The Great Canadian Rail Adventure

DAY 0

Flights from UK to Seattle for pre-tour night in Seattle and stay at the Embassy Suites by Hilton at King's Street Amtrak station. Alternatively fly into Vancouver tomorrow.

DAY 1

Ride Amtrak's Cascade train number 516 departing Seattle at 8:30am and arriving in Vancouver at 12:30pm in business class. After clearing Canadian customs and immigration we visit the Vancouver downtown area where you can get lunch or explore. We then visit the old Canadian Pacific Railroad Station. Here, you will have two options to choose from; ride the West Coast Express train out to Mission City and return on our bus to North Vancouver for hotel check-in OR go directly to the hotel in North Vancouver and check-in. Our hotel is the 4-star Lonsdale Quay located right at the pier and the famous Lonsdale Quay Market in North Vancouver. You can enjoy many shops, restaurants and open market with dinner at leisure from the many restaurants to choose from.

>> Vancouver Option <<
Join and depart from the tour in Canada. Fly in and join the tour at our hotel in Vancouver instead of Seattle and on the last day of the tour our guide will escort you from Victoria, BC back to Vancouver, BC on the BC Ferry. This option includes highway transportation from Victoria to the Ferry on Vancouver Island, BC Ferry ticket, and highway transportation from the Ferry to downtown Vancouver.

DAY 2

Departing the hotel at 9:00am, we will go north of North Vancouver for 40 miles to the town of Squamish to visit the Railway Museum of British Columbia. This museum is located on 12 acres and is home to the famous Royal Hudson steam locomotive and houses the largest collection of railway rolling stock and engines in Western Canada. Besides the Royal Hudson this museum has both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific F units, a Pacific Great Eastern Alco RS 3, Canadian Pacific Alco S 3, a Pacific Great Eastern Baldwin 2-6-2ST, and a former British Columbia Railway RDC Budd rail car. We plan to take a ride on the former BCR RDC Budd rail car.

After our museum visit, we will head back south towards North Vancouver first making a stop to view Shannon Falls then near-by is the Britannia Mine Museum. This was a functioning mine from 1904 until 1974. Ore was first discovered here in 1888 and at one point, more than 60,000 people lived nearby and worked in what was once the largest copper mine in the former British Empire. Over seven decades, workers extracted more than 50 million tons of ore that produced copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, silver, and gold. This mine tour will take us underground for a short distance.

Returning to North Vancouver we go directly to our hotel to relax and freshen up for our Welcome to Canada Dinner. We will take you on a luxurious dinner cruise this evening. We will cruise through Vancouver's scenic harbour and Burrard Inlet as the sun sets on the Pacific Ocean. Relax and admire glowing views of the city skyline including Canada Place and the West Vancouver Shoreline, set against the dramatic backdrop of North Shore Mountains. We will then visit the dinner buffet and sample a variety of regional dishes from fresh salads and sides to British Columbia salmon and beef bordelaise. As you eat, admire striking views, enjoy local live music, and visit and get to know your new travel friends.

DAY 3

We depart the hotel at 9:00am for the short walk to the SeaBus terminal where we will board the 9:16am SeaBus for the ride across the Vancouver Bay to Vancouver connecting to the Sky Train where we ride on the Expo Line through downtown Vancouver and all the way to Surrey. Here we transfer by highway to the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway for a visit. Enjoy a guided shop tour of the Interurban barn, ride a 'Velocipede' and a restored BC Electric Interurban Car then take a ride on a set of maintenance Speeders down the track.

Next, we go by highway to the near-by Burnaby Central Railway. This is a unique 1/8 scale, ride-on miniature railway built and operated by the volunteers of the BC Society of Model Engineers. The trains pull multiple cars carrying 20 or more passengers on a 2.5-mile, outdoor ride through the woods, with bridges, tunnels, crossovers, and spirals.

Mid-afternoon we transfer to Skytrain's Millenium line at Coquitlam Street for the return to Vancouver and the SeaBus across the harbour and back to our hotel. Rest of the evening at your own leisure. 3rd night at the Lonsdale Quay Hotel.

DAY 4

After check-out we board our charter motorcoach at 9:00am for the journey over the 1937 built Lions Gate Bridge spanning over the Vancouver Harbour. Our motorcoach will take us on a circle tour of Stanley Park including stops at Lumberman's Arch and Prospect Point gift shops and Lookout! We continue through downtown Vancouver along Beach Avenue with a stop at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Center to view Canada's acclaimed Canadian Pacific Railway 4-4-0 locomotive No. 374 inside the Roundhouse. We will have an early lunch at 11:30am at Queen Elizabeth Park at the Season In The Park Restaurant, overlooking Vancouver City. After lunch we take a walking tour of the ex-Volcano and it's Queen Elizabeth 'Quarry Garden' within the Volcano interior with a stop at the Bloedel 'Domed' Conservatory.

We then depart for the Central Station Depot as a very special transcontinental passenger train is waiting for us called 'The Canadian' operated by Via Rail Canada. Train boarding begins at 2:30pm and departs Vancouver at 3:00pm. Our group is in first class sleepers and once you get all settled into your private cabin the first call for dinner in the Dining Car is at 5:00pm. Join your tour guide in the Dome car for 'Appies and a Mimosa Cocktail' as we roll Eastbound towards the Fraser and Thompson River Canyons. With June being the longest days of sunlight we will enjoy the scenic views of both canyons since sunset is roughly 9:00pm and darkness at 9:30pm.

DAY 5

Sunrise is shortly after 5:00am and we will be near Blue River, BC. If we are running on-time No. 2 will depart from Blue River at 5:11am. After departing here, the Canadian Rockies comes into view. Head up into the dome car and enjoy the spectacular show that will unwind as we continue our journey deeper into the Rockies. Breakfast begins at 6:30am and ends at 9:30am. Coffee, muffins, juices and fruit will be available at 6:00am for anyone who wants something prior to breakfast in the dining car. We will be assigned to one of two dining cars upon boarding the Canadian in Vancouver. We will also be offered a choice of meal times. As we roll eastbound watch for Bears, Moose, Elk, Deer, Beavers and Muskrats in the rivers and creeks. Lots of wildlife today!! The Canadian will arrive at Jasper, Alberta at 11:00am (Mountain Time).

At Jasper, we transfer from the train to our charter motorcoach and then we will head south on the famous Icefield Parkway headed deeper into the Canadian Rockies. We will make several photo stops on the parkway including at the famous Columbia Icefields. After visiting the icefields, we continue south on the parkway for another 6 miles to Saskatchewan River Crossing and hotel check-in at the 3-star Crossing Resort. Dinner at your own leisure at the hotel's restaurant.

DAY 6

Enjoy an early morning breakfast at the Crossing Resort's restaurant. After breakfast we will load up our charter motorcoach and depart for our return northbound trip up the Icefield Parkway making a number of stops for photos along the way. Count the number of 'wild' Elk & Moose wandering through the forest. We plan to arrive in the town of Jasper by 9:45am. This will give you an hour to explore some of Jasper before we depart onboard the Skeena passenger train.

Via Rail train No. 5 the Skeena starts pre boarding at 10:15am with departure at 10:45am. Once onboard you will want to go right to the Park Dome Car on the tail end of the train. There is no dining car on this train but there are plenty of snacks and even a lunch box available plus beverages, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic in the lounge below the dome.

As the Skeena heads westbound out of Jasper we will retrace our route that we took on The Canadian for the first 69 miles until we reach the junction with the Prince George line. We continue to follow the Fraser River for the next 184 miles all the way to Prince George. Our train will cross over the river on three large bridges as the tracks twist and turn through the dense forests and along the shores of several lakes following the Cariboo Mountains. The tracks cross over many other smaller rivers during today's journey. Finally, we arrive in Prince George at 5:08pm. After departing from the train station, we will first visit the Central BC Railway and Forestry Museum. Included in this museum's collection is one of the British Columbia Railway's GM built electric engines that pulled coal trains on the Tumbler River Line. Also, a former Canadian National GE 70 ton switcher, a former British Columbia Railway Montreal Locomotive Works (Alco) RS 10, a Canadian National F unit, a CN 4-6-0 steam locomotive and a variety of smaller diesels and rolling stock. After our museum we transfer to the 3-star Courtyard Hotel. The Courtyard Hotel does have a restaurant for dinner. Our train will park for the night at the station.

DAY 7

Rise and shine for another spectacular train day on the westbound Skeena. After breakfast we return to the train station and reboard our train to continue our westbound journey. Our train departs at 8:00am. As our train snakes out of town we follow the Nechako River to Fort Fraser, a distance of 95 miles. Then after following the shores of Fraser Lake for several miles, we come to Burns Lake, then Decker Lake, next Rose Lake, and Bulkley Lake and finally following the Bulkley River. The tracks will cross over this river 12 times during the next couple of hours. At Hazelton the Bulkley River empties into the Skeena River and the tracks follow this river all the way to Prince Rupert. We arrive at 8:25pm. We transfer to the 3-star Pacific Inn hotel and relax for the evening.

DAY 8

Early morning transfer to the BC Ferry Terminal. We must be at the terminal by 6:30am as the ferry departs at 7:30am. Everyone will have their own cabins so you can lay back down once onboard. After we set sail then you can go to the restaurant and enjoy a meal if you like. The M.V. Northern Expedition is scheduled for our cruise of 326 miles to Port Hardy. This is the newest vessel in the BC Ferry fleet and measures 492 feet and can accommodate 130 vehicles and 600 passengers. The Northern Expedition offers 55 modern staterooms and an expanded range of food services. Our entire voyage through the Inside Passage is incredibly scenic with views of mountains, ocean, islands, and tons of wildlife such as whales, seals and eagles. You will enjoy the magnificent glacial fjords of the inside passage. Arrival in Port Hardy is scheduled for 11:50pm. Transfer to the 3 Star Hotel Kwa'lilas.

DAY 9

You can stay in bed a little longer this morning if you like since the group got their rooms very late Friday night. After breakfast, we board our charter motorcoach and depart Port Hardy at 10:00am and head south through Northern Vancouver Island to Parksville. We will be passing through lush forests, lakes and mountains. As we head south, we will take a side trip to Beaver Cove where Canadian Forest Products dumps the logs into the water to prepare them for the long journey south to the Vancouver area for milling. Also, the now closed Englewood logging railway once ran log trains into Beaver Cove. You will be able to see the right-of-Way and some of the bridges as the tracks entered the cove. The Englewood Railway was owned by Canadian Forest Products. We then continue on to Woss Camp where we will see the remains of this railroad which was the last logging railroad in North America to operate. The railway workshops and operations were based in Woss Camp. The last day of operations was November 7, 2017. We will have our picnic lunch here before continuing southbound. After lunch, we continue our journey through the lush forests and mountains of North Vancouver Island. Before we arrive in Parksville we will make a stop at the famous Combs Market. This market is an old country store, market and gift shop. We then continue for a short distance to Parksville and check-in at 3 Star Bayside Oceanfront Resort which is right on the beach.

DAY 10

We have a relaxed start to our day. After breakfast, we will travel to the western side of Vancouver Island to Port Alberni passing through the Cathedral Grove of Cedar Trees, much like the Redwoods of California. You will see the old Canadian Pacific Railway's big wooden trestles, across the valley, now out of service. In Port Alberni we will visit the Alberni Pacific Railway which runs along the Port Alberni waterfront towards the papermill and the McLean Mill Historic Site. We will also take a tour of the railway roundhouse and railyards where a variety of steam and diesel engines are maintained. We will see steam locomotive No. 7, a Baldwin 2-8-2T, No. 2 a Lima Shay, and a unique Alco diesel which once pulled logs for the Crown Zellerback Railroad on the island. After our tour of the workshops, you will have some time to explore downtown Port Alberni.

DAY 11

After breakfast, we check-out of our hotel and depart at around 9:00am and head south to near-by historic Ladysmith. We will visit the old Ladysmith Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Depot. The E & N had 140 miles of track on the island and passenger service was suspended in 2011.

A few miles south of Ladysmith is the small town of Chemainus. Known for the town of many murals. This once logging town now has 53 outdoor murals painted on their buildings. Well worth a stop to enjoy the wonderful artwork done by local artists. While in this town you will have time to get some lunch at one of the local restaurants. A handful of miles south of Chemainus is the town of Duncan. Here, we pay a visit to the BC Forest Discovery Centre. Trains are operating today around their 100-acre museum and logging displays including the large Somenos Lake Trestle. They have an impressive collection of railroad logging locomotives and equipment. After our train ride we will visit the railroad workshops. Their collection includes No. 1 a 42 ton Lima Shay, 2nd No. 1 a 28 ton Lima Shay, No. 3 a 50 ton Lima Shay, No. 2 a 25 ton Climax, No. 9 a 50 ton 2 truck Climax, No. 25 a 18 ton 0-4-0T Vulcan, No. 24 a 12 ton 0-4-0T by Vulcan, No. 23 a 8 ton Plymouth, No. 26 a 10 ton Plymouth, and finally No. 22 a 8 ton Plymouth. Quite an impressive collection of motive power.

Northwest of Duncan is the small village of Lake Cowichan and the Kaatza Station Museum which is housed in the former Canadian Pacific train station built in 1913. This museum's archives place special emphasis on the forest industry that helped develop the village of Lake Cowichan. Exhibits include a Plymouth switcher, Canadian National passenger car, a logging car, box car, caboose and Shay steam locomotive.

Finally, it is time to continue south into Victoria located on the southern end of Vancouver Island. Victoria is the charming capital city of British Columbia, Canada. This is one of the most picturesque cities on the Pacific Coast. Hosting the mildest climate in Canada, this fair-weather city has many things to do year-round within walking distance of the downtown area, which straddles the Victoria harbour. One of the oldest cities in the northwest, Victoria has many charming brick buildings, colourful gardens and fantastic culinary experiences from all over the world. Being on the coast, seafood is both prevalent and incredibly fresh. The harbour-front walkway hosts local artists and draws crowds to watch the talented street entertainers perform during the afternoon and evening. Nighttime casts a magical glow as the water and walkway are lit up by the 3,300+ lightbulbs that adorn the Parliament buildings. Check-in at the 3-star Best Western Plus Inner Harbour Hotel. The rest of the afternoon and evening at your own leisure to explore colourful Victoria.

DAY 12

After breakfast at our hotel, we have a nice leisure start to our day departing the hotel at 10:00am and first visiting Heritage Acres. This museum will take you back in time to life on Vancouver Island many years ago. Of interest to most of our group is the outdoor live steam railroad called the Victoria & Sidney Railway. We will take a ride on their layout with either a steam or diesel-powered train.

Next, we visit famous Butchart Gardens National Historic Site of Canada which is an internationally known public attraction that has been open to visitors since 1904. It is located on the Saanich Peninsula. The gardens provide dramatic floral displays in a variety of garden settings and styles set against a backdrop of mature trees and shrubs and linked together by a network of paths and transition areas. You can get lunch at one of the restaurants at the gardens.

After our visit to the Butchart Gardens, we will make a stop to visit the near-by BC Aviation Museum where the famous Hawaii Mars bomber has just been added to the displays. Only five of these airplanes were built and they served the US Navy during World War II entering service on January 23rd 1944 and ferrying cargo to Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. The Hawaii Mars made her final flight on August 11th 2024, with Its arrival at Patricia Bay near Victoria.

Mid-afternoon we return to our hotel in Victoria and the rest of the afternoon at your own leisure exploring downtown and fisherman's wharf area. In the evening, we will host our 'Farewell to Canada Dinner' with our 2nd night at the 3-star Best Western Plus Inner Harbour Hotel.

DAY 13

You can sleep in this morning if you like as we have a very leisurely day. After breakfast and hotel check-out, you can explore downtown Victoria. There is a lot to see and do. We need to check-in at the Victoria Clipper Terminal at 4:30pm for the 5:30pm sailing for Seattle. Depart Victoria at 5:30pm and arrive in Seattle at 8:15pm. Overnight at Seattle Airport Hotel before flight back to UK the next day, Thursday 11 June.

>> Vancouver Option <<
For those tour members that joined in Vancouver, our guide will escort you back to your starting point for your return flight landing in the UK next day, Thursday 11 June. This option includes highway transportation from Victoria to the Ferry on Vancouver Island, BC Ferry ticket, and highway transportation from the Ferry to downtown Vancouver.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner