Cowboys, Trains & Cruise - The Calgary Stampede

Day 1 - Fly UK to Calgary

On arrival in Calgary, transfer to your chosen hotel for a 3-night stay.

Transfer included.

Day 2 - The Calgary Stampede

You’re invited to attend the largest outdoor rodeo in the world!! Professional cowboys compete in a myriad of rodeo events, which includes bull riding, roping, chuck wagon racing, steer wrestling and barrel racing. Don your western duds, saddle up and join us for Stampede breakfasts galore, square dancing, parades, the fun of the midway, great exhibits, a spectacular Grandstand show, fireworks and of course, heaping helpings of Western hospitality. This afternoon you have tickets for the Rodeo with reserved seating.

Day 3 - The Calgary Stampede

The fun continues at the Stampede. Make use of your access to the Stampede Park for your last day. Tonight you have reserved seating for the spectacular Chuckwagon Races and Grandstand Show.

Day 4 - Transfer from Calgary to Banff

Check out of your hotel this morning and transfer to your hotel in Banff.

Transfer included.

Day 5 - Explore Banff

Day at leisure to enjoy Banff. Why not try the Upper Hot Springs, or take the Gondola to the top of the mountain for lunch?

Day 6 - Icefield Parkway Scenic Transfer/Tour to jasper

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, Peyto Lake and the Weeping Wall before arriving at the Athabasca Glacier and Columbia Icefield where we allow time to enjoy the "Ice Explorer Ride" (included) and the Glacier Skywalk (included). 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 hearty picnic lunch is included and will be enjoyed at a secluded location along the Icefields Parkway.

Day 7 - Explore Jasper

Day at leisure to enjoy Jasper

Day 8 - 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 9 - Rocky Mountaineer Kamloops to Vancouver

Day 2 Kamloops - 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. On arrival at the rail station, transfer to your Vancouver hotel for an overnight stay. Transfer included.

Day 10 - Board the ms Nieuw Amsterdam

Join Holland America Line's Neiuw Amsterdam as she sets sail from Canada Place, Vancouver

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 is 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 dogsledging, hiking, whale-watching and so much more.

Day 13 - Skagway

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-guage railway and finish up in the Red Onion Saloon!

Day 14 - Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects a unique ecosystem of plants and animals living in concert with an ever-changing glacial landscape. It has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than any place else in the world. Watch as monumental chunks of ice split off a glacier and thunder into the sea - the impact sending water hundreds of feet into the air. Hold your breath, catch the moment on film. Then wait for it all to happen again. As it always does….

Day 15 - Ketchikan

With shops and houses built out over the water, Ketchikan clings to the shoreline of the Tongass Narrows. The stairways are weathered and the vibe is cheerful in the town that calls itself the Salmon Capital of the World. Besides the main attractions – Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Village – try a flightseeing trip to Misty Fjords National Monument. These deepwater fjords were gouged out by retreating glaciers, leaving granite cliffs towering thousands of feet above the sea and countless waterfalls plunging into placid waters

Day 16 - Cruise the Inside Passage

Cruise back along the Inside Passage and take in the breath-taking wilderness coastline, with snow-capped mountain peaks, glaciers, and rain forests. You may see whales, eagles, sea lions, sea otters, and mountain sheep

Day 17 - Vancouver

End your cruise back in Vancouver with time to explore more of this wonderful city at your leisure. Walk through the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens in vibrant Chinatown or visit Stanley Park, with its 1,000 acres of forests, gardens, lakes and lawns – right in the heart of the city.

Transfer from ship to Vancouver hotel is included

Day 18 - Explore Vancouver

Time to enjoy Vancouver, visit Granville Island for a spot of lunch, or take a day trip over to picturesque Victoria and a visit Butchart Gardens.

Day 19 - Fly Vancouver to the UK

Check out from your Vancouver hotel and transfer to Vancouver Airport for your return flight to the UK