Victoria, Vancouver & Alaska Highlights

Day 1 - Fly UK to Vancouver

On arrival at Vancouver you will be transfered to Victoria by Coach (ferry included).

Day 2 - Victoria - Butchart Gardens

Today you have a visit to Butchart Gardens included. Pick up the shuttle bus from Victoria downtown. From Victoria’s Inner Harbour, we take you to the Butchart Gardens, named a National Historic Site of Canada in 2004, the 100th birthday of the gardens. 22 Hectares (55 acres) of breathtaking gardens on the 53 hectare (130 acre) estate are visited by more than a million people each year. The gardens are glorious any time of year.

Day 3 - Victoria - Whale Watching Cruise

This coastal excursion is an exhilarating round trip of 50 to 80 kilometres in search of Orcas, minke whales, grey whales, porpoises, harbour seals and other marine wildlife. You will ride aboard a comfortable covered vessel or a custom-built zodiac boat that offers high speed with extraordinary stability giving you an exhilarating, safe and intimate whale watching experience.

Day 4 - Victoria to Vancouver

Coach and ferry transfer from Victoria to Vancouver. The ferry is a relaxing scenic journey passed the Gulf Islands, be sure to go out on deck for plenty photo opportunities. Check into your hotel in Vancouver and have your afternoon and/or evening at leisure

Day 5 - Vancouver Sighsteeing

We have included a one day Hop on Hop off sightseeing bus to take you around Vancouver. Choose to Hop-Off at any of the 20 plus stops, and Hop-On again to continue the tour. Highlights of the route include English Bay, Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, Chinatown, Robson Street, and the Entertainment District.

Day 6 - Vancouver Sightseeing

Spend your second day in Vancouver taking in the sights at your leisure. Be sure to catch a sunset at English Bay, and the false creek ferry to Granville Island. Hire a bicycle, take a train or horse and carriage ride around Stanley Park. Also make sure you take a stroll along the harbour front.

Day 7 - Vancouver - Day Trip to Whistler with Sea to Sky Gondola

Traverse from the scenic coastline of Howe Sound fjord to the lush forested peaks of the Coast Mountains. This escape from the city is an ideal way to experience the natural wonders surrounding Vancouver and Whistler. Gaze out over ever-changing landscapes surrounding the Sea to Sky Highway, with a scenic stop at the 335 metre Shannon Falls. Our next stop is the awe-inspiring Sea to Sky Gondola. After an exciting 10-minute ride to the top of Habrich Ridge, your views change dramatically, rising above the towering canopy of a coastal rainforest and upward above Howe Sound and the neighbouring mountains. Along the way, pass by the quaint town of Squamish. Considered an outdoor paradise, for climbers and backcountry adventurers. Squamish is perfectly positioned at the most north easterly point of the Howe Sound, offering astonishing views of the mountains and water. Continue the journey to Whistler with views of Tantalus Glacier greet passengers en route to Whistler. This pedestrian village is located at the base of world-famous Whistler-Blackcomb Mountains. This world famous ski resort also hosted many 2010 Olympic outdoor sporting events. Spend an afternoon exploring eclectic downtown shops and cafes, hiking along nature trails, or relaxing and breathing in the fresh mountain air. Returning to Vancouver, mountains give way to ocean as the coach winds downwards from towering peaks through rugged coastline, to metropolitan cityscapes.

Highlights: Sea to Sky Highway, Shannon Falls Park, Sea to Sky Gondola (admission included), Tantalus Glacier Range, Whistler Village.

Day 8 - Board Celebrity Eclipse

Morning at leisure in Vancouver. Board your Alaska Cruise approx 1pm.

Day 9 - Scenic Cruising the Inside Passage

The fabled Inside Passage is one of the most scenic sea-lanes in the world, and one of the few where deep-draft vessels can sail close to steep mountain walls. The scenery is unbelievable, with forests in a hundred shades of green, tumbling turquoise glaciers, and evocative towns loaded with history, culture and adventure. With most of Southeast Alaska accessible only by boat or plane, the Inside Passage is a lifeline to the outside world. All day long it hums with activity.

Day 10 - Icy Strait Point, Alaska

For thousands of years, the Tlingit Indians have called this place home. Located just 22 miles southeast of Glacier Bay National Park, Icy Strait Point offers travellers the chance to view an enormous variety of wildlife including humpback whales, eagles, and brown bears, or explore monuments to the region’s fishing heritage.

Day 11 - Hubbard Glacier Cruising, Alaska

Hubbard Glacier is the largest calving glacier on the North American continent. The glacier routinely calves off icebergs as high as 10-storey buildings, sending massive blocks of ice into the sea every few minutes.

Day 12 - Juneau, Alaska

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 - Ketchikan

Ketchikan clutches the shores of the Tongass Narrows, with many shops and houses built right out over the water. 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. 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 14 - Scenic Cruising the Inside Passage

The fabled Inside Passage is one of the most scenic sea-lanes in the world, and one of the few where deep-draft vessels can sail close to steep mountain walls. The scenery is unbelievable, with forests in a hundred shades of green, tumbling turquoise glaciers, and evocative towns loaded with history, culture and adventure. With most of Southeast Alaska accessible only by boat or plane, the Inside Passage is a lifeline to the outside world. All day long it hums with activity.

Day 15 - Fly Vancouver to the UK

Disembark your cruise and head to Vancouver Airport for your overnight flight back to the UK