Ride the rails through the wilds of Canada, past the mountains of Banff and the Arctic’s Northern Lights.
One of the best ways to get to know a country is traveling by rail—especially a nation as vast at Canada. Canadian train vacations come with the added bonus of gorgeous natural scenery, whether it’s the mountains of the west, seemingly infinite landscapes of the far north, or dramatic bays and cliffs of eastern Canada. Since someone else is doing the driving, you can also keep eyes out for wildlife; on many train routes, you’ll see bears, moose, beavers, and other denizens of the country’s more untamed terrain. Canada’s national passenger rail service, Via Rail, operates many of the routes, though a handful of private companies, like Vancouver’s Rocky Mountaineer, offer luxury train trips across sought-after routes.
Criss-crossing Canada for 13 of the most beautiful train trips you can take across the Great White North, as well as some recommendations for where to stay at the beginning or at the end of your Canadian train vacations.
Via Rail’s Winnipeg to Churchill
This 1,054-mile trip north feels more interplanetary than provincial, whisking you from urban Winnipeg to the tundras of Churchill, known as the polar bear capital of the world. Accessible by plane or train only, it’s also prime turf for beluga whale-watching, and possibly the world’s best perch to view the northern lights. Landscapes en route are breathtaking, with stops including tiny river towns The Pas, Thompson, and Weir River. Splurge on Via’s Sleeper Class for access to a bed and shower.
Where to stay: In Winnipeg, check into the impressive and century-old Fort Garry Hotel, a prime example of twentieth-century châteauesque architecture, including prominent cornices and a steep sloping copper roof. In case you needed a bit more of that old-world feel to your trip.
Ontario Northland’s Polar Bear Express, Cochrane to Moosonee
Ontario is larger than France and Spain combined, but most visitors stick to its big southern cities. Embarking from tiny Cochrane—nearly 500 miles north of Toronto—the Polar Bear Express chugs five hours further north to Moosonee, so remote it lacks road access. The route mimics a path fur traders favored centuries ago, through a primeval landscape of thick forests and winding rivers. Note that reaching Cochrane involves a flight to northeastern Timmins and an overnight bus ride.
Where to stay: Break up your adventure with a night at Cedar Meadows Resort & Spa in Timmins, Ontario. The place is all about rural and cozy vibes, letting you bask in the natural beauty of nearby Gillies Lake Park and Hollinger Park.
Agawa Canyon Tour Train, Ontario
It’s only accessible by trail or rail, which makes Agawa Canyon Wilderness Park near Sault Sainte-Marie such a thrill to visit. Hop on and off this 90-minute ride as you pass four dramatic waterfalls and a trail system that overflows with pristine natural beauty. Bonus: Beavers, the most Canadian of critters, traipse through here frequently.
Where to stay: Since this tour train takes just an hour and a half, you’ll need a place to rest your head in Sault Sainte-Marie before continuing your journey. Luckily, the Delta Hotels by Marriott Sault Ste. Marie Waterfront is near the station, and offers cool views of Saint Mary’s River and the United States beyond.
Royal Canadian Rockies Experience, Banff to Calgary, Alberta
Canada’s glitziest train ride is also one of its most cinematic, passing through splendid Banff and Lake Louise, along with jaw-dropping sights like Alberta’s Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a World Heritage Site where Indigenous people hunted ruminants by enticing them to leap off a cliff. Still eager to see more? At the end of the line, you can book a helicopter trip over the Rockies for a bird’s eye view.
Where to stay: In Banff, you shouldn’t miss the Fairmont Banff Springs. This Scottish Baronial fortress grants you a million-dollar view of those majestic snow-dusted mountain tops, which makes the moniker “the Castle in the Rockies” all the more fitting.
Via Rail’s The Canadian, Toronto to Vancouver
A single train journey can’t capture Canada’s magnificence, but this four-night/three-day adventure from Toronto to Vancouver comes close. You’ll take in prairies, lakes, peaks, valleys, hamlets, waterfalls, and, if you’re lucky, cameos by local wildlife like deer, elk, and bears. If you can, book a seat in Prestige Class—think concierge, superb meals, private lounges—for one of the most comfortable train trips you’ll ever take.
Where to stay: Once you’re in Vancouver, keep the plush and casually fabulous energy going with a night or two at the dreamy Shangri-La Vancouver, where those who appreciate the subtleties of luxury travel won’t be disappointed.
White Pass and Yukon Route, Yukon
Even today, building a railway through the mountains, glaciers, and gorges of Gold Rush country remains an impressive feat, let alone in 1898, when this route was first built. Survey views of the Yukon, BC, and Alaska, as your train rises a gut-churning 3,000 feet in just 20 miles to the summit of White Pass. Touring such treacherous terrain will leave you appreciating how the railway helped knit a nascent Canada together.
Where to stay: There aren’t many hotel options in Skagway, Alaska, where this train journey begins. That said, there are a handful of cruises that call at this Alaskan port town, including options aboard Celebrity Cruises, so you can make this a two-for-one adventure.
Rocky Mountaineer’s First Passage to the West, Western Canada
If there’s one Canadian train ride that should make your bucket list, it’s the journey on the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff. The whole ride is scenic, offering glimpses into the Great White North’s wildlife as well as its important Indigenous history. Thoughtful guides and storytellers onboard talk you through the locales and vistas from the comfort of your plush leather seats underneath the train cars’ glass-domed roofs. Meals here are delicious too, no matter which class of service you’re in, whether it’s SilverLeaf or GoldLeaf (though the latter’s linen-covered tables are a classy touch).
Where to stay: The Rocky Mountaineer is often spoken about in the same breath as other famous luxury train rides across the world: the Orient Express, Seven Stars Kyushu, or the Royal Scotsman. But unlike those, this isn’t a sleeper train. It travels exclusively by daylight, making the most of the scenery. At night, guests check into a hotel along the route—so your comfort throughout the journey is assured.
Via Rail, Jasper, Alberta to Prince Rupert, BC
The windows-only Dome Car on this nature-filled route offers 360-degree views of the regal Canadian Rockies. During the seven-hour train ride, you’ll also get an ocean’s worth of lakes, including beautiful Yellowhead, Lucerne, and Moose. Have more time? The train heads to coastal Prince Rupert the next morning, where whale-watching and grizzly-bear-viewing are highlights. Bonus: At the Alberta-British Columbia border, the train crosses the Continental Divide.
Where to stay: Once you’re on Kaien Island and the train pulls into the port city of Prince Rupert, head for the Crest Hotel, where you can wake up to beautiful waterfront views of—what else?—Prince Rupert Harbour.
Rocky Mountaineer’s Journey Through the Clouds, British Columbia and Alberta
The Canadian Rockies’ tallest peak, majestic Mount Robson, is the star of this ten-day journey from Vancouver to Calgary. But it’s hard to pick a highlight when your trip spans sights like British Columbia’s astonishing Hell’s Gate—twice the width of Niagara Falls—and Moose Lake, home to plenty of its namesake. You’ll also get a glimpse of the gargantuan Albreda Glacier, a landscape dating back eons.
Where to stay: When in Canada, you can’t go wrong with a Fairmont, and the Fairmont Palliser in Calgary is a true beaut. Plus, it’s sandwiched between the city’s downtown and the Calgary Design District, so you’ll have plenty of sightseeing options when you get off the train.
Via Rail’s The Ocean, Montreal to Halifax
Climbing north into remotest Quebec and east into New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, this aptly-named, 836-mile trip lets the wide-open spaces and clear-blue waters unfold like aqua-tinted postcards. Bonus: The Ocean is the oldest continuously running named passenger train in North America, rolling along since 1904.
Where to stay: In Montreal you’ve got the pick of the litter, but the stately yet modern Hotel Birks Montreal and the classically luxurious Four Seasons Montreal take the cake. Meanwhile, in Halifax, you’ve got the super sleek Muir, Autograph Collection in the downtown waterfront area, and the richly cozy The Pebble Bed & Breakfast in the South End for an inn-in-the-city experience.
Via Rail’s Montreal to Jonquière
Quebec is Canada’s biggest province by area, and the gentle landscapes you’ll view on this 317-mile journey couldn’t offer more of a contrast from dense, bustling Montreal. Among the sights are the Saguenay Fjord, surrounded by cliffs and so deep it attracts whales; the St.-Maurice River, including the roaring Rapides-des-Coeurs rapids; and villages like Hervey-Jonction, dotted with lakes and country cottages. Make sure to sample local blueberries, an in-season local specialty. There’s even a Lac aux Bleuets—”blueberry lake”―in the region.
Where to stay: In downtown Chicoutimi, less than 10 miles from the Jonquière train station, Hôtel du Fjord offers 34 sprawling rooms with hardwood floors and leather accents. It’s also a 10-minute walk to Restaurant La Cuisine, a destination for Quebec-accented fare like scallops from the Magdalen Islands.
Wheatland Express
Saskatchewan’s capital, Saskatoon has grown into a busy, modern city. But an hour northeast, in Cudworth, this 12.5 mile train ride to rural Wakaw and back promises a “journey to the past,” complete with guides, musicians, and character performers in folksy period costumes. If cosplay’s not your thing, the rolling landscapes of verdant fields, glimmering rivers, and lush forests should distract you.
Where to stay: Locals love The James Hotel for its sleek, white-and-wood lobby bar. You’ll adore it for oversized rooms in soothing neutrals; most accommodations offer panoramic views of the South Saskatchewan River.
Via Rail’s Sudbury to White River
Once you take in the gorgeous natural scenery along this 382-mile trip, you’ll forget the drab industrial landscape of Sudbury, 250 miles north of Toronto. From there, the nine-hour train trip takes you along the southern edge of Ontario’s immense boreal forest while traveling past sparkling lakes and rivers, along with the roaring Onaping Falls. Guest stars along the way will likely include the bears, moose, and beavers who call this part of the province home. The trip ends at White River, a onetime rail town that dates back to 1885.
Where to stay: Chain hotels predominate in Sudbury; your best bet is the Radisson Hotel Sudbury in downtown’s giant Elm Place mixed-use development. Centrally located, it features a well-equipped fitness center, heated pool, and low-key rooms outfitted in mustard and brown.
Conde Nast Traveler