Things to do · Canada & New England
February 13, 2019 Words: The Herald

UNESCO Banff National Park & The Rocky Mountaineer

Experience the grandeur of the majestic Canadian Rockies, Banff National Park and Lake Louise, crowned by one of the the world's most spectacular rail journeys in a luxury, glass-domed car.

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Seabourn is excited to be able to offer a new, ultra-luxury Seabourn Journey in connection with Seabourn Sojourn 2019 cruises in Alaska and British Columbia. Our 7-day Canadian Rockies adventure begins with arrival at the city of Calgary, Alberta. Located at the meeting of two rivers just 50 miles east of the front range of the Rockies, Calgary proudly claims the nickname “Stampede City” from its origins as a rail terminus for the surrounding rangelands of the Canadian plains and site of the annual Calgary Stampede rodeo. Today, it boasts the highest number of millionaires per capita in Canada, a plethora of corporate headquarters and was named by the Economist as the fourth most-livable city on Earth. Your overnight stay is reserved at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel just adjacent to the city’s iconic Calgary Tower.

After exploring Calgary on your own the following morning, meet your Journey escort or local host after lunch to board a motor coach for a scenic drive from the plains into the majestic Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. Your sightseeing afternoon includes viewing the bizarre hoodoos rock formations, a ride along the scenic 3-mile loop of Tunnel Mountain Drive and a stop at Surprise Corner, with a splendid view of the 1888 Banff Springs Hotel, the “Castle of the Rockies,” framed by the cascades of the Bow River below and Sulphur Mountain above. After checking into the beautiful Rimrock Resort Hotel at Banff, you will join your group for dinner that evening at the resort’s Eden Restaurant.

Two more days in and around Banff include a full day exploring the breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage legacy of Banff and Yoho National Parks, including glowing, blue-green Moraine Lake, the amazing Spiral Tunnels in Kicking Horse Pass, the aptly named Emerald Lake, Natural Bridge and the magnificent Takakkaw Falls, with lunch at the famous Chateau Lake Louise and dinner at the stunningly situated Three Ravens Restaurant. The second day at Banff is your chance to explore the Banff National Park on your own, using your included National Park pass and a ticket for a breathtaking ride on the Banff Gondola. Your Seabourn Journey escort or local host can help you make the most of your leisure day, which might include any of a variety of outdoor activities, a visit to the impressive Banff Museum, shopping on Banff Avenue or a soak in the town’s famous hot mineral springs.

On day five, you’ll check out of the hotel and transfer to the station to embark the world-famous Rocky Mountaineer train for an unforgettable, scenic GoldLeaf Service rail journey through the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Enjoy a delicious gourmet breakfast aboard your luxurious bi-level glass-domed car, equipped with an additional outdoor platform for viewing outside in the mountain air. Award-winning cuisine is freshly prepared on board and elegantly served for luncheon and dinner, and snacks and all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are included. A knowledgeable GoldLeaf host interprets the scenery and answers any questions. At the day’s end, you will be transferred from the Rocky Mountaineer Kamloops Station to your overnight hotel.

Enjoy another scenic day aboard the luxurious Rocky Mountaineer on the journey from Kamloops to Vancouver at the coast. As you enjoy a delicious hot breakfast and luncheon on board, you wind down from the foothills of the Rockies, gliding through scenic river canyons, the broad Fraser Valley and into the lush coastal region of British Columbia. On arrival at Vancouver’s Rocky Mountaineer Station you will be transferred to the Pan Pacific Hotel on the waterfront for an overnight stay. After a night in the modern, luxurious Pan Pacific Hotel, meet your escort at midday to embark Seabourn Sojourn, located on the pier just adjacent to your hotel, in preparation for beginning your voyage of the spectacular coasts and islands of Alaska and British Columbia.

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