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CANADA
Rockies Explorer & Alaska Inside Passage Cruise
Detailed Tour Itinerary
Inclusions
Departure Dates
More Tours



The cruise and/or tour map shown is provided as a guide only.
The actual route of the cruise or tour may vary.
Tour Summary
Tour name: Rockies Explorer & Alaska Inside Passage Cruise
Tour code: EPCW.618  
Days: 20  
Overview:

  
Tour Itinerary
Day 1Arrive Victoria (D)
Welcome to Canada. You will be met at Victoria International Airport and transferred* to your centrally located hotel. This evening meet your Tour Director and fellow travellers for a welcome reception and dinner at your hotel.
Two Night Stay: Chateau Victoria
Day 2Victoria Sightseeing – Butchart Gardens (FB)
Today visit the world-famous Butchart Gardens, a 22-hectare showplace of magnificent, colourful gardens. A guide will welcome you and explain the garden’s history and flora. There is ample time to explore these gardens which have delighted visitors from around the world for over one hundred years. Afterwards enjoy an orientation tour of Victoria’s InnerHarbour, Bastion Square, Beacon Hill and residential areas. There is free time to explore Victoria or perhaps as an option we suggest a Whale Watch Tour or Hop-on Hop-off Explorer Bus (additional expense).
Day 3Howe Sound – Sea to Sky Highway - Whistler (FB,D)
After breakfast drive north and visit the beautiful artisan mural town of Chemainus, the world's largest outdoor art gallery. On arrival at Nanaimo board the BC Ferry and travel through Georgia Strait to Horseshoe Bay then travel north along the Sea to Sky highway and arrive at the charming alpine resort of Whistler Village. This afternoon and evening you are free to explore the village’s cobbled pathways and plazas.
Two Night Stay: Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa

VICTORIA to WHISTLER
Optional one hour floatplane flight to Green Lake, Whistler. Leave the crowds behind and soar over the many scattered islands through the Georgia Strait to the pristine alpine mountains in Whistler. Arrive at lunch time giving you more time to explore ($250 pp – must be pre-booked).
Day 4Whistler at Leisure (FB)
Today is at leisure for you to explore the resort village of Whistler and experience one of the many attractions on offer (additional expense).
Day 5Lillooet – Hat Creek Ranch – Sun Peaks (FB,L,HD)
Today we travel through the historic farming village of Pemberton, along the very scenic Duffy Lake Road and into the town of Lillooet. At Hat Creek Ranch we visit the historic buildings and learn about this early trade route. After lunch we head into the mountains to the ski resort village of Sun Peaks. This evening our highlight dinner experience involves a journey in an authentic Voyageur Canoe followed by a Fur Traders Feast.
Overnight Stay: Sun Peaks Lodge
Day 6Sun Peaks – Mt Robson - Jasper (FB)
Travel through British Columbia’s caribou country, enjoying glimpses of the soaring granite mountains of the Canadian Rockies. Stand at the base of the awesome 3954 metre Mt. Robson before arriving into Jasper National Park, an alpine wonderland of jewelled lakes, spectacular mountains and soaring waterfalls. This afternoon is at leisure for you to explore this beautiful mountain town.
Overnight Stay: Sawridge Inn
Day 7Icefields Parkway - Glacier ‘Ice Explorer’ – Lake Louise (FB,D)
This morning enjoy a guided walk at the stunning Maligne Canyon, one of Canada’s most spectacular gorges. Stroll along the canyon’s trail, past beautiful waterfalls, spectacular rock formations and learn about Canada’s’ longest underground river systems. Depart Jasper and travel south along the Icefields Parkway, acclaimed as one of the most spectacular journeys in the world, and enjoy breathtaking mountain scenery. See spectacular scenes such as the Crowfoot Glacier, hanging from a cliff face 900 feet above the Columbia Icefield. We then make a stop at the Columbia Icefield, North America’s largest sub-polar ice pack, where you’ll climb aboard the ‘Ice Explorer’ for a once-in-a-lifetime journey onto the mighty 300-metre thick Athabasca Glacier. Day’s end finds us at Canada’s “Diamond in the Wilderness”, the beautiful Lake Louise.
Overnight Stay: Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Day 8Lake Louise - Emerald Lake - Banff (FB,HD)
Visit the spectacular Natural Bridge, which has been carved by the Kicking Horse River, and into Yoho National Park to see the glacier fed Emerald Lake. Visit an icon of the Canadian Rockies, Moraine Lake (seasonal), crowned by ten notable peaks. Later this afternoon we arrive into Banff National Park. On arrival enjoy a sightseeing tour including Bow River, the Hoodoos, Bow Falls and a ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain for incredible views across the Canadian Rockies. This evening our highlight dinner involves a trip to a local restaurant where we sample some of the finest cuisine from the local region.
Two Night Stay: Caribou Lodge
Day 9Banff at Leisure (FB)
Today is reserved for you to enjoy Banff and its many sights and attractions. As an option we recommend a float trip down the Bow River or a helicopter flight over the Rockies (additional expense).  Tonight you have the opportunity to partake in a fun and entertaining dinner theatre show (additional expense).
Day 10Banff – Rocky Mountaineer - Kamloops (FB,L)
Today we set off on a two day rail experience on “The Most Spectacular Train Journey in the World”. Settle back in your RedLeaf carriage (upgrade to GoldLeaf $900pp). Cross Kicking Horse Pass and view the glaciers and snow-capped mountains of Rogers Pass before arriving into Kamloops. Tonight, perhaps enjoy dinner and a show “The Rhythms on the Rails”($95pp, must be pre-booked prior to departure).
Overnight Stay: Kamloops Hotel (as assigned by Rocky Mountaineer)
Day 11Rocky Mountaineer - Vancouver (FB,L)
This morning we re-board the Rocky Mountaineer and continue our journey west, follow the Thompson River and pass through the magnificent Fraser Valley and arrive into Vancouver.
Two Night Stay: Renaissance Harbourside
Day 12Vancouver Sightseeing (FB,HD)
This morning is at leisure for you to explore this magnificent city. After lunch we set-off on a sightseeing tour of Vancouver including Gastown, Chinatown and Stanley Park, famous for its spectacular Totem Poles.

EXCLUSIVE TO EVERGREEN TOURS - NORTH SHORE SUNSET TOUR
Drive across the Lions Gate Bridge and visit Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park, then take a gondola ride to the top of Grouse Mountain and enjoy a spectacular dinner whilst enjoying the views of the Vancouver skyline.
Day 13Vancouver - 7 Night Alaskan Cruise (FB,D)
This morning transfer to Canada Place pier to board your luxurious cruise ship. Check into your comfortable Outside Stateroom (upgrade to Verandah Stateroom additional expense) on the luxurious Holland America Cruise Ship ms Zuiderdam and settle-in for an unforgettable 7 night voyage through the famed Inside Passage.
Day 14Cruising the Inside Passage (FB,L,D)
Spend the entire day cruising the Inside Passage one of the worlds' most spectacular waterways as your ship threads her way past forests of spruce and hemlock, mountains, islands and inlets.
Day 15Tracy Arm Fjord - Juneau (FB,L,D)
This morning we cruise into the spectacular Tracy Arm, a narrow, 26-mile-long fjord, another of Alaska's most dramatic glacier settings. Tucked away at the end of this remarkable waterway are two very active reminders of the Ice Age - the twin Sawyer Glaciers, calving icebergs into the jade-coloured inland sea. In the afternoon arrive into Alaska's scenic capital city, Juneau.
Day 16Skagway (FB,L,D)
Established in 1897 as a trading post for prospectors headed to the Klondike Gold Rush, Skagway was once known as “hell on earth,” an untamed, violent town controlled by organized criminals. Today, of course, the town is a bit more civilized, though its colourful past is carefully preserved in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. For a truly memorable excursion, take an optional ride on the narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon Railroad (shore excursions are at own expense).
Day 17Glacier Bay National Park (FB,L,D)
Early this morning your cruise ship enters the iceberg-strewn waters of Glacier Bay National Park, where thirteen spectacular glaciers flow from surrounding mountains into the waters of the bay. A National Park Service Ranger will help you spot wildlife, while pointing out sights and explaining glacier activity. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to see a pinnacle of ice ‘calve’ or break away from the face of the glacier, and with a thunderous boom land in the bay.
Day 18Ketchikan (FB,L,D)
Welcome to the salmon capital of the world! Part of the town is built along a steep hillside, part is built on pilings over the water where bald eagles watch from waterside perches. An outstanding collection of totem poles makes the town an essential stop for anyone interested in native art.
Day 19The Inside Passage (FB,L,D)
Today is a day of relaxation as your cruise returns to Vancouver. Take advantage of the ship’s many outstanding facilities, or simply relax on deck with a drink and watch unmatched scenery glide by, as you travel south through the Inside Passage.
Day 20Depart Vancouver (FB)
Disembark early this morning and transfer* to Vancouver International Airport to board your homeward flight.

*Check transfer entitlements with your travel agent. For passengers who have already received documentation - refer to your booking summary.
Tour itinerary is valid from 01/04/2011 to 31/12/2011 and is subject to change. Enquire for itinerary details that fall outside of these dates. If you have booked on a tour please refer to the itinerary provided in your tour documentation or on Tour Personaliser for any changes that have been made.


Evergreen Tours (a division of Scenic Tours Pty Ltd)
Lic No 2TA 002 633