Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer & Alaska Cruise

Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer & Alaska Cruise

The Canadian Rockies, coupled with an Alaskan cruise, must surely rank amongst the very finest scenic and wildlife holidays on earth! Combining Canada, the world’s second largest country, with a cruise to Alaska, the largest state in the US, our tour has been designed to showcase the very best that such an enormous area can offer.

The magnificent Rocky Mountains are Canada’s crowning glory: home to bears, majestic elk, moose and beaver, with vast forests that seem to go on forever. Opaque lakes of stunning emerald green and turquoise reflect the magnificent scenery like no other place on earth. Carpets of wild flowers bedeck the green meadows spread beneath the towering glaciers - huge expanses of brilliant white ice and snow, contrasting with the muted greys and pinks of the jagged peaks. We stay in Banff, the very heart of the mountains, then travel along a monument to man’s engineering prowess, the ‘road of steel’ that is the great Trans-Canadian railway, on the incredible Rocky Mountaineer train. Crossing high passes, deep ravines and innumerable spectacular bridges, places that can only be seen by rail, the Rocky Mountaineer is acknowledged as the ultimate way to travel through the beautifully rugged terrain of Alberta and British Columbia.

Finally, we arrive in Vancouver, nestling beside the immense majesty of the Pacific Ocean, which ranks alongside Sydney, Cape Town and San Francisco as one of the world’s most naturally beautiful panoramas. With its gleaming glass skyscrapers reflected in the azure-blue ocean, Canada’s third largest city is a fascinating and cosmopolitan metropolis encircled by water and mountains.

Our seven-night cruise with Holland America Line to Alaska is available as an extension on all departures. The cruise includes two days at sea sailing the calm, sheltered waters of the famed Inside Passage. In Alaska, we visit the historic ports of Skagway and Ketchikan, where the prospectors of the 1890’s Klondike gold rush took their first steps towards riches or heartache!

We spend a whole day cruising the pristine waters of Glacier Bay, travelling through a landscape that was completely covered by a 20-mile wide glacier just 200 years ago! The park contains eight tidewater glaciers, extraordinary twelve-storey walls of ice in countless shades of blue and white, creaking and groaning their way to the sea where huge blocks up to 200 feet high break loose and crash into the chilly waters.

On board you will enjoy unparalleled service and extraordinary sights coupled with exciting and unique experiences via the many shore excursions on offer. So, come join us on this wonderful tour and explore one of the most exciting places in North America, located in truly awesome scenery, with enchanting wildlife and welcoming people. You are sure to return with some amazing lifelong memories!

What's Included:

• 3-star hotel accommodation
• 7 nights on MS Koningsdam
• Return flights & transfers
• Programme of daily tours & visits
• 2 days on the Rocky Mountaineer train
• Full board during the cruise
• 4 meals: 2 breakfasts & 2 lunches
• Expert tour manager
• Checked Luggage

Highlights:

• Experience the drama of the magnificent Rocky Mountains in unrivalled luxury on the Rocky Mountaineer train, the ultimate way to travel across this breathtaking terrain.
• Enjoy impeccable SilverLeaf service with 2 days on board the Rocky Mountaineer, including two breakfasts and two lunches. Upgrade available at a supplement
• Guided visits to Lake Louise, Peyto Lake and the Athabasca Glacier plus ride on the Snocoach and a tour of Vancouver.
• Travel on the Icefields Parkway, one of the world's most scenic highways, and walk on the 300-metre-thick Athabasca glacier
• Enjoy a 7-night, full-board Alaskan cruise with Holland America Line
• Visit the awe-inspiring Glacier Bay National Park, a World Heritage Site home to actively calving glaciers and humpback whales
• Opportunity to book from a huge selection of shore excursions such as glacier helicopter flights, bear and whale-watching, fishing, kayaking, hiking and even dog-sledding
• Stay in Banff and Vancouver
• Stay in hand-picked three-star superior accommodation

Day 1: Calgary

Arrive at the airport for your direct flight to Calgary.

Day 2: Calgary

Today we start our spectacular journey from Calgary across the gently rolling prairies of Alberta and soon the amazing slate-grey, snow-capped peaks of the Rockies come into view. Carpets of wild flowers bedeck the green meadows spread beneath the towering glaciers - huge expanses of brilliant white ice and snow, contrasting with the muted greys and pinks of the jagged peaks.

Day 3: Banff

This morning our breathtaking journey is along the Icefields Parkway, one of the most spectacular roads in the world, with stunning mountain vistas. Our first stop is famous Lake Louise, completely encircled by high peaks, perhaps the most photographed view in the Rockies. We then take in Peyto Lake, one of the world’s most beautiful azure-blue glacial waters. Finally we see the Columbia Icefield, the largest in the Rockies, covering an area of over 200 square miles with depths of over 1,000 feet. We’ll ride on a giant ‘Snocoach’ (weather permitting) across the Athabasca Glacier for a closer inspection of the massive crevasses before returning to Banff.

Day 4: Free Day

Today we have a free day. Why not take a leisurely ‘float’ trip on the Bow River or a dip in Banff’s relaxing hot springs. There are also helicopter trips on offer, or perhaps a ride up to the top of Sulphur Mountain at 7,500 feet on the Banff gondola. Several walks commence from the peak and there’s also a restaurant with an open-air terrace. Also very popular is afternoon tea at the magnificent Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, built in the style of a massive Scottish baronial castle.

Day 5: Rocky Mountaineer

This morning we set off on what is one of the world’s greatest train journeys! Crossing high passes, deep ravines and innumerable spectacular bridges, places that can only be seen by rail, the Rocky Mountaineer is acknowledged as the ultimate way to travel through the beautifully rugged terrain of Alberta and British Columbia. Boarding the Rocky Mountaineer you’ll be led to your assigned comfortable reclining seats, with plenty of legroom and large panoramic windows.

The train begins its spectacular two day 585-mile journey following the wide Bow River valley before crossing the Continental Divide at Kicking Horse Pass. Next come the famed spiral tunnels, an engineering marvel built 100 years ago, and as we follow the Columbia River we cross the dramatic 500-foot steel span of Stoney Creek bridge. The excellent on-board commentary highlights the intriguing history of the towns en route and the building of the railway itself.

Meals in SilverLeaf Class include excellent hot meals served at your seat on each day including complimentary snacks, tea and coffee, non-alcoholic drinks, plus beer and house wine with lunch, all served at your seat (bar service at extra cost). Upgrade to the excellent GoldLeaf Services and their impressive Dome carriages. Our overnight stay is in a range of medium-class hotels in the town of Kamloops.

Day 6: Vancouver

We continue our journey to Vancouver. Following the Fraser and Thomson River canyons, passing the Jaws of Death Gorge, Avalanche Alley and Hell’s Gate Canyon, we criss-cross the river many times as we travel through some of British Columbia’s most scenic country. We finally reach Vancouver during the afternoon after a truly once-in-a-lifetime journey.

Day 7: Vancouver

Vancouver regularly features as one of the world’s most naturally beautiful cities: the blue of the Pacific Ocean with its picturesque harbour, the glass skyscrapers reflecting the sunlight and the lush coastal mountains form a stunning backdrop. This morning we tour the city stopping at Stanley Park, with its famous collection of totem poles and Prospect Point, which offers lovely views. The afternoon is at leisure - there’s plenty to see and do in this sophisticated city. A popular, easy walk starts from Vancouver’s waterfront pedestrian promenade to the huge expanse of Stanley Park. The path continues along the seashore and offers stunning vistas across the bay until you reach English Bay’s sandy beach, a lovely spot to watch the sunset.