Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf: A Journey Through the Canadian Rockies

There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about traveling by train. No rushing through an airport, no worrying about the road ahead—just settle into your seat, watch the scenery roll by, and let someone else do the driving.

That was the plan when we boarded the Rocky Mountaineer in Vancouver for our two-day journey through the Canadian Rockies. We chose the First Passage to the West route, traveling from Vancouver to Kamloops on the first day before continuing toward Lake Louise on day two.

And if you are going to spend two days riding through the Rockies, you might as well have a really good view. We booked GoldLeaf.

There are several ways to experience the Rocky Mountaineer, but this is one time I would recommend reaching for the top. The GoldLeaf cars have two levels, with your seats upstairs beneath oversized domed windows that give you incredible views of the scenery along the way.

Shortly after boarding you are off! Complete with a welcome mimosa in hand.

All of the seats face forward in groups of two, so there is no wondering if you are going to spend two days riding backward through the Rockies! The seats themselves are plush and comfortable, with plenty of room to recline—and they are even heated.

Another cool thing about the Golf Leaf cars are they all have outside, fully open air viewing areas. You have to take turns with your photo ops during the most spectacular portions of the trip, but everyone is very nice about moving around.

As you pull out of Vancouver, at first it’s a lot of farmland. You are mostly following along the Fraser river for a good part of the first day.

The river is more than just part of the scenery. It has played an important role in the history of British Columbia for centuries, particularly for the Indigenous peoples who lived and traveled along its banks long before European settlers arrived. It later became the center of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1853, when thousands of prospectors descended on the region in search of gold.

One of the landmarks we passed along the way was Hell’s Gate, a dramatic narrowing of the Fraser River where the water is forced through a steep, rocky gorge. From the train, you get a great view looking down into the canyon and the rushing water below.

It was also about this point in the journey that the landscape started to feel a little more dramatic. The mountains grew taller, the canyon walls steeper, and the views from those GoldLeaf windows started earning their keep.

Each GoldLeaf car has its own dedicated team, including hosts upstairs and a full kitchen and dining staff downstairs. Meals are served in two shifts, and you switch between early and late seating the next day.

But don’t worry if you have the late shift—they make sure you never go hungry. Before breakfast, coffee or tea and a local baked treat tide you over. Before lunch, a small crudité arrives along with your first wine, beer or non-alcoholic beverage of the day.

Near Lytton, we could see the other railway line hugging the opposite side of the canyon—sometimes disappearing right into the mountains.

Next, it was our turn for lunch! Somehow, I did not take a single breakfast photo either day, but trust me—it was delicious.

GoldLeaf lunch is a three-course affair, starting with a small charcuterie to share, followed by your choice of four entrées. He chose the steak—because when you are offered steak for lunch, why not? I went with the Ahi tuna.

For dessert, he had the chocolate torte, while I chose the lavender flan. Light, unusual and absolutely delicious, it was my favorite dessert of the trip.

By now you are probably getting the idea: you will not go hungry on the Rocky Mountaineer!

After lunch, we stepped onto the outdoor observation deck and got a bit of a shock—it was hot! Nearly 89 degrees.

As we made our way toward Kamloops, the lush scenery we had left behind gave way to a much drier, more arid landscape. We learned from our host that this part of British Columbia sits in a rain shadow created by the surrounding mountains, resulting in a surprisingly dry climate with sagebrush-covered hills and an almost desert-like feel. Not exactly what I pictured when I imagined the Canadian Rockies!

Rounding a curve also gave us a great view of just how long our train was: 21 cars pulled by two engines. The next day, as we began the serious climb into the Rockies, they added a third.

Wildlife!

This is a bit of photographer failure here but this is one of 3 bald eagles we saw along our journey. He flew off right after this. What a wing span!

As the landscape changed—so did the skies. We passed by Kamloops Lake approaching our stop for the day. It was a bit of an eerie sight. Wildfires were burning in the region during our trip, and by the time we reached Kamloops, smoke had settled over the area. The air was hazy, and you could smell the smoke almost immediately.

After roughly 11 hours on the train, we were ready to call it a day. Who knew 11 hours of sitting on a train, eating and drinking, could make you so tired? Should you ride the Rock Mountaineer, don’t make big dinner or evening plans, you won’t need them. We turned in early in the evening.

Good Morning! The next morning started much like the previous evening had ended: hazy. Each morning when you pull out of the station the local crew all comes out and waves you off. There are also bagpipes playing. Adds to the whole experience.

Not too long after we started to climb the haze improved a bit, giving way to some great views along the rails.

Morning Beverage

We were the early seating on the second day, so by the time we got back from breakfast it was time for our first beverage of the morning.

Also to note, there is no WiFi on the train and cell service is limited. So enjoy being unplugged for a while! Just sit back and watch the scenery change.

One of our first historic landmarks on Day 2 was Craigellachie, the site of the Last Spike. It was here in 1885 that the final spike was driven into the Canadian Pacific Railway, completing the rail line that connected Canada from coast to coast.

Today, a monument marks the spot, and we caught a glimpse of it as we passed by. It happens quickly, so you have to be watching for it! Fortunately, our hosts continue to narrate the trip along the way so we were all prepared for the photo op.

There was something pretty cool about seeing this piece of Canadian railway history from a train—especially knowing that the tracks we were traveling had played such an important role in connecting the country.

From Craigellachie, we continued east alongside the Eagle River toward Revelstoke. The dry, hazy landscape of the day before was behind us, replaced by green forests, rivers and increasingly impressive mountain views. Day two was already living up to its promise.

Time to eat again! When you are the first seating, you generally eat lunch right around noon. Our appetizer was a delicious charcuterie plate. For lunch I had the Steelhead salmon and he had Lamb. Those were the only pictures we took!

One thing to know, you will meet friends on the train! While you sit in twos for the ride, the dining is in 4’s so you meet some great people while breaking bread together. On this trip we sat with a couple from Pittsburg, PA, a couple from Minneapolis, MN (twice!) and a couple from Perth, Australia! Another joy of traveling, making new friends.

Soon, we found ourselves really climbing into the mountains. There was still a mix of haze and clouds, which is a reality to expect in the mountains.

We crossed quite a few bridges as we wound our way higher into the mountains. In places, you could see the scars left by wildfires from previous years. But where the forests remained intact, the scenery was just beautiful.

This is where the engineering of the railway became almost as impressive as the scenery. To manage the steep grade through Kicking Horse Pass, the train travels through the famous Spiral Tunnels, two tunnels that curve through the mountains, allowing the train to gain elevation gradually. The first picture below is at river level. The second picture is looking back down at the valley from which we came!

It is hard to fully appreciate until you are actually on the train. At times, our 21-car train was curving back on itself, with the three engines already much higher up the mountain than the cars behind them. It was fascinating to watch—and nearly impossible to photograph!

Cookies!

Part of the reason we missed taking pictures during this portion is our chefs came into the car with one last treat. A freshly baked cookie. They were delicious and it was fun to thank the chefs for their delicious food personally!

Once we completed the climb, though, we were rewarded with views like this: Cathedral Mountain.

We made it! Lake Louise at last. What a memorable two days aboard the Rocky Mountaineer! Incredible scenery, wonderful food and one very special way to experience the Canadian Rockies.

And there it was—my #1 bucket-list destination. More to come…