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There’s plenty of ways to explore Canada, from scenic car drives to leisurely mobile home holidays, but nothing compares to soaking in the country’s breath-taking sights and scenery on a Rocky Mountaineer train ride! Where the majestic Canadian Rockies meet moving train journeys, the Rocky Mountaineer is a world-famous rail-tour company with luxury trains that travel by daylight on four remarkable rail routes across Western Canada and the American Southwest.
Join us as we unpack our unforgettable train journey on Rocky Mountaineer’s most historic and arguably most scenic route – the First Passage to West! We travelled in Rocky Mountaineer’s Gold Leaf Service, which comes with a bi-level glass-dome coach with oversized windows, gourmet dining, all-inclusive drinks, on top of impeccable 5-star service and more!
Planning to take a Rocky Mountaineer tour soon? Let us share our personal experiences and anecdotes, insider tips, and recommendations – plus our bespoke cruise packages that include a pre-cruise Rocky Mountaineer adventure!
Our Rocky Mountaineer journey began in the picturesque town of Banff, Alberta – known for its natural beauty, evidenced by its sparkling lakes and lush mountain peaks! This stunning resort town is the perfect base for exploring the Banff National Park, home to the iconic Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, which are snow- and glacier-fed lakes with deep teal waters that reflect the surrounding mountains.
The best part? All of our Rocky Mountaineer packages include a stay here, giving you the chance to experience this remarkable town.
Lake Louise - Head out to Lake Louise, a town within the Banff National Park and home to the pristine alpine lake which the town is named after. Sitting at an elevation of 1600 metres, it is Canada’s highest community.
Banff Gondola - Take the Banff Gondola up to the top of Sulphur Mountain. For eight minutes, you’ll glide upwards high above Banff, where you’ll enjoy spectacular views of the town, the Banff National Park, and the mountain ranges stretching into the horizon.
Park Distillery - After a busy day exploring, drop by Park Distillery for local handmade spirits such as their famous Flora and Fauna Gin, infused with sweet pine and Sandalwood and made from Glacier Melt. Their “campfire-inspired” cuisine really sets the tone for your immersive Canadian Adventure to come.
The next day, we were collected by a Rocky Mountaineer representative at 7am from our downtown hotel. Here, we were presented with our tickets and luggage labels and commemorative pins. It was only a short ride across to the train platform where the impressive Rocky Mountaineer train was waiting for us against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and a magnificent orange sunrise.
A short while later and after settling into our glass domed carriage and being introduced to our two carriage hosts, the train pulled away from the station. The seat was one of the highlights for me, with a comfortable recline and a massage and seat-warming feature, it allows you to sit back and relax in ultimate comfort whilst taking in the spectacular surrounding views.
Each Gold Leaf carriage gets split in half for dining. The first half are invited downstairs to the dining cart, whilst the other half remain upstairs and are served tea/coffee/fresh pastry. The same thing happens at lunch and then the following day, it is switched around to make it fair. On the first day, we were the first to be invited downstairs for breakfast. The menu consisted of: eggs benedict, farmer sausage and roasted red pepper skillet, pancakes, boursin cheese & scrambled eggs, coconut & banana chia seed pudding, and avocado toast, and we were served fresh coffee and a juice selection (please see the menu in the gallery).
After breakfast, we headed back upstairs just in time for the first of our two journeys through the spiral tunnels. Dating back to 1909, this man-made feat was built to mitigate the steep grade of the Kicking Horse Pass as a replacement to the perilous stretch of train tracks known as the ‘Big Hill,’ which posed a myriad of risks and challenges to the trains that traverse it. In an effort to improve the safety of train trips across the Rockies, a series of spiral tunnels that cut through the mountains were established to let the trains travel on a much flatter grade.
Today, passengers aboard the Rocky Mountaineer get the one-of-a-kind opportunity to twist through this historic engineering marvel, which is easily one of the highlights of the First Passage to the West route!
Drinks & Dining - Your Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf experience with LoveitBookit is all-inclusive, so you can have drinks with both breakfast and lunch in the dining carts, whilst back upstairs, there is a bar and an extensive menu of cocktails/wines/beers/sodas, etc.
Expert Guides - The two people serving in the dining cart were also expert guides and worked on a rotation so one trip they would work in the dining cart and the next, they would switch with the guides upstairs and vice versa. This meant that even during mealtimes, there was always someone to tell you when and what to look out for.
Outdoor Viewing Platform - At any time throughout the day, Gold Leaf guests can venture downstairs to the outdoor viewing platform, an amazing experience particularly when wildlife spotting but also when passing over the bridges as it gives you a unique vantage point.
At around 1pm, we were called downstairs for lunch (please see the menu in the gallery). The lunch menu was a 3-course experience, served with a choice of local wines. As we dined, we passed Castle Mountain, a landmark within the Canadian Rockies and an incredible sight. After lunch, the train journey continued through the mountains whilst the expert guides gave tips on when to look out for glaciers and other notable sights!
At around 4pm, the mountains had started to open up and we journeyed through Salmon Arm where the tracks followed the edge of the impressive lake. The local people from the village all came out of their houses to wave at the train.
At 7pm, we pulled into Kamloops for our overnight stay. Where the North and South Thompson rivers meet, Kamloops is a popular halfway stop among the Rocky Mountaineer routes, offering a wonderful blend of scenery, outdoor activities, and culture. Everything was organised to perfection, the train pulled up to the station and coaches were waiting to take us to our hotels for the evening.
Endless sunshine - Kamloops basks on 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, making it a perfect spot for various outdoor recreational pursuits, such as hiking, strolling, or simply relaxing and soaking up some rays!
Riverside strolls - Idyllically located at the confluence of two rivers, the Riverside Park is a laid-back green oasis where you can take leisurely walks, enjoy picnics, and even go for a refreshing swim on the white-sand beaches.
Vibrant downtown - For an authentic taste of local lifestyle, discover downtown Kamloops – packed with cosy cafés, art galleries, street murals, and local boutiques and specialty shops.
On our second day, we were picked up at 7am and after a 10-minute journey back to the train station, we were back on board for another day which turned out to be just as extraordinary as the first. Whilst day one onboard was filled with snow-capped mountains and misty fields, day two would see us travelling in glorious sunshine through winding canyons, passing wide lakes and arid prairie lands. It felt like a completely different experience.
After the previous day of winding through the Rocky Mountains, today was all about spectacular views across the wide-open passes, in particular the Savona Summit – a towering peak that looms over Kamloops Lake and the Thompsons River Valley, surrounded by an array of awe-inspiring landscapes such as rugged cliffs, deep canyons and dry ridges!
Extensive menu - Whilst breakfast was the same menu from day one to two, this was no problem as there were so many options I wanted to try; the lunch menu was different yet equally as extensive. I opted for the seared local steelhead trout, served with gnocchi, asparagus and basil pesto.
Tea time - Mid afternoon, as if we hadn’t had enough food, the smell of freshly baked scones wafted up from the kitchen below and they came round with fresh scones and tea to our seats.
Fun Fact: One interesting thing we saw was the logs travelling downriver as we inched closer to Vancouver. It was explained that the loggers drop the trees into the Fraser River and let them float down the river for many miles until they make their way to the suburbs of Vancouver, where they are collected from the river for construction.
After two remarkable days, we pulled into Vancouver and our magnificent journey came to an end. Similar to the previous evening in Kamloops, as soon as the train pulled into the station, coaches were waiting for us to take us to our hotels in Vancouver.
The Rocky Mountaineer’s legendary routes offer an unmissable opportunity to see the panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains and the ever-changing landscapes beyond unfold slowly before your eyes – whether from the expansive glass-dome windows or the exclusive outdoor viewing platform. Experience this luxury train journey yourself in one of our bespoke packages across Alaska and Canada – with an unforgettable Rocky Mountaineer adventure!
Rocky Mountaineer offers two levels of service: SilverLeaf Service and GoldLeaf Service. Both come with friendly Hosts, gourmet breakfasts and lunches, and endlessly amazing views. Discover the difference between excellent & extraordinary!
All LoveitBookit Rocky Mountaineer packages include the Silver Leaf service, allowing you to make miles & miles of memories from your single-level glass-dome coach. Here's what you can expect with the Silver Leaf experience:
Panoramic views in a custom-designed, single-level glass-domed coach
Gourmet meals served right to your seat
Friendly and expert hosts
Access to outdoor viewing deck
Complimentary beverages and snacks
Complimentary baggage transfers
Deluxe hotel stay
Of course you can upgrade your package and elevate your experience! In Gold Leaf, you can enjoy all these perks in an enhanced bi-level coach, in addition to a dining room and an exclusive outdoor viewing platform on the lower level, plus more spacious, reclining seats and oversized glass windows on the upper level.
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