Holiday Overview
This 19 day itinerary will see you take in the best of Vancouver, bursting with style, vibrancy, character and beauty before your mesmerising 7-night Alaska Cruise with Holland America Line.
Another undoubted highlight is a 2-day journey onboard the award-winning Rocky Mountaineer Train in SilverLeaf service.
Arriving in the Rockies you will enjoy a 3-night stay in both Jasper and Banff, the heart of the Rockies. You’ll fall in love with this incredibly scenic landscape of mountains, lakes, glaciers and scenic towns – filling you with memories to last a lifetime.
Vancouver, Alaska & the Rockies includes:
- Return UK flights
- Transfers throughout
- 11 nights accommodation
- 7 nights Holland America Line Alaska Cruise (Full Board)
- 2 day Rocky Mountaineer Journey SilverLeaf (Upgrade to GoldLeaf from only £359pp)
- Ask about upgrading to Azamara or Regent of Seven Seas cruises
Day 1 - Fly UK to Vancouver
Arrive in Vancouver and you will be transferred to your downtown hotel.
Featured accommodation
Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel
Enhance your experience
Hotel Opus
Fairmont Waterfront Hotel
Day 2 - Board your Alaska Cruise
Spend this morning at your leisure in downtown Vancouver. You will be transferred to Vancouver Port approx midday to board Holland America Lines "Nieuw Amsterdam" for your spectacular 7 night Alaska Cruise.
Day 3 - Cruise Inside Passage
Today you will cruise the Inside Passage. The Inside Passage winds through glacier-cut fjords and temperate rainforests along the rugged coast of Southeast Alaska.
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 4 - Tracy Arm/Juneau
Steep cliffs and glacier-covered mountains flank this fjord, fringed by the largest intact coastal temperate rain forest in the United States. Old-growth trees colonized Tracy Arm's mouth long ago as the Ice Age retreated. But further up the sinuous 48-kilometer (30-mile) waterway, its icy grip lingers a little. There, the twin Sawyer Glaciers flow from the peaks down to the sea, sloughing off stories-high chunks of water frozen decades or even centuries before. Even more glorious than nearby Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm is part of the 5.7 million acres (or around 23,000 square kilometers) of pure wilderness sheltered by the Tongass National Forest (America's biggest). Visitors often see bears, whales and mountain goats roaming across various corners of this pristine area—not to mention chubby baby seals resting on the ice floes.
Juneau, Alaska may well be the most remote, most beautiful and strangest state capital in the United States. Surrounded by water, forest and mountain sights, visitors seeking things to do in Juneau indoors and outdoors can hike a glacier, eat fresh-caught fish on a seaside patio and tour a grand capitol building all in one day.
The city itself is pleasant, but the real highlight of a visit to Juneau is tracking down some wildlife. You can hike up Mount Roberts to chance upon wild deer and bald eagles. Most sightseeing and whale-watching tours head north to Auke Bay—bring a good pair of binoculars to get the best view of these majestic and surprisingly graceful creatures. If you prefer land mammals, catch a floatplane to a nearby wildlife reserve such as Chichagof or Admiralty Island to spy some bears lolling around
Day 5 - Skagway
At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, the port town of Skagway served as the primary gateway to the legendary gold fields, and quickly grew into Alaska’s largest settlement. It was then a raucous frontier hub packed with trading posts, saloons and guesthouses. As the gold rush faded into the 1900s, so did Skagway—but today it has been reinvigorated as a gateway for a new kind of visitor: those looking to explore Alaska’s colorful history, pristine wildlife and unrivaled natural beauty.
At every turn, you’ll find yourself immersed in gold rush lore, from the infamous Red Onion Saloon that still keeps a pistol that Wyatt Earp left behind en route to the Klondike, to the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, a classic narrow-gauge railway that traverses rugged mountains and passes cascading waterfalls and towering glaciers as it connects Skagway to Whitehorse deep in the Yukon. Much of the town has been preserved as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, where rangers offer free walking tours around the historic district. Here you’ll also find a vibrant local community, home to a rich collection of local galleries, curio shops and restaurants serving seafood plucked fresh from nearby waters.
Day 6 - Glacier Bay
Frosted crags descend into mossy forests and a 457-meter-deep (1,500-foot-deep) fjord at this World Heritage Site, which is also one of the planet’s largest biosphere reserves. Stone, ice and water continue to collide, sculpting a dramatic landscape that is the crown jewel of southeastern Alaska’s natural wonders.
The area’s first European explorer missed it all—but with good reason. When Captain George Vancouver sailed here in 1794, a vast shield of ice, more than 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) thick, dominated the area. In one of the fastest retreats on record, the glaciers shrank back 105 kilometers (65 miles) by 1916. The formerly glacier-squashed land is rebounding now, rising 30 millimeters (1.18 inches) each year. Visitors can observe this rebirth: A spruce-hemlock rain forest has sprouted near the mouth of Glacier Bay. Farther north, the more recently exposed land shows sharper edges and thinner vegetation. Still, it’s enough to encourage the return of wildlife, from bald eagles to bears, moose and humpback whales.
Day 7 - Ketchikan
Alaska’s “First City” of Ketchikan is so named because it’s 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.
Ketchikan has long been an important hub of the salmon-fishing and -packing industries—visitors can try their luck on a sportfishing 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. You can see intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center and Totem Bight State Park, while the attractions of Saxman Village just outside of Ketchikan offers the chance to see Tlingit culture in action, with working carvers and a dance show in the clan house. And leave time to explore the sights in the town itself, including historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over the Ketchikan Creek, where you can shop for souvenirs, smoked salmon and local art, while exploring gold rush–era tourist attractions like Dolly’s House Museum.
Day 8 - Cruise Inside Passage
Today you will cruise back down the Inside Passage.
Day 9 - Arrive Vancouver
Early this morning you will arrive in Vancouver, after breakfast you can disembark the ship and spend the day in Vancouver at your leisure
Featured accommodation
Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel
Enhance your experience
Hotel Opus
Fairmont Waterfront Hotel
Day 10 - Enjoy Vancouver
Spend today exploring Vancouver. Perhaps even ask one of our Canada Experts for some optional excursions that we have on offer.
Featured accommodation
Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel
Enhance your experience
Hotel Opus
Fairmont Waterfront Hotel
Day 11 - Sightseeing Vancouver
Day at your leisure. We have many pre-bookable excursions available in Vancouver, please ask one of our Canada Experts for more details.
Featured accommodation
Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel
Enhance your experience
Hotel Opus
Fairmont Waterfront Hotel
Day 12 - Rocky Mountaineer Vancouver to Kamloops
This morning you will be transferred (included) from your downtown hotel to the rail station for the start of you 2-day Rocky Mountaineer journey through the Rockies. Your journey starts gently, moving through the fertile farmland of the Fraser Valley and the rolling hills of the Coast Mountains. As your train gains altitude beyond the town of Hope, the Fraser River narrows and the waters run rampant. The train will slow to fully appreciate Hell’s Gate, a narrow canyon where the volume of water rushing through is about three times greater than Niagara Falls. At the midway point of your journey, near your overnight stop of Kamloops, the river valley remains lush and green while sagebrush covers the surrounding desert-like hills.
Day 13 - Rocky Mountaineer - Kamloops to Jasper
When you board the train after spending the night in a charming Kamloops hotel, you will follow the North Thompson River, slowing to take in Pyramid Falls, a 91.5-metre (300-foot) cascade of white water. After giving you time to pick up your jaw, the train continues on to the Yellowhead Pass. Moving past teal-green lakes, you’ll close in on Mount Robson, the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies. It’s so high it has its own weather system. The striking thing about this route is that once you’ve seen what you think is the most beautiful sight ever, something even more stunning comes along. To cap it all off, you’ll wind up in the alluring alpine town of Jasper.
Featured accommodation
Marmot Lodge Jasper
Enhance your experience
The Crimson Jasper
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Day 14 - Explore Jasper
Spend today at your leisure exploring Jasper and the Rockies. We can also pre-book an excursion to help you experience the best on offer in this area, please ask one of our Canada Experts for details.
Featured accommodation
Marmot Lodge Jasper
Enhance your experience
The Crimson Jasper
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Day 15 - Explore Jasper
Explore Jasper at your leisure today. We highlighly recommend the Maligne Valley Sightseeing and Cruise tour, ask for more details.
Featured accommodation
Marmot Lodge Jasper
Enhance your experience
The Crimson Jasper
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Day 16 - Jasper to Banff - Scenic Transfer
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. Enroute, make a stop at Athabasca Falls located just outside of the Jasper Townsite. Among the most powerful and breathtaking falls in the Rocky Mountains, the Athabasca River thunders through a narrow gorge where the walls have been smoothed and potholed by the sheer force of the rushing water carrying sand and rock. Our next stop is the breathtaking Columbia Icefields and Athabasca Glacier where we will allow time to enjoy a Ice Explorer ride (included) on the Glacier & Glacier Skywalk (included). Next we continue to the Weeping Wall, Peyto Lake and the Crowfoot Glacier before joining the Trans Canada Highway near Lake Louise where a stop will be made to view the lake and famous Chateau, then continue on the Trans Canada Highway, passing fortress formations of Castle and Protection Mountains to arrive in to Banff late afternoon.
Highlights: A hearty picnic lunch is included and will be enjoyed at a secluded location along the Icefields Parkway.
Featured accommodation
Brewsters Mountain Lodge, Banff
Enhance your experience
Fox Hotel & Suites
The Fairmont Banff Springs
Day 17 - Explore Banff
Spend today at your leisure exploring Banff National Park. We have so many pre-bookable excursion on offer in this area, please ask for details.
Featured accommodation
Brewsters Mountain Lodge, Banff
Enhance your experience
Fox Hotel & Suites
The Fairmont Banff Springs
Day 18 - Enjoy Banff
Day at leisure to enjoy Banff. Why not ask one of our Canada Experts for recommended excursions that we can pre-book for you.
Featured accommodation
Brewsters Mountain Lodge, Banff
Enhance your experience
Fox Hotel & Suites
The Fairmont Banff Springs
Day 19 - Transfer to Calgary and fly to UK
This morning you will be transferred by coach (included) from your hotel to Calgary Airport for your overnight flight to the UK.
Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel, Vancouver
Located in the heart of Vancouver, this family-friendly hotel is a favourite for sports fans & theatre goers. The hotel is just two blocks from BC Place Stadium, home of the BC Lions, and just three blocks from Rogers Arena, home of the Vancouver Canucks. The hotel is also close to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver Centre for the Performing Arts, Vancouver Playhouse, and Orpheum Theatre.
Hotel Opus
The only boutique hotel in Vancouver to receive the coveted Forbes Four-Star rating in 2014, and named "Top 5 Trendiest Hotels in the World" by TripAdvisor, OPUS is more than somewhere to stay, it is somewhere to be. With striking design, personality plus, and a fabulous location in the heart of vibrant Yaletown in downtown Vancouver, this is the hotel of choice for savvy travellers who like their lodgings with a little more flavour. Perfectly situated just blocks from the cruise ship terminal, adjacent to the sea-wall and surrounded by the city's best restaurants and lounges, the Opus is perched in the best location in Vancouver. Our dedicated, talented staff offers warm, world-class service that persuades guests to return again and again.
Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, Vancouver
The Fairmont Waterfront luxury hotel showcases the best of Vancouver. Conveniently located, the hotel connects by covered walkway to the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, the cruise ship terminal at Canada Place, and the Sky train. Situated on scenic Burrard Inlet, it has a central to sightseeing and shopping in Vancouver.
Marmot Lodge, Jasper Holidays
A Spectacular Mountain Setting in Jasper
Located on the main street of Jasper (Connaught Dr.) and nestled among lush evergreens, Marmot Lodge in Jasper welcomes you to the Canadian Rockies. This Jasper hotel is surrounded by the natural beauty of Jasper National Park, and visitors often catch a glimpse of wildlife wandering throughout the grounds. Marmot Lodge is the perfect place for family vacations, large groups, and couples looking for a serene mountain getaway.
The Crimson Jasper
Just one block and an easy walk to the downtown shops and restaurants, the Crimson Jasper will offer a comfortable and relaxing vantage point to enjoy the splendor of Jasper.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Located on the shores of Beauvert Lake in the magnificent Canadian Rockies in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge resort invites you to experience the unique accommodations and Luxury Signature Cabins, sure to evoke memories of this Jasper Lodge that will last a lifetime.
Brewsters Mountain Lodge Banff
Brewster's Mountain Lodge is one of Banff's premier hotels providing warm, mountain comfort and located downtown Banff close to dining, pubs and shops.
Fox Hotel & Suites, Banff
The Fox Hotel & Suites has a great location on Banff Avenue allowing you to be walking distance to downtown. The Banff Park Museum is 1.5 km away and the mineral springs of the Cave and Basin National Historic Site are within a 10-minute drive.
The Fairmont Banff Springs
The Fairmont Banff Springs hotel in Alberta, Canada is one of the world's leading luxury hotels set in its own extensive grounds. This resort, built in 1888, is styled after a Scottish Baronial castle and is a National Historic Site. Located in Banff National Park, the Banff Springs hotel boasts stunning views, exceptional regional cuisine and impeccable service offering an unforgettable retreat.
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Alternative My Canada Trips Holidays That May Interest You
Below you will find a small selection of 2022, 2023 My Canada Trips holidays that may interest you. Remember, we tailor-make each holiday to your exact needs, so please call us on 0800 021 7732 and let one of our Canada Holiday experts design the perfect trip for you
Canada & Alaska Cruises
Rockies & Alaska Experience
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- Banff
- Lake Louise
- Jasper
- Rocky Mountaineer
- Kamloops
- Vancouver
- Alaska Cruise
Alaska Cruises
Canada & Alaska Sojourn
- 19 Nights
- Toronto
- Niagara Falls
- Banff
- Jasper
- Rocky Mountaineer
- Kamloops
- Vancouver
- Alaska Cruise
Canada & Alaska Cruises
The Splendour of Canada & Alaska
- 17 Nights
- Toronto
- Niagara Falls
- Banff
- Kamloops
- Vancouver
- Alaska Cruise
Alaska Cruises
The Rockies, Alaska & Toronto
- 17 Nights
- Toronto
- Niagara Falls
- Banff
- Rocky Mountaineer
- Kamloops
- Vancouver
- Alaska Cruise
- Inside Passage
- Skagway
- Glacier Bay
- Ketchikan
Canada Holidays 2021
Grizzlies and Alaska Cruise
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Canada & Alaska Cruises
Alaska Cruise & Vancouver Stay
- 11 Nights
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- Inside Passage
- Icy Strait
- Hubbard Glacier
- Juneau
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Canada & Alaska Cruises
Fall into Canada, New England & New York
- 15 Nights
- Quebec City
- Saguenay
- Charlottetown
- Sydney, Nova Scotia
- Halifax
Canada & Alaska Cruises
Victoria, Vancouver & Alaska Highlights
- 14 Nights
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Alaska Cruise
Alaska Cruises
Denali Explorer & Glaciers
- 12 Nights
- Anchorage
- McKinley Wilderness Lodge
- Denali Wilderness Lodge
- Whittier
- Hubbard Glacier
- Glacier Bay National Park
- Skagway
- Juneau
- Ketchikan
- At Sea
- Vancouver Port
- Hotel Loden
- Vancouver
Canada & Alaska Cruises
Vancouver & Alaska Adventure
- 15 Nights
- Vancouver
- The Inside Passage
- Ketchikan
- Juneau
- Skagway
- Glacier Bay
- The Gulf of Alaska
- Denali National Park
- Anchorage
Canada & Alaska Cruises
Bears, Whales & Glaciers
- 14 Nights
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Tofino
- Alaska Cruise
Alaska Cruises
Majestic Alaska & Rocky Mountains
- 14 Nights
- Calgary
- Banff
- Rocky Mountaineer
- Vancouver
- Alaska Cruise
Canada & Alaska Cruises
Pacific Coast & Alaska Cruise & Fly Drive
- 20 Nights
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Tofino
- Campbell River
- Whistler
- Alaska Cruise
Canada Escorted Tours 2021, 2022
Rockies & Alaska Grand Discovery
- 17 Nights
- Calgary
- Banff
- Jasper
- Sun Peaks
- Vancouver
- Inside Passage
- Juneau
- Skagway
- Glacier Bay
- Ketchikan
Canada & Alaska Cruises
Canadian Rockies & Grand Alaska
- 13 Nights
- Calgary
- Banff
- Kamloops
- Vancouver
- Vancouver Port
- Inside Passage
- Icy Strait Point
- Juneau
- Skagway
- Glacier Bay
- College Fjord
- Whittier
- Anchorage
Canada & Alaska Cruises
Canadian Rockies & Alaskan Explorer
- 14 Nights
- Charltons Banff
- Icefields Parkway
- Kamloops
- Rosedale on Robson
- Vancouver
- The Inside Passage
- Icy Strait Point
- Hubbard Glacier
- Juneau
- Ketchikan
Canada & Alaska Cruises
Vancouver, Alaska & the Rockies
- 18 Nights
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- Canada Place
- Inside Passage
- Tracy Arm/Juneau
- Skagway
- Glacier Bay
- Ketchikan
- Kamloops
- Jasper
- Banff
- Calgary
Alaska Cruises
Canadian Rockies & Azamara Quest
- 14 Nights
- Calgary
- Banff
- Kamloops
- Vancouver
- Ketchikan
- Juneau
- Skagway
- Icy Strait Point
- Sitka
- At Sea
- Seattle
Canada & Alaska Cruises
Alaskan Wilderness Discovery
- 20 Nights
- Vancouver
- Alaska Cruise
- Alyeska
- Anchorage
- Talkeenta
- Denali National Park
- Fairbanks
Calgary Stampede
Cowboys, Trains & Cruise - The Calgary Stampede
- 18 Nights
- Calgary
- Banff
- Jasper
- Kamloops
- Vancouver
- Alaska Cruise
Alberta, BC & the Rockies
Jewels of Alaska & Canada
- 19 Nights
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Alaska Cruise
- Whistler
- Quesnel
- Jasper
- Banff
Canada & Alaska Cruises
Rockies & Alaska Explorer
- 17 Nights
- Banff
- Jasper
- Rocky Mountaineer
- Kamloops
- Vancouver
- Alaska Cruise
- Whitehorse
- Dawson City
- Fairbanks
- Denali National Park
- Anchorage
Canada Wildlife Holidays
Rainforest Cruise, Whistler & Vancouver
- 14 Nights
- Whistler
- Vancouver
- Great Bear Rainforest
Alaska Cruises
Grandeur of BC & Alaska
- 15 Nights
- Whistler
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Alaska Cruise
Canada Luxury Holidays
Grizzly Bears & Alaska Odyssey
- 16 Nights
- Vancouver
- Great Bear Rainforest
- Whistler
- Alaska Cruise