Discovery Trains · Independent tour

Rocky Mountaineer, au cœur des Rocheuses

9-day independent Rocky Mountaineer tour, Vancouver to Calgary

Rocky Mountaineer, au cœur des Rocheuses, a rail journey with Discovery Trains

Discovery Trains sells Rocky Mountaineer, au cœur des Rocheuses as a 9-day, 8-night independent tour from Vancouver to Calgary. The first three days are spent in Vancouver, with a Seawall walk through Stanley Park, the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Cliffwalk, and a guided Gastown food tour. On day 4, travelers board the Rocky Mountaineer for the first of two daytime-only rail legs, passing through the Fraser Valley and Hell's Gate canyon to Kamloops, then on day 5 crossing the Canadian Rockies through Rogers Pass and the Kicking Horse Canyon's spiral tunnels to Banff. The train runs only by day, with no overnight aboard. Three nights in Banff include a Sulphur Mountain gondola ride and excursions to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, both UNESCO sites. A shared bus covers the final leg to Calgary, ending with a visit to Heritage Park Historical Village. Sold as an independent tour rather than a fully escorted one, it suits travelers who want guided excursions at each stop but free time to explore Vancouver and Banff on their own.

What to know before you look closer

  • The final leg from Banff to Calgary on day 8 is a shared bus transfer of about 2 hours 30 minutes, not a train.
  • The included list states hotel breakfast is covered only in Banff, but the day-by-day itinerary lists breakfast on most other days too; confirm with the operator exactly which breakfasts are included.
  • No current departure dates are listed for this itinerary; confirm scheduling directly with Discovery Trains.
  • The travel booklet is included in electronic form only; a printed copy mailed by post costs an extra 12 euros.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Hôtel, Vancouver

    Vancouver

    Vol vers Vancouver sur demande. Transfert depuis l'aéroport vers l'hôtel. Soirée libre dans le quartier Downtown et Canada Park.

  2. Day 2overnight: Hôtel, Vancouver

    Vancouver

    Promenade dans Stanley Park via la Seawall (mâts totémiques, plages, phare de Brockton Point). L'après-midi, tour gastronomique en groupe guidé dans le quartier de Gastown.

    Meals: breakfast

  3. Day 3overnight: Hôtel, Vancouver

    Vancouver

    Navette gratuite vers le parc Capilano : pont suspendu et Cliffwalk. Puis découverte de Granville Island, quartier culturel et commercial.

    Meals: breakfast

  4. Day 4overnight: Kamloops

    Vancouver - Kamloops (Rocky Mountaineer)

    Transfert à la gare et embarquement à bord du Rocky Mountaineer pour la première étape, à travers la vallée du Fraser, Hell's Gate et la rivière Thompson, jusqu'à Kamloops.

    Meals: breakfast, lunch

  5. Day 5railovernight: Banff

    Kamloops - Banff (Rocky Mountaineer)

    Le train reprend la route vers l'Est à travers les Rocheuses canadiennes et l'Alberta, via Craigellachie, le col Rogers, le canyon Kicking Horse et ses tunnels en spirale, jusqu'à Banff.

    Meals: breakfast, lunch

  6. Day 6overnight: Hôtel, Banff

    Banff

    Visite en petit groupe : télécabine de Banff jusqu'au sommet du mont Sulphur (vue à 360° sur la vallée de la Bow), puis l'hôtel Fairmont Banff Springs, les chutes Bow, Surprise Corner et le lac Minnewanka.

    Meals: breakfast

  7. Day 7overnight: Hôtel, Banff

    Lac Louise et Lac Moraine

    Excursion vers le lac Louise (glacier Victoria, hôtel Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise) et le lac Moraine dans la Vallée des Dix Pics, tous deux classés UNESCO. Retour à Banff, temps libre.

    Meals: breakfast

  8. Day 8overnight: Hôtel, Calgary

    Banff - Calgary

    Matinée libre, transfert organisé en bus jusqu'à Calgary. Montée à la Calgary Tower pour une vue panoramique à 360 degrés sur la ville et les montagnes.

    Meals: breakfast

  9. Day 9

    Calgary

    Visite du Heritage Park Historical Village, musée vivant sur l'histoire de l'Alberta. Transfert à l'aéroport, vol retour.

    Meals: breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 4The Rocky Mountaineer's first leg from Vancouver to Kamloops passes through the Fraser Valley, Hell's Gate canyon, and along the Thompson River.
  • Day 5The train's second day of travel crosses the Canadian Rockies through Craigellachie, Rogers Pass, and the Kicking Horse Canyon's spiral tunnels, ending in Banff.
  • Day 6A small-group excursion rides the Banff gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain for a 360-degree view of the Bow Valley.
  • Day 7An excursion visits Lake Louise, with views of the Victoria Glacier, and Moraine Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, both UNESCO-listed sites.
  • Day 9A visit to Calgary's Heritage Park Historical Village, a living museum on Alberta's history.

Included

  • Train panoramique Rocky Mountaineer pour deux jours de voyage de jour (catégorie SilverLeaf ou GoldLeaf au choix)
  • Transfert gare-hôtel-gare à Vancouver, Kamloops, Banff
  • Prise en charge des bagages à Kamloops
  • 2 petits-déjeuners, 2 déjeuners (à bord du train)
  • Hébergement à l'hôtel 4*, hors petit-déjeuner (sauf à Banff)
  • Transfert aéroport-hôtel à Vancouver, hôtel-aéroport à Calgary
  • Transfert en bus partagé entre Banff et Calgary
  • Excursions en anglais : tour gastronomique à Gastown, billets Parc Capilano, visite guidée de Banff avec télécabine, excursions Lac Louise et Lac Moraine, billets Heritage Park Calgary
  • Assistance francophone Discovery Trains
  • Carnet de voyage en version électronique

Not included

  • Vols internationaux
  • Les repas non mentionnés dans le programme
  • Dépenses personnelles
  • Assurance voyage
  • Taxes de séjour
  • Le carnet de voyage en version papier envoyé par la poste (+ 12 €)

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?
Yes. Two days aboard the Rocky Mountaineer, Vancouver to Kamloops and Kamloops to Banff, running only during the day with no overnight onboard.
Is it escorted or independent?
It's sold as an independent tour, though small-group, English-speaking excursions are included at several stops (Gastown, Capilano, Banff, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Heritage Park).
Which trains and classes are used?
The Rocky Mountaineer, in SilverLeaf (single-level glass-dome car, reclining seat, gourmet meals at your seat) or GoldLeaf (bi-level glass-dome car with an exclusive outdoor viewing platform and dedicated dining car).
What hotels are included?
Four-star hotels: 3 nights in Vancouver, 1 in Kamloops, 3 in Banff, and 1 in Calgary.
How much walking is involved?
The itinerary includes walking tours such as the Stanley Park Seawall, the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Cliffwalk, and Granville Island, plus gondola rides at Banff's Sulphur Mountain and Calgary Tower.
What is not included?
International flights, meals not listed in the program, personal expenses, travel insurance, and city taxes.

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