Canada with a 7 Night Alaskan Inside Passage Cruise Ex Sydney

Today depart for a full day sightseeing tour of Banff and area. Highlights include Tunnel Mountain Drive with the wind eroded Hoodoos and Surprise Corner with views of Bow River Falls and Banff Springs Hotel. Later we enjoy afternoon tea at Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and the rest of the afternoon is at leisure. This evening, we get to experience an Evening Wildlife Safari. Discover the challenges of protecting animals in their habitat in Banff National Park, travel through a variety of landscapes and learn about wildlife, their needs and their inter-relationships. Dinner tonight is at own arrangements.

Overnight Banff: Fox Hotel & Suites

Meals : Breakfast & A/Tea

This morning, enjoy a ride on the Banff Gondola for panoramic views of the area. With six stunning mountain ranges and the sweep of the Bow Valley laid out before us, views from the Sulphur Mountain summit are nothing short of breathtaking. And there’s much more to discover inside the state-of-the-art facility that’ll heighten our senses at every turn. Why not start with a walk along the Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk to learn more about Canada’s first national park? Or perhaps go indoors to sample from two delicious restaurant menus? Then get hands-on in our world-class interpretive centre. No matter where we go, the local knowledgeable, friendly hosts are standing by to make sure we get the most out of our visit. The rest of the day is at leisure before we enjoy dinner at the hotel or local restaurant.

Overnight Banff: Fox Hotel & Suites

Meals : Breakfast & Dinner

After breakfast, we checkout and depart for Yoho National Park to see the Natural Bridge of stone and beautiful Emerald Lake. We return to Banff National Park to explore the Valley of the Ten Peaks and scenic Moraine Lake. Finally, arrive at picturesque Lake Louise where we admire the reflection of the Victoria Glacier onto the turquoise blue waters of Lake Louise. This evening enjoy dinner at the hotel or local restaurant.

Overnight Lake Louise: Lake Louise Inn

Meals : Breakfast & Dinner

Today we travel along the Icefield Parkway, one of the world’s most beautiful highways, passing some of Canada’s highest mountains and most magnificent glaciers. Stop at Bow Lake, Crowfoot Glacier and pass by Peyto Lake before reaching the Columbia Icefield, which is one of the largest accumulations of ice south of the Arctic Circle. Take a ride on the Ice Explorer onto the Athabasca Glacier for a close look at the ice formations. Visit the Glacier Skywalk, an experience like no other: a perfect balance of breathtaking views, interpretive story-telling and adrenaline-pumping excitement. Start by taking the time to explore a cliff-edge walkway that is filled with nature-inspired interpretive exhibits. Look down and see hints from life thousands of years ago. Look up and see the most stunning alpine and glacial vistas. The grand finale to this experience is a glass-floored observation platform 280m over spectacular glacier-formed valleys and rushing waterfalls. Continue to Jasper via Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls. This evening enjoy dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant.

Overnight Jasper: Jasper Inn & Suites by INNHotels

Meals : Breakfast & Dinner

We enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Jasper National Park today. Start by exploring the townsite, Pyramid and Patricia Lakes as well as the Maligne River Valley. Stop for a nature walk in beautiful Maligne Canyon to observe the narrow gorge and limestone walls and at strange Medicine Lake. Enjoy a scenic cruise on Maligne Lake to Spirit Island. Dinner is at own arrangements tonight.

Overnight Jasper: Jasper Inn & Suites by INNHotels

Meals : Breakfast

Today, cross the Yellowhead Pass heading east passing Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. We stop at Mount Robson Visitor Centre for a leisure walk. Next stop is Wells Gray Provincial Park - not just famous for its waterfalls but also home to wildlife like black bears, grizzlies, moose and many other species. The destination is Kamloops, located at the confluence of the South and North Thompson rivers in British Columbia’s semi-arid grasslands. With over 2,000 hours of sunshine each year, Kamloops is home to an incredibly diverse landscape of sagebrush-covered hills, ravines, wide open grasslands, rugged mountains, forested valleys and pristine lakes. Upon arrival, visit the BC Wildlife Park, a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of injured wildlife. Discover some of British Columbia’s iconic wildlife and view nearly 200 animals and 65 animal species, including bears, elk, bobcats, arctic wolves, and cougars. The majority of the Parks animals are rescued, including Clover, the only Kermode Bear in human care in the world. Enjoy seasonal activities such as feed talks, animal encounters, Bird of Prey flight demonstrations, splash park, playground, Wildlife Express miniature train, and more. This evening enjoy dinner at the hotel or local restaurant.

Overnight Kamloops: Coast Kamloops Hotel

Meals : Breakfast & Dinner

Departing Kamloops, we follow the famous rivers of British Columbia almost to the very end. Travelling along the Thompson River towards Cache Creek and south to Lytton, see two mighty rivers meet in the Fraser Canyon - Thompson and Fraser River. This afternoon drive through the Fraser Valley alongside the river towards Vancouver. Upon arrival, we stop for a visit at FlyOver Canada. Soar over Canada’s most spectacular sights on an unforgettable ride experience! FlyOver Canada is an amazing virtual flight ride in which we will “take off” into a huge domed screen to enjoy a breathtaking flight across the country. The journey begins with UpLift! an inspiring audio-visual pre-show that gets us ready for the flight. Next, head to the boarding zone, where the flight guides will prepare us to embark on the Ultimate Flying Ride. This evening enjoy dinner at the hotel or local restaurant.

Overnight Vancouver: Sheraton Wall Centre

Meals : Breakfast & Dinner

Enjoy a morning sightseeing tour of Vancouver: drive around Stanley Park stopping at the Totem Poles and Prospect Point, see Chinatown with a stop at Dr Sun-Yat-Sen-Park, see Gastown with a stop at the Steam Clock. We continue to Granville Island for time at leisure to explore on our own. Noisy and chaotic, yet irresistibly atmospheric, Granville Island is Canada’s second most visited tourist attraction, behind Niagara Falls, and Vancouver’s destination for lovers of food, art and culture. Offering fresh, local, seasonal produce, alongside, a slice of local life, this is where guests rub elbows with Vancouver’s chefs as they shop for tonight’s menu. This afternoon travel across the Lion’s Gate Bridge to Vancouver’s North Shore. Highlights include a visit to the famous Capilano Suspension Bridge which spans the Capilano Canyon and a ride on the Skyride up Grouse Mountain for panoramic views over the city and Strait of Georgia. Dinner is at own arrangements this evening.

Overnight Vancouver: Sheraton Wall Centre

Meals : Breakfast

We depart this morning to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal to board a ferry for the 1.5 hour crossing of the Georgia Straight through the beautiful Gulf Islands to Victoria. Keep a lookout for the chance to view some of the local wildlife including bald eagles, seals and even orca whales! Upon arrival, visit the famous Butchart Gardens, created in the early 1900’s from a stone quarry. The different areas of the garden are planted such that they bloom year-round. Some of the highlights of this 50 acre garden are the Italian gardens, Japanese gardens, the English rose garden and the Star Pond. Continue to downtown Victoria, the provincial capital where a short city tour will show us the main sights: Beacon Hill Park, Beach Drive, Bastion Square, the Inner harbour with the BC Parliament buildings and the historic Empress Hotel. We then enjoy time at leisure in the very British city or enjoy an optional tour. Return to Vancouver via the same coach and ferry route we arrived on. Dinner is at own arrangements tonight. Optional tours include: High Tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel or a wildlife/whale watching cruise!

Overnight Vancouver: Sheraton Wall Centre

Meals : Breakfast

Today we are transferred to Vancouver Canada Place cruise terminal. Enjoy some free time to take a stroll along the waterfront, grab a coffee or find somewhere for a bite to eat before boarding the Holland America Line “Koningsdam” (Outside Cabin Cat C) departing at 1600hrs, for a 7 night cruise of Alaska’s Inside Passage. We depart from Vancouver and sail down the Inside Passage on our way to Alaska’s Inside Passage, a protected network of waterways that wind through glacier-cut fjords and lush temperate rain forests along the rugged coast of Southeast Alaska. Arguably one of the greatest cruising routes in the world, the Inside Passage stretches through stunning landscapes, from Misty Fjords National Monument to famed Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Numerous ports along the way recount Alaska’s colourful history. Ketchikan provides a glimpse of the Native Alaskan experience, with historic totem poles and native-arts galleries; and the legendary town centre of Skagway bustles as it did at the turn of the 19th century, when it served as the rowdy Wild West gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush.

Overnight Cruise: Holland America Line “Koningsdam”

Meals : Dinner

Sailing the Inside Passage offers opportunities to spot some of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife, with humpback whales and orca plying the bountiful waters alongside the ships, bald eagles soaring overhead and brown bears lumbering on the shoreline.

Overnight Cruise: Holland America Line “Koningsdam”

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Arrive into Tracy Arm Inlet at 0900hrs and depart at 0930hrs. Steep cliffs and glacier-covered mountains flank this fjord, fringed by the largest intact coastal temperate rain forest in the United States. Old-growth trees colonized Tracy Arm’s mouth long ago as the Ice Age retreated. But further up the sinuous 48-kilometre waterway, its icy grip lingers a little. There, the twin Sawyer Glaciers flow from the peaks down to the sea, sloughing off stories-high chunks of water frozen decades or even centuries before. Even more glorious than nearby Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm is part of the 5.7 million acres (or around 23,000 square kilometres) of pure wilderness sheltered by the Tongass National Forest (America’s biggest). Visitors often see bears, whales and mountain goats roaming across various corners of this pristine area - not to mention chubby baby seals resting on the ice floes. Summer temperatures average 0 to 16 degrees Celsius, so pack warm clothing. And don’t forget waterproof gear, even when travelling by cruise ship: More than a metre and a half of rain falls here each year! We also recommend a water bottle, thermos or reusable coffee cup: On scenic cruising days, cruise ships ban paper and disposable plastic products that could litter this unsullied environment. From here we continue to cruise to Juneau, Alaska and visit the most remote, most beautiful and strangest state capital in the United States. Surrounded by water, forest and mountain sights, visitors seeking things to do in Juneau indoors and outdoors can hike a glacier, eat fresh-caught fish on a seaside patio and tour a grand capitol building all in one day. Arrive in Juneau at 1300hrs and depart at 2200hrs. Juneau is known for its outdoor recreation, fresh seafood and fine dining. The city itself is pleasant, but the real highlight of a visit to Juneau is tracking down some wildlife. You can hike up Mount Roberts to chance upon wild deer and bald eagles. Most sightseeing and whale-watching tours head

Arrive into Skagway at 0700hrs and depart at 2000hrs. At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, the port town of Skagway served as the primary gateway to the legendary gold fields, and quickly grew into Alaska’s largest settlement. It was then a raucous frontier hub packed with trading posts, saloons and guesthouses. As the gold rush faded into the 1900’s, so did Skagway - but today it has been reinvigorated as a gateway for a new kind of visitor: those looking to explore Alaska’s colourful history, pristine wildlife and unrivalled natural beauty. Set sail on an Alaska Cruise and take an adventure in Skagway. At every turn, you’ll find yourself immersed in gold rush lore, from the infamous Red Onion Saloon that still keeps a pistol that Wyatt Earp left behind en route to the Klondike, to the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, a classic narrow-gauge railway that traverses rugged mountains and passes cascading waterfalls and towering glaciers as it connects Skagway to Whitehorse deep in the Yukon. Known as the “Garden City of Alaska,” Skagway is filled with beauty and nature. Explore the town on a Skagway excursion. Much of the town has been preserved as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, where rangers offer free walking tours around the historic district. Take an Alaska Cruise to Skagway and you’ll also find a vibrant local community, home to a rich collection of local galleries, curio shops and restaurants serving seafood plucked fresh from nearby waters.

Overnight Cruise: Holland America Line “Koningsdam”

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Arrive into Glacier Bay at 0700hrs and depart at 1600hrs. On the cruise to Glacier Bay, close your eyes and take in the sounds - the creaks and groans of “living” ice, the shrill cries of gulls and soaring eagles, the splash of a breaching humpback whale. Frosted peaks towering over mossy forests, wide tidewater glaciers (there are seven in the park), and marine wildlife are a given on Glacier Bay cruises, but every experience in this changing biosphere is unique. Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve is best explored on an Alaska Cruise. Our ships are perfectly sized for the optimal experience. Prepare for inclement weather, even in summer and dress for rain. Pack a hat, gloves, wool or fleece layers, a warm coat and waterproof gear to comfortably admire the landscape from the open deck of your ship. There are glaciers, fjords, inlets, rivers, streams and wildlife galore on Glacier Bay cruises, so bring those binoculars.

Overnight Cruise: Holland America Line “Koningsdam”

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Arrive at 1100hrs and depart at 1900hrs. Take an adventure and cruise to Ketchikan, Alaska. Alaska’s “First City” of Ketchikan is so named because it’s the first major landfall for most cruisers as they enter the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage, where the town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain. Ketchikan has long been an important hub of the salmon-fishing and -packing industries. Visitors can try their luck on a sport-fishing or simply savour the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants on a cruise to Ketchikan excursion. Ketchikan is also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. See intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Centre and Totem Bight State Park, while the attractions of Saxman Village just outside of Ketchikan offers the chance to see Tlingit culture in action, with working carvers and a dance show in the clan house. On an Alaska cruise to Ketchikan don’t forget to leave time to explore the sights in the town itself, including historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over the Ketchikan Creek, to shop for souvenirs, smoked salmon and local art, while exploring gold rush–era tourist attractions like Dolly’s House Museum.

Overnight Cruise: Holland America Line “Koningsdam”

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

This morning the cruise arrives at 0700hrs. After breakfast we disembark the ship and are met in the arrival area of Canada place cruise ship terminal by our guide. Enjoy a full day excursion to the beautiful resort village of Whistler. The route today will follow the Sea to Sky Highway along beautiful Howe Sound. Pass through the coastal community of Britannia Beach. Next, stop at BC’s highest waterfall, Shannon Falls and view the Stawamanus Chief, the second largest standing piece of granite in the world and popular rock-climbing area. Upon arrival in Whistler Village, visit Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. Throughout this tour, view artifacts and hear stories that give an overview of the past and present way of life of the Squamish and Lil’wat peoples. Then, take a trip on the Gondola for panoramic views of the Village and surrounding mountains, make sure to cross the Peak2Peak Gondola from Whistler to Blackcomb Mountain – a unique experience! Time at leisure for shopping and sightseeing in the village before returning to Vancouver airport for our flight back to Australia. Vancouver Airport Lounge Pass included (2 hours).

Flight Details: AC33 Vancouver 2250 - Sydney 0725 + 2

Meals : Breakfast

On arrival into Sydney we negotiate customs & immigration before saying goodbye to our travel companions and

reflecting on our amazing visit to Canada with Trade Travel.