Rockies trail and cruise to the glaciers

DAY 1 - ARRIVAL IN CALGARY (THURSDAY)

Arrive at Calgary International Airport. Individual transfer to your centrallylocated hotel. After a check-in the remainder of the day is free. The tour director will contact you in the late afternoon to give details on joining the tour. Explore the Old West at the Glenbow Museum or Fort Calgary on your own, browse through the Eau Claire Market, ride up the Calgary Tower for a great view and savour the great restaurants and dynamic nightlife. Overnight in Calgary.
Accommodation: Calgary for 1 night

DAY 2 - CALGARY TO BANFF NATIONAL PARK (FRIDAY)

We begin the day with a city tour of Calgary. Leaving the city, we travel west on the Trans-Canada Highway into the rolling foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The majestic peaks of the Canadian Rockies soon fill the horizon as we approach Banff National Park, our first of several in the Canadian national parks system. We soon arrive in the charming resort town of Banff. Overnight in Banff. Canadian breakfast included. (B)

Accommodation: Banff for 2 nights

DAY 3 - BANFF NATIONAL PARK (SATURDAY)

Today we will enjoy a tour of the region around Banff. The area became Canada’s first national park in 1885 to protect its natural hot springs. An optional Helicopter Sightseeing Tour will give you the chance to see the eastern ranges of the Rocky Mountains. Alternatively you can take an optional gondola ride to spectacular Sulphur Mountain. Bring your camera! The rest of the day is at leisure to explore the surroundings of Banff, stroll along Banff Avenue, or relax and enjoy the scenery. Overnight in Banff. Canadian breakfast included. (B)

DAY 4 - BANFF NATIONAL PARK TO JASPER NATIONAL PARK (SUNDAY)

Today’s journey through Banff and Jasper national parks promises to be a highlight of our Rockies Trail programme. Shortly after leaving Banff we visit the famous scenery of Lake Louise, one of the most photographed lakes in Canada. Afterwards, we travel north on the famed Icefields Parkway through a rugged wilderness flanked by dramatic mountain ranges. At the Columbia Icefield we board a specially constructed Ice Explorer to ride on the surface of the ancient Athabasca Glacier. Close to Jasper, you have the chance to go on an optional raft trip on the Athabasca River. Your experienced guide will point out the natural and human history as you raft through short rapids and stretches of calm waters. Overnight in Jasper. Canadian breakfast included. (B)
Accommodation: Jasper for 1 night

DAY 5 - JASPER NATIONAL PARK TO KAMLOOPS (MONDAY)

Before leaving Jasper National Park this morning, you can take part in an optional Spirit Island Cruise on Maligne Lake, the most picturesque and largest glacier-fed lake in the park. You may alternately take an optional motorcycle tour of Jasper, riding in the comfortable sidecar with an unmatched view of the forests and mountains. Then, we travel west along the Yellowhead Highway and into the heartland of British Columbia. Breathtaking, unspoiled vistas await visitors in every season of the year. The route takes us along the Thompson River through the picturesque Shuswap Highlands. Overnight in Kamloops. Canadian breakfast included. (B)

Accommodation: Kamloops for 1 night

DAY 6 - KAMLOOPS TO WHISTLER (TUESDAY)

We can expect a day of dramatic scenery changes when we drive through the ranch lands and head for the coastal mountains. A journey along the Duffey Lake Road exposes new vistas at every turn. An optional Floatplane Sightseeing Tour over Garibaldi Park gives you an inspiring view of a natural preserve of volcanic peaks, alpine lakes and meadows. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Whistler. Canadian breakfast included. (B)
Accommodation: Whistler for 1 night

DAY 7 - WHISTLER TO VICTORIA (WEDNESDAY)

The Sea-to-Sky Highway leads us south through spectacular coastal scenery today. You will visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge suspended high above a magnificent canyon. From Horseshoe Bay, we cruise by ferry across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island and continue by coach to Victoria, British Columbia’s capital city. Arriving in Victoria, we embark on a city tour of this former British enclave. Overnight in Victoria. Canadian breakfast included. (B)

Accommodation: Victoria for 2 nights

DAY 8 - VICTORIA (THURSDAY)

Proud of her maritime heritage, Victoria has retained a quaint, colonial demeanour evident in the many 19th century landmarks throughout the city. Today we treat ourselves to a tour of the world famous Butchart Gardens, one of the world’s great floral displays set in a reclaimed stone quarry. Time will be allocated here for browsing through the regal gardens. You can take part in an optional Floatplane Sightseeing Tour over downtown Victoria and the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the Olympic Mountains in the distance. You can also go on an optional  Whale-watching Excursion aboard a Zodiac or a regular vessel. Watch for the magnificent orcas and the abundance of marine wildlife. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore the city’s delights. Overnight in Victoria. Continental breakfast included. (B)

DAY 9 - VICTORIA TO VANCOUVER (FRIDAY)

We continue through the resort region of the Gulf Islands to the oceanside city of Vancouver. Upon arrival in Vancouver, we enjoy an interesting tour of the city, including Stanley Park, English Bay, Gastown, Chinatown, and much more. The remainder of the day is free for independent exploration or simple relaxation. This evening features our farewell dinner party. Overnight in Vancouver. Continental breakfast and dinner included. (B/D)

Accommodation: Vancouver for 1 night

DAY 10 - VANCOUVER / ALASKAN CRUISE (SATURDAY)

Today you check out of your hotel and are transferred to the Vancouver cruise terminal where you board Holland America’s Koningsdam and are welcomed by the crew who will be your hosts for your cruising adventure. Familiarize yourself with amenities of the ship and watch the sun set over the water from the wide decks of this magnificent craft. The ship weighs anchor and sets sail this afternoon for one of the most famously beautiful passages in the world. Breakfast and dinner included. Overnight on board the Koningsdam. (B/D)

Accommodation: Onboard Ms. Koningsdam for 7 nights

DAY 11 - INSIDE PASSAGE (SUNDAY)

Enjoy the fantastic scenery on the first full day of cruising, travelling through the Inside Passage. Just beyond the deck rails, the gems of Alaska are laid open in a spellbinding vista of rain forests, glaciers, fjords and white-capped peaks. Along the way it is common to view whales and sea lions at play along the coastlines as well as a near countless assortment of marine bird life. Overnight on board the Koningsdam. Full board included. (B/L/D)

DAY 12 - TRACY ARM INLET / PORT OF JUNEAU (MONDAY)

Travel the Stephens Passage as it flows into the Boundary Ranges at Tracy Arm, a narrow, twisting, 48 -kilometre-long fjord that ends at the twin Sawyer glaciers. Lush rain forest gives way to ancient stone as the land dramatically rises to 2100m towering peaks, the waterway ending at the twin Sawyer Glaciers. Arriving in the port of Juneau, take some time to explore this unique state capital and its frontier culture and spirit. Overnight on board the Koningsdam. Full board included. (B/L/D)

DAY 13 - PORT OF SKAGWAY (TUESDAY)

Cruising to the Gold Rush stopover town of Skagway, travel in the footsteps of the prospectors that either continued on to the gold fields, or remained to create the historic town that still thrives today. Perhaps take some time to ride the antique White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge railway, step into the Red Onion Saloon or peruse the restored buildings and wooden boardwalks of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Overnight on board the Koningsdam. Full board included. (B/L/D)

DAY 14 - GLACIER BAY (WEDNESDAY)

An exciting day cruising ahead, exploring the famous waters of Glacier Bay – home to Glacier Bay National Park. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park boasts a unique ecosystem of plants and animals living in concert with an ever-changing glacial landscape. When a monumental chunk of ice splits off a glacier and thunders into the sea, the impact shoots water dozens of metres into the air. Glacier Bay has more active ‘calving’ (splitting off) tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world. Overnight on board the Koningsdam. Full board included. (B/L/D)

DAY 15 - PORT OF KETCHIKAN (THURSDAY)

Cruise into the port of Ketchikan today, set along the shores of the Tongass Narrows, unique for its many shops and houses built suspended above the water. Known as the Salmon Capital of the World, this lively town also is home to Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park and the Saxman Village. The town is surrounded by natural wonders, inviting all visitors to discover their wild side amidst the wilds of the Alaskan landscape. Overnight on board the Koningsdam. Full board included. (B/L/D)

DAY 16 - INSIDE PASSAGE (FRIDAY)

Today the ship slowly retraces its voyage along the Alaskan and British Columba coastlines. Watch how the landscape slowly and subtly changes as you descend into the more southern and warmer climate of the Pacific Northwest temperate area. Overnight on board the Koningsdam. Full board included. (B/L/D)

DAY 17 - END OF TOUR (SATURDAY)

Early this morning you arrive in the port of Vancouver and disembark the Koningsdam. You transfer individually to Vancouver’s International Airport in time to check in for your return flight. (B)