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Grand Canadian Rockies
2008 Itinerary featuring 9 days from $3,750     Best Sellers  Rail Journey  Two Week  Value Season  
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This action-packed trip features a classic Canada rail tour from Vancouver into the Canadian Rockies highlighted by stunning mountain vistas from a private domed observation car. But the adventure doesn’t stop there. Enjoy a floatplane ride over the Gulf Islands, a ferry cruise to Victoria, an Ice Explorer ride across Athabasca Glacier, and a float trip down the Bow River. See Lake Louise and Victoria Glacier, Icefields Parkway, and one of Canada’s highest waterfalls. Tour Victoria’s Butchart Gardens and the city of Vancouver. Explore three national parks that are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And stay at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts' finest properties in Western Canada.
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2008 Eastbound Itinerary

Click here for Westbound itinerary, starting in Calgary.

Day 1: Arrive in Vancouver
Tour begins at 6:00 p.m. at The Fairmont Waterfront. Your hotel is located within easy walking distance of Vancouver's lively Gastown and Stanley Park. Meet your Tauck Director and travel companions at the welcome reception and dinner.
Meals: Dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Waterfront, Vancouver

Day 2: Chinatown, Gastown and more in Vancouver
Tour Vancouver’s landmark attractions today, including Chinatown, Prospect Point, historic Gastown, and Stanley Park. During your open afternoon and evening, perhaps take in some of the city’s museums or galleries.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Fairmont Waterfront, Vancouver

Day 3: Ferry, floatplane, and train
Watch for orcas, seals, porpoises, sea lions, and bald eagles on a ferry cruise through the Gulf Islands to Victoria. Visit The Butchart Gardens, covering 55 acres with colorful floral displays. Established in 1904, it’s a National Historic Site of Canada. Then return to Vancouver by floatplane with spectacular views over the Gulf Islands. Board The Canadian, featuring vintage 1950s rail cars, for the start of your Canada rail tour. Dine on the train while speeding into the Canadian Rockies.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Aboard The Canadian, VIA Rail Canada

Day 4: Canadian Rockies by railCanada Rail Tour
Admire the alpine scenery from a private domed observation car reserved for Tauck guests on this exclusive Canada rail tour. Towering peaks and glaciers highlight the route. Cross the Continental Divide into the province of Alberta; arrive in Jasper National Park for a two-night stay at a Fairmont resort.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper National Park

Day 5: A day in Jasper
Continue your Canada rail tour and mountain adventure with a day to spend as you please in Jasper National Park, where optional choices at your resort (at additional cost) include horseback riding or tennis. Rent a canoe or paddleboat on Lake Beauvert. Go on a trail ride or a guided nature walk, play a round of golf on a top-rated course, or visit the historic town of Jasper on your own.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper National Park

Day 6: Icefields Parkway & glacier ride
Drive the Icefields Parkway, featuring jaw-dropping views of mountains, waterfalls, glaciers, and snowfields around every turn. Watch for bears, elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats, especially in the spring and fall. View Athabasca Glacier flowing from the Columbia Icefield, and take a memorable climb across the glacier’s surface on an Ice Explorer, a specially designed vehicle. Arrive at your chateau-style hotel on the edge of Lake Louise overlooking Victoria Glacier.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Banff National Park

Day 7: Lake Louise at leisure, and on to Banff
Travel through Kicking Horse Pass into Yoho National Park. See Spiral Tunnels, a century-old railway engineering feat, and Natural Bridge, a rock formation over the Kicking Horse River. Enjoy a free afternoon at Lake Louise, perhaps following the trail around the lake, or paddling a canoe along the shoreline, before setting off to The Fairmont Banff Springs, a Rocky Mountain icon since the 1880s, for a two-night stay; enjoy dinner at leisure at your resort tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff National Park

Day 8: Bow River float trip and a day of resort leisure
Embark on a float trip along the Bow River, then spend the rest of the day at leisure at your grand hotel, built more than a century ago to resemble a Scottish baronial castle. There's a full range of optional activities (available at additional cost) to try. Perhaps take a guided nature walk; book a treatment at the renowned Willow Stream Spa; ride the scenic Banff Gondola; or enjoy horseback riding, a round of golf, or the museums in the town of Banff. Join us this evening for our farewell reception and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff National Park

Day 9: Journey home
Travel from Banff National Park to Calgary, Alberta this morning, approximately 80 miles. Your Canada rail tour and mountain adventure ends at 10:00 a.m. at Calgary International Airport.
Meals: Breakfast

This Canada rail tour to the Rockies features adventures via floatplane, ferry, river raft, and glacier vehicle – book now!



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