key west travel and tours canada

Grand Circle

Rocky mountaineer rail & coach tour (5 days / 4 nights), vancouver → jasper → lake louise → banff → vancouver, book early and save up to $500 per couple.

• Tour Features
• Day 1 – 2: Rocky Mountaineer  2-day train trip from Vancouver to Jasper
• Day 3 – 5: A fully guided motorcoach tour in the Canadian Rockies, including Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise
• Hotel:  4 nights of hotel accommodation
• Meals:  5 breakfasts, 2 lunches
• Luggage handling: Kamloops
• Rail station transfers:  Vancouver, Kamloops, and Jasper
• Excursions/Activities**: Banff Gondola ride, Ice Explorer tour, Glacier Skywalk
• Other: Toll fee & Park Pass
• Rail Service: GoldLeaf or SilverLeaf
• Departure Year

2024                   2025

2024 SILVERLEAF SERVICE

2024 GOLDLEAF SERVICE

*All Prices are in Canadian Dollars

• Hotels included
• Kamloops : Hotels are assigned by Rocky Mountaineer
• Jasper : Whistlers Inn / Jasper Inn / Tonquin Inn  or similar
• Banff (2 nights):  Banff Aspen Lodge or similar
• Jasper : Jasper Inn / Whistlers Inn or similar
• Banff (2 nights):  The Rimrock Resort Hotel (Deluxe View Room/Valley View Room) ** Fairmont Banff Springs may be available at additional cost
• Tour Schedule

2025 SILVERLEAF SERVICE

2025 GOLDLEAF SERVICE

• Please note that the arrival and departure times may vary.

Departure : 7:30 a m Arrival : 6:00 pm – 7:30 p m

Travel aboard the Rocky Mountaineer from the coastal city of Vancouver to Kamloops, the largest city in the interior. On this journey, you will witness remarkable changes in scenery, from the lush green fields of the Fraser River Valley and forests nestled in winding river canyons to the desert-like landscape of the interior. Highlights include the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in Fraser Canyon and the stunning slopes and snow sheds along the Thompson River. Your day concludes as the Rocky Mountaineer follows the scenic shores of Kamloops Lake, bringing you to your overnight destination, Kamloops. [B] [L]

Departure : 7:00 a m Arrival : 6:00 pm – 7:30 p m

Continue your journey to the mighty Canadian Rockies and Alberta, surrounded by breathtaking scenery. Follow the banks of the North Thompson River through the Monashee and Cariboo Mountains, approaching the majestic peaks of the Continental Divide. Highlights include Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, Pyramid Falls, and the climb over Yellowhead Pass into Jasper National Park. Arrive in the town of Jasper in the evening, where you will spend the night. [B] [L]

Departure : 8:00 am Arrival : 7:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Start your morning with a refreshing hike (optional) through the Maligne Canyon, a remarkable limestone gorge adorned with six narrow bridges and picturesque waterfalls. Continuing our journey south along the Icefield Parkway, often hailed as one of the most beautiful highways in the world, we will explore its must-see attractions, including Athabasca Falls, Peyto Lake, and Castle Mountain. At the Columbia Icefield, ride the “Ice Explorer”** on Athabasca Glacier or visit the Glacier Skywalk**. Overnight in Banff. [B]

Departure : 8:00 a m Arrival : 7:00 p m

Prepare yourself for another exhilarating day of sightseeing and activities in Banff National Park. As we make our way to Lake Louise, we will pause at Johnston Canyon for a leisurely hike (optional) along the trail that guides us to the breathtaking Lower Falls. While at Lake Louise, you’ll find numerous viewpoints offering splendid photo opportunities of the majestic Victoria Glacier towering over the lake. In the afternoon, our adventure continues as we explore other notable attractions in the Rockies, including Moraine Lake, Banff Springs Hotel, and Bow Falls Don’t forget to take advantage of the gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain** for a breathtaking panoramic view of Banff town and its surrounding or Upper Hot Springs for a soothing soak in the hot, mineral-rich water. Overnight in Banff   [B]

Departure : 8:00 a m Arrival : 7:30 p m

Today you will head west crossing the Continental Divide and Rogers Pass, the highest pass in the Rockies. Learn about the Spiral Tunnels, a railroad engineering marvel. Relax and enjoy the passing scenery of Glacier National Park on your way back to Vancouver.  [B]

★ ★ For these optional activities, an additional fee will apply ★ Departure and arrival times may vary [B]  = Breakfast [L]  = Lunch [D]  = Dinner 

Premium Accommodation

• Kamloops : Hotels are assigned by Rocky Mountaineer
• Jasper : Forrest Park Hotel/Jasper Inn/Tonquin Inn or similar
• Banff (2 nights):  The Rimrock Resort Hotel (Deluxe View Room/Valley View Room) ** Fairmont Banff Springs may be available at additional cost

Standard Accommodation

• Jasper : Forrest Park Hotel/Jasper Inn/Tonquin Inn  or similar
• Banff (2 nights):  Aspen Lodge or similar

Relax and enjoy unparalleled panoramic views from a custom-designed, two level, glass-domed GoldLeaf coach. Included is an outdoor viewing area and premium dining options prepared by on-board chefs.

Take in the awe-inspiring scenery through the windows of a custom-designed, single-level dome coach. Dinner will be served at your seat and complimentary snacks and beverages will be provided to you throughout the journey.

While you are on the tour, you have the chance to experience the unique beauty of the Rocky Mountains. Although optional, our mountain tour guides recommend following activities to enhance your Canadian Rockies experience:

– Columbia Ice Explorer Tour – Sulphur Mountain (Banff) Gondola Ride – Canoeing on Lake Louise – Upper Hot Springs

For more information on above activities (and their costs), click  HERE .

Your tour includes 3 main components: Hotel accommodation, a Rocky Mountaineer Rail trip, and a Deluxe motorcoach tour. Tour cost is based on the choice of hotel stay (standard or deluxe), rail service (GoldLeaf or SilverLeaf), and room occupancy (Single, Double, Triple, or Quad).

Published rates are per person in Canadian dollars before tax.

Pent-up demand for 2024 Canadian vacations has been extremely high, and we highly recommend that you book your seats as early as possible

Hotel pick-up is available from select downtown hotels to the Rocky Mountaineer train station.

Standard hotels are mountain lodge-style while Premium Plus hotels are resort-style. The majority of our guests choose standard accommodation as these hotels are very clean and comfortable, and travelers will get their own private room and washroom. Travelers who book Premium Plus accommodation often do so because they want to stay at Chateau Lake Louise. If you want to book deluxe accommodation, be sure to book early as these hotels sell out quickly – availability is limited within 6 months of departure!

Gratuities are not included in the prices, except for onboard the Rocky Mountaineer. It is customary to tip for excellent service in Canada.

Please refer to the itinerary for Rocky Mountaineer info. As for the motorcoach tour, this depends on the day. If you are traveling from Vancouver to Jasper or Banff, it will be a minimum of 10 hours. However, every 2-3 hours, you get out of the bus for mini breaks. During the sightseeing days, you will spend little time on the bus as you will be walking/sightseeing/hiking & etc.

“Excellent tour and saw amazing places and experienced lovely things. It met our needs of visiting the Rockies and was well priced for what it had offered. Well worth the money. Brad was very well spoken and knowledgeable with all the information he provided. He knew his information/history and provided us with all necessary information. Len was very friendly and professional one of the best drivers from a tour company we have experienced .”

 Ronald & Amanda Mallia Swansea,  NSW, Australia

Key West Travel & Tours

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Key West Travel & Tours

• 909 West Cordova
• Vancouver, BC V6C 0A7
• Phone: 604.632.3757
• Trip Advisor
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Key West Travel & Tours

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909 W Cordova Street

Vancouver, BC V6C 0A7

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We offer a variety of Rocky Mountain tours designed to meet both your style of travel and your budget. Our tours combine fully guided bus tour with a train trip on either Rocky Mountaineer or VIA Rail to allow you to experience train travel and explore the Canadian Rockies up close. …

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11 of the Best Key West Tours

02/15/2023 by Nicole Edwards 1 Comment

This post was written by Nicole Edwards, a solo-sailing freelance writer for BMTM.

When I first got to Key West, I was overwhelmed. This tiny , seven-square-mile island seemed packed with hundreds of excursions and things to do, all expensive and somewhat touristy. I also tend to shy away from the crowds and try to do my own thing; however, Key West has a history and culture that is more easily accessible via guided tours. It only made sense to try at least one of the many different types available.

I handle a city better when I first have a zoomed-out perspective and then can zoom in on what I’d like to explore further. With this in mind, and to help prevent Key West from overwhelming you, here are my top 11 guided tour recommendations, including big-picture ones and then more niche tours like those focusing on food, gardens, and ghosts:

Table of Contents

Walking Tours

My preferred way to explore a city, especially when I first arrive, is to stretch my legs and walk around. While Key West is compact enough to discover on foot, I’d hop on a bike or train for the lay of the land and reserve my walking muscles for niche tours, like the two below:

1. Southernmost Food and Cultural Walking Tour

I splurged for a slice of Key West key lime pie, but the place is much richer than the dessert (which is actually in the midst of a controversy over its origin). For starters, this “Caribbean” island is only 90 miles from Cuba, which explains why there’s a lot of Cuban influence. Many Cuban businesses are still around today: cigar shops line Duval Street, and Pepe’s, the oldest restaurant on Key West, is still serving hearty and healthy breakfast dishes.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Cuban and Caribbean cultural influences on Key West, your best bet is the Southernmost Food and Cultural Walking Tour . As your guide introduces you to the forces behind Key West culture, you’ll get to taste authentic food and drink from five restaurants. If you’re itching for more, the tour includes a map and coupon booklet that you can use to plan the rest of your stay.

• Where: El Siboney Restaurant
• Duration: 3 hours
• What’s included: four food tastings and one alcoholic beverage
• Price: $85.63. Book the tour here .

2. Ghost Tour

If haunted history is more your scene, there are plenty of ghost stories about this bone island, which means “Cayo Hueso” in Spanish. The Spanish settlers named it such because of all the human bones scattered around. It was later decided that these were skeletons of the natives. Eventually, the English came along and thought Cayo Hueso sounded like Key West. The name stuck.

The historically accurate ghost walking tour will introduce you to Key West’s deceased population at sites and cemeteries that have been featured on shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures . You’ll visit Casa Antigua, the oldest graveyard in Key West, the Artist House, and other sites. Even if you can’t see the spirits with your naked eye, they recommend that you take pictures, as the ghosts might show up in your photos.

• Where: 401 Duval St.
• Duration: 1.5 hours
• What’s included: walking tour and guide
• Price: $24.99. Book the tour here .

Until I arrived, I had no idea that there was a short period of time when Key West was independent from the United States. In the early 1980s, patrol officers blocked the road to Key West in an attempt to stop drug traffic from entering the country. The city responded by seceding from the union and naming itself the Conch Republic. Independence celebrations are still held every April.

If you want to learn more about the history of Key West, you can hop on any of the following tours:

3. Old Town Key West Guided Key Lime Bike Ride

This leisurely bike ride through the city streets takes you to common tourist destinations, like the southernmost point of the Continental United States (I had to wait in line for 30 minutes to get my picture taken), Mile Marker 0, and Mallory Square. It’s the best land overview of Key West that you’ll find, simultaneously providing a geographical context to the city and a brief overview of its history.

• Where: 122 Ann St.
• What’s included: bike, helmet, water bottle
• Price: $54. Book the tour here .

4. Conch Train Tour

The Conch Train Tour is unique in that it relates some of legends of influential people. I was surprised to learn just how many historical figures either made Key West their home or also left a legacy here: Tennessee Williams and his A Streetcar Named Desire , Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville , and President Truman’s remodeling of the naval station into the Little White House. It’s rather heavy on the audio, which syncs up with whichever landmark you’re driving past, but it’s one of the most popular Key West tours on the market. 

• Where: 303 Front St.
• What’s included: narrated train tour
• Price: $39.85. Book the tour here .

National Park Tours

Key West is home to the most inaccessible national park in the United States: the Dry Tortugas, which got its name from the hundred turtles ( tortugas in Spanish) that explorer Ponce de León discovered (and it’s “dry” because there is absolutely no fresh water on the island). I tried to sail out to the national park on my own boat, but I ran into too many crab pots and had to be towed back from the Marquesas Keys. This was a blessing, because a few days later, 300 Cuban immigrants made landfall and the park was closed.

From reviews, however, the Dry Tortugas is definitely worth a visit. There are two ways you can reach the park: by plane and by reliable boat. If you absolutely cannot make the trip, you can check out the Sails to Rails museum in Key West, which gives you a tour from a distance.

5. Seaplane Tour

You’ll fly so low over an extremely shallow part of the National Marine Sanctuary that you’ll be able to spot rays and sharks from your chair. A little past the Marquesas (one of the tour’s highlights) is a sea turtle haven and also a wreck. Once you land at Dry Tortugas, you’ll have some time to walk around and take beautiful pictures of this protected little island at the end of the Florida Keys .

• Where: Key West International Airport
• Duration: 4 or 8 hours
• What’s included: headset, window seat, coolers and ice, drinks, snorkel equipment
• Price: starting at $371. Book the tour here .

6. Boat Tour

Because the Dry Tortugas is over 70 miles away, a good bit of your day will consist of a boat ride past the islands that dot the way. Included in your tour is a naturalist, who will brief you on the history of Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson National Park. When you arrive, you’ll get to snorkel the reefs, relax at the beach, and enjoy a 45-minute tour of the fort. Then it’ll be time for the ride back home.

• Where: 100 Grinnell St.
• Duration: 10 hours
• What’s included: round-trip ferry, Fort Jefferson narrated tour, dive equipment, breakfast and lunch, National Park service Fee ($15 value)
• Price: $190. Book the tour here .

I personally don’t drink, but if you do, you’re in luck, because Key West has drinks and bars that were favorites among famous figures such as Hemingway. I’ve included two of the most popular tours below, which take you to some of the bars and restaurants where you can taste their offerings.

7. Dinghy Tour

Key West is home to a big community of people who live on sailboats anchored in the harbor. We “liveaboards” get to and from shore in smaller boats called dinghies, which is essentially the marine version of a car. On a dinghy tour , you will use this “car” to visit the more popular waterfront bars and restaurants, and also explore the coastline, much like the locals do. If you don’t drink that’s okay. This tour is still a good opportunity to tour the mangrove tunnels, and plus, it’s really fun to go on a dinghy ride (just bring a dry bag for any valuables)! It’s also group-specific, so your party may prefer to look for birds rather than drink a beer.

• Where: Garrison Bight Marina
• Duration: 3
• What’s included: coolers
• Price: $75. Book the tour here .

8. Cocktail Crawl

On this cocktail crawl tour , a local will take you away from Duval Street to hidden places, like the First Flight Island Restaurant and Brewery, that serve the Hemingway daiquiri and other famous people’s signature drinks. While you’ll only walk about half a mile, it should be enough to discover for yourself the essence of the tiki era. Bring your ID!

• Where: Mary Ellen’s Bar
• What’s included: five beverages and snacks
• Price: $96.38. Book the tour here .

One of my favorite things to do is to nestle into the mangroves and be as quiet as I possibly can, and to notice the tiny movements of life that surround me. In Key West, there is an area called “the backcountry,” which is full of little mangrove islands and sandbars, including Woman Key Island, Man Key Island, Mule Island, Boca Grande Key Island, Barracouta Key Island, and so many more. The only way to access the backcountry is by boat, and the only way to really explore is by kayak or mask and snorkel. Here are several tours that allow you to do just that:

9. Mangrove Kayak Tours

This half-day tour will take you through the Florida Marine Sanctuary and then lead you on a kayak through the mangroves, full of over 500 species of marine wildlife. The goal is to spot as many creatures as possible. You’ll spend some time in the water, so if you don’t want to wear reef-friendly sunscreen , you can opt for some sun-protective clothing instead. You’ll eat lunch after your kayak tour and then hang out on a remote sandbar before heading back to port.

• Where: 201 William St.
• Duration: 5 hours
• What’s included: kayaks, paddle boards, snorkel gear, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, lunch
• Price: $129.95, but it’s recommended to tip the crew. Book the tour here .

10. Snorkeling and Sailing Tour

When I go snorkeling, I prefer to wear a wetsuit, because I always get a little chilled, especially when I’m in the water for longer periods of time. I have my own, but many tour companies will provide rentals for a small fee. I would recommend renting one if you are going in the water for longer than 15 minutes, because I prefer to focus on the wildlife rather than how cold I’m getting.

On this tour you’ll sail on a catamaran to the only living barrier reef in North America, home to sea turtles, dolphins, eels, tropical fish, urchins, anemones, and other marine creatures.The boat will tie up to a mooring ball (so as to not damage the reef with the anchor), and you’ll need to bring your own reef-friendly sunscreen , towel, water (save the environment with a reusable water bottle ), hat, sunglasses, and underwater camera. The crew will give you a snorkeling orientation, but you should already know how to swim and be comfortable going in the ocean.

• Where: Schooner Wharf
• What’s included: snorkel gear and instruction, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages
• Price: $59.07, but it’s recommended to tip the crew. Book the tour here .

11. Snorkeling & Dolphin Watch

This powercat will take you to the Key West National Wildlife Refuge at Cottrel Key, where dolphins like to play. You’ll snorkel in the shallows at some of the small mangrove island chains that have the best reefs, depending on the weather and visibility conditions. The tour guide on board will talk to you about the places you’re seeing, and on the way back, you’ll get to catch the sunset.

• What’s included: snorkel gear and safety equipment, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages
• Price: $74, but it’s recommended to tip the crew. Book the tour here .

Hopefully this collection of tours helps you decide which parts of Key West you’d like to explore and how!

If you had to pick three, which would they be?

About the author: Nicole Edwards is a solo sailor who is currently cruising around the world on her 1968 Columbia 26, the S/V Arta . She has visited Costa Rica, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, and about half of the United States, including Alaska. Her favorite part about traveling is making connections with locals who share inside knowledge, in addition to being introduced to another part of her home on planet earth and adding it all to her heart.

About Nicole Edwards

Nicole is a single-handed sailor sailing the world and sharing her journey on her YouTube Channel, Sailing Artha. She prefers the type of travel that gets her into nature, and she actively seeks out farm and trash pick-up volunteering opportunities.

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02/18/2023 at 11:45 am

Wow, thanks for sharing the story of the origin of the name “Key West” as it is the most western Key so one could easily just think that was the true blue original name instead of it evolving that way thanks to English settlers. I wondered why it had a nickname of “Bone Island”. That was what it was meant to be called :). Thanks for sharing some cool anecdotes. Did not know about the Conch Republic as I visited as a kid right before the incident. The US had its tea party and Conch Republic has its stale Cuban bread party. The Conch Republic has a website and you can get a “passport”/”party passport” combo which can theoretically get you up to $500 in discounts around the island, oh I mean the “Republic”. There are substantive claims that the passport was accidentally honored at some international border crossings. I love this story! I guess they even “rebelled” again with stale Cuban bread (and conch fritters apparently) in 1995 over unannounced military exercises and in 2006 the US government claimed the 7 mile bridge not US Territory to prevent Cuban refugees who reached it from using it to claim refuge in the US. Since the US declared it not US territory, the Conch Republic responded by briefly “annexing” it. I actually admire their creative ways of getting the federal government to back down and get their attention when their tourist income is at stake! A little Conch diplomacy goes a long way.

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