Train travel in the Rockies is a one-of-a-kind adventure that lets you spot towering red-rock arches, vast deserts and deep canyons from glass-domed coaches. Locally inspired dining and a Champagne toast as you cross the Continental Divide round out this luxurious experience. And, with three routes and several packages to choose from, Rocky Mountaineer—the most award-winning train experience in the world—is the best way to enjoy the majesty of the Colorado and Canadian Rockies.
The opulent trains, which have won 13 prestigious awards, including Lonely Planet’s Best Train in 2021, offer multiple options for guests, from a two-day trip to the outdoor playground of Moab to a five-day journey that takes you from Denver to Glenwood Springs. All routes showcase stunning scenery and are a feast for the senses, thanks to the fact that the trains only travel during daylight hours, and that they move at an average speed of 30 mph.
Amtrak’s California Zephyr is another scenic train that careens across the state’s rugged mountain peaks and along glacier-carved valleys, but it lacks Rocky Mountaineer’s upscale amenities and services. The company’s Gold Leaf and Silver Leaf cars are the top-of-the-line, with seating that resembles first class on an airplane, large at-your-seat windows and expert hosts to narrate your journey.
The Rocky Mountaineer is also the only train best sightseeing train trips that runs into the Canadian Rockies from Vancouver, with its routes winding through Whistler, Banff and Jasper. The deluxe Rainforest to Gold Rush route spans three days and two nights, starting in the adventure mecca of Whistler and continuing through British Columbia’s mountaintop wilderness and history of the Gold Rush.
On the first leg of the journey from Vancouver, you’ll see the luminous turquoise blue color of Lake Seton, which was once part of Lake Anderson but separated by a landslide 1,000 years ago. And, the train will pass over the spit of land known as Seton Portage that connects Anderson and Seton, creating an unusual lake chain that is part of the stunning landscape.
At about 9:30, the train will enter the Bow River canyon, with snow-capped mountains on both sides of the broad valley. After crossing the bridge over the deep Fraser River (the only higher rail bridge is the much taller Stoney Creek Bridge on the train’s Banff-Vancouver route), look for Castle Mountain to your right.
The train soon passes into the Cariboo Plateau, where pine trees are everywhere as you pass cattle ranches and timber country. At about 16:00 the train crosses the wide and deep Deep Creek Bridge, one of the highest rail bridges in North America—and it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for wildlife, especially bears!