Is train travel included in the price?

Yes. The price includes your sleeper cabin aboard VIA Rail's The Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto, as well as all meals onboard the train.

Is this trip guided or independent?

It is independent travel with no fixed group schedule. Canadian Train Vacations (Fresh Tracks Canada) coordinates the itinerary and provides local expert support throughout, but you are not traveling with a guide or fixed group.

What hotels are included?

The package includes hotel stays in Vancouver, Jasper, and Banff, with three tiers: Comfort Level uses 3-to-3.5-star hotels; Superior Level, 4-to-4.5-star hotels; Deluxe Level, 5-star hotels. Specific properties are named examples and may vary.

What does the price include besides hotels and train?

Meals onboard the train, choice of guided activities (such as dogsledding, snowshoeing, and icewalks), one feature dining experience at a local restaurant, airport and train station transfers, and electronic travel documentation are included.

When does this trip run?

The trip operates in winter, departing in the December to March season.

How much walking is required?

The itinerary includes optional winter activities such as dogsledding, snowshoeing, and icewalks, and encourages walking around Banff. No evidence of strenuous hiking is provided.

Canadian Train Vacations (Fresh Tracks Canada) · Independent tailor-made rail vacation

Trans Canada by Train in Winter

Vancouver to Toronto coast-to-coast winter rail journey with Rocky Mountain stops

Canadian Train Vacations (Fresh Tracks Canada) operates this 12-day independent winter rail journey from Vancouver to Toronto aboard VIA Rail's The Canadian, crossing Canada coast to coast in snow. You board the train on Day 3, travel in a private Sleeper Plus Class cabin, and make a detour through Jasper and Banff national parks via the Icefields Parkway, departing Banff on Day 7 to continue eastward. The journey spans snowy British Columbia mountain scenery, the Canadian Rockies, the Prairie provinces, and the Canadian Shield before arriving in Toronto on Day 11. Meals aboard the train and one feature dining experience are included, along with guided activities such as dogsledding and snowshoeing. The trip suits repeat rail travellers, couples seeking a transcontinental sleeper experience, and independent explorers who prefer tailor-made itineraries with professional coordination rather than group escorted travel.

What to know before you look closer

The itinerary shows two nights in each of Jasper and Banff, but only one night listed at each of the three named hotels; confirm accommodation details with the operator
Days 5 and 7 involve coach transfers rather than rail (Jasper to Banff and return), reducing pure train time on those days
The package is independent; daily activities and meals outside the train and included dining are not arranged or led

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Vancouver
Begin your Canadian Winter Vacation
The cool, fresh air is invigorating as you start your Canadian winter train vacation. Vancouver's coastal mountains stand before you covered in pure white snow.
Day 2overnight: Vancouver
Discover Vancouver
With a mild climate and so much to do, explore Vancouver and the surrounding areas with one of the many activities available.
Day 3railovernight: Onboard train
VIA Rail - Depart Vancouver
Board The Canadian train in Vancouver. Settle into your private cabin and watch the ever-changing scenery as you travel through beautiful British Columbia.
Day 4railovernight: Jasper
VIA Rail - Arrive in Jasper
Awake to see the glistening snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies all around you, including Mount Robson. Step off the train in the charming mountain town of Jasper.
Day 5overnight: Banff
Icefields Parkway to Banff
A scenic transfer along the spine of the Rockies, the Icefields Parkway, with frozen waterfalls and impossibly vast mountain valleys.
Day 6overnight: Banff
Explore Banff
The liveliest of the Rocky Mountain towns, small enough to walk around and home to world-class eateries and boutiques.
Day 7overnight: Jasper
Travel from Banff to Jasper
Spend the morning exploring Banff before catching your transfer back to Jasper along the Parkway for one more night in the Canadian Rockies.
Day 8railovernight: Onboard train
VIA Rail - Depart Jasper National Park
Board The Canadian train, wind your way out of Jasper National Park and head towards Toronto, leaving the Rocky Mountains behind.
Day 9railovernight: Onboard train
VIA Rail - Canadian Prairies
Make your way across the undulating plains of the Prairie provinces, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, blanketed in snow.
Day 10railovernight: Onboard train
VIA Rail - The Canadian Shield
Travel through the rugged landscape of the Canadian Shield: ancient exposed rock, wintry boreal forest, and frozen lakes.
Day 11railovernight: Toronto
VIA Rail - Arrive in Toronto
After travelling south through Ontario's cottage country, your journey onboard The Canadian train comes to an end. Arrive in Toronto.
Day 12rail
Depart from Toronto
Leave the clean air and colourful sights of Canada behind as your Canadian train vacation ends.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 4Awake aboard The Canadian to view snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies, including Mount Robson, as the train arrives in Jasper
Day 5Scenic transfer along the Icefields Parkway through the spine of the Rockies, past frozen waterfalls and vast mountain valleys
Day 10Travel through the Canadian Shield landscape of ancient exposed rock, boreal forest, and frozen lakes en route to Toronto

Included

Hotel accommodation
Sleeper train experience in a private cabin
Meals onboard the train
Choice of unique guided activities
Transportation to and from airports, timed with your flights
Train station transfers
Feature dining experience at one of our favorite local restaurants
Electronic travel documentation package
Personalized Fresh Tracks Canada customer service support

Also sold by

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

Fresh Tracks Canadafrom $6,125

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included in the price?: Yes. The price includes your sleeper cabin aboard VIA Rail's The Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto, as well as all meals onboard the train.
Is this trip guided or independent?: It is independent travel with no fixed group schedule. Canadian Train Vacations (Fresh Tracks Canada) coordinates the itinerary and provides local expert support throughout, but you are not traveling with a guide or fixed group.
What hotels are included?: The package includes hotel stays in Vancouver, Jasper, and Banff, with three tiers: Comfort Level uses 3-to-3.5-star hotels; Superior Level, 4-to-4.5-star hotels; Deluxe Level, 5-star hotels. Specific properties are named examples and may vary.
What does the price include besides hotels and train?: Meals onboard the train, choice of guided activities (such as dogsledding, snowshoeing, and icewalks), one feature dining experience at a local restaurant, airport and train station transfers, and electronic travel documentation are included.
When does this trip run?: The trip operates in winter, departing in the December to March season.
How much walking is required?: The itinerary includes optional winter activities such as dogsledding, snowshoeing, and icewalks, and encourages walking around Banff. No evidence of strenuous hiking is provided.