5 train journeys that offer the most breathtaking views of Canada

Every school kid in Canada remembers learning about the Last Spike. When, in 1885, with a single swing of a hammer, the ceremonial spike was driven into the Canadian Pacific Railway in Cragellachia, British Columbia, and the country was united by a transcontinental ribbon of steel. 

But in an age of air travel, riding the rails in Canada has become less of a necessity and more of a pleasure trip. And there’s undoubtedly much joy awaiting, relaxing in a comfortable seat while the grandeur of the Rockies, maritime beaches, or the endless prairies rolls by outside a passenger train window. If you’re looking for a slow travel approach to exploring Canada, here are five of the best ways to see the country from the tracks. 

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1. The Windsor to Quebec City Corridor

Journey Time: 16 to 18 hours
Distance: Approximately 700 miles

The Windsor-Quebec City Corridor is the busiest stretch of track in the entire country, a rail route that connects major cities such as Toronto, Montreal, and the Canadian capital, Ottawa. Ridership numbers are high enough to warrant a high-speed link, planned for the future.

But there’s beauty here, too, especially on an evening departure from Montreal to Quebec. Every street you pass seems to finish in the water, the pavement descending to the shore of the Saint Lawrence River. The ambers and reds of the late day, reflecting off shimmering church steeples. The promise of poutine, that messy, beloved, traditional French-Canadian dish. Perhaps consumed at a table out on the cobblestones, in Old Quebec, a walled UNESCO World Heritage site that dates all the way back to 1608. 

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2. White Pass and Yukon Route

Journey Time: 2.75 hours
Distance: Approximately 40 miles

In 1896, prospectors struck gold in a remote place called Dawson City. Thousands of hopeful miners flooded in from around the world to this remote and hard-to-access place. The tiny town sits below the Arctic Circle, at the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike Rivers, not far from the highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains. 

Construction began in 1898 on this easier, and more efficient way to traverse the mountains that separate Skagway, on the famed Alaskan Inside Passage, from Whitehorse, directly connected to the gold fields in the Yukon River watershed. Today, cruise guests enjoy the views of the rushing, white waters of the Sitkine River, the salmon runs on the Anuk River, and, if you’re lucky, a glimpse of a Grizzly Bear.

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3. Rocky Mountaineer

Journey Time: Two days and one night
Distance: Approximately 497 miles (Vancouver to Banff)

For train travel in Canada, the Rocky Mountaineer is the premier scenic train. Several routes wind through Western Canada’s most pristine and memorable landscapes. The most traditional route runs from Banff, in the heart of the country’s first national park, to Vancouver, a jewel on the Pacific Coast. 

Along the way, passengers enjoy some of Canada’s most spectacular scenery. Each route passes by scenery that stretches the imagination, including the Spiral Tunnels in Kicking Horse Pass, iconic Stoney Creek Bridge on the First Passage to the West. Interpreters explain the significance of everything the train passes, including the importance of coastal rainforests and the drama of the Fraser Valley and Canyon, which stretches 167 miles over wild, Gold-Rush country, featuring roiling waterfalls, sheer cliffs, and deep gorges.

What’s the best part about a journey on the Rocky Mountaineer? You don’t need to miss a single second of the incredible scenery. The train stops for an overnight stay where the passenger booked their hotel in Kamloops. So, on day two, passengers are rested, awake, aware, and seated at their window, as the train descends through the coastal Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Splurge for the GoldLeaf service in a carriage car that features a glass dome for optimal views. 

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4. Winnipeg to Churchill

Journey Time: Two days 
Distance: Approximately 1,056 miles

It’s a long trip, rolling through the tundra, the train headed for Hudson Bay and all of the Arctic Icons that make this frosty place their home. When you arrive, you’ll find some of the most sought-after animals in the Far North, including beluga whales, but mostly polar bears. 

Churchill is a small village of fewer than 1,000 people, situated on the frigid shores of Hudson Bay, at the end of the train line. It is the Polar Bear Capital of the World, a spot directly on the annual fall migration route of hundreds of bears.

Take a tundra buggy or a stroll with these massive, white-furred predators at Churchill Wild, which offers guided hikes amongst the bears. Head home with your best travel story ever. As with any wildlife viewing experience, you should always be responsible travelers, watching wildlife at a safe distance. 

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5. The Canadian

Journey time: Four days and nights
Distance: Approximately 2,796 miles 

See a swath of Canada on this journey from the middle of the country to the coast. Departing from Toronto’s Union Station, Canada’s busiest transportation hub, which handles some 300,000 people every day.

On this journey, the land showcases the diversity of this massive country, including the brute beauty of the Canadian Shield and the breadth of the Great Lakes, which are truly inland seas. Other highlights include the Land of Living Skies on the prairies, followed by the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies, as you head toward the Pacific.

Booking a sleeper in Prestige class is recommended. Not only do passengers enjoy a relatively large, comfortable room with a private bathroom, but they also receive additional perks, including all-inclusive meal and bar service. The four-day, four-night-long trip feels a whole lot better once you reach the ocean, and if you’ve had a locally sourced, three-course meal and some good sleep along the way. 

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Best Railway Hotels 

When Canadian Pacific built the country’s first national railway in the late 19th century, the question remained, “Who will ride it?” Then-president William Cornelius Van Horne said, “If we can’t export the scenery, we’ll import the tourists.” And indeed, they came from all around the world, enjoying the views from the tracks, then laying their heads in a series of palatial hotels built across the country.

Many of these are absolute castles, including the Banff Springs, the Royal York, and Hotel Vancouver. The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is probably Canada’s most famous hotel. Opened in 1893, its towers and turrets still dominate the skyline of Vieux Quebec, a cobblestone wonder that remains the oldest walled city north of Mexico. If you can’t stay the night, dine in Champlain, their Michelin-recognized restaurant, where you can enjoy new Quebec cuisine and sweeping views of the Old City and the St. Lawrence River. 

If you can rest your head here, even for one night, we recommend the Celine Dion Suite, located in the original wing of the hotel. The suite has a mauve and pink palette that mirrors Dion’s tastes, and features images from Dion’s personal photographer, documenting her remarkable life and career over the years.