Canadian Rockies Explorer and Seven-Day Coastal Cruise
Aboard a seven-night coastal cruise you will see all manner of wildlife in Glacier Bay. This low-cost over-50s nature tour of Canada also visits Jasper, in the Canadian Rockies, and the cultured and modern city of Vancouver.
Travel by road along the spectacular Icefields Parkway, look out for wildlife in Banff and Jasper National Parks and explore the attractions of Vancouver before joining a week-long cruise through the breathtaking Inside Passage.
Your Tour Includes
TRAVEL
Return flights and transfers
Included travel insurance
VIP door-to-door travel service from anywhere on the UK mainland
ACCOMMODATION
6 nights in hotels, 7 on board ship and 1 in flight
Porterage at all hotels and aboard Zuiderdam
EXPERIENCES
Tour Manager
Sulphur Mountain cable-car ride
Banff National Park tour
Photo stop at Lake Louise
Ice Explorer ride over Athabasca Glacier
City tour of Vancouver
Cruise the Inside Passage aboard Zuiderdam
Visit to the gold rush town of Skagway
Cruise through Glacier Bay National Park
FOOD & DRINK
Welcome drink reception
29 meals: 13 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 10 dinners
Day 1 UK to Banff
After taking your included VIP door-to-door travel service to the airport, fly to Calgary then transfer to Banff (90 miles, 90 minutes).
Stay two nights at the 4-star Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge (4Q). Right on Banff's main street, the hotel is within walking distance of shops and restaurants, and has its own restaurant, a mineral pool, a hot tub and a steam room. All 99 rooms have a television, telephone, kettle, coffee maker, free Wi-Fi, hairdryer, bathrobe, safe, iron and ironing board.
Day 2 Banff
Enjoy an included gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain for the first of many fantastic panoramic views.
Meals Included: Breakfast | Dinner
Day 3 Banff to Jasper
Head to Jasper (179 miles, four hours), pausing at Lake Louise where you can take in the spectacular mountain views before continuing past the splendid scenery of the Icefields Parkway.
There’ll be an unforgettable snow-coach ride to the Athabasca Glacier before you arrive at the 3-star Chateau Jasper (3Q), your base for the next two nights. About ten minutes walk from the town centre, The Chateau Jasper’s facilities include an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, a gym, and a combined grill restaurant and lounge bar. All 119 guest rooms have a television, telephone, complimentary Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, fridge, hairdryer and safe.
Meals Included: Breakfast | Dinner
Day 4 Maligne Lake
Today you may want to join the optional excursion to Maligne Lake (weather permitting), a sight that epitomises the breathtaking beauty of the Canadian Rockies.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 5 Jasper to Kamloops
Travel by coach to Kamloops (274 miles, five hours) where you can explore the city’s natural surroundings on organised walks.
Stay overnight at 3-star DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Kamloops (3Q). This charming hotel is located in the central downtown area and features an on-site fusion restaurant, outdoor seasonal pool with hot tub, plus complimentary 24-hour fitness centre. All guest rooms have a flat-screen television, fridge, safe and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Meals Included: Breakfast | Dinner
Day 6 Kamloops to Vancouver
Continue to Vancouver (219 miles, four hours and 30 minutes), a bustling coastal city whose skyscrapers are dwarfed by its mountainous backdrop.
This afternoon there will be time to explore some of the sights independently. Enjoy an overnight stay at 4-star The Georgian Court Hotel (4Q) located in the heart of downtown Vancouver's 'Theatre and Sports Entertainment District' and just steps away from Robson Street's chic shops and Yaletown's charming restaurants. The hotel has a fitness centre with a fully equipped exercise room, whirlpool and a steam room. Each of the 180 guest rooms has a television, telephone, clock radio, kettle, coffee maker, mini fridge, hairdryer, iron and ironing board.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 7 Embark Zuiderdam
There will be an included city tour in Vancouver before you board Holland America Line's Zuiderdam for your seven-night full-board cruise along the Alaskan coast.
Meals Included: Breakfast | Dinner
Day 8 Inside Passage
Sail through the Inside Passage, past sweeping pine forests, ethereal glaciers and towering mountains. This is considered by many to be the most scenic sea-lane in the world. If you can take your eyes off the rugged coastline, you may catch a glimpse of a sea lion, whale or eagle.
Meals Included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Day 10 Skagway
Skagway, was overrun by prospectors during the gold rush era, and still features many buildings dating back to this time. This town grew during the Klondike gold rush, selling supplies to the prospectors about to set off, pan in hand, on a 500-mile treasure hunt.
Meals Included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Day 11 Glacier Bay National Park
Today’s visit will be a true highlight of your tour. The bay encompasses 16 tidewater glaciers, and crystal boulders that float in the 65-mile long fjords. Humpback whales often frequent the icy blue depths, and the bay brims with wildlife, including harbour seals, mountain goats, bears, and over 200 species of bird. An on-board naturalist will explain the phenomena of glaciers as you savour this unique spectacle.
Meals Included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Day 12 Ketchikan
Your cruise pauses at Revillagigedo Island, allowing you to visit Ketchikan, situated amid steep hills in the Tongass National Forest, with some of its buildings propped-up on wooden stilts. An optional excursion to the Misty Fjords National Monument by float-plane may be available.
Meals Included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Day 13 Inside Passage
You’ll have a final chance to admire the amazing scenery of the Inside Passage as you cruise southwards today. Enjoy a last look at the vast glaciers, ice-cold waterfalls, islands and fjords that make up some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in the world.
Meals Included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Day 14 Vancouver to UK
Disembark Zuiderdam and travel to the airport for your overnight flight to the UK.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 15 UK
Arrive this morning for your included VIP door-to-door travel service home.