About Kamloops
Kamloops sits where the North and South Thompson Rivers meet, in the dry, sage-scented ranchlands of British Columbia's southern interior — one of the sunniest corners of the province. For Rocky Mountaineer travelers it is the storied overnight stop: the first day's rails from Vancouver climb the Fraser Canyon past Hell's Gate to reach it, and the second day's leave its river benches for the high passes of the Rockies.
The town wears its cattle-country heritage proudly — this is real ranch land, rodeo posters and all — alongside a growing wine-and-craft-beer scene, riverside trails, and the small museums of the Secwépemc people whose territory this has been for millennia. Most rail guests arrive in the evening and leave at dawn, but the sunset over the sagebrush hills from a patio on Victoria Street is a fine way to split the journey.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Kamloops.
Watch the rivers meet
Riverside Park sits at the confluence of the two Thompsons — a gold-lit evening stroll that shows off the grasslands, the rail bridges, and the big interior sky.
Toast the halfway point
Kamloops' compact downtown pours BC wines and local craft beer within walking distance of the rail guests' hotels — the traditional way to celebrate day one on the train.
Spot the ranchland wildlife
The hills around town are mule-deer, coyote, and osprey country — and the dawn departure east offers front-row seats as the sage gives way to mountains.