- Route
- Vancouver ↔ Banff
- Distance
- about 560 mi / 900 km of rail, Vancouver to Banff
- Audio stories
- 41
- In the app
- Both directions · Works offline
Watch the journey
A short film of the line — the views the guide narrates as they pass your window. English captions in the player.
Route map
Tap to explore the full route.
The route in text
- Route
- Vancouver ↔ Banff, Canada
- Distance
- about 560 mi / 900 km of rail, Vancouver to Banff
- Audio stories
- 41, narrated in both directions of travel, fully offline
- On the map
- Illustrated route map of the Rocky Mountaineer with stations, distances, and journey highlights. Station names and distance markers are printed on the map itself.
About this journey
Journey through the Canadian Rockies aboard the Rocky Mountaineer between Vancouver and Banff. Travelling by daylight only, the train follows the Fraser and Thompson canyons, threads Hell's Gate and the Spiral Tunnels, and climbs past Kicking Horse Pass to Banff — a world of glaciers, turquoise rivers, and mountain wildlife.
Stops along the way
The stations the narration is keyed to, in order (toward banff). Timetables and stops change; check the operator before you book.
- Vancouver
- Kamloops
- Lake Louise
- Banff
Highlights and which side to look
A few of the 41 narrated sights, toward banff, with the side of the train they appear on. See every sight, both directions.
| Distance from start | Sight | Look |
|---|---|---|
| 47 mi (75 km) | Mount Baker, the Volcano | Right side |
| 119 mi (192 km) | Hell's Gate: Twice the Niagara | Right side |
| 154 mi (247 km) | Lytton: Where Two Rivers Won't Mix | Left side |
| 219 mi (352 km) | Walhachin: The Orchard | Right side |
| 501 mi (807 km) | Mount Stephen: The Dawn of Animals | Right side |
| 516 mi (830 km) | Kicking Horse Pass: The Top of the Climb | Left side |
| 556 mi (895 km) | Banff: The Hot Springs that Became a Park | Right side |
How the app works on this route
- Stories are triggered by GPS as you reach each place, so nothing depends on a signal or a timetable.
- Every story has a version for each direction of travel, and the narration says which side to look.
- Download the journey once at home; everything then works offline, including photos and the route map.
- The first three stories are free to listen to in the app before you buy.
- Narration keeps playing with the phone locked, so you can watch the window instead of the screen.
Questions about the Rocky Mountaineer
- Which side of the Rocky Mountaineer should I sit on?
- Toward Banff: 5 on the right, 2 on the left, 32 on either side. The app tells you which way to look for every story as it plays, so either seat works; the full list for both directions is in the window guide.
- Does the audio guide work without signal?
- Yes. Download the Rocky Mountaineer once at home and every story, photo and map works offline for the whole ride. Stories are triggered by GPS, which needs no signal.
- Does it work in both directions?
- Yes. Every story has a version for each direction of travel, and "left" and "right" are given relative to the way your train is moving.
- Can I try it before buying?
- Yes. The first three stories of the Rocky Mountaineer are free to listen to in the app, with their photos. The full journey is a one-time $4.99 purchase, or the Rail Journeys Pass ($29.99, one-time) covers every journey, including future ones, for life.
Sources
Route distance (about 560 mi / 900 km of rail, Vancouver to Banff): the operator's published figure, rounded — rockymountaineer.com. Stops and sights: the app's own route data, as rendered in the window guide.
