Amtrak Vacations · Independent rail vacation

Classic Canada and Rockies Eastbound

Vancouver to Toronto by VIA Rail through Jasper and Niagara Falls

Classic Canada and Rockies Eastbound, a rail journey with Amtrak Vacations

Amtrak Vacations runs this independent 12-day, 11-night Classic Canada and Rockies Eastbound trip from Vancouver to Toronto, riding VIA Rail's The Canadian in Economy class for two legs: Vancouver to Jasper, then Jasper to Toronto. The trip opens with two nights in Vancouver, including a hop-on, hop-off city tour and a visit to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, before boarding the train for an overnight ride into the Canadian Rockies. Three nights in Jasper cover the Icefields Parkway, with photo stops at Athabasca Falls and Stutfield Glacier and a ride onto the Athabasca Glacier in an ice explorer, before a second multi-night rail crossing to Toronto. In Toronto, a hop-on, hop-off tour and CN Tower admission are followed by a full-day trip to Niagara Falls, with a boat ride and a winery tour and tasting. Because sightseeing is largely organized while hotel choice is flexible across 21 options, the trip suits travelers who want guided days on a self-arranged, independent booking.

What to know before you look closer

  • Hotels are chosen from 21 accommodation options across cities and comfort tiers, so your actual hotel, and how upscale it is, depends on what you pick when booking.
  • Only 2 meals are included across the 12 days, both lunches; breakfast, dinner, and other meals are on your own.
  • Full-day coach tours, the Icefields Parkway and Niagara Falls with Niagara-on-the-Lake, make up a real share of the sightseeing alongside the two VIA Rail journeys.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Vancouver

    Your Journey Begins in Vancouver

    Welcome to Canada! Travel to your centrally located hotel and start exploring the city.

  2. Day 2overnight: Vancouver

    Vancouver, BC

    Today's full day of sightseeing will start with a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour that takes you to Vancouver's most popular areas: Stanley Park, Chinatown, Gastown, Granville Island and more! Take some time this afternoon to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, one of the most popular tourist attractions in British Columbia.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Onboard VIA Rail

    Overnight Onboard VIA Rail

    Today, travel to the VIA Rail station and board The Canadian train eastbound to Jasper.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Jasper

    Jasper, AB

    Enjoy a relaxing day on the train as the scenery becomes breathtaking entering the Canadian Rockies region of Alberta. Later, arrive into Jasper and travel to your hotel. Once settled, get to know the town on your own.

  5. Day 5overnight: Jasper

    Jasper, AB

    Today on your Jasper sightseeing tour, highlights include the Jasper townsite, Athabasca Viewpoint, Medicine Lake, Maligne Canyon and Maligne Lake with an optional cruise included.

    Meals: L

  6. Day 6overnight: Jasper

    Jasper, AB

    Tour the famous Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre. View scenic rocky mountain vistas and local wildlife along the way, with photo stops at Athabasca Falls and Stutfield Glacier. Step onboard an ice explorer for an interpretive adventure onto the Athabasca Glacier. At the Glacier Skywalk, enjoy the unobstructed view on a glass-floored observation platform out over the Sunwapta Valley. A hot buffet lunch is included at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre. Return to Jasper and relax for the evening.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Onboard VIA Rail

    Overnight Onboard VIA Rail

    Use your included admission to the Jasper Skytram before boarding VIA once more for a journey across Canada to Toronto. Following the exciting attraction, pick up your luggage at your hotel and travel to the VIA Rail station to board the Canadian and continue your trip eastbound.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Onboard VIA Rail

    Overnight Onboard VIA Rail

    Continue your journey across Canada on VIA Rail.

  9. Day 10overnight: Toronto

    Toronto, ON

    This morning, arrive in Toronto! Today there is a full day of sightseeing ahead of you. Your hop-on/hop-off bus tour will feature top Toronto sights such as the Royal Ontario Museum, Casa Loma, the Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto Harbourfront, Eaton Centre and Chinatown, among others. Admission to the CN Tower, with sweeping views of Toronto, is also included today.

  10. Day 11overnight: Toronto

    Toronto to Niagara Falls to Toronto

    This morning, you will be picked up at your hotel for a full day tour to one of the wonders of the natural world, Niagara Falls. Highlights will include a meal overlooking the falls, a boat ride getting you up close and personal with the Falls, free time in both Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake and a winery tour and tasting. After your full day of touring, your bus will drop you back off at your hotel for a relaxing evening.

    Meals: L

  11. Day 12

    Your Journey Ends in Toronto

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2A hop-on, hop-off tour of Vancouver visits Stanley Park, Chinatown, Gastown, and Granville Island, followed by a visit to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.
  • Day 4A full day aboard The Canadian as the train enters the Canadian Rockies region of Alberta before arriving in Jasper that evening.
  • Day 6The Icefields Parkway tour stops at Athabasca Falls and Stutfield Glacier, rides an ice explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier, and crosses the glass floor of the Glacier Skywalk.
  • Day 10A hop-on, hop-off bus tour of Toronto takes in the Royal Ontario Museum, Casa Loma, and the Hockey Hall of Fame, with admission to the CN Tower included.
  • Day 11A full day trip to Niagara Falls includes a meal overlooking the falls, a boat ride close to the falls, and a winery tour and tasting in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Included

  • 7 nights' hotel accommodations; 4 nights onboard VIA Rail®
  • One-way VIA Rail in Economy from Vancouver to Jasper and Jasper to Toronto onboard The Canadian®
  • 2 meals included (2 lunches)

Also sold by

The same itinerary is listed by more than one company. Prices and inclusions can differ; compare before booking.

Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel included?
Yes. One-way VIA Rail travel in Economy class from Vancouver to Jasper and from Jasper to Toronto onboard The Canadian is included, covering 4 nights onboard.
Is it escorted or independent?
It is sold as an independent rail vacation. Sightseeing is delivered through hop-on, hop-off bus tours and full-day guided excursions such as the Icefields Parkway and Niagara Falls, but hotel and train bookings are arranged around your own choices, including picking your own accommodation or reversing the route.
Which trains are used?
VIA Rail's The Canadian, in Economy class, for both the Vancouver to Jasper and Jasper to Toronto legs.
What hotels are used?
The package offers a choice of 21 accommodation options across the cities and comfort tiers, including Fairmont properties and the Hampton Inn & Suites in Vancouver, and the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge or Forest Park Hotel in Jasper.
Are meals included?
Only 2 meals, both lunches, are included; other meals are on your own.
Can I upgrade to a sleeper cabin on the train?
Yes, upgrading to a sleeping accommodation onboard the train is listed as an optional extra.

Similar journeys, different answers