A 7 day Canadian self drive tour that includes the Rocky Mountaineer! Pick up your car in Calgary and explore Banff, Lake Louise, the Columbia Icefield and Jasper, the board the world famous Rocky Moutaineer for a fantastic 2 day journey to Vancouver! Various dates available May - September.
Majestic Rail and Drive – 7 day self drive Canada tour
This tour can also be done in reverse, commencing in Vancouver and
ending in Calgary, please call for details
Day 1 Calgary to Banff (115 km/72 mi)
Upon arrival into Calgary, pick up your rental car and begin your Rockies adventure.
Take the short (2-hour) drive from Calgary to Banff on either the Trans-Canada
Highway or the more scenic 1A Highway. Once in Banff proceed to your selected
hotel to check in and the remainder of the day is yours to explore at your own leisure.
Day 2 Banff Sightseeing (Banff Gondola)
A full day to explore Banff and area. In town you’ll find lots of excitement
- shopping, cafés, nightlife, museums. Check out the Cave and Basin
National Historic Site, Banff Gondola (included) where you will see a
panoramic view of the Bow Valley, and then take a dip in the hot mineral
pools at the Upper Hot Springs.
Day 3 Banff to Lake Louise (62 km/38 mi)
Depart Banff today and travel along the lovely Bow Valley Parkway for a
casual drive. The Bow Valley Parkway between Banff and Lake Louise is a
low-speed, two-lane undivided roadway with numerous scenic outlooks
and pullouts. Be sure to stop for a quick nature walk at Johnston Canyon,
where you can stand in the spray of a roaring mountain waterfall. Continue
on to the “Jewel of the Rockies,” Lake Louise. Lake Louise is the most
famous glacial lake in the Canadian Rockies, and one of the most beautiful
in the Western Hemisphere.
Day 4 Lake Louise to Jasper (208 km/129 mi)
Today, travel through the spine of the Canadian Rockies along the amazing
Icefield Parkway. You’re sure to be enthralled by the scenery, wildlife,
incredible blue lakes and sparkling waterfalls en route (Please note:
Mountain lakes in this region will be frozen through to mid June). A stop
at Peyto Lake along the way is a must. Don’t miss the Columbia Icefield
for a ride onto the Athabasca Glacier on board an Ice Explorer (included)
before continuing your journey to Jasper.
Day 5 Jasper Sightseeing
Explore this charming mountain village close to many terrific scenic highlights.
Take a tram ride up Whistlers mountain, or visit Maligne Lake, one
of the most photographed lakes in the world, and enjoy a 90 minute
cruise heading toward the south end of this postcard setting (Maligne
Lake cruise not included). You will marvel at the magnificent shoreline
with dense forest and glacial peaks rising abruptly from the water’s edge.
Stopping at Spirit Island, you will have the opportunity to take your own
version of the world famous photograph of the lake.
Day 6 Jasper to Kamloops (Rocky Mountaineer)
All aboard Rocky Mountaineer for a scenic rail journey to Kamloops in the
interior of British Columbia. Leaving Jasper National Park, travel the ‘Yellowhead’
route past the sprawling grandeur of Mount Robson ‘the highest
peak in the Canadian Rockies’ and follow the mighty Thompson River,
the route of early fur traders, before arriving in Kamloops.
(Breakfast & Lunch is included today)
Day 7 Kamloops to Vancouver (Rocky Mountaineer)
Leaving Kamloops follow the Thompson River through Ashcroft, One of
Canada’s driest towns, with an average rainfall of just 18 centimetres.
Pass through Rainbow Canyon named for its cliffs striped with pinks,
greens and greys creating a stunning rainbow affect. Continue on to the
Fraser Canyon, where at Hells Gate watch water torrent past the canyon
walls at its narrowest point. The last leg of the journey takes you through
the fertile farming region of the Fraser Valley to arrive in the Pacific port
of Vancouver late afternoon.
(Breakfast & Lunch is included today)
Features:
• Accommodation including provincial taxes for 6 nights
• Admission to either Banff Upper Hot Springs or Miette Hot Springs
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