Canadian Tours
Rail ToursDEPARTURE INFORMATION
Lower Mainland
May 29, 2026 – 9 Days
Vancouver Island
May 28, 2026 – 9 Days
BC Interior
May 28, 2026 – 10 Days
Activity Level 2
GROUP SIZE
TOUR SUMMARY
Vancouver to Jasper to Prince Rupert on VIA Rail
Each year, Wells Gray Tours offers several tours with a theme of train travel and all of them are immensely popular. Some customers are retired railroaders, some want to enjoy sights that cannot be seen from highways, and some want to relive the nostalgia of train travel. This tour features three scenic rail routes – Vancouver to Jasper on VIA Rail’s The Canadian, Jasper to Prince George on the Skeena Train, and Prince George to Prince Rupert, also on the Skeena. Service on The Canadian is in the overnight first-class cars. In Prince Rupert, we thrill to the catamaran excursion to the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary. Then we board BC Ferries’ Northern Expedition for the daylight sailing through the Inside Passage to Port Hardy. What a wonderful British Columbia circle tour by trains and ferry!
WHAT’S INCLUDED
-
Meals
-
13 meals
-
12 meals
-
11 meals
-
-
Transportation
-
-
Accommodation
-
-
Guides, Gratuities & Fees
-
-
Knowledgeable Wells Gray tour director
-
Tour Highlights (Included)
-
TOUR FARES
| Departure Point | Cabin for Two | Cabin for One |
|---|---|---|
$7,160$9,115 |
$8,145 |
|
$7,140$8,980 |
$8,010 |
|
$7,030$8,855 |
$7,885 |
- Please add 5% GST.
- There is an additional cost for passengers who wish to join this tour from Nanaimo Vancouver Island or Comox.
- Earn 177 Experience Points.
Early Booking Bonus!
$250 discount on first 12 seats; $125 on next 8.
DEPARTURE POINTS & DATES
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Level
Moderate Activity: As a traveller you like a variety of activities and walking up to 2 km with breaks such as a guided walking tour is very doable for you without assistance. You can stand for prolonged periods, negotiate a variety of terrain such as moderate hills comfortably, and can climb two flights of stairs without assistance. You may need to handle your own luggage at a hotel if luggage service is not available. You may have to walk through up to 5 cars on a moving train to access the dining car. If booking a single bedroom, be aware that at night the toilet is under your murphy bed or, if you choose, you can go down the hall into the next car. Double bedrooms have upper and lower berths, so one person must be able to get into the upper berth using a ladder. Steps on and off the train may be awkward for those with mobility challenges.
Due to narrow train corridors, most walkers with four wheels cannot be used on board, but they can be transported in baggage cars. Please let us know when you book if you will be bringing a walker on this tour. You may bring a cane or walking poles if needed. The coaches cannot carry a scooter or motorized wheelchair. The tour director and driver have many responsibilities, so please do not expect them, or your fellow travellers, to provide ongoing assistance. If you are not capable of keeping up with the group or require frequent assistance, the tour director may stop you from participating in some activities or some days of the tour. In extreme situations, you may be required to leave the tour and travel home at your own expense; travel insurance will probably not cover you.
Tour Size
This tour can accommodate 40 passengers.
-
Vancouver to Jasper (Train):: You are reserved in Sleeper Plus Class on The Canadian. Sleeping accommodation is in private bedrooms, either double with upper and lower berths or single with lower berth only. Amenities include seats by day and beds at night, electrical outlet, toilet, sink, and mirror. Shower facilities are located nearby. There is access after 4 pm to the Park Car with its excellent views and the Bullet Lounge. All meals are included in the elegant dining car which offers exclusive service for first-class travellers. Wander over to the Skyline Dome Cars which has books, games, lectures on local topics, and refreshments.
-
Jasper to Prince George (Train):: You are reserved in Economy Class on the Skeena Train which is the only class offered. There is usually a dome car with seating shared among all passengers. There is a snack bar with a limited selection of snacks and beverages, but Wells Gray arranges a box lunch from a Jasper restaurant.
-
Prince George to Prince Rupert (Train):: It’s the same train which stays overnight in Prince George. Wells Gray arranges a box lunch and a box dinner from a Prince George restaurant.
-
Special Note about the Train Schedule: When you travel by train in Canada, it is essential that you are flexible and patient about the schedule, especially arrival and departure times. Expect delays, sometimes many hours! The times mentioned in the itinerary are from VIA Rail’s published timetable. Wells Gray Tours cannot be held responsible for additional costs due to a late train. There is no refund for missed hotel nights or attractions as these are prepaid. Freight trains have priority over passenger trains, so sometimes the train is hours late into Jasper, Prince George or Prince Rupert, but other times it arrives early! If the train is very late arriving in Jasper, lunch is served to first-class passengers.
-
Coach follows train: Our motorcoach travels between the cities that the trains serve and carries your checked luggage, so you do not have to carry it on and off the trains. A local bus provides the transfer from the Prince Rupert train station to the hotel, as the length of that day exceeds the coach driver’s allowed on-duty hours.
-
Luggage: Large suitcases are not permitted in private rooms for the overnight train, so your luggage stays on the coach. Bring a smaller carry-on case with the things you need for the train journeys.
-
Gratuities Vancouver to Jasper train: The customary gratuity for your room steward is not included in your tour fare due to the challenges of distribution on board, so $5 per person is recommended. Gratuities are included for the dining car train staff.
-
NORTHERN EXPEDITION: BC Ferries’ Northern Expedition was specially designed for Inside Passage voyages. Launched in 2009, she is 150 metres long with a beam of 23 metres and a draft of 7½ metres. She carries 130 vehicles, 600 passengers, and 30 crew at a travelling speed of 20.3 knots. The ferry has three passenger decks and an outdoor sun deck. Facilities include the Canoe Café, Vista Restaurant, gift shop, and Raven’s Lounge. A comfortable reserved seat in the private Aurora Lounge is included in your fare. The 500-kilometre journey from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert takes 15 hours, almost all in daylight to permit great viewing of the rugged coastline and abundant wildlife, marine life, and birdlife. Our motorcoach travels on the ferry, so luggage and other belongings can be stored there.
-
Please book early: Travelling by train in Canada is very popular and the first-class service from Vancouver to Jasper is in high demand. VIA Rail and many hotels have strict policies about our commitment to the number of rooms needed and will cancel rooms from our original reservation if they can sell the rooms to other visitors. If this happens, we have to consider the tour full, even though seats are available on the motorcoach. This tour is limited to 40 travellers and it is has never been offered before, so it will probably be full. Therefore, waiting too long to book generally means “Sorry, wait until next year.”
-
Food Allergies: You must notify us no later than at final payment if you have a food allergy. The train may not be able to satisfy all food allergies. The box lunches for the train must be ordered well ahead. An allergy causes medical distress, a preference does not. For some allergies, please consider bringing your own snacks or food items so you are not dependent on what restaurants are able to serve.
-
Payments: A deposit of $300 per person is requested at the time of booking and balance is due March 24, 2026. By paying the deposit, you agree to the Terms & Conditions, Activity Level, and Cancellation Policy outlined. Payments can be made by online banking or cheque (3% discount on tour fare), or by Visa or Mastercard.
-
Early Booking Bonus: Receive a $250 discount on the first 12 seats and $125 on the next 8 seats for booking early with deposit. The discount is not offered after March 24, 2026.
-
BC Seniors (65 & over): $94 discount offered by BC Ferries and VIA Rail. Please bring your BC Services Card on the tour.
-
Cancellation Policy: Up to February 24, 2026, the cancellation charge is $100 per person. From February 25 to March 24, the cancellation charge is $300 per person (your deposit). From March 25 to April 24, the cancellation charge is 70% of the tour fare. After April 24, there is no refund.
-
Itinerary and Fare Changes: Our many suppliers may notify us about changes to the itinerary prior to departure and sometimes during the tour. We do our best to substitute a similar service if something cancels, but occasionally the only alternative is to provide a refund for the missed activity. Please note that if we are forced to cancel a tour component due to an issue beyond our control, the current penalties still apply if you choose to cancel the entire tour. Fuel surcharges and changes to taxes or other tour costs can occur at any time, therefore Wells Gray Tours reserves the right to increase fares due to such changes up to departure. Please read the information on page 6 “Special Note about the Train Schedule.”
-
Travel Insurance: A Comprehensive Insurance policy is available through Wells Gray Tours and coverage is provided by Travel Guard. Policies purchased at deposit include a waiver of the pre-existing condition clause for medical and cancellation claims, otherwise policies can be purchased no later than at final payment. This tour stays in Canada, but medical costs can vary wildly from one province to another. While your BC Services Card may partly cover you for a medical issue that arises during the tour, you will probably benefit from trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage in case of illness or a mishap before or during the tour. Many other benefits such as luggage insurance are included. Medical questionnaire is not needed. Please contact us for details. If you have your own travel insurance, please read the policy carefully to be sure that you are adequately covered for medical, cancellation, interruption, and luggage.
-
Photo Credits: VIA Rail (Mount Robson, Skeena Train, Jasper to Prince Rupert Route, Moose Lake), Wikimedia (Northern Expedition), and tour director Lisa (Inside Passage).
-
Experience Points or E-points: This tour earns 177 e-points. Each time you travel on a Wells Gray tour, you earn e-points that are added to your account after the tour returns. One e-point equals $1. Redeem your earned points on select tours or accumulate enough points to earn a free tour! Redemptions offered until March 24, 2026.
-
Consumer Protection BC Licences: Kamloops 178, Vernon 655, Kelowna 588, Penticton 924, Victoria 65842