The Canadian Rockies with Alaska Cruise (89042025)

Day 1:
VANCOUVER Welcome to Vancouver! Your Tour Director is on hand from 3-6:00pm this afternoon to answer any questions.



Day 2:
VANCOUVER This morning, an included city tour highlights Stanley Park, Chinatown, the harbour, beaches, and more. The rest of the day is at leisure; your Tour Director can suggest ways to further explore the city. Maybe take a water taxi to Granville Island with outdoor markets, street musicians, and waterfront cafés or, visit historic Gastown with its steam-powered clock.



Day 3:
VANCOUVER-KELOWNA Our journey begins in British Columbia 's fertile valleys and continues through rich mountain forests to Okanagan Lake. Travel along the lake to the resort city of Kelowna, beautifully situated on the lake shore and surrounded by orchards and vineyards.



Day 4:
KELOWNA-BANFF NATIONAL PARK Motor north through the Okanagan Valley, famous for its peaches and vineyards. Climb up 4,379-foot-high Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park. Take a break at the pass, perfect for photos of the rugged mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls. Enter Yoho National Park and ascend Kicking Horse Pass at 5,332 feet. Reach Banff National Park, Canada 's first national park, known for its unparalleled mountain scenery nestled in the heart of the magnificent Canadian Rockies. An orientation tour highlights Banff 's unspoiled beauty.



Day 5:
BANFF NATIONAL PARK Enjoy the day exploring Banff, one of Canada 's favorite year-round resorts, and home to 53 species of mammals. The most commonly seen are deer, elk, and big horn sheep. Hike, golf, horseback ride, shop in the townsite, or relax at the hot springs. Perhaps treat yourself to a once in a lifetime experience on an optional helicopter ride for spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies!



Day 6:
BANFF NATIONAL PARK-LAKE LOUISE-COLUMBIA ICEFIELD-JASPER NATIONAL PARK First, to Lake Louise, its turquoise waters a perfect natural mirror that reflects the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Precipitous gorges, snowcapped summits, and lakes of exquisite blues and greens come into view as the motorcoach continues northward into Jasper National Park. A highlight today is a stop at the Columbia Icefield to ride the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice measuring 750 feet thick! Enjoy an orientation tour of the town of Jasper upon arrival.



Day 7:
JASPER NATIONAL PARK Today is free to enjoy everything Jasper has to offer—from quaint shops to meandering wildlife. This morning, find serenity on the glacial blue waters of Maligne Lake with an optional narrated cruise to Spirit Island*, revealing the history, geology, flora, and fauna of the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies. Then this afternoon, go with the flow on an optional scenic float trip down the Athabasca River.

*This optional excursion begins operating in late May/early June.



Day 8:
JASPER NATIONAL PARK-MOUNT ROBSON-SUN PEAKS Leave Jasper and follow the Fraser River to the base of Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, peaking at 12,972 feet. Continue following the Yellowhead Highway south along the North Thompson River—a route pioneered by fur trappers. Overnight in the mountain resort village of Sun Peaks.



Day 9:
SUN PEAKS-LILLOOET-WHISTLER Head south, following the once treacherous Cariboo Wagon Trail. Via Lillooet, “Mile 0 of the Gold Rush Route,” your motorcoach will follow the shores of Seton and Duffey Lakes with a late-afternoon arrival in Whistler.



Day 10:
WHISTLER Spend the day in the alpine resort of Whistler, nestled at the base of breathtaking Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains. Enjoy free time to explore many sites of the 2010 Winter Olympics held here. Your own adventures await with a choice of optional excursions, including a Ziptrek Adventure through an old-growth temperate rainforest or a guided Tree-Trek Canopy Walk via suspension bridges and boardwalks high above in the treetops.



Day 11:
WHISTLER-FERRY CROSSING-VICTORIA Set sail across the Strait of Georgia, known for its Mediterranean-type climate. Afternoon sightseeing includes world-famous Butchart Gardens, and then a tour of the beautiful city of Victoria featuring Bastion Square, Thunderbird Park with its unusual collection of totem poles, and the inner harbour.



Day 12:
VICTORIA A day at leisure gives you the chance to discover this splendid city, including the Royal British Columbia Museum, shopping on Government Street, or a leisurely stroll around the harbor. Or get back to nature on an optional Wildlife and Whale-Watching Expedition while cruising the pristine waters of the San Juan and Gulf Islands, seeking whales, porpoises, seals, and eagles.



Day 13:
VICTORIA-FERRY CROSSING-VANCOUVER (EMBARKATION) A scenic ferry crossing to the mainland. Upon arrival, say goodbye to your Tour Director and transfer to Canada Place to board Holland America 's MS Koningsdam or MS Zaandam for an unforgettable Inside Passage cruise. Your package price includes Holland America 's 'Have It All Premium Cruise Package.' (D)



Day 14:
SCENIC CRUISING: INSIDE PASSAGE Spend the day cruising one of the world 's most spectacular waterways. Located along the coast of British Columbia, the Inside Passage is the longest sheltered inland waterway in the world. Watch the water for orcas and humpback whales. (B,L,D)



Day 15:
JUNEAU Located at the foot of grand mountain peaks on Gastineau Channel, Alaska 's capital city of Juneau has massive Mendenhall Glacier and the Juneau Icefield at its back door. Visit the rustic shops in town—or get out and kayak, raft, hike, whale watch, flightsee, or fish. There 's no end to the adventure because of the long daylight hours. (B,L,D)



Day 16:
SKAGWAY In winter, the sidewalks are all but rolled up in Skagway, so you can imagine the frightful conditions endured by gold prospectors who passed through en route to the Yukon. Take your time and poke your head into every little shop, from the Trail Bench to Lynch & Kennedy 's Dry Goods. The Red Onion Saloon, with its honky-tonk piano and costumed barmaids, is a treasure trove of memorabilia featuring pictures of Klondike Kate, Peahull Annie, and other historic characters. To complete the picture of those rip-roaring days, visit the nostalgic Trail of '98 Museum. (B,L,D)



Day 17:
SCENIC CRUISING: GLACIER BAY Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world. How does it feel when a colossal chunk of ice splits off a glacier and crashes into the sea? The sound is like thunder. The impact shoots water hundreds of meters into the air. You hold your breath as you capture the moment on camera, then you wait for it all to happen again. (B,L,D)



Day 18:
KETCHIKAN Alaska 's “First City” of Ketchikan is so named because it is the first major landfall for most cruisers as they enter the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage, where the town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain. An important hub of the salmon-fishing and -packing industries—visitors can try their luck on a sport-fishing excursion or simply savor the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants. It is also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. (B,L,D)



Day 19:
SCENIC CRUISING: INSIDE PASSAGE Arguably one of the greatest cruising routes in the world, the Inside Passage stretches through stunning landscapes, from Misty Fjords National Monument to famed Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Sailing the Inside Passage offers opportunities to spot some of Alaska 's most iconic wildlife, with humpback whales and orca plying the bountiful waters alongside the ships, bald eagles soaring overhead and brown bears lumbering on the shoreline. (B,L,D)



Day 20:
VANCOUVER (DISEMBARKATION) Your vacation ends this morning. Please schedule homebound flights after noon. (B)