This extraordinary train journey is an unforgettable bucket-list item

As we roll out of Banff, Rocky Mountaineer staff stand to attention and wave us off, proudly brandishing both the company and Canadian flags. It’s spring, yet snow still lies thick on the ground, and it’s one of those bluebird days you can only dream of when you’re going to be seeing the Canadian Rockies up close. As we gather speed, jagged snow-dusted mountains loom either side of us as we skirt the glacier-fed Bow River.

Plunging deeper into the Rockies, past the majestic Castle Mountain, otherworldly vistas appear through the glass-dome roof at every turn. I spot a lone elk in the thick pine forest by the tracks, the first of many wildlife encounters.

Those lucky enough to join Rocky Mountaineer’s First Passage to the West journey in the Gold Leaf carriage that morning feel like celebrities. We are literally walking the red carpet as we step onboard the dual-level carriage with seating up top and dining below.

Rocky Mountaineer’s First Passage to the West journey takes passengers through majestic landscapes in British Columbia.

A team of four attend to our every whim over the next two days, headed up by the affable, moustached Billy Evans with backing by Karmen, Emily and Ariel.

Travelling through the Rockies to the heart of British Columbia (BC), we not only pass rugged mountains but dreamy aquamarine lakes, raging rivers and astonishing canyons. We cross dizzyingly high iron bridges, travel through spiral tunnels that defy physics and pass colourful, craggy hills in a desert-like landscape you don’t expect in Canada.

We spot soaring bald eagles, ospreys, bighorn sheep and even a moose. We’d searched in vain for a bear in Banff and Jasper, and then a black bear is spotted ambling alongside the Thompson River as we depart Kamloops.

Ariel Anderson, our host who points it out, is as excited as the rest of us (thankfully, as I practically push her out of the way to get a better look). “Being able to show people this incredible part of the world and the wildlife is what makes it special for me,” she says.

Rocky Mountaineer is the only rail company that takes passengers along this historic and, arguably, most scenic of its four routes which travel the original Canadian Pacific Railway opened in 1885. It moves by way of the Spiral Tunnels past Craigellachie, where the last spike in the coast-to-coast railroad was struck, past the notorious Hell’s Gate.

Passengers can opt to depart from Vancouver (heading east) or Banff or Lake Louise (heading west) which is the direction we travel (tip: travel westward as delays could mean arriving in the Rockies as darkness is falling). An overnight stop in Kamloops means, bar any delays, you travel during daylight hours so as not to miss a single thing.

And there’s so much to see – even after leaving the Rockies behind. I had low expectations scenery-wise of the second leg but am thrilled to be proved wrong.

The Rocky Mountaineer passes Mule Shoe Lake in Alberta.

After settling into our heated, reclining leather seat with legroom to rival an airline’s business class, we head downstairs for breakfast seated across from a couple from California. We’re soon lost in conversation over eggs Benedict before heading back upstairs where Billy points out a stone cairn as we cross the Continental Divide.

“It’s the highest point in our journey and the natural divide for waterways,” he tells us as we pass the blink-or-you-miss-it marker at mile 122.2. Here rivers to the west flow into the Kicking Horse and Columbia Rivers before finally reaching the Pacific Ocean. To the east they flow into the Bow and Saskatchewan Rivers and eventually the Atlantic Ocean.

Shortly after, Billy announces the bar is open – news greeted enthusiastically by the entire carriage – and the drinks (included in your ticket cost) are flowing. My travelling companion, Josie, and I order a Gin Rocky and a margarita.

Along with a sizeable Australian contingent (Aussies make up 14 per cent of all passengers), there are travellers from all corners of the globe. There’s Welsh Michael, a train buff and avid photographer, celebrating his 68th birthday with his wife. The smile never leaves his face as he tells me how wonderful it is as we take it all in from the open-air viewing platform, wind in our hair.

A viewing platform aboard Rocky Mountaineer’s First Passage to the West journey.

Then there’s a couple from Perth and another from the Netherlands visiting their adult daughter working in Jasper. And our lovely friends from California who we are unlikely to ever see again but with whom we enjoy sharing this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Aside from the views, the food is another highlight. Regionally inspired dishes – much of the produce sourced locally along the rail route – are accompanied by local organic wines, beers and high-end spirits.

What the culinary team (three per carriage) manage to plate up in narrow galley kitchens while the train is moving is impressive. Memorable, food wise, is the Alberta striploin steak with smoked paprika, crushed potatoes and green peppercorn jus, and rare seared BC albacore tuna with roasted beets, olive tapenade and truffle oil. We’re also served hot scones with jam and cream in our seat for afternoon tea.

What takes me most by surprise is how much the locals love this train. From remote towns to lakeside villages, folks wave as the navy and gold rail cars roll past. Kids on bikes, people drinking beer by the lake, old ladies on front porches, motorists hanging out of cars and men raking leaves in backyards – it seems everybody waves.

Otherworldly vistas appear through the glass-dome roof at every turn.

But it’s perhaps the story of Doris Lund that stays with me. As we approach Doris’ yellow house in the small town of Canoe, Billy tells us Doris has waved – joyfully, with both arms – at the Rocky Mountaineer almost unfailingly for more than 13 years.

She’s such a fixture along the route that in 2017, Rocky Mountaineer invited her onboard to experience the train for herself, staff gathering on her porch to wave back at her as she passed.

Today it’s her husband waving at us and another unforgettable encounter this extraordinary train journey delivers.

The details

Train
Rocky Mountaineer’s two-day rail journey travels between Banff, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia, with an overnight stop in Kamloops. The First Passage to the West itinerary operates seasonally from April to October costs from $C2245 ($2446) a person in Silver Leaf class. See rockymountaineer.com

Fly
Air Canada flies direct between Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne to Vancouver with connections to Calgary (the closest hub to Banff). See aircanada.com

Stay
Rocky Mountaineer optional packages include (non-rail) extensions to Banff, Lake Louise and Vancouver. No routes or extensions will be offered to Jasper until the 2025 season due to devastating wildfires in July. It’s advisable to plan extra overnights pre- and post-journey and not book onward flights for the day of departure or arrival. Arrival times may be delayed due to freight trains (our train arrived thee-and-a-half hours late into Vancouver).

In Banff, Hotel Canoe and Suites has 192 spacious rooms for a contemporary stay with an outdoorsy edge. Inhouse restaurant Suddenly Sally serves cocktails, local beers, hand-selected wines and good coffee. Guests receive complimentary Roam Transit (popular with locals and tourists) passes, which offer a short bus ride to the cafes, restaurants and bars of downtown Banff. Rooms from $C320 ($350). See hotelcanoeandsuites.com

Also in Banff, experience dreamy mountain vistas overlooking the Bow Valley and exceptional degustation dining at Eden in the Rimrock Resort Hotel, recently voted North America’s Best Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant. Rooms from $C395 ($432). The 333-room hotel will undergo a significant makeover following new ownership and management by Accor. See rimrockresort.com

The writer was a guest of Rocky Mountaineer and Banff and Lake Louise Tourism. See banfflakelouise.com