After two 1/2 days Exploring Vancouver, it was finally time for the journey we had been for a long time with Gary and Mary.
We would enjoy two days on the Rocky Mountaineer: Vancouver to Jasper by Train by Train— first following the Fraser River northeast to Kamloops, then engaging with the Thompson River north through the mountains all the way to Jasper. Join us on our spectacular 500 mile journey through the Canadian Rockies northeast to the Continental Divide.
🚂 Boarding the Rocky Mountaineer: Vancouver to Jasper Train
We arrived at the Rocky Mountaineer station by bus promptly at 7:30 am, greeted by the smiling Rocky Mountaineer staff — and the unexpected delight of a bagpiper playing on the platform. Both set the tone perfectly.
We were quickly directed to our assigned railcar #4 and climbed the small circular staircase up to the glass-dome seating area above the dining section below. Once everyone was settled, the crew introduced themselves, ran through a quick safety briefing, and explained exactly how the day would unfold.
The dining rotation was simple: one group would head downstairs for breakfast first while the other remained in their seats, treated to coffee, beverages, and breakfast cakes to hold them over. The rotation would reverse on Day Two — a thoughtful touch that felt entirely fair. The dinning area had 8-10 tables of four with large windows for viewing during our meals. This allowed for a friendly intimate dinning experience
🍳 Breakfast Service as We Pull Out of the Station
We headed downstairs first and were immediately welcomed with menus offering five wonderful breakfast entrée options — including gluten-free versions, which was a joy for Mary. As our server took our orders, the train began its slow pull out of the station and we could hear Clayton, the lead host, begin narrating our departure through Vancouver.
Clayton and his assistant Heather were both exceptional throughout the two days — but it was Clayton’s remarkable depth of knowledge and natural storytelling ability that truly made the journey come alive.
The breakfast options were genuinely delicious and a step above the usual fare. I went with the orange flavored pancakes topped with a beautiful peach compote. Others at our table went for various egg combinations — all of which were met with enthusiastic approval. It was a great start to what would be a spectacular two days.
🏔️ The Fraser River: Our First Day’s Companion
After pulling out of Vancouver, we headed northeast along the Fraser River — our guiding companion for the entire first day. The river is one of British Columbia’s most significant waterways, stretching nearly 1,400 kilometers from its headwaters near Mount Robson all the way to the Pacific Ocean near Vancouver. In the lower canyon sections we traveled through, the river carries a notable murky brown color — the result of picking up enormous amounts of sediment along its journey, with no large lakes along this stretch to allow it to settle.
The scenery shifted dramatically as the morning progressed. We traveled through pristine green valleys, past shimmering lakes, and into a deep forested canyon where steep pine-covered walls closed in on either side of the tracks. Through gaps in the trees, we caught glimpses of rushing water and picturesque waterfalls tumbling down the canyon walls.
🚃 The Railways That Built British Columbia
Throughout the day, our host Clayton wove in fascinating stories about the two major railway systems that operate through this corridor:
Canadian National Railway (CN) — founded in 1919, CN is one of Canada’s largest railways, spanning coast to coast and into the United States. Its history through British Columbia is tied closely to the settlement and development of the interior.
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) — established in 1881 and completed in 1885, the CP was instrumental in uniting Canada as a nation. The construction of its tracks through the Rocky Mountains is considered one of the great engineering feats of the 19th century, built largely by Chinese laborers under extraordinarily difficult conditions.
Both railways operate their own tracks through this region, and at certain points share sections of track to streamline passage. We frequently had to pause and wait for long freight trains — many loaded with timber products heading south out of the mountains — to clear before we could continue. Far from frustrating, these brief stops gave us even more time to soak in the scenery.
🌵 When Forest Turns to Desert
As Clayton had promised, the dramatic canyon forests eventually gave way to an entirely different landscape — an arid, open desert terrain of scrub brush, rock, and wide sky. The transformation was startling and beautiful in its own right.
Here, the Fraser River widened and quickened into rapids, and we spotted several groups of river rafters making their way through the fast water in inflatable RIB boats — clearly having the time of their lives. We watched from our comfortable dome seats with a combination of admiration and gratitude for our own mode of transport.
As we drew closer to Kamloops, the river began to shift color from its characteristic murky brown to a clearer blue-green — a sign that we were approaching Kamloops Lake, where the river’s sediment finally settles. Wildlife made its appearance too: mountain goats picking their way along rocky outcroppings and a few cattle dotting the countryside.
🍽️ Lunch and the Open-Air Platform
Lunch was another outstanding meal, and we made sure to take advantage of the open-air platform at the rear of the railcar between courses. Stepping outside while the train is moving is one of those simple travel pleasures that never gets old — fresh mountain air, the sound of the wheels on the track, and unobstructed views of the scenery falling away behind us. The open air patio area comfortably accommodated about a dozen people with side rail viewing areas on each side. We enjoyed conversations with several other passengers along the way.
All along the journey, Clayton kept us engaged with the layered history of the region — from the glacial forces that carved these valleys millions of years ago, through thousands of years of First Nations habitation, the railroad construction era of the late 1800s, and right up to the present day.
It was a master class in storytelling, and it made every mile more meaningful.
🏙️ Kamloops: From Fur Trading Post to Modern City
We passed the clear, blue waters of Kamloops Lake just south of Kamloops before pulling into the station. In a remarkably seamless operation, we disembarked the train and were guided directly to our assigned bus. Our luggage was handled entirely by staff — and since our room keys had been distributed on the train, there was no check-in line waiting for us at the hotel. A small detail, but deeply appreciated after a full day of travel.
A little Kamloops history: The city sits at the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers and has been home to the Secwepemc (Shuswap) people for thousands of years. European contact came in 1811 when fur traders established a post here, drawn by the region’s rich beaver populations. The Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858 brought a surge of settlers and cemented Kamloops as a critical interior hub.
Today, Kamloops is a compact city of just over 100,000 people, known for wood processing, regional sports tournaments, and Thompson Rivers University. It’s a working city rather than a tourist destination, which suited us perfectly. We checked into the DoubleTree Hotel and headed out in search of a light dinner.
We ended up at Mitz Kitchen⭐⭐⭐⭐ , a solid local find featuring good food, relaxed atmosphere, and exactly what we needed after a full day on the train.
☕ Day Two: Kamloops to Jasper
We were back on the train promptly at 8:00 am the following morning. True to the rotating schedule, it was now our turn to enjoy coffee, tea, and an indulgent spread of pastries and cakes while the first group headed downstairs for breakfast. No complaints here.
The second day followed the Thompson River Valley northward, and the landscape shifted again — the desert terrain of Day One softened back into lush green forests, with towering conifers lining steep mountain walls on both sides. The skies were a deep, clear blue that made the already spectacular scenery even more breathtaking.
🏔️ Into the Mountains: The Engineering Marvel of the Tracks
As we pushed deeper into the mountains, Clayton explained the extraordinary challenges the railway builders faced constructing these tracks along the riverbed through such rugged terrain. We passed over bridges spanning dizzying gorges, through tunnels bored directly through mountain rock, and alongside stretches where engineers had constructed rockslide sheds — long concrete and tin canopies built directly over the tracks to protect trains from the rock and debris that regularly tumbles down the steep mountain walls.
We passed powerful waterfalls and shared the corridor with several CPR freight trains heading in the opposite direction. As we moved north, the mountains grew taller and more dramatic, one range flowing seamlessly into the next.
Clayton shared that Jasper is uniquely surrounded by five distinct mountain ranges, all carved over millennia by enormous glaciers during the last Ice Age. The Athabasca, Colin, Maligne, and Queen Elizabeth ranges all converge here, making Jasper one of the most geologically dramatic places in North America.
🔥 Jasper: A Town Rebuilding After Fire
As we approached Jasper, Clayton prepared us for what we would see. In August 2024, a catastrophic wildfire swept through the Jasper area, consuming over 85,000 acres of surrounding forest and destroying approximately 30% or 353 of the structures within the town of Jasper itself.
Residents had less than 48 hours to evacuate — a testament to how fast the fire moved through the dry mountain terrain.
Seeing the burned forest through the train windows was sobering — mile after mile of blackened trunks standing against the blue sky, the ground below already beginning its slow recovery with new green growth pushing through the ash.
🏨 Arriving in Jasper
Despite the fire damage in the surrounding wilderness, Jasper the town is a genuinely charming and resilient place. Most hotels and restaurants have been rebuilt and are fully open, though some facilities — spas, gyms, and similar amenities — are still being restored. The community’s spirit was unmistakable. The townspeople were warm, proud, and clearly grateful for every visitor who chose to come.
After checking into the Forest Park Hotel, we headed out for a light dinner — our third consecutive meal of restraint after the extraordinary quantities of food and drink enjoyed on the train. The evenings are extraordinarily long this far north in summer; it doesn’t get fully dark until after 10:00 pm, which gave us plenty of time to wander and, of course, find our nightly ice cream, because that’s what we do. 🙂
On the way back, we encounter a large female moose walking through town. We had been warned they were plentiful and to stay clear away from them if they showed up.
🌅 A Free Morning in Jasper
We had the following morning to ourselves, a genuine gift after the structured pace of the train. Bob and I found a breakfast spot at a nearby hotel — not our finest meal of the trip — before he headed back to catch up on some work.
I set out on foot through town, breathing in the remarkable mountain air and taking pictures as the shops slowly opened for the day. The main street had a relaxed, authentic feel — a real mountain town rather than a manufactured tourist experience. I picked up a few souvenirs and magnets, chatted with friendly locals, and made my way back to find Gary and Mary happily settled on the hotel patio in the sunshine.
🚡 The Jasper SkyTram: Above the Treeline
At noon, our tour bus arrived for the ride to the Jasper SkyTram on Whistler Mountain — named not for any ski association but for the distinctive whistling call of the Hoary Marmots that make their home on the mountain’s upper slopes.
The gondola ride to the upper station takes approximately seven minutes, climbing 973 meters (3,192 feet) to an elevation of 2,277 meters (7,470 feet). From the viewing area near the summit, the panorama is genuinely breathtaking — the town of Jasper nestled in the valley below, the surrounding mountain ranges stretching in every direction, and the full extent of the 2024 fire damage laid out across the valley and hillsides.
We warmed up with hot chocolates at the summit cafe before making our way back down to the waiting coach.
🏔️ Pyramid Lake
Our next stop was Pyramid Lake — a stunning glacially-fed lake nestled at the base of Pyramid Mountain, its distinctive triangular peak reflected in the clear water. The lake is a year-round recreation area for both locals and visitors, popular for kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, and hiking in summer, and ice fishing and skating in winter.
We spent some time exploring the shoreline before heading back into Jasper for our final evening.
🍽️ Dinner at Raven’s Bistro— ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly Recommended
For our last dinner in Jasper, we had reservations at Raven’s Bistro — a recommendation from Heather, our train guide, that proved to be absolutely spot on. We strolled down into town past the famous Jasper sign and into a warm, welcoming dining room.
The food was exceptional and the service matched it perfectly — attentive, warm, and unhurried. A full five-star experience on both counts. If you’re visiting Jasper, Raven’s Bistro is a must. Make a reservation.
Raven’s Bistro was strategically located next to Scoops & Loops a local ice cream parlor, which we checked out for our report, and is also highly recommended.
➡️ Next Stop: Banff
This wrapped up our Vancouver to Jasper segment of the journey. The following morning, we boarded a coach for the scenic drive south to Banff — where two more days of Rocky Mountain adventure awaited.
Read our next post: Banff: Two Days in the Heart of the Canadian Rockies
■ Rocky Mountaineer: Vancouver to Jasper by Train Practical Notes
Our route: Journey Through the Clouds — Vancouver → Kamloops → Jasper
Service level: Gold Leaf (glass dome, upper seating, full dining below)
Train days: 2 (Vancouver to Kamloops / Kamloops to Jasper)
Overnight in Kamloops: DoubleTree Hotel ⭐⭐⭐+ — arranged by Rocky Mountaineer
Dinner in Kamloops: Mitz Kitchen ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — good local option
Overnight in Jasper: Forest Park Hotel ⭐⭐⭐⭐— arranged by Rocky Mountaineer
Dinner in Jasper: Raven’s Bistro ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — reservations strongly recommended
Jasper SkyTram: Included in our Rocky Mountaineer tour package
Jasper recovery status (May 2026): Most hotels and restaurants fully open; some resort amenities still being restored
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