Rocky Mountaineer, a luxury train company known for its glass coach and the spirit of slow travel, is creating new courses through the Canada Rockies next year.
The route, which is just called “Passage to the Peaks,” runs between Banff and Jasper in Alberta, Canada in June and July 2026. Unlike other products that start at Jasper or Banff in Rocky Mountaineer and end in Vancouver (or sub-section, etc.), this new itinerary offers a completely Canadian Rocky.
The train tracks the historic railway between the towns of Gateway and appears in two of Canada’s two most beloved national parks, passing through glacier lakes, hanging valleys and jagged summits of the continental divide. Among the highlights visible from the train are the thunderous multi-layered pyramid falls, the towering face of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canada Rockies, at just under 13,000 feet.
Travelers can book on their own a two-day train journey, including an overnight stop in Kamloops, a riverside town about halfway between Banff and Jasper. Alternatively, you can choose one of several expansion packages (up to 10 days) including hotel stays and excursions, such as Banff and Jasper, Calgary (the largest city in Alberta) and Lake Louise (the famous turquoise glacial lake in Banff National Park, Banff National Park). Longer options add experiences like hiking at Lake Minnewanka, Columbia Ice Field (one of the largest accumulations of ice south of the Arctic), and riding the Banff Gondola and Jasper Sky Tram. The expanded itinerary will work as a motor coach tour (aside from two days by train).
On the train, guests can choose from two classes of services: Silver Leaf or Gold Leaf. The former is offered to a single-level coach with oversized glass dome windows and includes a seating breakfast and lunch. The latter rides two levels of coaches on the upper floors with glass downstairs and features an exclusive outdoor viewing platform. Gold Reef guests are served a slightly more expensive meal in the lower level dining room. Both services include overnight accommodation with snacks, drinks (including alcohol), and baggage delivery (though GoldLeaf services have a premium room category at hotels, while SilverLeaf Rooms is the standard level). Onboard hosts share stories about historic sites, landscapes and wildlife.
This route is designed to provide an immersive look to this corner of the Rockies, but is strategically well-timed. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada in parallel with the US and Mexico, brings an international influx of visitors to Vancouver, the traditional beginning and end point of Rocky Mountaineer.
“With the city is expected to welcome a considerable number of visitors, we are excited to offer alternative routes for those looking for a quieter experience,” the website says.
The book “Passing to the Peaks” itinerary on the Rocky Mountaineer website, the two-day train journey costs $2,107 in the Silverleaf category and $3,047 in the Goldleaf One.
