Sno-coach and ride onto ATHABASCA GLACIER. This is one of the largest and most accessible glaciers in the western hemisphere. Near to here is the spot where 3 rivers flow to 3 oceans. This is unique on Earth. Stop for lunch and continue south. Be sure to take the PEYTO LAKE turnoff and see the amazing baby blue waters of the Lake. It is quite a contrast to the aqua green waters of other glacial lakes in the Rockies. Continue past BOW LAKE south to LAKE LOUISE, one of the most enchanting spots on earth. We see the reflections of the mountains in her aqua blue waters and we'll find out how rock flour helps the water retain its mesmerizing color. Continue further into BANFF NATIONAL PARK to the majestic town of BANFF. Overnight at one of our Banff Hotels

Day 7 Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday We recommend driving the Bow Valley Expressway to LAKE LOUISE and nearby MORAINE LAKE. Consider hiking up to the teahouse which overlooks Lake Louise (moderate difficulty) or have lunch in the fabulous Chateau Lake Louise. This afternoon consider a visit to JOHNSTON CANYON where you can hike the trail up to seven different waterfalls and the famous Ink Pots. Overnight at one of our Banff Hotels

Day 8 Monday/Wednesday/Friday You have another day to visit Banff including the ride up Sulfur Mountain Gondola on the BANFF GONDOLA. The views at the top are spectacular. Perhaps some shopping or soak in the curative waters of the Banff Hotsprings. IF you are not staying at the Banff Springs Five star hotel you might want to step inside for a visit. It is like a castle in the Rockies! Overnight Banff

Day 9 Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday Transfer to Calgary International Airport OR we can arrange more sightseeing including VANCOUVER, BUTCHART GARDENS and the city of VICTORIA on Vancouver Island or travel up to WHISTLER Resort area (North of Vancouver).
We can pre-book 7 night ALASKA CRUISES at wholesale rates.

You can drive northeast to Edmonton to visit West Edmonton Mall. The drive is 4 hours and Edmonton has an international airport.
You can stay longer and enjoy the many great hikes and sights of Banff and Jasper National Parks (Both Unessco World Heritage Sights)

Fabulous cuisine and scenery

Vermilion Lakes

The castle-like Banff Springs hotel