Canadian Train Odyssey (8960)

15 days from Toronto to Vancouver

2025 Tour Details View 2026 Tour Details »

This adventure across Canada begins in Toronto, ends in Vancouver, and includes beautiful scenery and fun-filled activities in some of Canada’s most popular cities. A highlight of this Canada train tour is the 3-day, 3-night journey on VIA Rail’s® the Canadian—a premier continental train—from Toronto to Jasper. In refurbished art deco rail cars and domed observation cars, enjoy views of the ever-changing landscapes as you leisurely travel through Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The spectacular landscapes on your train trip are just a part of the amazing scenery you’ll witness on this Canada rail tour. Marvel at thunderous Niagara Falls on your boat cruise past the falls. In the Canadian Rockies, ride the Ice Explorer—an all-terrain vehicle—on Columbia Icefield, an expanse of ice that is 750-feet thick. Stop in breathtaking Lake Louise, where its gorgeous turquoise waters mirror the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Spend time in wondrous Jasper National Park—with its rugged mountains, glaciers, alpine meadows, rivers, and abundant wildlife—and Banff National Park, home to majestic mountains and picture-perfect scenery. Also travel through Yoho National Park, with its famous fossils, and Glacier National Park, with its scenic wilderness and wildlife. From the Pacific Coast, sail to Victoria through the scenic Gulf Islands. Throughout this Canada train tour, enjoy included city sightseeing and also have time to explore on your own. You may want to dine at the top of Toronto’s CN Tower, hike in Banff, enjoy Afternoon Tea at Victoria’s Empress Hotel, or shop Vancouver’s Robson Street. See spectacular mountain scenery, stunning lakes, picturesque towns, gentle prairie fields, and exciting cities on this rail tour across Canada—what a fantastic vacation!

The world is within reach with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi (where available), as well as a ferry crossing from/to Vancouver Island. Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!

Your adventure includes travel on VIA Rail’s the Canadian® train from Toronto to Jasper in Sleeper Plus class.

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800.646.5374
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Canadian Train Odyssey map

 Photo Highlights

 Meals

 Meals & Itinerary

2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners


Notes:

Early departures may not be able to visit Columbia Icefield, which opens in early May, or take the Maligne Lake & Spirit Island optional excursion, which opens in mid to late May. Visiting and participating in other activities in this region may be subject to favorable weather conditions and vendor dates of operation.

Furnishings in your VIA Rail train cabin are arranged in armchair style by day. By night, beds are configured to upper and lower bunkbed-style arrangement requiring one guest be able to climb a ladder to the upper bed.

Maximum elevation on tour: 7,500 ft.

 Itinerary

Day 1 TORONTO

Welcome to Toronto! Your Tour Director is on hand late this afternoon to answer any questions.

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Day 2 TORONTO. EXCURSION TO NIAGARA FALLS

Begin the day with an orientation tour of Toronto that includes City Hall, the downtown banking district, Rogers Centre, and the stunning CN Tower. Leave the city and travel along the shores of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls. Sightseeing here includes a Niagara Falls cruise for an exhilarating ride to see the thundering Falls up close. Fall even more in love with the falls with an optional excursion to Skylon Tower for spectacular views and a buffet lunch. Return to Toronto and spend the evening exploring the city sights on your own.

NOTE:
Operation of the Niagara Falls sightseeing cruise is subject to favorable weather and/or river conditions. Favorable conditions usually exist from May to October. When conditions are unfavorable, a visit to Journey Behind the Falls will be substituted.

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Day 3 TORONTO–VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN

This morning, transfer to Union Station for a departure on The Canadian, VIA Rail’s premier transcontinental train. Spend the next three days and nights on this classic trip across Canada’s heartland. Your Sleeper-Plus class rail cars are refurbished art-deco cars from the 1950s. Domed observation cars let you enjoy views of the Canadian countryside as you roll past Ontario’s landscapes. Chef-prepared meals offer a tempting array of soups, salads, main courses, and desserts.

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LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 4 VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN

Today, watch the scenery as you whisk by the ever-changing Canadian landscape and travel the full length of the Canadian National Railway’s breathtaking mainline.

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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 5 VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN

The Canadian glides through Winnipeg, before continuing the journey through Manitoba’s prairies and into Saskatchewan.

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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
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Day 6 VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN–JASPER NATIONAL PARK

Arrive in Jasper this morning and enjoy an orientation tour of the townsite. The remainder of your day is free to enjoy the ambiance of this wonderous mountain setting. Go with the flow on an optional scenic float trip on the Athabasca River.

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Day 7 JASPER NATIONAL PARK

Today is at leisure. Make your day magical with an optional narrated cruise on Maligne Lake to the much-photographed Spirit Island*. On the return journey, stop to view mighty Maligne Canyon. This afternoon, perhaps hike on the trails and watch for wildlife, or stroll the streets of Jasper.

*This optional excursion begins operating in late May/early June.

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Day 8 JASPER NATIONAL PARK–COLUMBIA ICEFIELD–LAKE LOUISE–BANFF NATIONAL PARK

Board your motorcoach this morning and journey through Jasper National Park, stopping along the way at the Columbia Icefield to experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice measuring 750 feet (250 meters) thick! Continue down Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise, known for its stunning turquoise waters that mirror the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Arrive in Banff National Park for a leisurely 2-night stay. An orientation tour highlights Banff’s unspoiled beauty.

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Day 9 BANFF NATIONAL PARK

The day is free to independently explore. Perhaps stroll Banff Avenue, the main thoroughfare with boutiques and souvenir shops in this resort town or hike in some of the surrounding 2,564 square miles of parkland which are home to wildlife, including elk, deer, and grizzly bear. Take your day higher with an awe-inspiring optional helicopter ride over the Canadian Rockies! Your Tour Director can offer many suggestions for activities and dinner.

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Day 10 BANFF NATIONAL PARK–YOHO NATIONAL PARK–GLACIER NATIONAL PARK–KAMLOOPS

This morning, leave Banff National Park and travel over Kicking Horse Pass on the Continental Divide. Travel through Yoho National Park, where pre-Cambrian fossils were discovered, and Glacier National Park, where recreational mountain climbing was introduced to North America a century ago. Late this afternoon, arrive at the cattle-ranching center of Kamloops.

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Day 11 KAMLOOPS–FERRY CROSSING–VICTORIA

As you travel through the Coast Mountain Range to its majestic Pacific coastline, the vegetation changes from desert landscape to lush alpine forest. Board your afternoon ferry for the spectacular crossing to Vancouver Island. Sightseeing in Victoria includes the Inner Harbour, Bastion Square, and Thunderbird Park. This evening, consider taking a relaxing stroll along the lovely Waterfront Promenade.

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Day 12 VICTORIA

Be sure to discover some of the attractions this splendid city has to offer, including the Royal British Columbia Museum, Afternoon Tea at the Empress Hotel, and fine shopping along Government Street. Take time to smell the roses on an optional excursion to see the 55-acres of incredible floral displays at world famous Butchart Gardens or have an adventure at sea on an optional whale and wildlife watching cruise.

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Day 13 VICTORIA–FERRY CROSSING–VANCOUVER

This morning, set sail across the Strait of Georgia and through the spectacular Gulf Islands, an archipelago known for its Mediterranean-like climate. In Vancouver, city sightseeing includes Stanley Park, Gastown, Chinatown, and many other famous landmarks. The remainder of the day is free to explore Robson Street and experience British Columbia’s premier shopping and entertainment location.

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Day 14 VANCOUVER

Today is at leisure for independent sightseeing or join us for unforgettable optional excursions, featuring one of the world’s most scenic drives along the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler or elevate your adventure on an optional aerial tram ride up the mountain for exquisite views and a walk through a rainforest canopy at Grouse Mountain & Capilano Suspension Bridge.

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Day 15 VANCOUVER

Your vacation ends this morning.

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 Tour Director

With COSMOS, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of a Tour Director. We’d like you to meet one of our Tour Directors, who average over a decade of experience and are representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

PETER CHOBANOV

Escorting tours for more than 20 years

“I am a geographer, so what better job can one have than to show off my country! Born and raised in Ontario, I make Quebec my home today. I met my wife on the job and our kids were born into my world as a tour director. I wouldn't have it any other way! Travel is a passion and I love to share the beauty of my country from the Atlantic to the Pacific and all parts in between. Whether it¿s a personal tale, a yarn about fishing, government intrigue, or a close-up bear encounter, I love to tell a Canadian story (or 10), which makes for a more personal and compelling journey. After all, isn't that what travel is all about?”

Tour Director - PETER CHOBANOV

 Accommodations

 Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyCosmos site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 USD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 USD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 USD)
$$$$ (Over $150)


Jasper National Park
Banff National Park
Victoria

Jasper National Park

Athabasca River Float Trip

Athabasca River Float Trip

Enjoy some of Jasper National Park's very best scenery from water level on this exciting rafting float trip along the Athabasca River!

Price Range: $$

Banff National Park

Helicopter Tours

Helicopter Tours

Discover unparalleled views of the Canadian Rockies and the Banff National Park region by helicopter. There are several options to choose from, but all deliver spectacular opportunities for a once in a lifetime experience in the Rockies.

Price Range: $$$$

Victoria

Marine Wildlife & Whale-Watching Expedition

Marine Wildlife & Whale-Watching Expedition

Discover the wildlife wonders of Vancouver Island during this inspiring cruise in search for the area's abundant marine animals and pods of orca whales!

Price Range: $$$



The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include International airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Cosmos).