Welcome to Vancouver, British Columbia! A transfer will take you from the airport to your city centre hotel.

You’ll have some time in Vancouver between your Rocky Mountaineer rail tour and Alaska cruise, but tonight you could take a stroll through the cobblestoned streets of historic Gastown or check out the culinary scene in lively Yaletown.

SilverLeaf & GoldLeaf: Sutton Place Hotel or similar

Early this morning, board the Rocky Mountaineer, for the start of your Journey Through the Clouds rail tour. Watch in awe as you pass the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in Fraser Canyon and the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River as the train winds its way from Vancouver, through the Fraser Valley to the British Columbia interior. As evening draws in, you’ll travel along the shores of Kamloops Lake before pulling into Kamloops itself to disembark for a one night stay.

SilverLeaf & GoldLeaf: Selected Kamloops hotel (comfortable, moderate standard)

Breakfast, lunch

Your journey through the clouds continues today as you ascend into the mighty Canadian Rockies. Once again, you will be surrounded by dramatic scenery as you follow the banks of the North Thompson River through the Monashee and Cariboo Mountains, climbing ever nearer to the high peaks of the Continental Divide.

Today’s highlights include Mount Robson, which at 3,954 metres is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, the tumbling Pyramid Falls and the climb over Yellowhead Pass into Jasper National Park. Your Rocky Mountaineer rail journey ends this evening on arrival in the resort town of Jasper.

SilverLeaf: Chateau Jasper or similar

GoldLeaf: Forest Park Hotel or similar

Breakfast, lunch

Today is yours to explore Jasper and the surrounding National Park at your leisure. Various activities are available to pre-book before you travel. You could go in search of black and grizzly bears on a Jasper wildlife tour or enjoy a Malign Lake cruise. Just let your Travel Consultant know what you would like to do.

SilverLeaf: Chateau Jasper or similar

GoldLeaf: Forest Park Hotel or similar

Today you will travel from Jasper to Banff via one of the most scenic highways in the world, the Icefields Parkway. En route you will stop at the Athabasca Glacier to ride out onto the ice in an Ice Explorer, and the impressive Columbia Icefield Skywalk, a glass-floored, counter-levered walkway that extends out over the cliffs of the Sunwapta Valley.

Lunch is provided at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre, before you continue your journey to Bow Lake and then Banff.

SilverLeaf & GoldLeaf: The Rimrock Resort or similar

Lunch

Today is yours to enjoy as you please in the welcoming town of Banff, where you’ll find activities for all.

If your Rocky Mountaineer rail journey wasn’t relaxing enough, you could enjoy a dip in Banff Hot Springs, 1,585 metres above sea level. For those seeking something more active, there are numerous walking trails around the town.

SilverLeaf & GoldLeaf: The Rimrock Resort or similar

It’s back on board the Rocky Mountaineer today for your second rail journey, the legendary First Passage to the West, which follows the route forged by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the early 19^th Century to connect East and West Canada.

Enjoy the ever-changing scenery as you descend almost 1 kilometre in altitude between Banff and Kamloops. Highlights of today’s journey include the incredible Spiral Tunnels, Kicking Horse Canyon, and Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park.

SilverLeaf & GoldLeaf: Selected Kamloops hotel (comfortable, moderate standard)

Breakfast, Lunch

From Kamloops, your Rocky Mountaineer journey continues west, back to the Pacific Ocean and the coastal city of Vancouver.

As you traverse the British Columbia interior, you’ll follow winding river canyons and pass pristine forests, before again crossing the lush green fields of the Fraser Valley.

On arrival in Vancouver this evening, you’ll be transferred to your city centre hotel.

SilverLeaf & GoldLeaf: Sutton Place Hotel or similar

Breakfast, Lunch

You have a full day to explore Vancouver before boarding your Alaska cruise tomorrow.

For a morning stroll head to the picturesque Stanley Park, where you can wander along the seawall.

In the afternoon you could catch the ferry to Granville Island Public Market, or the shuttle to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, where a series of elevated walkways and bridges provide stunning views of the surrounding forests and the canyon below. Just let your Travel Consultant know if you would like to pre-book tickets.

SilverLeaf & GoldLeaf: Sutton Place Hotel or similar

Your Alaska cruise departs from Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal, in downtown Vancouver, this afternoon, giving you time for a leisurely breakfast or a little more sightseeing – the Museum of Vancouver coming recommended.

After settling into your cabin, make sure you’re up on deck to as your Holland America cruise passes under Lions Gate Bridge into Burrard Inlet. Then enjoy the coastal scenery as you sail between Vancouver Island and the British Columbia mainland towards Alaskan waters.

Your choice of cabin

Dinner

Alaska’s Inside Passage is a renowned cruising route through a protected network of waterways, featuring glacier-cut fjords and lush rainforests.

Enjoy a whole day at sea, soaking in the scenery and keeping an eye out for passing whales and other marine life.

If you’re cruising during the summer, it stays light until late. Inside, there is a choice of restaurants and onboard entertainment to enjoy.

Your choice of cabin

All meals on board

The coastal scenery between Hobart Bay and Juneau is simply stunning; the mountains clad by old-growth temperate rainforest.

Your cruise will briefly moor at around 09:00 for those who wish to take an optional excursion to Tracy Arm Inlet (additional cost). This 48 kilometre fjord has glaciers clinging to its cliff faces, and summer waterfalls that plunge into the sea. Exploring in a high speed catamaran, the tour is also a great opportunity to see wildlife, with guests often spotting pigeon guillemots, bald eagles, harbour seals, mountain goats and bears.

The Tracy Arm Inlet excursion concludes in Juneau, re-joining the cruise ship. You can spend a leisurely afternoon in the Alaskan capital, or join one of several other excursions on offer including whale watching, sea kayaking, a tour to Mendenhall Glacier and Juneau’s Glacier Gardens, a helicopter flight and the ever-popular all-you-can-eat salmon bake!

You choice of cabin

All meals on board

At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, the port town of Skagway quickly grew to become Alaska’s largest, albeit somewhat raucous,  settlement. Much of the town has been preserved as part of a National Historical Park, with rangers offering free walking tours.

You have a full day in Skagway, with another wide range of optional activities available. Highly recommended is the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, an incredible feat of engineering built to facilitate the gold rush. The journey to the summit of White Pass passes towering glaciers and cascading waterfalls, and crosses and sky-high trestles. You can stay on the train to come back down again, or for an adrenaline kick descend by mountain bike!

Other optional excursions include gold panning, dog sledding, and a wilderness safari to Glacier Point.

Your choice of cabin

All meals on board

Have your binoculars and camera ready as you cruise through Glacier Bay to the mile-wide Margerie Glacier, where you may have a chance to witness ice calving.

This area is also known for its abundant wildlife, with humpback whales frequenting the icy waters and  brown bear patrolling the wind-swept beaches.

Whilst you’ll probably want to spend most of the day on deck, do make sure to join the onboard presentation from a local Huna Tlingit guide about the ecology and geology of Glacier Bay, and why it’s critical that wild lands remain forever wild.

Your choice of cabin

All meals on board

Your next port of call is Ketchikan, a colourful town that appears to cling to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, surrounded by forest.

Rich in resources, this area has been the home to the Tlingit people since time immemorial, and the Haida and Tsimshians who moved to what is now South East Alaska from Canadamuch later. You can learn about their history and traditions at the Totem Heritage Centre and Totem Bight State Park, and in nearby Saxman Village.

A number of optional excursions are also available including sea kayaking, salmon fishing, an e-bike ride through the rainforest, and bear spotting by floatplane!

Lastly, for souvenirs (or locally smoked salmon), take a stroll along historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over the Ketchikan Creek.

Your choice of cabin

All meals on board

Enjoy a final day cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage.

Keep an eye out for whales and other wildlife as your Holland America cruise heads back south towards Vancouver.

Your choice of cabin

All meals on board

Having sailed through the night, arrive into Vancouver early this morning.

It’s the end of your Rocky Mountaineer and Alaska cruise holiday today, though if you would like to add extra nights in the city, or in nearby Seattle, just let your Travel Consultant know.

Vancouver International Airport is around a 30 minute drive from Downtown / Canada Place Cruise Terminal.

Breakfast