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Great Rail Journeys · Independent rail holiday

Canada - the Rockies, Great Plains & Toronto

Cross-Canada sleeper train from Vancouver to Toronto on The Canadian

Illustration of Canada - the Rockies, Great Plains & Toronto

Great Rail Journeys operates this 8-day independent trip across Canada, running from Vancouver to Toronto. After a free day to explore Vancouver, perhaps visiting the aquarium or Granville Island, you board VIA Rail's Canadian sleeper train in Sleeper Plus class for four nights on board. Days on the train settle into a rhythm of breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the dining car, with time in the Park Car and Skyline Car to watch the Canadian Rockies, the prairies around Saskatoon, and Long Lake pass by. The Canadian also passes Melville, named for a former railway president, and Longlac, once a stop on the fur trading route. After disembarking in Toronto, there is time to visit the CN Tower before flying home. Because it is independent rather than escorted, you make your own way between stations and hotels. It suits travellers who want a long rail journey with dining and scenery, plus the freedom to set their own pace in Vancouver and Toronto.

Price history

Across 3 checks, this price has held at £3,370 every time.

£3,3704 Jul24 Aug

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

  • This is an independent trip: you make your own way to Vancouver's Pacific Central Station to board the train and, in Toronto, to your hotel, without a tour guide.
  • The trip includes an overnight flight from Toronto back to the UK in addition to the four nights on the train, so allow for that extra travel time.
  • Optional extras such as the Flyover Canada attraction, the Granville Market food tour, and the CN Tower visit cost extra and are not included in the price.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Vancouver

    UK to Vancouver

    Fly from London to Vancouver and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore the city, its aquarium, Granville Island or Stanley Park, with an optional Flyover Canada excursion available.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Aboard VIA Rail's Canadian

    Via Rail's 'The Canadian'

    Free time in Vancouver, perhaps with a food tour of Granville Market, before making your own way to Pacific Central Station to board VIA Rail's Canadian sleeper train, with a three-course dinner served onboard.

    Meals: Dinner

  3. Day 3overnight: Aboard VIA Rail's Canadian

    The Canadian Rockies

    Breakfast onboard, then access to the Park Car and Skyline Car for panoramic views of the Rockies, with lunch and dinner served in the dining car.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  4. Day 4overnight: Aboard VIA Rail's Canadian

    Saskatoon

    Pass through Saskatoon and Melville as the scenery changes, with breakfast, lunch and dinner served in the dining car.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  5. Day 5overnight: Aboard VIA Rail's Canadian

    Long Lake

    Pass Longlac on Long Lake, a historic fur-trading stop, with time in the Skyline or Park Car and meals served in the dining car.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  6. Day 6overnight: Toronto

    Arrive Toronto

    A final breakfast and three-course lunch onboard before arriving in Toronto and transferring to the hotel, with an optional visit to the CN Tower.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  7. Day 7

    Toronto to the UK

    Transfer from the hotel to Toronto airport for the overnight flight back to the UK.

  8. Day 8

    Arrival in London

    Arrive back in London with a wealth of new memories.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 3The Canadian crosses the Canadian Rockies while you watch from the Park Car or the Skyline Car.
  • Day 4The train passes through Saskatoon and Melville, named for a former president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.
  • Day 5The route passes Longlac on the northern point of Long Lake, once a stop on the fur trading route.
  • Day 6After a three-course lunch in the dining car, you leave the train in Toronto with time to visit the CN Tower.

Included

  • Hotel accommodation for 2 nights
  • Rail travel on VIA Rail Canada (4 nights on train)
  • Economy flights from London to Vancouver and Toronto to London
  • Airport transfers in Canada
  • 12 meals

Not included

  • Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

Is this trip escorted or independent?
It is an independent trip. You travel largely on your own, making your own way to the station in Vancouver and to your hotel in Toronto.
Which train is used?
VIA Rail's The Canadian, travelling from Vancouver to Toronto in Sleeper Plus class, with access to the Park Car and Skyline Car for panoramic views.
What hotels are used?
Vancouver hotels include the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown, Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, or Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (rated 4 stars); Toronto hotels include the Chelsea Hotel, Hotel le Germain Maple Leaf Square (both rated 4 stars), or the Fairmont Royal York.
What is not included?
Cancellation and travel insurance is not included, and optional extras such as Flyover Canada, the Granville Market food tour, and the CN Tower visit cost extra.
How many meals are included?
12 meals are included, including three-course dinners with wine in the train's dining car.

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