September 29 – October 7, 2026
Vancouver · Banff · Lake Louise · Kamloops · Calgary
This trip is definitely one for the bucket list, and there’s never been a better time to put it on your calendar. The Rocky Mountaineer takes an awe-inspiring 9-day luxury rail journey through the Canadian Rockies, delivering the kind of travel awe you’ll find yourself remembering for years.
Cindy and Don, our company owners, took this journey last fall and loved it, so they want to share it with you. We are excited to host this exceptional journey this fall, and we’d love for you to join us.
Choosing a hosted experience means you’ll be traveling in good company, with a small group of new friends and us. Everything is taken care of, so you never have those “wait, where are we supposed to be right now?” moments. It lets you fully focus on your extraordinary experience, and share it over a meal or glass of vino.
But first, let’s talk about why this trip belongs at the top of your bucket list.
The Rocky Mountaineer: Not Just a Train Ride
The Rocky Mountaineer has been running since 1990, and in that time, it has built a reputation as one of the most extraordinary rail journeys on the planet. This isn’t Amtrak. This isn’t a commuter train. This is a rolling luxury experience through some of the most jaw-dropping scenery on Earth — towering mountain peaks, river canyons, desert landscapes, and glacial lakes so blue they look photoshopped. A generation of guests has looked up from a glass-dome coach at the peaks of the Canadian Rockies and understood just how vast and magnificent this continent truly is.
We will be traveling in Gold Leaf Service — the pinnacle of the Rocky Mountaineer experience. The bi-level dome coaches feature a glass-enclosed upper viewing deck that frames the passing landscape like a living panorama, while the lower level houses an elegant dining room serving locally-inspired gourmet cuisine. Dedicated onboard hosts attend to every detail of your comfort throughout the journey. All beverages — alcoholic and non-alcoholic — and all snacks are included while aboard the train. This is, in every sense, five-star comfort paired with five-star scenery.
Five Star Meal Service
On most train journeys, the food is an afterthought–but not here. Dining aboard the Rocky Mountaineer in Gold Leaf Service is a genuine highlight of the trip, the kind of meal experience you’d seek out in a fine restaurant, made entirely more remarkable by the fact that a mountain range is drifting past your window while you eat. The cuisine is locally inspired and regionally sourced, changing with the landscape as the journey unfolds — think the bold, hearty flavors of the Rockies giving way to the fresh, Pacific-influenced ingredients of the BC interior. Your hosts are attentive and your glass is never empty — all wines, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages are included throughout the journey — and when the mood calls for something between meals, a thoughtful selection of savory and sweet snacks is always at hand. Breakfast and lunch are served aboard the train on travel days, and our group will sit down together for a special dinner at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise — one of the most storied dining rooms in Canada, with a setting to match.
Wildlife in their Pristine Habitat
Few experiences rival the quiet thrill of watching a bull elk — antlers broad and proud against the autumn sky — step unhurriedly across an open meadow. Our late September departure puts us in one of the best possible windows for exactly that kind of moment. Elk rutting season is in full swing from late August through mid-October, which means bull elk are out, vocal and impossible to ignore. You might hear the sound of their bugling echoing across a mountain valley at dusk, the sort of thing that stays with you long after you’ve returned home. The bears are active too, fattening up before winter sets in, and grizzlies are regularly spotted in Larch Valley during fall, drawn down by the season’s berries. Bighorn sheep pick their way across cliff faces that would give most of us vertigo, mountain goats and mule deer roam the trails around Lake Louise, and bald eagles patrol the thermals overhead. The glass dome of the Rocky Mountaineer turns all of this into a living wildlife documentary playing out at eye level. When a bear, moose, or wolf is spotted along the route, your onboard host will alert you immediately, so no one misses the moment.
The Journey: 9 Days Through Canada’s Most Iconic Landscapes
Our adventure runs September 29 through October 7, 2026, and the timing is everything. Early fall in the Canadian Rockies is a season of remarkable beauty — the summer crowds have gone, the air carries a welcome crispness, and the quality of light across the mountains and valleys is simply extraordinary. Here is what awaits you when you join us:
Days 1–2: Calgary & Banff
We begin in Calgary before heading into Banff National Park for a full day of exploration: Bow Falls, Surprise Corner, the Hoodoos, and a ride up the Banff Gondola to take in panoramic views spanning six mountain ranges.
Day 3: Banff
Free Day — Time to breathe, explore at your own pace, or simply enjoy the atmosphere of one of Canada’s most celebrated mountain towns.
Days 4–5: Lake Louise & the Fairmont Chateau
We travel through Yoho National Park — with stops at the Spiral Tunnels, Emerald Lake, and the natural rock bridge over the Kicking Horse River — before arriving at Lake Louise. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise needs little introduction: its setting on the shore of that legendary turquoise lake is as stunning in person as any photograph suggests. A full free day follows to explore, walk the lakeshore, or simply absorb the surroundings.
Day 6: Aboard the Rocky Mountaineer — Lake Louise to Kamloops
The rail journey begins here, and the scenery commands your full attention. The landscape transitions dramatically from soaring Rocky Mountain peaks through high desert terrain. Highlights include the Spiral Tunnels, the Stoney Creek Bridge, and Craigellachie — where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven in 1885.
Day 7: Aboard the Rocky Mountaineer — Kamloops to Vancouver
A second extraordinary day on the train as the landscape shifts again, from desert through steep river canyons and into the fertile Fraser Valley. Vast Kamloops Lake, the historic Cisco Crossing railroad bridges, and the dramatic waters of Hell’s Gate are among the defining moments of this remarkable passage.
Day 8: Vancouver
Free Day — One of the world’s most livable and beautiful cities offers endless ways to spend a day: the seawall at Stanley Park, the heritage streets of Gastown, the restaurants and energy of Yaletown — all of it framed by the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains.
Day 9: Vancouver
Departure — A final breakfast at your Vancouver accommodation before we bid farewell to our journey. The trip may be over, but the memories are yours to keep.
Why Choose a Hosted Group Tour?
Taking this trip with us rather than traveling on your own offers a real and meaningful difference.
When you travel independently, you’re the tour director. You’re Googling “best restaurants in Banff,” triple-checking transfer times, making sure everyone’s at the right departure point, figuring out gratuities, and managing a hundred small logistics that quietly drain your energy. On vacation. That’s not a vacation — that’s a second job.
When you travel with our hosted group, all of that is handled. Every transfer is arranged. Every sightseeing excursion entrance fee is covered. Gratuities for guides? Taken care of. You just need to show up ready for an extraordinary experience.
It’s genuinely special to share an adventure like this with a group of like-minded travelers. The friendships that form on trips like these have a way of lasting long after you’re back home. You’ll have people to share a bottle of wine with on the train, to gasp alongside when you round a corner and see Emerald Lake for the first time, to swap photos with over dinner at the Fairmont.
What’s Included (It’s A Lot)
Let’s get into the specifics (the value here is genuinely impressive):
- All transfers throughout the trip
- Entrance fees for all scheduled sightseeing excursions
- Gratuities for tour guides
- All breakfasts, a special dinner at Lake Louise, and two lunches aboard the Rocky Mountaineer
- All beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and snacks while on the train
- National park passes, porter fees, and train gratuities
- Gold Leaf Service on the Rocky Mountaineer
- Round-trip airport transfer and discounted air travel
The Investment (And the Savings)
We’re offering special pricing for this experience, as well as some extra perks along the way. The regular price for this trip is $6,668 per person, double occupancy, or $9,214 for solo travelers. But as part of our group, you get $500 off per person — bringing the total to:
Double Occupancy: $5,874 + $294 taxes = $6,168 per person
Single Occupancy: $8,299 + $415 taxes = $8,714 per person
A deposit of $1,233.38 (double) or $1,742.80 (single) secures your reservation. Space in a hosted group of this nature is genuinely limited, and the Rocky Mountaineer’s fall departures are consistently in high demand.
Ready to Join Us?
This is the trip people talk about for the rest of their lives. The kind where you’re staring out a glass dome at a mountain range reflected in a glacial lake and thinking, “I can’t believe I’m actually here right now.”
We’d love to have you with us. Reach out today to reserve your spot and lock in your $500 savings. We’ll take care of everything else.
September 29 – October 7, 2026. We hope you’ll join us!
Questions? Ready to book? Contact us today — we’re happy to walk you through every detail. Give us a call, 888-490-6932.
