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$6,059

Itinerary

1CALGARY.
Enjoy time at leisure to relax or to do some exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions.

2CALGARY-BANFF.
The discovery of oil converted this all-Western cattle ranching town into a thriving, sophisticated city. See many of the city's attractions this morning on your sightseeing tour, including downtown, Fort Calgary, Stampede Park, the Saddledome, and Canada Olympic Park. Next, drive west through the foothills of the Rockies and into BANFF NATIONAL PARK. Upon arrival, take the optional gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain for panoramic views of Banff's spectacular scenery. Then, enjoy a visit to sparkling Bow Falls.

3BANFF.
Full day at leisure. Banff is one of Canada's favourite resorts, with summer activities that include hiking, boating, and fishing. Your Tour Director will suggest an optional helicopter ride over the Canadian Rockies.

4BANFF - LAKE LOUISE - JASPER NATIONAL PARK.
First stop is Lake Louise, its cold waters reflecting the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Precipitous gorges, snow-capped mountain ranges, and exquisite lakes come into view as the motorcoach scales two mountain passes. Another highlight on today's agenda is a stop at the COLUMBIA ICEFIELD to experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice measuring 1,200-feet (365-metres) thick. Late this afternoon, join our optional raft trip down the historic Athabasca River. Upon arrival in Jasper, an orientation tour to see Jasper's unspoiled beauty. Your accommodation for the next two nights will be in JASPER NATIONAL PARK.

5JASPER.
Join the optional trip to Maligne Lake for a narrated cruise. On the return journey, you'll be mesmerized by the dramatic Maligne Canyon. With much of the afternoon and evening free, you might consider hiking or exploring Jasper's local town charm with its occasional wandering wildlife!

6JASPER - VIA ROCKY MOUNTAINEER - KAMLOOPS.
An exciting morning as you board the Rocky Mountaineer for a 2-day, all-daylight, classic rail journey from the Canadian Rockies to the Pacific Coast. En route, pass by Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, and follow the route of the "Overlanders", 19th-century homesteaders who attempted to settle this rugged region. Follow the Thompson River and enjoy vistas of the Monashee Mountains. Overnight in Kamloops. Tonight, join our optional dinner outing to a popular theatre performance. (B,L) Note: It will be necessary for all Red Leaf travellers to pack an overnight bag for the train journey. Suitcases for Gold Leaf travellers will be delivered in Kamloops, but suitcases for Red Leaf travellers will be checked for the entire journey and will be checked and unavailable for the overnight in Kamloops. No porterage service is available in Kamloops. Continental breakfast and a cold lunch are included on board the Rocky Mountaineer in Red Leaf (hot meals in Gold Leaf); snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are also provided free of charge.

7KAMLOOPS - VIA ROCKY MOUNTAINEER - VANCOUVER.
Reboard the train and head through the ranchlands along the South Thompson River. Continue through the stark beauty of Fraser Canyon and the turbulence of mighty Hell's Gate. Then, pass through the fertile fields of the Fraser Valley, surrounded by the snowcapped Coast Mountains. Arrive in Vancouver at the Rocky Mountaineer Station in early evening and transfer to your hotel. (B,L)

8VANCOUVER - VICTORIA.
Morning sightseeing focuses on Vancouver's Chinatown, Gastown, the beautiful beaches and harbour, and lovely STANLEY PARK. Afterward, set sail across the Strait of Georgia through the spectacular Gulf Islands, an area known for its Mediterranean-like climate. Afternoon sightseeing in Victoria includes world-famous BUTCHART GARDENS, Bastion Square, and Thunderbird Park with its unusual collection of totem poles.

9VICTORIA.
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, a whale watching cruise on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and fine shopping along Government Street. Why not join us for our evening optional excursion that includes a harbour cruise followed by dinner at one of Victoria's waterfront restaurants.

10VICTORIA - FERRY CROSSING - VANCOUVER-SEATTLE.
Morning departure for Vancouver. The tour ends today with guests making their own way to your hotel Vancouver is the largest city in Western Canada, and third largest in Canada. Located at the southwestern corner of the coastal province of British Columbia, it is nestled between the coastal mountains and the Pacific ocean and is well known for its natural beauty. It has often been named the "World’s Most Liveable City" and is certainly a beautiful destination to visit. In Vancouver you can ski in the mountains, windsurf in the ocean, and play a round of golf all in the same day. Surrounded by water on three sides, Vancouver is a major sea port on the Pacific Ocean, and a base for many Alaska Cruise Ships in the summer. Around the edge of its waterfront, Vancouver has fabulous beaches, parklands and a bustling harbour. Make your way to the airport for your flight to Seattle. Evening is at your leisure in Seattle.

11SEATTLE.
Day at leisure. Board your cruise in the afternoon.
Seattle is a city in the state of Washington located on the northwestern Pacific coast of the United States, between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. The most populous city in the state, Seattle is built on a series of hills and is noted for its dramatic scenery. The mountains of Olympic National Park rise to the west, and the Cascade Range, which includes Mount Rainier, is to the east. It is a fine port comprising an outer harbour on Puget Sound and an inner harbour on Lake Union (which serves as an airport for seaplanes) and Lake Washington.
The Seattle Center was the site of the 1962 world's fair, and now houses the Opera House. Other major attractions are the Pacific Science Center, Seattle Children's Museum, Space Needle (185 m/607 ft high), Museum of History and Industry, Henry Art Gallery, Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum, Nordic Heritage Museum and the Museum of Flight. You can also visit Elliott Bay and the Boeing aircraft factory.
Named after the Native American chief Noah Sealth, who in 1851 gave a friendly reception to the first white settlers, five families from the Midwest, Seattle was originally no more than a village of trappers and loggers. Its prosperity came first with the Klondike gold rush of 1897, and subsequently with its two natural resources, lumber and fish. The millions of ties that went into the construction of the first western railroads came mostly from around Seattle and from the state of Washington.

12AT SEA, CRUISING.
Enjoy the facilities onboard as you cruise to Alaska.

13INSIDE PASSAGE.
The Inside Passage of the Alaska Panhandle and coastal British Columbia is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a series of passages between the mainland and the coastal islands. Cities along the passage include Ketchikan, Thorne Bay, Petersburg, Juneau, Hoonah, Skagway and Yakutat. The scenery along the Inside Passage offers pristine water, snow capped mountains, deep fjords and forested islands. With its mild, maritime climate, this area is prime habitat for bald eagles, sea lions, porpoise and whales. Much of the southern panhandle is part of the Tongass National Forest, a 16.8 million acre rainforest. Glacier Bay National park has 16 active tidewater glaciers and Misty Fiords National Monument near Ketchikan has 3,000-foot cliffs rising directly from pristine ocean channels. The picturesque coastal communities are rich in history. Russian influence is well preserved in churches and other historical structures. The Gold Rush era comes to life throughout the Inside Passage and offers fascinating opportunities to learn and explore the past. The Native cultures of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Indians dominate this area. Ancient totem poles are abundant in many communities and the art of totem carving is preserved along with traditional dance and music.

14JUNEAU.
Juneau is the capital city of Alaska located on the Gastineau Channel of the Alaskan panhandle. It is best known as a destination for glacier viewing and is surrounded by intercoastal waterways, lush rainforests, and spectacular mountain scenery. Juneau has some of the most magnificent wildlife viewing in the world. Viewing highlights are whales, brown bear and eagles. A variety of wildlife tours can get you up close to black bear, Dall porpoise, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, mountain goats and Sitka Black Tail Deer. Juneau is home to magnificent Mendenhall Glacier located just 13 miles from downtown. Juneau is also the sending off point to Glacier Bay National Park and Tracy Arm Fjord.

15SKAGWAY.
Skagway is a borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It sits at the very end of the Lynn Canal and is the gateway to the Klondike that was established during the great gold rush days. Famous for the discovery of gold in the late 1800’s, Skagway once boasted a population of over 10,000, with another 20,000 gold seekers passing through to strike it rich. Skagway’s streets are bordered with wooden sidewalks and buildings with false fronts, which give Skagway the feeling of an old western town. The city offers historic cemeteries, interesting museums, fantastic parks, and lively saloons. It is fun to visit and an interesting place to explore.

16TRACEY ARM (CRUISING)
This 20-mile-long fjord, chiseled from Yosemite-like granite rocks, encompasses countless waterfalls, huge icebergs, and mountain peaks that reach more than 5,000 feet. It is one of two 25 mile long fjords with tidewater glaciers at the head leading off Holkham Bay, the other is Endicott Arm. Search the cliffs for mountain goats scaling the near-vertical rock faces, see black bears strolling the shores, and listen to the sounds of harbour seals hauled out on ice floes. This steep-sided fjord lies 50 miles southeast of Juneau on the east side of Stephens Passage. It is highlighted by a pair of tidewater glaciers including the Sawyer Glacier, arguably the bluest and most beautiful glacier in Alaska, and a gallery of icebergs that float down the length of it.

17AT SEA, CRUISING.
Enjoy the facilities onboard as you cruise to Alaska.

18VICTORIA, BRITISH COLOMBIA
Victoria, located on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island, is a picture perfect city exuding old-world charm, with beautiful gardens and charming houses. Butchart Gardens is 50 acres of lavishly landscaped limestone quarry that were first developed in 1904 and now represents one of the finest examples of horticulture in the world. Visit the Royal British Columbia Museum, where the exhibits take you back through 12,000 years of the area's history, with dioramas depicting both native villages and explorers' rough-hewn towns. Other sights of interest include the Provincial Legislative Buildings (mostly built 1894-1897), the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, the Classic Car Museum and Thunderbird Park, which contains a collection of Native American totem poles. Nearby is Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Park, featuring coastal fortifications and Mt. Tolmie.
Founded in 1843 by James Douglas of the Hudson's Bay Company, it was first known as Fort Victoria. By 1848, Vancouver Island was made a British colony and Victoria became its capital. In 1858, Victoria was a tent city for those touched with gold fever and was the base for some 25,000 prospectors on their way to the Frasier River. When Vancouver Island was incorporated with mainland British Columbia in 1868, Victoria was made the capital of the entire province.

19SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Your cruise finishes this morning, make your way to the airport for the flight home.

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