Best of Canada's West and Alaska Cruise

Day 1 (Door to Door)

Arrive Vancouver

Enjoy your luxury private car door to door transfer to your departure airport before your scheduled flight to Vancouver, where a transfer is provided to your first hotel. Your Tour Director is at your hotel this afternoon to greet you and answer any questions. Please join us at 6pm for a Welcome Drink at the hotel. (WR)
Hotel: Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel (SFC)

Day 2

Vancouver - Strait of Georgia - Victoria

Our tour of Vancouver takes us to Stanley Park to view the totem poles, English Bay, Chinatown and Gastown with its charming cobbled streets. We then cross the Strait of Georgia by ferry to Vancouver Island and the very "British" city of Victoria. Our orientation tour introduces us to Bastion Square, the Inner Harbour and the Parliament Buildings. (FB, HD)
Hotel: Inn at Laurel Point (SFC)
Dining Highlights: This evening dinner is at a local restaurant.

Day 3

Victoria sightseeing and at leisure

We start the day with breakfast at the world-famous Butchart Gardens. A representative will give us a brief talk on the history of the Butchart family and the gardens' exhibits. Later, there is time to explore this 55-acre showcase of extraordinary floral displays. The rest of the day is at leisure in Victoria for optional activities. (FB)
Hotel: Inn at Laurel Point (SFC)

Day 4

Victoria - Sea to Sky Highway - Whistler

We travel north to Chemainus, a seaside town known for its beautiful murals. We then journey across the Strait of Georgia and along the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway stopping at the 1,105-feet Shannon Falls, before arriving at Whistler for a guided walking tour of the village. (FB)
Hotel: Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa (FC)

Day 5

Whistler - Cache Creek - Kamloops

This morning we travel across the fertile Pemberton Valley and along the picturesque Duffy Lake Road, often referred to as "one of the best drives in Canada". At Historic Hat Creek Ranch we visit the historic buildings and learn about this early trading route. We also visit a Native Village where we learn about the Shuswap Nation's fascinating history and culture. (FB, HD)
Hotel: The Thompson Hotel (FC)
Dining Highlights: In Kamloops we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 6

Kamloops - Rocky Mountain Parks - Banff

Today we head for the great Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, a UNESCO World Heritage area. We first visit Mount Revelstoke National Park, where we travel from dense old growth rainforest of giant cedar and pine, to sub-alpine forest leading to alpine meadows and tundra with spectacular views of the ice-clad peaks of the Monashee Mountains. At Giant Cedars, weather permitting, we'll enjoy a walk through a stand of 1000-year old cedars. Next, we enter Glacier National Park and climb over Rogers Pass. After crossing the Columbia River, we enter the Rocky Mountain trench. Our next national park is Yoho, where we view the Natural Bridge spanning the Kicking Horse River and the famous Spiral Tunnels, constructed so that freight trains - typically up to a mile long - can safely climb the narrow valley. Crossing the Continental Divide, we enter Banff National Park, Canada's oldest national park, and arrive at the quintessential alpine resort of Banff. (FB, D)
Hotel: Banff Park Lodge (FC)

Day 7

Banff sightseeing and at leisure

Our tour of Banff features the classic viewpoint of Surprise Corner along Tunnel Mountain Drive, Bow Falls and the wind-shaped rock formations known as hoodoos. We board the Banff Gondola for a ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain to experience a bird's eye view of six mountain ranges from the upper terminal. The afternoon and evening are at leisure. (FB)
Hotel: Banff Park Lodge (FC)

Day 8

Banff - Lake Louise - Icefields Parkway - Jasper

This morning we are taken on an interpretive walk along the shores of Lake Louise. We learn about the geography and history of the area and soak in the stunning landscape combining azure glacial waters, deep green forests, jagged snow-covered mountains and the mighty Victoria Glacier. We then head north along the stunning Icefields Parkway. Keep an eye out for wildlife including elk, black bear and mountain goat. We continue on to the Columbia Icefield where we board an Ice Explorer for a unique journey onto the massive Athabasca Glacier. We then head for Jasper in the heart of Jasper National Park. After dinner we learn about Rocky Mountain wildlife at a fun and informative presentation by a local expert. (FB, D)
Hotel: Chateau Jasper (SFC)

Day 9

Jasper National Park sightseeing and at leisure

This morning we enjoy an interpretive walk at Maligne Canyon, one of the most beautiful gorges in the Rockies. We learn about the underground river system as we wander along the canyon's trail, past beautiful waterfalls and spectacular rock formations. The rest of the day and evening is at leisure. (FB)
Hotel: Chateau Jasper (SFC)

Day 10

Jasper - Mount Robson - Lac Le Jeune

We head west over Yellowhead Pass and arrive at Mount Robson, the Rockies' tallest peak at 12,989 ft. We then follow the Thompson River as it winds its way through the Columbia Mountains to arrive at our resort, beautifully located on the shores of Lac Le Jeune. We join an expert on a nature walk to the beaver dam at the end of the lake to learn about the resident beaver colony. (FB, FD)
Hotel: Lac Le Jeune Resort (MFC)
Dining Highlights: This evening, join us for a Farewell Dinner party with new found friends.

Day 11

Lac Le Jeune - Vancouver

Today we travel back to Vancouver for a one-night stay. Perhaps take time to ride the gondola to the summit of Grouse Mountain. Vancouver can cater for every taste and this evening you are free to dine at one of the city's many restaurants. (FB)
Hotel: Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel (SFC)

Day 12

Vancouver - Inside Passage Cruise

Today is at leisure in Vancouver until you are transferred to Canada Place, where you board Holland America's ms Zuiderdam for your seven-night luxury Glacier Bay Inside Passage cruise. (FB, D)

Day 13

Inside Passage cruising

Come face to face with the grandeur of the Ice Age and slowly glide past a maze of bays, glacier-carved fjords and waterways protected from the open sea by islands and other land masses. (FB, L, D)

Day 14

Juneau

Weather permitting we cruise along Tracy Arm, a narrow, 26-mile-long fjord which ends at the twin Sawyer Glaciers, a marvellous opportunity to observe the spectacular scenery, Alaskan wildlife and possibly calving icebergs. Today we reach our first Alaskan port-of-call, Juneau, where you can discover rustic shops offering jade sculptures, silver jewellery, wooden masks, intricate beadwork and apparel designed by native Alaskans. Visit Gold Rush-era bars such as the Alaska Hotel with its ornate Victorian furnishings or the Red Dog Saloon showcasing Wyatt Earp's gun. (FB, L, D)

Day 15

Skagway

Established in 1897 as a trading post for prospectors headed to the Klondike Gold Rush, Skagway was once known as "hell on earth," an untamed, violent town controlled by organized criminals. Today, of course, the town is more civilized, though its colourful past is carefully preserved in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. (FB, L, D)

Day 16

Glacier Bay National Park scenic cruising

In the watery wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park, witness a landscape at its literal moment of creation. Travel thousands of years back in time, witnessing the life cycle of a new land from Sitka-spruce forests alive with grizzlies and wolves to the algae, lichens and mosses that were the beginnings of life in the region. (FB, L, D)

Day 17

Ketchikan

Part of Ketchikan is built along a steep hillside and part is built on pilings over the water where bald eagles watch from waterside perches. An outstanding collection of totem poles makes the town an essential stop for anyone interested in native art. (FB, L, D)

Day 18

At sea

Today is a day of relaxation as your cruise returns to Vancouver. Take advantage of the ship's outstanding facilities or simply relax on deck with a drink and watch unmatched scenery glide by your floating palace. (FB, L, D)

Day 19

Depart Vancouver

After disembarking, a complimentary transfer takes you to Vancouver International Airport for your overnight flight back to the UK. (FB)

Day 20 (Door to Door)

Arrive UK

On arrival at your UK airport, your driver will greet you and escort you to your waiting luxury private car for your door to door transfer home.

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