Saturday Departures June 2, 16 and 30; July 14, and 28; August 11 and 25; September 8 and 22
Tour from $2249.00
Join us for a wonderful new hosted circle tour round-trip from Vancouver through the Coast Range to Whistler, Prince George, Prince Rupert, the Inside Passage, Vancouver Island and Victoria. Travel features include the luxurious new WHISTLER NORTHWIND land-cruise train and VIA RAIL Canada's SKEENA domeliner.
The British Columbia Railway mainline through the Coast Range and awesome Fraser River Canyon from Vancouver to Prince George is one of the most stunning train trips in the world. Until now, a 13-hour journey was necessary to view scenery along this line. Now BC Rail has initiated a luxurious land-cruise train service over the route. The new WHISTLER NORTHWIND allows three days for the trip. All travel is by day, and all seating is in unique new glass-topped sightseeing cars. Participants leave the train enroute for sightseeing, free time, and overnight stays at the renowned ski resort of Whistler and in the Cariboo region at 100-Mile House, where the spirit of the old west lives!
At Prince George, connect to VIA RAIL Canada's wonderful SKEENA for the daylight journey west to Prince Rupert, located on the Inside Passage. Participants ride in upgraded "Totem Class" with exclusive use of a vista-dome observation-lounge car. This route is one of Canada's little-known treasures. For hundreds of miles the railway passes through soaring mountains and follows the thundering rapids of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers and then a deep fjord to the sea.
From Prince Rupert, participants make a daylight Inside Passage ferry-cruise on a British Columbia ferry steamer past the roadless coastal grandeur of islands and mountains to Port Hardy at the north end of Vancouver Island. Orca whales are seen on most voyages of the M/V "Queen of the North"! The next day, participants travel the beautiful Island Highway to Victoria, the Provincial capital, for a tour and accommodation for two nights. The final travel day is spent on the supremely scenic BC Ferries route through the Gulf Islands back to Vancouver, where a city tour is included in your two-night visit. Complete details follow. ALL ABOARD!
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Day One, Saturday. Independent arrivals into Vancouver. Transfers are included from the airport to your downtown hotel. The tour offers a choice of Moderate or Deluxe hotels in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Port Hardy and Victoria. At Whistler, 100 Mile House, and Prince George, all passengers use quality "Moderate" hotels. Specific hotels may vary. Examples which follow are typical of the properties used. Moderate: Blue Horizon Hotel. Deluxe: Canadian Pacific's Hotel Vancouver.
Day 2:
Day Two, Sunday (L). WHISTLER NORTHWIND to Whistler B.C. A morning taxi transfer is provided to the BC Rail terminal in North Vancouver to board the WHISTLER NORTHWIND. The basic tour price includes "Panorama Class" seating in a new glass-topped single level sightseeing car with included at-seat meal service. An upgraded "Summit Class" option provides more spacious seating in a new glass-topped sightseeing car with meals served in a classic dining car with traditional railroad service: fine linens, china and crystal. In "Summit Class" passengers may also use the observation-lounge car.
The route begins along the shores of Howe Sound Fjord. Mountains soar 8,000 feet skyward from the track. At Squamish we plunge into the towering peaks of the Coast Range, following the narrow Cheakamus River Gorge as we enjoy a superb on-train luncheon. In mid-afternoon we arrive at Whistler, British Columbia's renowned ski resort. Free-time options here include gondola rides to perpetual snows, golf, horseback rides, shopping and gentle walks past wildflower meadows. A variety of hotels and condos are used here in the Moderate class. Activity costs are optional here.
(L)
Day 3:
Day Three, Monday (B,L) WHISTLER NORTHWIND to 100-Mile House. After an included breakfast we reboard the train for one of the most amazing train routes in the world. From Pemberton the line follows roadless Anderson and Seton Lakes north to Lillooet. Here the railway joins the great river of British Colombia, the mighty Fraser. After a water level crossing of the swirling rapids, the tracks ascend the awesome walls of the Fraser Canyon, climbing over 3,000 feet in 26 miles. The line leaves the gorge at Kelly Lake and turns into the forested uplands of the Cariboo District. This is ranching and "old-west" country. After another wonderful on-board lunch, detrain at 100-Mile House (Exeter Station) for overnight accommodations. A variety of quality Moderate hotels and resorts are used.
(B) (L)
Day 4:
Day Four, Tuesday (B,L,D) WHISTLER NORTHWIND to Prince George. Morning is free for optional western activities, including horseback rides, nature walks, and spa treatments. Free time activities here are not included in the tour cost. At mid-day, re-board the WHISTLER NORTHWIND and enjoy lunch and dinner on the train. The route goes north past lovely lakes of the Cariboo District to Williams Lake, where the tracks rejoin the Fraser River. The canyon is wider here, but still very deep and grand. Tiny cable ferries can be seen darting across the river to farms on the far shore. High trestles soar over tributary streams and, on the eastern horizon, peaks of the Canadian Rockies appear. Arrive in Prince George for a two-night stay at the Ramada Hotel Downtown or other similar Moderate properties.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 5:
Day Five, Wednesday (L) Tour Prince George. We enjoy a six hour city tour of fascinating Prince George today, visiting the Two Rivers Art Gallery, the Fraser-Fort George Regional Museum (the site of the original Hudson Bay Company post) and the excellent Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum. Lunch is included at the University of Northern British Columbia. There is a sweeping vista from the campus atop Cranbrook Hill, which rises 750 feet above the city below.
(L)
Day 6:
Day Six, Thursday (CB,L,D) SKEENA to Prince Rupert. After a morning taxi transfer to the Canadian National RY depot, board the VIA RAIL Canada SKEENA domeliner for a daylight journey west to Prince Rupert. This little-known route was built as the Pacific extension of the Grand Trunk Line. Its builders dreamed Prince Rupert would eclipse Vancouver as western Canada's great port. That was never to be, but the line has survived as a route of matchless (and little known) scenic grandeur. We travel in upgraded "Totem Class" with exclusive use of the dome-lounge observation car. Hot at-seat meals are included. The route crosses mountains and valleys and traverses the awesome canyons of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers. In narrow gorges the tracks soar over high viaducts and twist along narrow shelves high above the rapids. This is "First Nations" country, and totem poles can be seen at several villages in the Kitwanga area. West of Terrace the line follows the Skeena River Fjord to the sheltered harbor at Prince Rupert. Overnight accommodations are at the Pacific Inn (or similar) for Moderate hotel passengers or the Crest Harbourview (or similar) for Deluxe hotel passengers.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 7:
Day Seven, Friday. BC Ferry to Port Hardy. There is a morning taxi transfer to the BC Ferries terminal to board the M/V "Queen of the North" for the daylight sailing to Port Hardy at the northern tip of Vancouver Island. The ferry sails south along the sheltered waters of the Inside Passage. Orca whales are seen on most summer sailings. Towering peaks of the Coast Range mark the eastern horizon, while groups of islands typically are seen to the west. No roads reach this area of tiny fishing hamlets, abandoned life-saving stations and waterfalls plunging into the sea. Optional day-use staterooms can be booked from the Purser on-board at a small additional charge for those wishing to sleep or shower. All passengers enjoy lounge and/or reclining coach seating on-board, and fine meals are available for purchase at reasonable prices in both the dining room and café. In mid-evening, dock at Port Hardy and transfer to the Port Hardy Inn (or similar) for Moderate hotel passengers or to the Quarterdeck Inn for Deluxe hotel participants.
Day 8:
Day Eight, Saturday. Motorcoach down Vancouver Island to Victoria. There is a taxi transfer this morning to the Island Coach Lines terminal to board regular coach service south to Victoria. Comfortable air-conditioned, reclining seat motorcoaches provide this service. The drive follows the scenic Island Highway the full length of Vancouver Island. Highlights include views of the isolated logging railway at Woss Lake, vistas of the islands of the Straits of Georgia, and the rugged drive over Malahat Summit. Accommodations are included for two nights in Victoria, the lovely "very British" capital of British Columbia. Moderate hotel passengers stay at the Harbour Towers (or similar). Deluxe hotel passengers stay at the Canadian Pacific's Empress Hotel (or similar).
Day 9:
Day Nine, Sunday. Day in Victoria. Enjoy an included city tour of Victoria this morning with a stop at incomparable Butchart Gardens, possibly the most spectacular show-garden in North America. Surely no other former rock quarry is so lovely! The balance of the day is free. Right on the Inner Harbour it is possible to visit the superb Royal British Columbia Museum, the Parliament building, or a number of other small museums and attractions. Other options include High Tea at the Empress or a visit to the superb shops of downtown Victoria to purchase Scottish woolens and the unique Cowichan Indian Sweaters. All of these are easily "walk-able" around the harbor area.
Day 10:
Day Ten, Monday. By ferry from Victoria to Vancouver. Enjoy more free time in Victoria before an included taxi transfer to the Pacific Coach Lines Terminal for the coordinated coach/ferry service to Vancouver. The motorcoach goes right onto the ferry for a stunning 90-minute voyage through the Gulf Islands to Vancouver. Another included taxi transfer delivers participants to their hotel for the last two nights. See Day One for Vancouver hotel options.
Day 11:
Day Eleven, Tuesday. Day in Vancouver. Enjoy a morning city tour to the verdant gardens and matchless harbor and mountain vistas of Stanley Park. Then continue on to see Vancouver's Chinatown, the stately homes of English Bay, and the beautiful floral beds of Queen Elizabeth Park. The balance of the day is at leisure. Options might include riding the unique Advanced Light Rail Line for an inexpensive and scenic suburban tour to New Westminster or Surrey, taking a harbor cruise, or shopping at the grand Hudson Bay Company or other stores in this very cosmopolitan city.
Day 12:
Day Twelve, Wednesday. The tour ends with independent transfers to either the VIA RAIL Canada/Amtrak/ROCKY MOUNTAINEER station or to Vancouver airport. TOUR PRICES include rail travel in the basic "Panorama Class" service on the WHISTLER NORTHWIND and in Totem Class on the SKEENA, all ferry and motorcoach fares, all transfers except departing Vancouver on Day Twelve, all hotels, and sightseeing trips and meals noted as included above. Not included are admissions on Free Days, alcoholic beverages and items of a personal nature.
This is a "Hosted Tour" administered for Rail Travel Center by Brewster Tours and Transportation. It includes the complete British Columbia Railway WHISTLER NORTHWIND package and regularly scheduled travel on VIA RAIL Canada's SKEENA, BC Ferry, and Vancouver Island motorcoach services. There is full commentary provided on both trains, and local representatives of Brewster Tours can be contacted by phone if necessary during the tour. A certain amount of initiative is required on this trip, however. For example, while all taxi transfers are included, participants must use the phone numbers we provide to call for taxis. Trains can run late, which precludes pre-scheduling transfers. Extensive suggestions are provided on activities to fill free time, but selection and payment are the tour participant's responsibility. Assistance with luggage is available on request from train, ferry and bus staff, but it is necessary to be able to handle your own bags from cabs to trains, ferries and coaches.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Moderate Hotels
$2249.00 per person, double occupancy
$3099.00 single occupancy
Deluxe Hotels
$2499.00 per person, double occupancy
$3649.00 single occupancy
Optional Upgrade to "Summit Class" on the WHISTLER NORTHWIND
Supplement includes more spacious seating in a new glass-topped sightseeing car and full dining car meals (rather than at seat meal service) on the WHISTLER NORTHWIND, plus access to a private observation-lounge car.
July and August Departures
$227.50 per person, double occupancy
$292.00 single occupancy
June and September Departures
$192.50 per person, double occupancy
$241.50 single occupancy
Mandatory Canadian Goods and Services Tax
All prices are subject to an additional 3.5% Canadian Goods and Services Tax.
Also see tour packages in:
North America
Canada
Geology
Boating and Sailing
|
| Check out these similar vacation offers: |
|
|
