Canadian Rockies & Grand Alaska

Day 1 - Fly UK to Calgary and transfer to Banff

Arrive in Calgary and you will be transferred by coach to your Banff Hotel.

Day 2 - Lake Louise & Moraine Lake

Spend this morning in Banff at your leisure. This afternoon we have included the Discover Lake Louise and Moraine Lake tour. You will be picked up from one of the Banff downtown pickups and dropped back off.

On this afternoon sightseeing tour you will visit the "Jewel of the Canadian Rockies," Lake Louise and the world renowned Moraine Lake. Both are a part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you will have time to take photos of their shorelines. Learn our mountaineering history and how a tragic accident at Lake Louise shaped Canadian Mountain Culture. Finally, walk to the viewpoint in the Valley of Ten Peaks overlooking Moraine Lake. 

Tour highlights: Bow Valley Parkway, Baker Creek Mountain Resort, Lake Louise, Chateau Lake Louise, Moraine Lake (closed early/late season), refreshment, and maple cookies.  Please note that in May when Moraine Lake is closed the tour willl be based on Lake Louise and the Bow Valley Parkway.

Day 3 - Rocky Mountaineer to Kamloops

Now your venture into the heart of the mountains begins in earnest. Continuing along the South Thompson River, you’ll witness historic Craigellachie. This spot marks where the Last Spike was driven home on the Canadian Pacific Railway line, uniting the nation. You’ll marvel at man’s ingenuity as Rocky Mountaineer enters the Spiral Tunnels, bored through solid rock beneath a mountain over a century ago. You’ll gaze in wonder at cascading waterfalls and icy glaciers spilling over the lips of the peaks above, on your way from the charming alpine town of Banff and the brilliant waters of Lake Louise. All of this craggy wilderness is yours to embrace, from the comfort of your luxurious Rocky Mountaineer coach.

Day 4 - Rocky Mountaineer Kamloops to Vancouver

Journey through the farmlands of the Fraser Valley. From fertile greenery, the landscape transforms to the towering peaks of the Coast Mountains. You’ll see the mighty Fraser River and the raging white waters of Hell’s Gate. The train will slow to fully appreciate this narrow canyon where the volume of water rushing through is about three times greater than Niagara Falls. Then, the landscape undergoes another transformation and you’ll find yourself amid scrub brush and desert.

Day 5 - Explore Vancouver

Today is yours to spend at your leisure in Vancouver. Make sure you take in a stroll along Coal Harbour to Stanley Park, passing Lions Gate and English Bay. We highly recommend the aquabus from downtown to Granville Island, try to time it for lunch at Granville Market or even an afternoon Galeto and/or cake. If you would prefer to have an organised tour, why not ask one of our Canada Experts for some pre-bookable trip options and prices.

Day 6 - Embark Princess Cruise

Spent the morning in Vancouver at your leisure before transfering around midday from your hotel to Canada Place for your Alaska Cruise.

Day 7 - Cruise the Inside Passage

Acquaint yourself with the ship and take advantage of some of the many facilties on offer. Make sure you pop up on deck to take in some of the spectacular scenery as you sail up the Inside Passage.

Day 8 - Ketchikan, Alaska

With shops and houses built out over the water, Ketchikan clings to the shoreline of the Tongass Narrows.  The stairways are weathered and the vibe is cheerful in the town that calls itself the Salmon Capital of the World. Besides the main attractions – Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Village – try a flight sightseeing trip to Misty Fjords National Monument. These deepwater fjords were gouged out by retreating glaciers, leaving granite cliffs towering thousands of feet above the sea and countless waterfalls plunging into placid waters.

Day 9 - Juneau, Alaska

In 1880, it was slow going for Joe Juneau and Richard Harris as they searched for gold with the help of Native guides. After climbing mountains, forging streams and facing countless difficulties, they found nuggets "as large as beans."

From their discovery came three of the largest gold mines in the world. By the end of World War II, more than $150 million in gold had been mined. Eventually the mines closed, but the town Joe Juneau founded became the capital of Alaska and the business of gold was replaced by the business of government.

Some 30,000 people live in Juneau. Its total area makes it one of the biggest towns, in size, in the world. Only Kiruna, Sweden, and Sitka, Alaska, exceed Juneau's 3,248 square miles.

Today Juneau is famous not only for gold and government but also for its breathtakingly beautiful glaciers and stunning views of both water and mountains.

Day 10 - Skagway, Alaska

Skagway was the gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon with the hope of striking it rich. Skagway may have boasted the shortest route to the Klondike, but it wasn't the easiest.

Over 100 years ago, the White Pass route through the Coast Mountains and the shorter but steeper Chilkoot Trail were used by countless stampeders. Many a would-be miner perished on the treacherous Chilkoot Trail.

The gold rush was a boon and by 1898, Skagway was Alaska's largest town with a population of about 20,000. Hotels, saloons, dance halls and gambling houses prospered. But when the gold yield dwindled in 1900, so did the population as miners quickly shifted to new finds in Nome.

Today, Skagway has less than 1,000 residents. It still retains the flavor of the gold rush era.

Day 11 - Glacier Bay

Princess is one of a select few cruise lines permitted to cruise the pristine waters of Glacier Bay, the highlight of our 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise. Just west of Juneau, this breathtaking national park and preserve boasts some of the world's most spectacular tidewater glaciers, such as Margerie Glacier, which often drops colossal chunks of ice into the sea. Not surprisingly, Glacier Bay National Park and its epic ice giants are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising Alaska's magnificent park system.

During your scenic cruise, friendly Park Rangers will join the ship to share their knowledge of this amazing place and host a fun Junior Ranger program for kids. They may even be able to help you identify Glacier Bay's abundant wildlife, including humpback whales, sea otters, porpoises, harbor seals, black bears, mountain goats, bald eagles and large colonies of seabirds.

Take in the awe-inspiring scenery as you enjoy an unforgettable day of sailing through this dazzling park, where you'll glide along emerald waters and past calving icebergs, and can breathe in the crisp, fresh air to your heart's content.

Day 12 - College Fjord

Discovered in the northwest corner of Prince William Sound during an 1899 research expedition, spectacular College Fjord and its glaciers were named after prestigious east coast schools by the college professors who first laid eyes upon their majesty. Stretching for miles, these massive rivers of ice tumble down from mountains and through valleys, dipping into the pristine waters of the fjord. There you'll have a chance to watch the awe-inspiring process of glaciers calving, or dropping enormous pillars of ice into the sea, as they crack and land with a thunderous splash – a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed!

College Fjord not only boasts the world's largest collection of tidewater glaciers, but it features magnificent snowcapped mountains as far as the eyes can see. Plus, during the summer, it's not unheard of to catch a glimpse of one of the area's 40-ton humpback whales feeding in the waters of the fjord.

It's a magical wonderland of epic proportions, so breathtaking you won't want to blink!

Day 13 - Whittier

Whittier, approximately 65 miles southeast of Anchorage, lies nestled at the base of the Chugach Mountains bordering Passage Canal. Established as a World War II port for cargo and troops of the Alaska Command, Whittier remained activated until 1960. Today, Whittier's economy and its 290 residents rely largely on the fishing industry, the port and, increasingly, on tourism. 

Once accessible only by boat or via a war-era railway tunnel, The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was recently enhanced to accommodate highway traffic as well, making it the longest highway/rail tunnel in North America at 2.5 miles.

Named for the poet John Greenleaf Whittier, the community is also the gateway to spectacular Prince William Sound, with its magnificent tidewater glaciers and abundant marine life.

Whittier tours are available to passengers on back-to-back voyages who will stay onboard the ship and cruise back to Vancouver as well as guests ending their cruise in Whittier wiith an evening flight out of Anchorage on the day of disembarkation or an overnight in Anchorage after their cruise. Whittier tours are only available to cruisetour guests who spend the first night of their package in Anchorage. Other cruisetour guests cannot take an excursion as they would miss the transfer their next destination.

Disembark and transfer to Anchorage Hotel.

(Transfer included) 

Day 14 - Fly Anchorage to UK

Transfer to Anchorage hotel to airport and fly to the UK. 

Why not explore more of Alaska, ask our Travel Experts about adding on the Alaska Railroad or hiring a car and explore more of this majestic state!