DAY 2 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19: (CB) Today we travel north onboard the new "Whistler Mountaineer" train over the former British Columbia Railway from North Vancouver to Whistler. You have two options:

Option 1: Upon arrival in Whistler depart by motorcoach for Squamish to visit the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. We take a ride on one of the former BCR Budd RDC railcars to the workshops. Late afternoon we will check in to our Squamish hotel.

Option 2: Spend the rest of the day exploring the Whistler Ski Resort Village; this resort operates both summer and winter. There are many interesting shops and pleasant walks to occupy your time.

DAY 3 SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20: Morning charter motorcoach from Whistler to Squamish with another stop at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park to see the Royal Hudson, steam locomotive No. 2860 in operation. The classic 4-6-4 will be operating all day in and around Squamish. If time permits, we will stop at the Britannia Mining Museum for an underground tour into the mine. We then continue on to Vancouver and board the late afternoon ferry for Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. There is a restaurant onboard and you can have dinner as we sail to the island. Upon arrival in Nanaimo, we continue north to Parksville and check-in at the Quality Resort Bayside Hotel.

DAY 4 SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21: (B) In the morning we travel from Parksville to Port Alberni which is nestled in the Alberni Valley and provides a wide variety of unique attractions. Browse through the many galleries and shops at the Alberni Harbor Quay Park and Market Place on harbor front. In the afternoon we will visit the Alberni Valley Museum, a treasure trove of local history, Folk art, and First Nations culture. We will also visit the Alberni Pacific Railway station and engine shop. One highlight will be a walking tour of the old McLean Saw Mill which is steam powered and we have arranged with the Alberni Pacific Railway to run our own private charter pulled by an ex-1929 Baldwin logging steam locomotive with photo run-bys. We then return to the east side of Vancouver Island to Courtney to catch the southbound "Malahat" passenger train on the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railroad. This E&N Railliner uses the classic Budd RDC railcars for equipment and in fact very few of these RDC rail cars are left in operation in North America. Enjoy views of charming communities and scenic sights that you can only see from the train. Upon arrival in Victoria we transfer to the nearby Queen Victoria Hotel & Suites for check-in.

DAY 5 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22: (B) We depart from our downtown hotel in Victoria and visit the famous Butchart Gardens which offers one spectacular sight after another. In 1904, the gardens began with a effort to beautify an old quarry site. From the exquisite Sunken Garden to the charming English Rose Garden, this 50 acre showplace today maintains the gracious traditions of the past, in one of the loveliest corners of the world. We then take an afternoon Victoria city tour and there is some free time to explore this colorful city. We spend the night at the Queen Victoria Hotel & Suites.

DAY 6 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 23: (B) We depart in the morning on the return ferry to the mainland and Vancouver. We will then take you on a Vancouver city tour to include Stanley Park, Gastown District, China Town, CPR Roundhouse, Lonsdale Quay Market, Seabus across the harbor, The waterfront district, and Vancouver's Skytrain. You could depart for home tonight or stay an extra day.

Fare: $849.00 plus GST (per person sharing) and $398.00 (single supplement)

Phone our tours office (604-524-1011) for pricing for portions that may be available from the above tour.

Contact us: Toll-free: 1-800-722-1233 or 604-524-1011
e-mail: tours@wcra.org Fax: 604-522-1293

To Make Reservations:

Our travel office is usually open during regular business hours, but if we are not there or are on the line you will get a message to which we ask you to reply. We will return your call as soon as possible. To make reservations or to request information on this, or other West Coast Rail Tours use the numbers above. We accept: Personal cheque (preferred), VISA, MasterCard, or American Express.

West Coast Rail Tours
Box 2790 Stn Terminal, Vancouver BC V6B 3X2 Canada
BC Travel Agent Reg. #1866
member: Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC, Tourism Vancouver, Vancouver Coast and Mountains Tourism Region