Visiting and participating in activities in this region may be subject to favorable weather conditions and vendor dates of operation.Early departures may not be able to visit Columbia Icefield, which opens in early May, or take the Maligne Lake & Spirit Island optional excursion, which opens in mid to late May. Visiting and participating in other activities in this region may be subject to favorable weather conditions and vendor dates of operation as well.
Itinerary
Day 1 TORONTO
Welcome to Toronto! Your Tour Director is on hand late this afternoon to answer any questions.
Day 2 TORONTO. EXCURSION TO NIAGARA FALLS
Begin the day with an orientation tour of Toronto that includes City Hall, the downtown banking district, Rogers Centre, and the stunning CN Tower. Leave the city and travel along the shores of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls. Sightseeing here includes a Niagara Falls cruise for an exhilarating ride to see the thundering Falls up close. Perhaps join the optional excursion afterward to Skylon Tower for more amazing views of the Falls and a buffet lunch. Return to Toronto and spend the evening exploring the city sights on your own.NOTE:Operation of the Niagara Falls sightseeing cruise is subject to favorable weather and/or river conditions. When unfavorable conditions exist, a walking tour through the scenic tunnels will be substituted.
Day 3 TORONTO–VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN
This morning, transfer to Union Station for a departure on The Canadian, VIA Rail’s premier transcontinental train. Spend the next three days and nights on this classic trip across Canada’s heartland. Your Sleeper-Plus class rail cars are refurbished art-deco cars from the 1950s. Domed observation cars let you enjoy views of the Canadian countryside as you roll past Ontario’s landscapes. Chef-prepared meals offer a tempting array of soups, salads, main courses, and desserts.
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4 VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN
Today, watch the scenery as you whisk by the ever-changing Canadian landscape and travel the full length of the Canadian National Railway’s breathtaking mainline.
Day 5 VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN
The Canadian glides through Winnipeg, before continuing the journey through Manitoba’s prairies and into Saskatchewan.
Day 6 VIA RAIL THE CANADIAN–JASPER NATIONAL PARK
Arrive in Jasper this morning and enjoy an orientation tour of the townsite. The remainder of your day is free to enjoy the ambiance of this delightful mountain setting.
Day 7 JASPER NATIONAL PARK
Consider an optional trip to Maligne Lake for a narrated cruise to much-photographed Spirit Island. On the return journey, stop to view mighty Maligne Canyon. With free time this afternoon, maybe hike on the trails and watch for wildlife, or stroll the streets of Jasper. Perhaps an optional float trip on the Athabasca River to end the day?
Day 8 JASPER NATIONAL PARK–COLUMBIA ICEFIELD–LAKE LOUISE–BANFF NATIONAL PARK
Board your motorcoach this morning and journey through Jasper National Park, stopping along the way at the Columbia Icefield to experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice measuring 750 feet (250 meters) thick. Continue down Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise, where cold waters mirror the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Arrive in Banff National Park for a leisurely 2-night stay. An orientation tour highlights Banff’s unspoiled beauty.
Day 9 BANFF NATIONAL PARK
The day is free to independently explore this resort town located within Banff National Park. Stroll Banff Avenue, the main thoroughfare of boutiques and souvenir shops. The surrounding 2,564 square miles of parkland are home to wildlife, including elk and grizzly bear. Or perhaps enjoy an optional helicopter ride over the Canadian Rockies. Your Tour Director can offer suggestions for activities and dinner.
Day 10 BANFF NATIONAL PARK–YOHO NATIONAL PARK–GLACIER NATIONAL PARK–KAMLOOPS
This morning, leave Banff National Park and travel over Kicking Horse Pass on the Continental Divide. Travel through Yoho National Park, where pre-Cambrian fossils were discovered, and Glacier National Park, where recreational mountain climbing was introduced to North America a century ago. Late this afternoon, arrive at the cattle-ranching center of Kamloops.
Day 11 KAMLOOPS–FERRY CROSSING–VICTORIA
As you travel through the Coast Mountain Range to its majestic Pacific coastline, the vegetation changes from desert landscape to lush alpine forest. Board your afternoon ferry for the spectacular crossing to Vancouver Island. Sightseeing in Victoria includes the Inner Harbour, Bastion Square, and Thunderbird Park. This evening, consider strolling along the lovely Waterfront Promenade.
Day 12 VICTORIA
Be sure to discover some of the attractions this splendid city has to offer, including the Royal British Columbia Museum, Afternoon Tea at the Empress Hotel and fine shopping along Government Street. Or perhaps take an optional excursion to see the 55 acres of floral displays at world famous Butchart Gardens or go on a whale and wildlife watching cruise.
Day 13 VICTORIA–FERRY CROSSING–VANCOUVER
This morning, set sail across the Strait of Georgia and through the spectacular Gulf Islands. After arrival in Vancouver, transfer to Canada Place and board your cruise ship. Your package price includes Holland America’s ‘Have It All Premium Cruise Package.'
Dinner
Day 14 SCENIC CRUISING: INSIDE PASSAGE
Spend the day cruising one of the world’s most spectacular waterways. Located along the coast of British Columbia, the Inside Passage is the longest sheltered inland waterway in the world. Watch the water for orcas and humpback whales.
Day 15 JUNEAU
Located at the foot of grand mountain peaks on Gastineau Channel, Alaska’s capital city of Juneau has massive Mendenhall Glacier and the Juneau Icefield at its back door. Visit the rustic shops in town—or get out and kayak, raft, hike, whale watch, flightsee, or fish. There is no end to the adventure because of the long daylight hours.
Day 16 SKAGWAY
In winter, the sidewalks are all but rolled up in Skagway, so you can imagine the frightful conditions endured by gold prospectors who passed through en route to the Yukon. Take your time and poke your head into every little shop, from the Trail Bench to Lynch & Kennedy’s Dry Goods. The Red Onion Saloon, with its honky-tonk piano and costumed barmaids, is a treasure trove of memorabilia featuring pictures of Klondike Kate, Peahull Annie, and other historic characters. To complete the picture of those rip-roaring days, visit the nostalgic Trail of ’98 Museum.
Day 17 SCENIC CRUISING: GLACIER BAY
Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world. How does it feel when a colossal chunk of ice splits off a glacier and crashes into the sea? The sound is like thunder. The impact shoots water hundreds of meters into the air. You hold your breath as you capture the moment on camera, then you wait for it all to happen again.
Day 18 KETCHIKAN
Alaska’s “First City” of Ketchikan is so named because it is the first major landfall for most cruisers as they enter the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage, where the town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain. An important hub of the salmon-fishing and -packing industries—visitors can try their luck on a sport-fishing excursion or simply savor the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants. It is also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian.
Day 19 SCENIC CRUISING: INSIDE PASSAGE
Arguably one of the greatest cruising routes in the world, the Inside Passage stretches through stunning landscapes, from Misty Fjords National Monument to famed Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Sailing the Inside Passage offers opportunities to spot some of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife, with humpback whales and orca plying the bountiful waters alongside the ships, bald eagles soaring overhead and brown bears lumbering on the shoreline.
Day 20 VANCOUVER (DISEMBARKATION)
Your cruise ends this morning. Sightseeing in Vancouver includes Stanley Park, Gastown, Chinatown, and many other famous landmarks. The remainder of the day is free to explore Robson Street and experience British Columbia’s premier shopping and entertainment location.
Breakfast
Day 21 VANCOUVER
Today is at leisure for independent sightseeing. Maybe take a water taxi to lively Granville Island with its outdoor markets, street musicians, and waterfront cafés. Or re-visit historic Gastown with its steam-powered clock, antique shops, art galleries, and street vendors.
Day 22 VANCOUVER
Your vacation ends this morning.