Alberta/British Columbia
Western Canada by Train & Ferry: Grizzlies, Orcas & Totems
Program No. 21439RJ
Breathtaking vistas, unique wildlife, ancient cultures and traditional ways of life — discover this and more as you explore Western Canada from Alberta to the Inside Passage.
Participant Reviews
Based on 41 Reviews
SHOWING
This is an active and event filled program. There was so much to see and do, and it was very well organized and coordinated. The wildlife appeared and photographs were taken. The color of the glacier fed lakes is hard to describe, but well worth going on this trip for the Canadian Rockies National Parks alone. A totally spectacular trip.
— Review left July 7, 2025
This trip met all of my expectations and will be remembered as a trip of a lifetime. The Canadian Rockies and the west coast of British Columbia should be on everyone’s bucket list. Road Scholars knocked it out of the park with this itinerary.
— Review left June 29, 2025
This program was in the top 5 trips I have taken and 3 out of the 5 were R.S. I am preparing for another R.S. program in August this year.
— Review left June 26, 2025
The program Western Canada by Train & Ferry: Grizzlies, Orcas & Totems was amazing and better than I had hoped, (and I hoped for a lot!). Our leader Joanna Kucy was truly an inspired leader, well organized, respectful, knowledgable, and fun, and everyone in our group was interesting and appeared to be like-minded. I believe we've made life-long friends and I'm still zinging with excitement from the whole adventure. We were fortunate to have perfect weather the whole time, and the Canadian Rockies proved to be even more impressive and spectacular than I could have imagined. There is no better way to see so much in such a short time, gain knowledge, eat good food, travel in a variety of ways, (trains, ferries, coaches...) and meet great people, than experiencing one of these Road Scholar trips. They know how to do it!! We will definitely go with Road Scholar again!
— Review left June 26, 2025
A wonderfully diverse and scenic tour of the best of Western Canada, including the three Rocky Mountain National Parks; the Skeena Train; wildlife viewing on boat tours; and an all day ferry trip through the inland passage of British Columbia. Group leader is one of the best at Road Scholar trips.
Highly recommended for folks interested in natural history, geology, cultural history, and transportation (train, ferry). June was a great month to visit. Very long days, short nights, and only one hour of rain to impede our travel. Just be prepared for early morning "bag calls" and breakfast; and changeable weather. Wildlife watching was superb: grizzly and black bears; bald eagles; elk and deer; sea otters; sea lions; orca and humpback whales; mountain goats; mink.
— Review left June 26, 2025
Wonderful trip! Saw so much of the beautiful Canadian landscape. Only disappointment was the train ride. The train was more of a commuter train and we saw very little of the beautiful landscaping. The bus tours and ferry rides work great!
Andrea, our tour guide was the best. This trip took intricate planning and Andrea did an excellent job. Not only was she very organized, but she was very caring about each and every traveler on the tour. She had a great knowledge of the area and shared every bit of it with us.
— Review left December 16, 2024
Visit amazing, scenic sites from different perspectives on the train, ferry boats, and by busy.
— Review left September 9, 2024
This is what I call the "hurry up and sit" trip, but with beautiful scenery and good company. There was a lot of time spent on the bus (at least 5 hours many days), a long ferry ride (18 hours), and a long train ride (11 hours), some of which involved getting up quite early and arriving quite late.
Those are the cons. The pros are: beautiful scenery, grizzlies, black bears, bald eagles, humpback whales and orcas, sea lions, and sea otters. Our group leader (Patricia) was knowledgeable and personable and worked hard to ensure that everyone and everything was well taken care of. She is a local of British Columbia and her pride in her home province is evident. Unfortunately, wildfires in Jasper prevented us from visiting there but Patricia and RS-behind -the -scenes seamlessly kept the trip going without disruption.
I would recommend this trip for anyone, of any ability. Very interesting!
— Review left August 14, 2024
This trip "had it all" in terms of beauty, transportation modes, experiences, and great accommodations. The wonderful leader and fellow travelers helped make the two-week journey a success.
— Review left August 12, 2024
First time group tripper, and was very pleased with how RS put the program together. It appears that RS participants are united in their interests, thus making group dynamics easier. The program itself was exceptional, and while the trip could have catered to a broader and more diverse group, the actual participants were much more in alignment, thus adding to the sense of value I received from the program.
— Review left August 12, 2024
Patricia is a wonderful leader, sharing her extensive knowledge with us. Her organization skills are impressive. She is a good communicator making our tour very enjoyable.
— Review left August 11, 2024
A wonderful trip overall.There were some early morning departures and late night arrivals, but overall it fulfilled all my expectationsl
— Review left July 26, 2024
Road Scholar introduced me to Canada in a warm and friendly way. And that is saying something since we visited glaciers and saw grizzlies and orcas. I would encourage everyone to travel with Road Scholar.
— Review left July 14, 2024
Toward the end of our trip someone asked us, "How did you get here? Did you fly or drive or take a train or boat?" And we replied, "YES!" This is a diverse opportunity to sample the culture and landscape of a truly remarkable area of Canada. Our guide, Patricia, is a treasure and to be commended.
— Review left July 8, 2024
Wonderful trip with an excellent leader. Our leader shared her deep knowledge and love of British Columbia, Jasper and Banff.
— Review left November 1, 2023
Excellent well put together trip.
— Review left August 29, 2023
What a fantastic trip! We saw lots of wildlife throughout our two weeks and saw so much of western Canada and the Rockies that we would have never seen had we travelled by ourselves.
— Review left August 29, 2023
A wonderful opportunity to experience the grandeur of the beautiful West Coast of British Columbia and the spectacular Canadian Rockies all in one trip!
— Review left August 25, 2023
This trip exceeded my expectations! The focus on nature, wilderness beauty and wildlife was wonderful. Our leader, Kristen was excellent. I enjoyed experiencing the different modes of transportation, ferries, trains, boats, skiffs etc.
— Review left August 23, 2023
Come explore Western Canada with wonderful Patricia and excellent local experts. All accommodations were comfortable and the food was very good. A couple of the included dinners were truly remarkable.
— Review left August 14, 2023
The program Western Canada by Train and Ferry was fantastic. The group leader, Patricia, was the best ever. Experts Greg, Maria and Coleen were wonderfully interesting and knowledgeable. The accommodations were very comfortable, and the meals exceeded my expectations. But best of all was the scenery, and the up close viewing of grizzlies, orcas and humpback whales.
— Review left August 13, 2023
A program of great diversity of travel, locations and learning opportunities - extremely well organized with excellent leadership showing some of the remarkable geography and cultures of Western Canada.
— Review left August 13, 2023
Just as advertised - this tour covers it all! Gorgeous scenery, grizzlies, whales, history, travel by both train and ferry. Our guide Andrea McPherson was top-notch - totally organized, very warm and personable, and eager to share her impressive knowledge of the area. The trip does cover a lot of ground, and you need to be prepared to be on the move quite a lot. Two full days are spent on a train, and another long day on a ferry however - so there is plenty of time to sit back and just enjoy the scenery. Weather in late June/early July turned out to be great for us - little rain, mostly sunny days, and luckily no wildfires nearby. The wildlife was definitely a highlight - we saw mountain goats, big horn sheep, bald eagles, humpbacks, dolphins, black bear, and a record number of grizzlies! This trip is highly recommended!
— Review left July 27, 2023
Great learning experience. Saw so much wildlife and beautiful countryside. The guide was very knowledgeable and upbeat. She made the trip special.
— Review left July 10, 2023
This was an adventure of a lifetime. Nothing I have done in traveling and working overseas has matched the experiences I had.
— Review left June 29, 2023
Please note that this program has many days your up at 5-5:30am. If your looking to sleep in till 7:30-8:00am this program is NOT for you !
— Review left September 26, 2022
This trip visits a stunningly beautiful part of Canada. The mountains, water, trees, and sky were breathtaking. We saw orcas, humpbacks, black bears, grizzles, elk, magpies, eagles, ground squirrels, and so much more. Only the moose and the sea otters escaped our eyes. Andrea, our leader, was knowledgeable, organized, accommodating, and flexible. Some days were long, but so filled with exciting things, we all found the energy to keep going.
— Review left September 2, 2022
Explore British Columbia. Grizzlies, black bears, orchas, humpbacks, elk, goats - all here. A rare natural treasure waiting for you.
— Review left August 31, 2022
If you enjoy exploring beautiful scenery, learning about First Nation peoples, the chance to see ocean and land-based wildlife, all while traveling by ferry, small boat, train, and coach, then this trip is for you.
— Review left August 31, 2022
This was a fantastic trip with so much to see and do. Guide Patricia Thomson was wonderful as she was from the area and was full of information. The orca trip, the bear search, the glacier walk--all with gorgeous scenery constantly. Breathtaking! We were worried about being able to accomplish everything, but we did it! Fast paced, yet time to enjoy. Highly recommend this trip.
— Review left August 29, 2022
This was a wonderful experience seeing about 10 bears, 20 whales and having High Tea at the gorgeous Lake Louise. Lots of breathtaking scenery. It was fun travelling by train & ferry. The First Nations Museum & performance was a highlight. Road Scholar always attracts interesting travel companions. This trip was exhilarating as well as exhausting. Lake Louise is as beautiful as all the pictures you've seen.
— Review left August 28, 2022
The website is well done and easy to use.
— Review left August 22, 2022
This is a fantastic trip. Take it if you can; you won’t be sorry!!
— Review left August 21, 2022
We just completed our trip in Western Canada by Train and Ferry: Grizzlies, Orcas and Totems. This trip filled all of our expectations and more. Each and every day there was a new wonder, Yoho, Banff and Jasper National Parks were amazing, as were enjoying High Tea at Lake Louise, watching grizzlies standing to pull leaves off the trees while grazing along the shore line and hiking in the Maligne canyon as the thunder of the water roared below us. We had high expectations, but this trip exceeded them! Linda & Chuck
— Review left July 13, 2022
Excellent tour!! Definitely got my steps in on most days. Well fed too. LOTS of wildlife seen!!
— Review left July 4, 2022
This is a wonderful trip, with components in the mountains, on trains, on boats, on snow tractors, and on the sea, with wonderful lectures and even an engaging, powerful indigenous dance. I could not have asked for more, for I came home exhausted, but entirely fulfilled and satisfied!
— Review left July 2, 2022
I can't imagine finding a more educational and enlightening group with whom to travel!!
— Review left September 16, 2019
Greg Allemang was an excellent guide and coordinator. The activities keep you busy and you will see a great amount of the wild areas of the British Columbia coast and the Canadian Rockies. Wildlife viewing was excellent for whales, but somewhat disappointing for grizzlies. Cultural presentations were excellent. There isn't much free time. There is a lot of time spent on getting from place to place including buses, ferry and train and not much time spent hiking. The quality of the transportation was excellent. Train delays were significant.
— Review left September 4, 2019
This trip was very enjoyable and we loved seeing such beautiful country. Anita was an excellent group leader!! The presenters and local experts were very informative and added to our enjoyment of the trip. Heidi Fengler was exceptional, very well versed in her field of study and eager to impart her knowledge, which was extensive. Our three modes of transportation, (bus, train and ferry) added to the enjoyment of the trip and all were clean and well maintained.
The accommodations were very good, except for our stay in Jasper. I think most of the participants felt like they would be willing to spend a little more if it meant a better hotel. Anita did explain to us the problems getting accommodations for groups during the summer so perhaps this was the only venue available. However, this would not prevent us from taking this trip again as we were only in Jasper for a limited time.
Overall, this trip was wonderful as we got to see and learn so very much .
— Review left August 5, 2019
This is the adventure of a lifetime! Perfect size group and wonderful group leader made the journey very satisfying. I was amazed at the quality and quantity of experiences we had on this trip. Also, it was an excellent value. We all loved the various modes of transportation and the awe-inspiring landscapes.
— Review left July 25, 2019
A worthy exploration of the scenic and animal wonders of Alberta and British Columbia. Be prepared for some early morning departures that mean getting up around 4 a.m. But the effort is worth it when you have such great experiences.
— Review left July 22, 2019