Vancouver to Whistler by Train Rail Tour

Vancouver, Canada

Ride the rails from Vancouver to Whistler on the spectacular Whistler Mountaineer train, passing through some of the world's most rugged fjords and mountains. The day trip to Whistler includes free time to explore Whistler Village, one of North America's most popular ski resorts and host of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

On your return drive to Vancouver, you'll stop at Shannon Falls, the third highest waterfall in British Columbia. Take a guided walk through an old-growth rainforest to see 1,000-year-old cedar trees with trunks measuring 35 - 40 feet (9-12 meters) wide, then return to Vancouver by mini-coach on the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

The highlight of the full-day tour from Vancouver is the Whistler Mountaineer rail tour. The train experience includes interpretive commentary of features along the route and access to the Heritage Observation Car for fresh air and unrestricted views of the spectacular scenery. The Coast Classic cabin offers a traditional rail experience with extended legroom and scenic views through large picture windows, with continental breakfast or light meal served at your seat and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages.

Please note:

• The rail portion of this tour is non-refundable

USD $258.16

Review by: Michael G	November 2011
We were unlucky to have bad weather every day in the week we were in Vancouver. The train trip was comfortable. Being advertised as dome-top we were disappointed when the glass cover did not cover the whole roof. ... there was only laps of glass at the top of the windows. We had a very windy stay in Whistler and was unable to do the Peak2Peak gondola.(much to our disapointment)

Review by: Beatrice B	October 2011
Fabulous trip, the train was superb, slowed down for photographers and the breakfast was scrumptious. Plenty of time in Whistler, we did the Peak to Peak, the scenery was stunning. Beautiful day, sunny, blue skies, so we were very lucky.

Review by: ute g	October 2011
Fabulous, staff couldn't do enough for you on the train, seats very comfy, had 2 open carriages for photo ops which was great, fabulous scenery all the way, one of the highlights of our trip

Review by: gajaria	September 2011
Inspite of Inclement Weather, the staff of the Rocky Mountaineer Train did their best to give all relevant information. Greg the coach driver also did his best to customise the trip and gave us lot of opportunities to click photographs!

Review by: Marilyn C	September 2011
We had a great time on this trip, the Rocky Mountaineer train journey was brilliant, service and personnel second to none. Tim our driver on the way back was very good, he even went out of his way to try and find us a bear to see. Would recommend booking with you to others.

Review by: Jonathan H	September 2011
Incredible trip with one-of-a-kind scenic views. The staff is very courteous and friendly. The bus trip back is quicker and you get to make a few stops along the way to view some pretty spectacular parts of British Columbia. Outstanding overall!

Review by: Frazer H	September 2011
The trip was well organised. It was a great day out. The scenery by rail was wonderful, and returning by mini bus presented us with different vistas of the surrounding hills and coastline. Our driver back was excellent and informative. The only down side was the current Rocky Mountaineer staff dispute, lock out, which made us feel uncomfortable about their staffing practices.

Review by: Andrew P	August 2011
What a fantastic trip, we enjoyed the whole day, train was comfortable, staff attentive, food good. Loved Whistler too, the peak to peak cable car (gondola), was an incredible experience. Great guide (Will) who drove us back and stopped at 4 points of interest, including 2 amazing waterfalls. Thoroughly recommend.

Review by: Rajendra K	August 2011
The guide, Tavis, did not pick us up on time to the train. Did not call the night before the trip. No information was given about the trip. Train journey was excellent. The guide left us at Wistler village without proper information, as if we were on our on type of situation. We will not go on a trip this the type of guide we get.

Review by: DONALD T	August 2011
Excellent trip well worth the money with a first class representative from the company

Review by: Susan D	July 2011
Excellent trip. Service on the train was fantastic. On the bus coming back, the tour guide did one more thing to make the trip memorable. When he saw a car ahead at a lay by he pulled in to it also. As he said "why would someone take a picture of a tree " and sure enough there was a big black bear on the other side of the road calmly roaming through the bushes.

Review by: Hedo	July 2011
Service and scenery first class!

Review by: Steven P	July 2011
Good trip. Good bus guide except we were not met at the Whistler train station as promised. We had to ask several train attendants. Our guide showed up after a 10 minute wait. Other-wise would have been 5 stars.

Review by: suresh s	July 2011
Extremely great trip, very exceptional service._br/_ Very pleased with overall trip.

Review by: Heather Jane M	July 2011
I was absolutely thrilled with the Whistler Train Rail Tour. The service was 110% the scenery was awesome and the village of Whistler amazing. I am so thrilled to have been part of this wonderful trip.

Review by: Mike	July 2011
Although the employees of the train company were on strike and picketing the trip was great. The management and volunteers did a great job filling in and could not have been more friendly and professional in their job duties. We booked the Glacier Dome and were very happy that we did. Big seats, open bar, great breakfast, great service, it couldn't have been better. Many reviews on this site say that the Glacier Dome wasn't worth it, I say go for it. It is definitely worth it and it's your vacation. Save money somewhere else. The LandSea tour was on time picking us up at the hotel and meeting us up in Whistler. Greg was our driver and was great. He becomes your personal tour director pointing out sites along the way and providing history and stories on the way back to Vancouver. He will even recommend restaurants in Whistler or Vancouver and call and make your reservations along the way. The guys incredible. Make sure you ask for him if you are taking this tour. We did the Gondola to the top and peak to peak was cool. Rained a little on the way up but still a great experience. Nothing went wrong at any time; we even saw many bears on the way back to Vancouver. Greg goes out of his way to make sure you see some. I would definitely do it again.

Review by: Kathryne P	July 2011
It's a good idea going by train to Whistler and by bus going back to the hotel. We had a good time.

Review by: Vicky P	July 2011
Do the trip . our guide was Will and he was amazing._br/_ The train was fabulous! it went at a good pace so you could take photos and even slowed right down in some spots. the food served was great and the service was impeccable. Whislter was a beautiful town and we were lucky when we were there as it was a very hot day. lots of nice restaurants to eat. the bus trip was great Will our guide went out of his way to find us sightings of bears. We saw Five black bears of all sizes. A great day was had by all. Would recommend not to miss this trip.

Review by: robert a	July 2011
great trip, well organised. Train trip was terrific, very scenic, staff on train very attentive. Peak to Peak at Whistler was spectacular. Bus side of journey was also great, very informative and helpful driver, who made sure we saw bears (7) on way back! Would definitely recommend.

Review by: Ross K	July 2011
The train ride to Whistler (Rocky Mountaineer) was very picturesque but try and get a seat on the left side for the best views. I wouldn't worry about paying extra for the dome carriages as their is an outdoor carriage that is optimal for photography._br/_ The time at Whistler went quite quickly but the tour guide, Andrew was terrific and helped plan each person's time. The trip back by bus was great. Andrew showed us some very unusual mansions and then we went bear spotting. Unfortunately we were only able to spot one bear by the side of the highway but at leats we didn't miss out. Shannon Falls was our last stop and it is not to be missed - beautiful. Thank you Andrew for a lovely day!

Review by: Sandy	July 2011
A great way to experience the Rocky Mountaineer train. Friendly helpful staff . Breathtaking views from the train and the bus ride back down the highway was a great way to see more of this beautiful country side and spot wildlife with the help of Brent our guide/bus driver.A great experience even though the weather was not the best at Whistler. Recommend the Peak to Peak the views are great and even got to see a bear walking round in the snow...

Review by: Francis N	June 2011
The train ride was great but on arrival at Whistler we were left to ourselves for 4.5 hours without a guide. The bus ride was good because we got to see some bears on the way thanks to the Tour guide. I must say that your price was substantially higher (some US200 per person) than a normal advertised bus tour with other companies. I do not feel that the train ride (one-way) is worth the difference. I would also like to inform you that I sent you two e.mails prior to our departure asking you to confirm that you would pick us up from our hotel and the time, with no convincing reply. You basically referred me to the printed e.ticket.

Review by: ANUP M	June 2011
Absolutely fabulous trip and a most comfortable journey by train

Review by: Barry M	June 2011
We had an awesome time, Whistler is a beautiful place, straight out of the pages of a story book. Everything about our day was just perfect. Would love to go back sometime.

Review by: PETER F	June 2011
We enjoyed the Rocky Mountaineer Train. We did not enjoyed the 4 hour stay in Whistler as it was too long and boring. It was cold in Whistler and we did not have much to do and there was no tour guide except the driver who drop up off. We did not enjoyed very much on this tour for the money we paid.

Review by: Donald S	June 2011
Well organised. The coach driver was excellent and included a couple of stops not on the itinerary, including sightings of black bears. Only criticism was that the pick up from the Hotel was 15 minutes late and we were not informed, which caused a certain amount of concern

Review by: Joann C	June 2011
Nice trip....continental breakfast so so....cold croissant egg sandwich.

Review by: John Y	October 2010
Chose to pay extra for Dome Car tour. Was first class! Commentary, service, quality of breakfast all exceeded expectations. Was raining and overcast, but still enjoyed Gondola (incl peak-to-peak) rides. Just enough time to stroll around the beautiful alpine village. Return by bus was well commentated with stops for photos at key sites.

Review by: Yoriko S	October 2010
We enjoy the Tour!

Review by: Doris E	September 2010
Way too expensive

Review by: Kat	September 2010
What an awesome experience this was!!! If your going to take this trip to Whistler than there is no other way to go!! It was amazing!! Staff were fabulous. Food really lovely. Very well organized activity

Review by: Anonymous	August 2010
From start to finish, this trip is a must for anyone who can spare the day! We booked the Glacier Dome option and had so many moments filled with awe during the trip. The service was top-notch and the food was excellent. The ride back on the coach bus was very pleasant and Shannon Falls was lovely!

Review by: Susan S	July 2010
Amazing experince! Loved the doom car train ride.

Review by: Don E	July 2010
Everything was wonderful and very professionally operated. Our hotel pickup and drop off went off without a hitch.

Review by: Anonymous	July 2010
Really enjoyed this tour. Train ride was good, but the bus trip back was probably more interesting for us more variety of things to see. Our tour guide Greg was excellent, easy going and very accommodating. He went out of his way to find the group some bears to see never guaranteed and allowed plenty of time for watching them we ended up seeing seven, including a mother and her two cubs. This and the Whistler Peak to Peak gondola ride up the mountain optional and additional cost were highlights of the day for us. The Classic seating on the train was fine - having been now, glad we didn't pay the additional cost to sit in the Dome section - most people end up walking around anyway.

Review by: JILLIAN F, Australia	June 2010
We had a wonderful day on this trip. The service on the Mountaineer was great along with the splendid views.Whistler is a must for Canadian visitors. The bus trip back to Vancouver with even more spectacular scenery, was a great finish to the day. A great value trip and Highly recommended.Jill and Mike, Victoria, Australia.

Review by: Malcolm W, New Zealand	June 2010
We took the Glacial Dome option, which turned out to be very worthwhile. The 'Rocky Mountaineer' customer service could not be faulted for comfort, food, commentary enjoyment, etc. The only negative on this tour was that we chose to return from Whistler by bus and the drivertour guide was very poor at giving clear instructions. We were also subjected to sitting for extended periods while he processedcollected tour costs, etc.

Review by: Lynda B	June 2010
Very disappointed with this tour and it was certainly not value for money. The train trip was particularly disappointing. Views were poor due to trees growing beside the train tracks covering the general outlook. Maybe we expected more as we had only recently returned from train trips and coach tours in Alaska. Despite the recent Olympics, Whistler with little snow is basically only a tourist trap which is overpriced. Bus trip on return was much better.

Review by: Noreliza O, Brunei	May 2010
A must do experience for family, couples or even individual travellers. Beautiful sceneries throughout the journey.

Review by: Dennis B, Australia	May 2010
This was an amazing trip. The scenery we saw was breathtaking and the comentry excellent. The whole train slowed down in a number of spots to allow for photo opportunities. I am glad we spent the extra for the Dome Car seats, it added a lot to the experience. After 4 hours in Whistler, plenty of time to do the chair lifts and the Peak to Peak sky tram we were taken back to the hotel, with 4 stops. Tim, the Land Sea guide driver, even pulled over when a wild black bear was sighted eating grass on the roadside. This was one of the highlights of our holiday. Thank you Land Sea tours and Viator for a great time. Anyone considering this trip as part of your holiday, don't, just book it and do it you will not be disappointed.

Review by: Stephanie G, United States of America	October 2009
The views were beautiful and the staff on board The Whistler were lovely! A relaxing, and scenic, way to go to Whistler, which is a cute ski town and fun to walk around. The train is a bit old, and the glacier dome isn't a panoramic dome we were expecting an entire glass window dome seating, so as long as your expectations are realistic, this will be enjoyable. The best part was the drive back where we were able to stop and take scenic landscape pictures, go to Shannon Falls, and take a mini hike. Our tour guide was very fun and the group enjoyed the variety of taking a train to Whistler and a bus back.

Review by: Christine G, United States of America	October 2009
This trip was so fun. Scenery was spectacular! You just felt the train employees went out of their way for us to enjoy our trip. Very organized. Loved every minute of it. Love reserved seats, yet freedom in the open car. Really would not change a thing - except maybe a little more time in Whistler. Worth every penny.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	October 2009
I took the train to Whistler, because I wanted to see the scenic side of Canada via train. You have some great opportunities to photograph nature, but I'm not sure if I'd spend the money for the train ride next time. If you decide to do the train, coach travel is fine for pictures as there is an outside deck available to all passengers. Once in Whistler, I had time to eat lunch, digest lunch and walk around for 1.5hrs. The Gondola rides were closed that day, so we missed that scenic opportunity. The van ride back from Whistler was nice. We were able to stop for a 10-minute break at Tamapalis Point and Shannon Falls. Even on a rainy day, Shannon was beautiful to photograph.

Review by: Jennifer H, Australia	September 2009
This was the best tour to go on to Whistler, the train trip was fantastic and well worth it! The tour company was great in explaining how everything worked, and the time in Whistler was just enough to do the Peak to Peak gondola ride, which at the time I went was just beautiful. The trip back by bus was great also, and the tour guide was an expert in their knowledge of the area. I would recommend this to anybody who wants to travel by train up and bus it back.

Review by: Woodrow G, United States of America	September 2009
The train and personnel were nice. The views were obstructed in most part by the trees. It was my understanding it was a train ride both ways! The bus was better for the views. Two stops were informative and educational. The water fall were impressive. We took higher price with hope the train has the high up dome, not windows in top of the car! Not a good deal! The price was too high for the value delivered. Next time will rent a car and do my own site seeing!

Review by: Ernest J V, South Africa	September 2009
It was one of the most beautiful places we ever visited and we will be back.

Review by: Seamus K, United Kingdom	September 2009
Spectacular train trip up to the mountain with high quality service and superb staff "in charge". Ample time at Whistler to avail of the other trips being offered up there. Excellent choice to travel back in the "bus" on the way down from the mountain, with a pleasant, helpful guide showing us other interesting "sites."

Review by: Farouk M, Malaysia	September 2009
We had a good time on the Whistler Mountaineer. The Attendants on the train were helpful & the service was perfect! They pointed out various scenic spots to photograph, before we came to them. The Guide in Whistler was good!

Review by: Ernest V	September 2009
It was one of the most beautiful places we ever visited and we will be back.

Review by: Jo L, Australia	August 2009
A very relaxing tour. It was scenic and nice to travel 1st class. I'm not sure it's worth the extra to go in the dome train unless you have plenty of money to spend - if you only travel business class/1st class by plane or have lots of money to spend, then take the dome. Otherwise I wouldn't pay the extra as you see the same view and have access to the observation deck like the dome does. The staff is very friendly. Whistler village was great. The tour guide gave tips on a great deli to buy lunch, which was excellent. The gondola ride to the top was awesome and it was worth doing the peak to peak. The bus ride back was very informative and you stopped along the way to take photos, etc. The rainforest walk was a bit boring, however it was only for 25 mins and it was interesting to see how big the cedar trees can grow!