Welcome to Canada’s west coast! Spend the day exploring Vancouver, a city where mountains, ocean, and skyline all meet. Start at Stanley Park and walk (or bike) the seawall for views of the North Shore mountains and English Bay. Then head to Granville Island Public Market to browse food stalls and artisan shops along the waterfront.

Enjoy a restful night in your hotel before joining your Alaska cruise.

Coast Coal Harbour 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 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!

Your 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.

Enjoy a last dinner on board, and tonight’s evening entertainment.

You choice of cabin

All meals on board

Having sailed through the night, arrive into Vancouver early this morning. Enjoy a free day to explore Vancouver before heading to your hotel to meet your tour guide and fellow travellers for the next part of your trip. Your guide will talk you through the itinerary and explain the tour arrangements before departing in the morning. 

Accent Inns Vancouver Airport

The morning begins with a visit to Downtown Vancouver. Your guide will show you the city’s highlights, including Gastown, with its famous steam-powered clock, and the totem poles amongst the trees of Stanley Park.

Then, leave the city behind and set sail for Vancouver Island. Enjoy the scenic ferry journey across the Strait of Georgia, taking in sweeping coastal views along the way and keeping an eye out for local wildlife. Arriving in the charming city of Victoria, you’ll have the perfect base for tomorrow’s adventures.

The Vic, Ascend Hotel Collection, or similar

Begin this morning with breakfast amongst the floral displays of Butchart Gardens. Take time to wander through the beautifully landscaped gardens, before heading into Victoria for an orientation tour with your Travel Director. See some of the city’s highlights, including Canada’s oldest Chinatown, the elegant Empress Hotel, the picturesque harbourfront and the impressive Parliament Buildings.

The rest of the day is yours to spend as you please. Browse the shops along Government Street, enjoy a coffee beside the waterfront or delve into local history at the Royal BC Museum. Feeling adventurous? Book an optional activity for an unforgettable whale watching trip on the surrounding waters. However you choose to spend your time, Victoria offers plenty of ways to make the day your own.

Optional Activity: Prebook a Whale Watching Excursion from Victoria Harbour. In the Spring and Summer you can expect to see humpback whales, minke whales, grey whales, and resident orcha pods. You may also see other wildlife like bald eagles, seals, and poprpoises. This tour lasts around three hours. Please mention at the time of booking if you would like to add this activitiy.

The Vic, Ascend Hotel Collection, or similar

Breakfast

From the edge of the Pacific Ocean, today you will be heading back to the mainland and up into the Canadian Rockies. After another scenic ferry crossing, you can relax and watch the scenery change from coasts, through thick forests, to glacial peaks.

Today’s scenic drive ends at Sun Peaks, a laid-back alpine village, tucked into the mountains around Kamloops. It is the perfect location to relax and take in the mountain views, or stretch your legs in a hike through the forested slopes and lush alpine meadows.

Sun Peaks Lodge or similar

This morning there is time to take in the mountain air, before another scenic drive through the mountains. Heading further east, deeper into the Rockies, the views only get more spectacular. There is an opportunity for photos at the Mount Robson Visitor Centre, with views of the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Then it is onwards to Jasper National Park, and the Mountain town of Jasper itself.

Lobstick Lodge, Jasper, or similar

Enjoy a full day to explore Jasper, the mountain railroad town at the heart of the Canadian Rockies, at your own pace. As the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper offers incredible scenery and plenty of ways to experience the great outdoors.

Make the most of your day with a selection of optional experiences. Choose one morning, one afternoon and one evening activity to tailor your Jasper adventure to you.

In the morning, set out on a seasonal cruise on Maligne Lake, gliding across the calm, glacier-fed waters towards Spirit Island.

For your afternoon, choose between an Athabasca River float trip, drifting through spectacular mountain scenery with the chance to spot wildlife; a guided nature walk through meadows, forests and hills; or a guided e-bike tour through Jasper National Park.

As evening falls, enjoy an Athabasca Dinner & Discovery Tour, combining a three-course dinner with a twilight wildlife tour — a memorable way to end your day in the Rockies.

Please select your preferred morning, afternoon and evening experiences at the time of booking. Availability is seasonal and subject to change.

Lobstick Lodge, Jasper or similar

The Columbia Icefields Parkway, links Jasper to Banff, and it is one of the most scenic roads in the world. There are cascading waterfalls, turquiose lakes, and giant glaciers, all along the route. The tour will stop at the icefields themselves, so you can climb aboard a massive Ice Explorer to drive up on to the Athabasca Glacier. You will be able to get out onto the ice and take in the panoramic views, or fill your water bottle with glacial water, before returning to the highway.

On the way to Banff there will be another stop at the picture perfect Lake Louise, where you can take plenty of photos of the turquoise waters with the reflected mountains beyond. The tour continues to the picturesque town of Banff where you can enjoy a relaxing evening.

Red Carpet Inn or similar

Rise and shine for a full day to explore Banff and its spectacular mountain surroundings at your own pace. With a choice of experiences, you can fill your day with breathtaking scenery, Indigenous culture, adventure and unforgettable views.

Start your morning with a sunrise breakfast at Moraine Lake, where you can look out for wildlife, capture panoramic mountain views and enjoy a warm breakfast surrounded by nature. Alternatively, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Mahikan Medicine Walk, led by a First Nations Local Guide who will share traditional knowledge and the medicinal uses of plants found on the land.

In the afternoon, take to the skies on a helicopter tour (weather permitting), soaring above the Rockies towards Mount Assiniboine or taking in the dramatic Three Sisters peaks from above.

Then, as evening arrives, ride the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain and enjoy dinner with spectacular views stretching across the surrounding peaks and valleys.

You can choose one morning, one afternoon and one evening activity to add to your tour. Please select your preferred experiences at the time of booking. Availability is seasonal and subject to weather conditions.

Red Carpet Inn, Banff, or similar

It’s time to say goodbye to the mountain peaks and alpine landscapes as you travel from Banff to Calgary. Sit back, relax and enjoy one last glimpse of the spectacular Canadian Rockies before continuing to Calgary Airport for your onward journey.

Whether you’re heading home or continuing your travels, you’ll leave Canada with unforgettable memories, incredible stories and a camera full of spectacular views.

The tour ends as your guide and driver will drop you at Calgary International Airport (around 11:30am) so you can continue your journey or return home.