Tour West Canada and Alaska Cruise

Day 1: Arrival in Vancouver
Welcome to Canada! Meet & greet with one of our representatives, who will transfer you to your hotel (Pan Pacific, Westin, or Fairmont Waterfront).

Day 2: Vancouver City Tour
Your guide will take you on a tour of the city of Vancouver, starting in the green heart of the city, Stanley Park, which boasts a beautiful seawall and aquarium. You will then move north across the Lions Gate Bridge to visit Marine Drive and Dundarave Park, where you will have a snack in one of the local restaurants. In the afternoon, you will be accompanied to pick up your rental car, and then head towards Kamloops, renowned for its characteristic trout that populates the lakes in the area. The surrounding countryside is a combination of forests, grasslands and hills. Kamloops is a great base for exploring the wild nature that surrounds it, like Wells Gray Park in the north and the meadows of the Nicola Valley in the south. Overnight at the lodge on Lake Roche.

Day 3: Maligne Lake and Jasper
One of the most fascinating excursions of your itinerary is the cruise around Maligne Lake, which includes a trip to Maligne Canyon to view its network of underground channels, one of the natural wonders of this area. Later, visit the two lovely villages mentioned in your Road Book. In the evening, relax in Jasper with a candlelight dinner at the restaurant recommended in your Road Book. You will spend the night at Maligne Lodge or similar.

Day 4: From Jasper to Lake Louise
Today you will depart southwards along the Icefield Parkway, which connects Jasper with the other lovely towns and attractions of the region, like Banff, Lake Louise and the Rocky Mountains. One of the highlights of the area is the large number of wild animals that you’ll often come across. You will continue this beautiful road trip up to the Athabasca falls, another wonder of the Rockies. Then, we’ll reach Columbia glaciers where you will take a scheduled glacier excursion on board of the Ice Coach. You will also view beautiful lakes, starting with Peyto Lake. In the evening, you’ll go south again to reach your hotel (the Lake Louise Inn or similar). Enjoy dinner at your leisure and an overnight stay.

Day 5: From Lake Louise to Banff and Revelstoke
Set out for the day to visit the surroundings of Lake Louise, starting with the view from the beautiful Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Lake Louise is the most famous and visited of the lakes in the Rockies, and known as one of the most beautiful in the world. Begin your journey with a light hike along a path, which leads from the base of the lake to the viewpoint of The Plain of Six Glaciers, a truly breathtaking panorama. As another option, you can also get there on horseback. Afterwards, you can visit the nearby Lake Agnes, stopping at the Switzerland Hut for a snack. In the afternoon, you can visit Moraine Lake, another wonder of this region just a few miles away. In the evening, you will reach your third goal along this spectacular route of the Rockies: Banff, the charming alpine village. Enjoy dinner at a restaurant and accommodation at the Fox Hotel, which features natural hot spring baths on-site.

Day 6: Banff, Museum and Sulphur Mountains – Departure to Kelowna
This morning, you’ll proceed towards Banff, your first stop in the Rockies. Start your visit with The Cave and The Basin Historical Site, the oldest and most famous museum dedicated to the Rocky Mountains. Then you will make a visit to the underground quarries of Banff and head up the mountain by cable car to enjoy a scenic trip to Sulphur Mountain. Here, you can enjoy the spectacular views and dine on the delightful terrace. In the early afternoon, you will get back on the road towards the Thompson Okanagan region. Drive along Highway 1 alongside the Fraser River, which was made famous by the gold rush of the 1800’s. Observe the changing scenery as you drive from the mountainous north to the dry, desert-like and fruit-laden south. Stay overnight at the Ranch on the Lake (breakfast included).

Day 7: Victoria
After breakfast, we will travel back to Vancouver and board the ferry to Victoria, the capital of the province and a quiet, beautiful town at the southern end of Vancouver Island. Blessed with a mild climate, this city boasts many major attractions in that line the elegant Inner Harbour, once a vital business centre of the region. From here, cargo ships would moor and set sail carrying goods for the Hudson’s Bay Company, one of Canada’s most historically important companies which today is known as ‘The Bay’ department stores. Stay overnight at a hotel in the Inner Harbour, with breakfast included.

Day 8: Butchart Gardens
The Butchart Gardens are one of the largest indoor flower shows in the world, built by recycled abandoned stone quarry. From the delightful Sunken Garden to the attractive Rose Garden, this floral exhibition serves to keep alive the traditions of exclusive crops, in one of the most attractive places in the world. Spend some hours walking amongst the lush gardens. In the early afternoon, you will depart northward to head to the Cowichan Valley and the town of Duncan, along the scenic Malhat Drive. Along the way, you will enjoy stunning views of the coastline with the Gulf Islands and the peninsula of Saannich. When you arrive in Duncan – the city of totems – pay a visit to the old town with numerous Salish peoples totems, and then head towards Lake Cowichan where you’ll arrive at your lodge, located in a beautiful spot on the Cowichan River.

Day 9: First Day of Cruise
Transfer to Vancouver and board your Alaska Cruise. Upon setting sail, you will slip under the Lions Gate Bridge and enter the Inside Passage, the scenic waterway filled with natural wonders.

Day 10: Inside Passage – Second Day of Cruising
Known as one of the most beautiful waterways in the world, the Inside Passage is the magnificent maritime passage along the West Pacific Coast, nestled between long fjords with rushing waterfalls and high canyons topped with snowy mountain peaks. During this trip, you will be constantly surrounded by wonderful views and encounters with killer whales, humpback whales and sea lions, among other species.

Day 11: Icy Straits Point – Third Day of Cruising
Fifty miles west of Juneau, at the mouth of Glacier Bay, lies the historic Icy Straits Point. You will have the unique opportunity to experience the culture of the Tlingit and observe the incredible wildlife. Renowned for the canning industry, Icy Straits Point is now a homeport for cruise ships and one of the main access routes to the fabulous Tongass National Forest. The city of Hoonah is less than two kilometres from the port, and from the coast provides very easy access to see the local fauna like eagles and whales.

Day 12: Hubbard Glacier – Fourth Day of Cruising
The Hubbard Glacier is the only glacier in the world that does not move at a glacial pace. In fact, its pace is quite the opposite! In 1986, the Hubbard Glacier moved an average of just under 5.5 feet per hour. The ice at the foot of the Hubbard Glacier is about 400 years old: it takes that long for ice to traverse the length of the glacier. The front of the glacier routinely calves off huge icebergs, up to 10 km long. Hubbard is also the largest tidewater glacier in North America. While navigating through the Yakutat Bay, be attentive: you might witness historical geological events. Hubbard Glacier surged forward twice during the last quarter-century, blocking the outlet of Russell Fjord and creating the new ‘Russell Lake’, filled with runoff.

Day 13: Juneau – Fifth Day of Cruising
Juneau, Alaska’s capital, is a fascinating city. Here, the pioneer spirit lives on in an interesting blend of urban-chic and frontier roughness. Don’t miss a visit to the Alaska State Museum along with other great natural attractions such as Juneau Glacier Bay (excursion on request) and Mendenhall Glacier, a stone’s throw from the city. Let us hop on a helicopter to Mendenhall and go for an exciting hike along the ice. The area around Juneau is abound with wildlife, such as bears, porpoises, seals, sea otters, mountain goats and Sitka black-tailed deer, which can be easily seen during the various excursions.

Day 14: Ketchikan – Sixth Day of Cruising
Ketchikan is an ideal starting point for wonderful excursions by seaplane to the Misty Fjords National Monument, and about 2,200 acres of beautiful nature. This is an area that was completely covered by glaciers 17,000 years ago, creating the marvelous scene of present day. This region showcases long and narrow fjords with cliffs that can rise more than 100 metres high; mountains wrapped in mysterious fog (which the park is named after); and incredibly turquoise lakes and waterfalls, and endless evergreen forests. Ketchikan is the ancestral homeland of the Tlingit tribe, and one thing not to miss is the largest collection of totems in the world.

Day 15: Inside Passage – Seventh Day of Cruising

Day 16: Eighth Day of Cruising and Docking
Disembark in Vancouver for the end of your cruise and trip. Otherwise, start out for a new destination.