Undiscovered Country

The terrain stretching between Canada’s West Coast and the Canadian Rockies is some of the most beautiful on earth. From dry desert-like plains and pristine glacial-fed lakes to craggy mountain cliffs and snow-capped peaks, the scenery is constantly changing and incredibly breathtaking.

So when the founders of Rocky Mountaineer decided more than two decades ago to start transporting travelers to these otherworldly natural wonders, there was one resource on which they refused to skimp: daylight.

Rocky Mountaineer, the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America, is known around the world for its all-daylight rail journeys through Canada’s most stunning natural treasures. And now it offers the best of the region in four spectacular routes rich in history and natural wonders.

First Passage to the West is a popular route that runs between the beautiful coastal city of Vancouver, B.C., and the Rocky Mountain resort town of Banff, Alberta, in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This route travels through the legendary Spiral Tunnels and passes by the spot where the last spike was driven on the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Journey through the Clouds runs between Vancouver, B.C., and Jasper, Alberta. This route showcases unparalleled natural beauty including Mount Robson and the breathtaking Pyramid Falls.

Longtime fans of Rocky Mountaineer are finding even more to love on its newest rail journey, the
Rainforest to Gold Rush, which travels between Whistler, B.C., and Jasper, Alberta. This route explores British Columbia’s Coastal Rainforest, the largest temperate rainforest in the world, as well as the desert-like conditions of the Fraser Canyon and the pastoral ranchlands of the historic Cariboo Gold Rush region.

The Whistler Sea to Sky Climb route offers a breathtaking 3½ hour journey between Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., host cities of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. On this journey, guests marvel at cascading waterfalls, old-growth forests, snow-capped mountain peaks and brilliant Pacific waters.

On any route you choose, one thing is clear: The people at Rocky Mountaineer love this land enough to do it justice. How else could they have earned recognition from National Geographic magazine as one of the “World’s Greatest Trips”?

In 2010, Rocky Mountaineer received its fifth World Travel Award for “World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train” and was acknowledged for the first time as “World’s Leading Luxury Travel Product of the Year.” And how’s this for kudos: The Society of American Travel Writers called it “The Best Train Experience in the World.”

Of course, the only way to know for sure if all the glowing reviews are true is to experience the Rocky Mountaineer for yourself.

—Bekah Wright, Custom Publishing Writer