Alumni - Western Canada by Road and Rail

with Harding University and Abundant Living

Discover Western Canada's beauty and camaraderie on a journey filled with iconic sites, breathtaking landscapes, and unforgettable moments. From Calgary's charm to the majestic Rockies aboard the Rocky Mountaineer Train, this trip promises adventure and renewal. All Harding alumni, faculty, staff and friends — including friends of Abundant Living — are welcome.

Westbound Itinerary: May 31 - June 7, 2025

• SATURDAY, MAY 31: Arrive in Calgary, Alberta. Join your fellow travelers for dinner and a welcome program at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Calgary. Get ready to explore western Canada together! (D)*

• SUNDAY, JUNE 1: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel at your leisure and then meet your fellow travelers for worship together at the hotel. After worship service, stroll through the nearby Olympic Plaza, site of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, on your way to lunch inside the Calgary Tower. Panoramic views of
  beautiful downtown Calgary await in this revolving restaurant. After lunch, relax during a private tour of the city of Calgary before enjoying dinner and the evening on your own. (B,L)
  
  
• MONDAY, JUNE 2: After breakfast at the hotel, pack your bags to depart for the breathtaking Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. These stunning, glacier-fed lakes are the gems of Alberta. Enjoy lunch at the iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before departing for the beautiful mountain town of Banff. After check-in at the Elk + Avenue Hotel, enjoy a stroll downtown and dinner on your own, and then sleep well in the crisp mountain air. (B,L)
  
  
• TUESDAY, JUNE 3: Today is yours to enjoy Banff National Park and it’s many unique sites and activities. After breakfast at the hotel, use the local transportation system to explore. Suggested activities and ROAM bus routes will be provided. Banff is a very walkable town and beauty awaits around each corner. Spend one more night in the fresh mountain air before our train adventure begins. (B)
  
  
• WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4: Our Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf train experience begins! We will be picked up at the hotel and taken to the train station to board our 2-level, glass domed train car for the trip of a lifetime. Each guest has an assigned seat on the top level and meals are served on the bottom level (an elevator is available). Enjoy breakfast on the train as we depart from Banff, headed towards Kamloops, British Columbia, our home for the night. Five-star meals and unlimited snacks and drinks, knowledgeable hosts, comfortable and adjustable seats and the fellowship of your co-travelers will make this an unforgettable day. Route highlights include the Continental Divide, the Spiral Tunnels, Kicking Horse Canyon, Rogers Pass and Craigellachie, where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven. Lunch is also enjoyed on the train and a coach will meet us in Kamloops where we will be taken to our hotel for the night. Your luggage will be waiting in your room and dinner is on your own in quaint Kamloops. (B,L)
  
  
• THURSDAY, JUNE 5: A coach will pick us up at the hotel and take us back to the train where breakfast awaits. The snow-capped mountains and crystalline water of the many lakes and rivers we pass will delight your senses and our hosts will answer any questions you have about our scenery on our second day aboard Rocky Mountaineer. Enjoy time outside on the covered, open-air observation deck and soak in the landscape of the Canadian Rockies. Highlights of today include steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River and the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in Fraser Canyon. Lunch will be served midday and our train will arrive in Vancouver in the evening where a coach will take us to the charming Blue Horizon Hotel, our home for the remainder of the trip. Dinner will be enjoyed on your own at the hotel or in one of the nearby restaurants. (B,L)
  
  
• FRIDAY, JUNE 6: Vancouver is ours to explore today after enjoying breakfast at the hotel. A coach will pick us up for a tour of the city, viewing iconic spots including Gastown, Stanley Park and Granville Island. You’ll enjoy these quirky local sites, surrounded by the beauty of this stunning coastal city. Lunch is on your own, along with the afternoon to explore and finish up shopping for souvenirs. Join your fellow travelers for a final dinner together at the hotel and the chance to share in worship and reflection on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. (B,D)
  
  
• SATURDAY, JUNE 7: Breakfast will be at your leisure as you pack up and depart for home, renewed and refreshed by the beauty of western Canada and the fellowship of your Christian brothers and sisters. (B)

Eastbound Itinerary: June 7 - June 14, 2025

• SATURDAY, JUNE 7: This tour begins on the west coast of Canada, and offers the same activities, hotels and train experience as the westbound itinerary. You’ll start your tour in downtown Vancouver at the Blue Horizon Hotel and join your fellow travelers for dinner and a welcome program, and then settle in for the adventure of a lifetime. (D)

• SUNDAY, JUNE 8: Our day begins with breakfast and worship at the hotel. Afterwards, a coach will pick us up for a tour of the city, viewing iconic spots including Gastown, Stanley Park and Granville Island. You’ll enjoy these quirky local sites, surrounded by the beauty of this stunning coastal city. Dinner and the evening will be on your own as we prepare to board the Rocky Mountaineer train in the morning. (B)
  
  
• MONDAY, JUNE 9: Our Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf train experience begins! We will be picked up at the hotel and taken to the train station to board our 2-level, glass domed train car for the trip of a lifetime. Each guest has an assigned seat on the top level and meals are served on the bottom level (an elevator is available). Enjoy breakfast on the train as we depart from Vancouver, headed towards Kamloops, British Columbia, our home for the night. Five-star meals and unlimited snacks and drinks, knowledgeable hosts, comfortable and adjustable seats and the fellowship of your co-travelers will make this an unforgettable day. Highlights of today include steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River and the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in Fraser Canyon. Lunch is also enjoyed on the train and a coach will meet us in Kamloops where we will be taken to our hotel for the night. Your luggage will be waiting in your room and dinner is on your own in quaint Kamloops. (B,L)
  
  
• TUESDAY, JUNE 10: A coach will pick us up at the hotel and take us back to the train where breakfast awaits. The snow-capped mountains and crystalline water of the many lakes and rivers we pass will delight your senses and our hosts will answer any questions you have about our scenery on our second day aboard Rocky Mountaineer. Enjoy time outside on the covered, open-air observation deck and soak in the landscape of the Canadian Rockies. Highlights of today include the Continental Divide, the Spiral Tunnels, Kicking Horse Canyon, Rogers Pass and Craigellachie, where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven. Lunch is also enjoyed on the train and a coach will meet us in Banff to take us to the Elk + Avenue Hotel. After check-in, enjoy dinner on your own, and then sleep well in the crisp mountain air. (B,L)
  
  
• WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11: Today is yours to enjoy Banff National Park and it’s many unique sites and activities. After breakfast at the hotel, use the local transportation system to explore. Suggested activities and ROAM bus routes will be provided. Banff is a very walkable town and beauty awaits around each corner. (B)
  
  
• THURSDAY, JUNE 12: After breakfast at the hotel, pack your bags to depart for the breathtaking Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. These stunning, glacier-fed lakes are the gems of Alberta. Enjoy lunch at the iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before departing for Calgary, Alberta, our final stop on this adventure. After check in at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Calgary enjoy dinner on your own at the hotel or one of the nearby restaurants. (B,L)
  
  
• FRIDAY, JUNE 13: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel at your leisure and then meet your fellow travelers for a private tour of the city of Calgary. A special lunch inside the Calgary Tower will provide stunning, panoramic views of beautiful downtown Calgary in a revolving restaurant. The afternoon is free to stroll through the nearby Olympic Plaza, site of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, and finish up shopping for souvenirs. Join your fellow travelers for a final dinner together at the hotel and the chance to share in worship and reflection on this once- in-a-lifetime trip. (B,L,D)
  
  
• SATURDAY, JUNE 14: Breakfast will be at your leisure as you pack up and depart for home, renewed and refreshed by the beauty of western Canada and the fellowship of your Christian brothers and sisters. (B)

 *Meals included with the tour fare are shown in parenthesis (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

Pricing and Booking

Rates include:

• Hotel accommodations
  
  
• Private tours
  
  
• Group activities
  
  
• World-famous, Glass-Domed Rocky Mountaineer Train Experience with GoldLeaf Service
  
  
• Select hotel accommodations (customer rated 4-stars or better) and gourmet meals
  
  
• Luxury coach transportation

Printable Itinerary and Terms and Conditions pdf