Alaska & the Rocky Mountaineer
A luxurious cruise, a great railway journey and time at leisure in Vancouver
Day 1 Fly from London Heathrow to Vancouver. Transfer to the 4-star Marriott Pinnacle Hotel for a three-night stay.
Days 2 & 3 At leisure for independent exploration of Vancouver.
Day 4 Morning at leisure before transferring to the cruise ship terminal for embarkation on the MS Zuiderdam. Set sail late this afternoon.
Day 5 Cruise the scenic ‘Inside Passage’ towards Juneau, Alaska’s capital city, and explore the facilities of the MS Zuiderdam.
Day 6 Continue towards Juneau, through Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier arriving at midday. Optional excursions include glacier exploration by helicopter, wildlife and whale quests and an Alaskan-style salmon bake. Depart late this evening.
Day 7 Arrive at Skagway. Optional tours include the gold-rush era narrow-gauge White Pass and Yukon Railroad, hike the Chilkoot Trail or further glacier exploration.
Day 8 Arrive at the Glacier Bay National Park which is home to a diverse variety of animal and bird life including humpback, minke and killer whales, sea lions, porpoises, sea otters and over 220 bird species. An on-board naturalist advises throughout the day.
Day 9 Arrive Ketchikan, the salmon capital of the world and home to an outstanding collection of totem poles. Optional tours include a Native Village, sea kayaking, flights over Ketchikan and Misty Fjords and a back-country jeep and canoe safari.
Day 10 Cruise the Inside Passage through Misty Fjord National Park, a 2.3 million acre wilderness with thick forests and home to harbour seals, bears and bald eagles.
Day 11 Arrive Vancouver and transfer to the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel for a further night.
Day 12 Early morning transfer to the railway station for the Rocky Mountaineer two-day rail tour (Red Leaf Class). Travel up the Fraser and Thompson River canyons, turning east towards Kamloops, drawing ever closer to the grandiose landscape of the Rockies. Overnight Kamloops.
Day 13 Continue through Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks through some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Continue through Banff National Park to Calgary. Overnight at the first class Fairmont Palliser Hotel.
Day 14 Day at leisure before transferring to the airport for an overnight flight to London Heathrow.
Day 15 Morning arrival in London.
