Rockies & Alaska Explorer

Day 1 - Fly UK to Calgary

On arrival in Calgary, transfer to your chosen hotel in Banff.

Day 2 - Explore Banff Tour

This morning you will be picked up for your Explore Banff Tour with Gondola ride & Lake Cruise.

Learn about culture, geology and wildlife while exploring the spectacular sights of the renowned mountain town of Banff. This sightseeing tour will take you to some of the most incredible sights and sounds that western Canada has to offer. Head up the Banff Gondola to the peak of Sulphur Mountain for a 360 degree panorama of the Bow Valley. Complete the day with a historical tour of Lake Minnewanka on the Lake Minnewanka Cruise.

You will visit points such as: - Bow Falls - Sulphur Mountain - Tunnel Mountain Drive - Surprise Corner - Hoodoos - Two Jack Viewpoint - Lake Minnewanka Cruise (admission included) - Banff Gondola (admission included) - Dedicated on-board host - Light snacks & refreshments included - Light lunch included in tour

Note: - When Lake Minnewanka is unavailable due to ice on the lake, additional programming will be provided. - Stops listed in the itinerary may be substituted based on the driver's discretion. Some stops may be unavailable due to seasonality, weather conditions or traffic delays.

Day 3 - Explore Banff

Day at leisure to enjoy Banff National Park. Our travel experts can help you pre-book any attraction or tour passes.

Day 4 - Banff to Jasper via Icefield Parkway

Today's tour to Jasper takes us through some of the most spectacular mountain landscapes in North America. Following the spine of the Canadian Rockies, view a never-ending procession of mammoth mountains, jagged snowy peaks, and over 100 glaciers. The entire day is spent in the majesty of Canada's two most famous National Parks, Banff and Jasper. Departing Banff we pass Vermilion Lakes and the fortress formations of Castle Mountain before arriving at stunning Lake Louise and the world famous Chateau Lake Louise. After a short break we continue northwards on the Icefields Parkway, one of the most scenic stretches of highway in North America. Stops will be made at Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, and the Weeping Wall before arriving at the Athabasca Glacier and Columbia Icefield where we allow time to enjoy the "Ice Explorer Ride" and the Glacier Skywalk. From here the parkway descends Tangle Ridge and follows the Athabasca River, which begins as melt water from the Athabasca Glacier. We then stop at the Athabasca Falls, where the boiling waters of the river plunge into a chasm gouged out of the valley floor.

Highlights: - A boxed lunch is included - Glacier Adventure Package (Ice Explorer & Glacier Skywalk) admissions are included

Day 5 - Maligne Lake & Guided Walk

This amazing tour is a guided interpretive drive up the Maligne Valley. Our exploration will include a stop at Maligne Canyon for a gentle guided walk to the first two bridges above the gorge, a short stop at the "disappearing" Medicine Lake, and finally Maligne Lake. At this picturesque gem of the Canadian Rockies enjoy a guided walk along the Mary Schaffer Loop (3.2km return).

Day 6 - Jasper

Day at leisure in Jasper.

Ask one of our travel experts for excursion recommendations.

Day 7 - Rocky Mountaineer Jasper to Kamloops

All aboard - join the Rocky Mountaineer for the first day of your 2 day journey through the Rockies:

Travel on board the Rocky Mountaineer from Jasper in the Canadian Rockies to Kamloops, in the heart of British Columbia’s interior. As you journey west and south you will be surrounded by the dramatic scenery of the Continental Divide and by the river valleys of the Monashee and Cariboo mountains. Today’s highlights include Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies at 3,954 metres (12,972 feet), Pyramid Falls, the climb over Yellowhead Pass and the journey along the North Thompson River as you approach Kamloops.

Overnight in Kamloops. Breakfast and Lunch included.

Day 8 - Rocky Mountaineer Kamloops to Vancouver

Day 2 of our journey to Vancouver

Your journey continues west towards the Pacific Ocean and the coastal city of Vancouver. On today’s journey you will again see dramatic changes in scenery, from the desert-like environment of the interior, through winding river canyons and pristine forests, to the Coast and Cascade mountains and the lush green fields of the Fraser River Valley. Highlights include the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River and the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon. Your rail journey ends on arrival in Vancouver this evening.

Breakfast and Lunch included

Overnight in Vancouver - Transfer from rail station to hotel included

Day 9 - Vancouver City Highlights tour

This morning we have include the 3.5 hour Vancouver City Highlights tour. Prepare to experience the unique history and unfolding splendour as you tour through the modern streets of Vancouver. Drive by the most renowned sights and learn how Vancouver became the city it is today. Situated on the edge of the Pacific Ocean and framed by British Columbia's imposing mountains, it's easy to fall in love with this astonishing city. Drive through historic neighbourhoods such as Gastown, Chinatown, scenic English Bay and the picturesque Vancouver Harbour. Stops in Stanley Park feature Indigenous Peoples' Totem Poles, spectacular views of the mountains and the Lions Gate Bridge. Also includes the opportunity to wander through the charming farmer's market at Granville Island. Remainder of the afternoon at your leisure.

Day 10 - Board Cruise

Transfer from your hotel to Canada Place to join Holland America Line's Zuiderdam or Koningsdam for your cruise to Skagway.

Day 11 - Cruise the Inside Passage

Today cruise one of the most scenic sea-lanes in the world - the Inside Passage - where ships can sail close to steep mountain walls, giving magnificent views of the unbelievable scenery from forests to evocative towns.

Day 12 - Tracy Arm / Juneau

The narrow Tracy Arm Fjord twists its way through the Tongass National Forest, surrounded by 300 foot high granite walls! The melting snowcaps create waterfalls which dot the shoreline, along with trees growing at odd angles from the rocky outcroppings. Catch a glimpse of the varied wildlife that make their home in and around the fjord’s icy waters, including black & brown bears, wolves, deer, moose, seals and whales At the end of the Fjord, view the dramatic Sawyer glaciers which are framed by the mountains.

Juneau, the capital of Alaska, has an air of mystique – a town you cannot reach by road, you need to fly or come by sea! Juneau delights with an abundance of water, forests and mountains.Situated between the Coast Mountains and the Gastineau Channel, Juneau offers a lot of variety, with the immense Mendenhall Glacier and the Juneau Icefields at its back door and the Tongass National Forest stretching out to the northeast. Juneau offers a variety of activities from shopping downtown to dog sledging, hiking, whale-watching and so much more.

Day 13 - Skagway to Whitehorse

Meet your Journey Host in Skagway before departing aboard the historic White Pass train to Fraser, then on to Whitehorse via Explorer coach

Skagway was the gateway to the Klondike gold rush in 1898 and the glory days still resound through the town. Stroll through Skagway and browse the restored buildings and wooden boardwalks at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park or take a ride on the White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge railway and finish up in the Red Onion Saloon!

Whitehorse - Northern Canada’s largest city sprang from frontier roots. During the Klondike Gold Rush, prospectors washed up here, past two major river obstacles: Miles Canyon and the Whitehorse Rapids (named for whitecapped waves that resembled stallions’ manes). To prevent mass starvation, the government required every Stampeder to haul along a year’s supply of goods. The recommended list included 10 pounds of coffee, 150 pounds of bacon and 400 pounds of flour—part of a total 1,095 pounds of grub. Sundries like picks, ropes and a dozen heavy wool socks quickly brought the load up to a ton. Whitehorse, the northern terminus of the railway from Skagway, Alaska, boomed because it was as far north as would-be miners and their freight could travel by train; from here, sternwheelers did the rest, 740 kilometres (460 miles) down the upper Yukon River to the mining town of Dawson City.Now the territory’s capital, Whitehorse stands at Historic Mile 918 of the Alaska Highway and has the world’s lowest level of metropolitan air pollution, according to Guinness World Records 2013. It remains a popular tourist stop for attractions like the Yukon Wildlife Preserve; the Frantic Follies, a fin de siècle vaudeville revue; and the natural and cultural insights at the MacBride Museum.

(Hotel is provided by cruise line).

Day 14 - Whitehorse to Dawson City

Today we travel to Dawson City by coach - lunch is included today (Hotel is provided by cruise line).

Day 15 - Klondike Spirit Excursion

Today enjoy optional excursions and a nostalgic Yukon River paddle-wheeler cruise aboard the Klondike Spirit.

Old-time wooden boardwalks connect frontier-era buildings in the Yukon Territory’s original capital. The heart of the Klondike Gold Rush, Dawson City housed around 30,000 people in the summer of 1898. But the town was sliding towards “ghost” status just a year later: A fire had destroyed 117 structures, right as the gold ran out and rumours arrived of nuggets in Nome, Alaska. Dawson City moseyed along quietly until the early 1960s, when Parks Canada began refurbishing landmarks like the Palace Grand Theatre (1899) and the Commissioner’s Residence (1901). It also resurrected the sternwheeler ss Keno and North America’s largest wooden-hull, bucket-line dredge. Along with the community of Bonanza Creek—where Stampeders pried $500 million in gold from the frozen ground—these icons form the Klondike National Historic Sites, now part of a larger proposed UNESCO World Heritage area.Today tourists wander this subarctic hotspot, which has retained its 19th-century charm. Highlights include the Jack London Museum, Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall and the Sourdough Saloon, which infamously serves a cocktail containing a preserved human toe (donated!).

Day 16 - Fly Dawson City to Fairbanks

Fly from Dawson City to Fairbanks (included)

Bearing the nickname the Golden Heart, Alaska’s second-largest city was born of gold rush fever, thanks to Italian immigrant Felix Pedro who found the precious metal in 1902 near where Captain E.T. Barnette decided to build a trading post on the banks of the Chena River. Though much of Fairbanks today is an amalgam of modern shops and malls, its history is celebrated at the 18-hectare (44-acre) Pioneer Park, which includes a Gold Rush Town with 35 restored buildings. Fairbanks also preserved its City Hall, which now houses the Fairbanks Community Museum.The city’s location in Alaska’s interior makes it a gateway to the arctic, and in summer tourist boats run cruises along the Chena and Tanana rivers. Fairbanks is a city of festivals, from July’s Golden Days commemorating its past, to Ice Alaska in February and March, when residents make the best of its brutal winters by playing host to a slew of international ice sculptors who descend on the city for the World Ice Art Championships. The city is one of the best places in the world to see the aurora borealis, which appears on average 243 nights of the year. For more insight into Fairbanks, the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center is a good place to start.

(Hotel is provided by cruise line).

Day 17 - Gold Dredge Excursion - Denali Park

Take the Gold Dredge Excursion - And strike it rich- Guaranteed! Join the Binkley family for a trip through Alaska’s gold mining history at Gold Dredge 8.  Enjoy a close up view of the Trans Alaska Pipeline and a presentation about it’s construction and operation.  Then take a seat aboard a replica of the narrow-gauge Tanana Valley Railroad and hear the conductor tell tales of prospectors who arrived by the thousands during the gold rush.  The train ride takes you to Gold Dredge 8 where you will see first-hand how the dredge worked the gold fields, then receive a brief but informative course on gold panning.  Once the train arrives at the camp, you will try panning for yourself!  You will find gold- we guarantee it! Finally, explore the dredge camp and enjoy complimentary coffee and freshly baked cookies in the gift shop as your gold is weighed, then hop aboard the train and return to the station.

Then it's off to Denali for a two-night stay at this magnificent national treasure

Almost as large as the state of Massachusetts, Denali National Park is the first and last stop on any adventure into Alaska’s wild. At some 24,500 square kilometers (or 6 million acres) including the surrounding preserve, it is the third-largest national park in the United States, after two other Alaska parks: Wrangell-St. Elias and the Gates of the Arctic.  The park offers excellent chances for seeing wildlife, including moose, wolves, caribou, Dall sheep and grizzly bears. Presiding over it is the tallest peak in North America, Denali (formerly Mount McKinley), which means “the tall one” in a name derived from Koyukon, a language traditionally spoken by the Athabascan people of Alaska. 

(Hotel is provided by cruise line).

Day 18 - Denali National Park - Tundra Wilderness Excursion

Today features the unforgettable Tundra Wilderness Tour. This 6-8 hour fully narrated sightseeing excursion is a deep dive into Denali National Park — the very best chance of seeing both the mountain itself and Denali’s iconic wildlife (snack included)  

Day 19 - McKinley Express to Anchorage

This morning, board the luxurious domed rail cars of the McKinley Explorer bound for Anchorage where you will bid farewell to your Journey Host

After long and dark winters, Alaskans love their summers and the residents of Anchorage, Alaska are no exception. The city plants thousands of flowers to celebrate the arrival of warmer months and days that last as long as 19 hours from dawn to dusk. Approximately 40 percent of Alaska’s population lives in Anchorage. This diverse city of 300,000 includes a large military population, Native Alaskans, individuals who work for the oil industry and adventure-seeking types who want to get away from “the lower 48.” Much like Seattle, Anchorage is a place where you can find a coffee shop (or espresso shack) anywhere. Locals enjoy skijoring, a winter sport where a person is pulled on skis by one or more dogs or sometimes a horse. While some cities have deer, Anchorage has lots of moose, known for being a bit rambunctious (and should be steered clear of if seen wandering down a street).Anchorage is a city where you can see the northern lights—the aurora borealis—on a clear dark night, typically during colder months. There are also plenty of active things to do and attractions to hike, bike and see wildlife such as the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail or Flattop Mountain Trail inside Chugach State Park.

(Hotel is provided by cruise line).

Day 20 - Fly Anchorage to UK

Transfer to Anchorage Airport for your flight to the UK