The Canadian: Prairies & Rockies by rail

Relax with complimentary airport lounge access before boarding your flight to Manitoba's capital city Winnipeg. On arrival, you'll make your way to your centrally located hotel. Winnipeg, known affectionately as "The Peg", is set at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, its attractions including the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, the superb Winnipeg Art Gallery, the historic districts of The Forks and Lower Fort Garry and the Exchange District with its abundance of early 20th-century architecture.

Stay: Inn at the Forks, Winnipeg (Superior)

With a final day to explore, perhaps take in a Winnipeg food tour, or a trip along the Red River to Lake Winnipeg, where you'll find Manitoba's finest sandy beaches. Then, in the evening, it's time to head to the station to board The Canadian – VIA Rail’s flagship service, linking Winnipeg with the city of Saskatoon. For the ultimate in comfort, we recommend the Sleeper Plus class. With two-bed cabins onboard, complete with lounge access and cars with glass ceilings, it's a truly stylish way to travel.

Stay: The Canadian, Sleeper Plus

With a morning arrival in Saskatchewan's largest city, Saskatoon, we highly recommend making the short journey to the nearby UNESCO nominated Wanuskewin Heritage Park, where you’ll be able to learn how plains bison have been reintroduced onto the land. It’s a First Nations past that dates back over 6,000 years, showcased across hiking trails and interactive exhibits. Otherwise, take the chance to explore the city itself, with its riverside trails, storied streets and soul-satisfying food.

Stay: Hilton Garden Inn, Saskatoon (Superior)

This morning collect your car hire and leave Saskatoon for the drive south to La Reata Ranch, a working cattle ranch nestled in the Saskatchewan River Valley, along the shores of Lake Diefenbaker. Experience the cowboy way of life as you enjoy a real-life ranching adventure, including a stay in a cosy wood cabins coupled with the likes of horseback riding and boating and fishing on Lake Diefenbaker.

Stay: La Reata Ranch, Kyle (Superior)

Leave your ranching days behind and head north through the Prairies and back to Saskatoon, dropping off your rental car on arrival Then, back in the city, you'll have more time to explore more of its riverside parks, intriguing museums and superb Remai Modern art gallery before ending each day in your plush accommodation.

Stay: Hilton Garden Inn, Saskatoon (Superior)

Depart in the morning from Saskatoon for the daytime journey to Edmonton, relax as The Canadian glides through golden prairie fields, and towards the majestic Rockies. Along the way, you'll be treated to included gourmet meals served in the dining car, showcasing traditional Canadian cuisine and exquisite regional specialities. There's even the chance for wine tastings, presentations and musical performances on selected departures. By day, simply take in the passing landscapes, best viewed from the glass-ceilinged Skyline or Panorama cars.

Stay: Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton (Superior)

Spend the following days exploring some of Edmonton's highlights, which include the Royal Alberta Museum, Fort Edmonton Park and the Muttart Conservatory. The vast West Edmonton Mall is worth a visit just for the sheer spectacle where, along with an extensive array of shops, you'll find the Vegas-style Palace Casino, Red's, Planet Hollywood, Jubilations dinner theatre and much more.

Stay: Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton (Superior)

After a free day to explore, you'll re-join The Canadian this evening, perhaps pausing for a nightcap in the lounge before settling into your cosy Sleeper Plus cabin for the overnight journey to Jasper. Wake to the scenery of the magnificent Canadian Rockies and enjoy a continental breakfast, served in your cabin.

Stay: The Canadian, Sleeper Plus

Arrive into Jasper after a night onboard the Canadian and check into your accommodation, conveniently located a stone's throw from the station. The rest of the day is free to explore. Having started life as a tent city, serving the construction of the railway, today this quaint mountain village is a popular spot on the Rockies' well-trodden tourist trail. It's also the jumping-off point for trips into its eponymous national park, with the deep turquoise of Maligne Lake – one of the most photographed in the world – among a catalogue of highlights.

Stay: Forest Park Hotel (Formerly Sawridge Inn), Jasper (Superior)

Today you'll be introduced to Jasper on a short tour of the town before heading across the Athabasca River to Maligne Lake. A century after Mary Schaeffer's remarkable adventure, discover "World renowned" Maligne Lake for yourself. A stop at Maligne Canyon offers views of the river thundering through a series of waterfalls in a gorge 10,000 years in the making. Farther up the valley, you will stop to solve the mystery of the disappearing Medicine Lake, before reaching Maligne Lake for an interpretive boat cruise bound for Spirit Island.

Stay: Forest Park Hotel (Formerly Sawridge Inn), Jasper (Superior)

Leave Jasper and enjoy the wildlife, pristine lakes, and breathtaking mountain peaks along the world famous Icefields Parkway. Visit the natural wonder of the Columbia Icefield - one of the largest expanses of ice and snow south of the Arctic Circle. Step onboard an Ice Explorer for an interpretive adventure onto the Athabasca Glacier. At the Glacier Skywalk, enjoy the unobstructed view on a glass-floored observation platform extending 30 metres out over the Sunwapta Valley, before carrying on south to Calgary.

Stay: Hotel Le Germain, Calgary (Superior)

Calgary is a city which at once buzzes with innovative energy while also embracing its rich Western heritage. Enjoy a visit to the iconic Calgary Tower (admission included). then perhaps visit the excellent Heritage Park Historical Village on the city’s south side – a “living museum” representing turn off the-century Calgary with costumed interpreters, a steam train and scale-model sternwheeler and an old fashioned candy store. In the evening, take the chance to embrace Calgary’s vibrant entertainment and culinary scene.

Stay: Hotel Le Germain, Calgary (Superior)

Today enjoy more free time in Calgary before heading to the airport to board your overnight flight home, arriving in the UK on day 17.