19 Day Canada & Alaska Discovery
A land of rugged hills, rushing waters and undisturbed wildlife, Alaska is as big as it is wild. Whether you're watching whales splash in the Pacific Ocean, gazing up at towering ice formations like the Hubbard Glacier or journeying by train deep into the last frontier on Anchorage's Coastal Classic Railroad, Alaska is sure to quench any explorer's thirst.
A portion of this tour runs as a group tour where you will be escorted by an expert tour leader. Another portion is self-guided, whether conducted by rail, cruise or land, and you will travel between destinations on your own, with free time to explore at your own pace.
This tour is categorised as 3 out of 5
Balanced exploration with walking tours: Our most popular style, this tour offers a good mix of planned activities and free time. Expect moderate daily walking tours, so pack comfortable shoes.
As a general requirement across all of our trips, you may be required to walk up and down stairs, get on and off transportation, handle your own luggage, and participate in all scheduled sightseeing that may be conducted on uneven ground and terrain. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability and where required, supporting documentation may be requested to ensure that we are comfortable that you will enjoy your trip.
✓ Incredible sightseeing including Banff National Parks snow-capped peaks, cruise the Inside Passage and majestic Glacier Bay, and go deep into the Denali wilderness
✓ 9 nights accommodation in central 3-star hotels
✓ 7 nights cruising the Inside Passage and Alaska with Holland America Line
✓ 2 nights at the remote McKinley Chalet Resort
✓ 15 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners
✓ Traverse Alaska in the luxurious domed rail cars of the McKinley Explorer
✓ Spot Alaska's Big Five on your Tundra Wilderness Tour into the heart of Denali National Park
✓ Escorted by an expert Tour Director on Day 1 to 7
✓ Dedicated transportation as outlined in the itinerary
✓ All entrance fees and activities mentioned in the itinerary
✈ Needing international airfares to accompany your Inspiring Vacation? You will be able to access our flight portal after securing your package to add international airfares to your booking.
Travel with the experts for a carefully curated, value-packed discovery of the world's most iconic destinations. Our tours are bursting with must-see sights, rich experiences and quality inclusions, all at an unbeatable price. Bucket list dreams are ticked off on these all-encompassing journeys.
Arrive at Calgary’s International Airport and transfer independently to your downtown hotel. After an individual check-in, the remainder of the day is free to explore the streets of this dynamic city, famous for its annual Stampede. The tour director will contact you in the late afternoon.
Airport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.
This morning we set out to meet fellow travellers at breakfast before we tour the sights of Calgary. We admire such modern and historic landmarks as the Calgary Tower, Fort Calgary and the skyscrapers of the commercial district. Leaving Calgary behind we set our sights on the Rocky Mountains, which can already be seen, far off in the distance. Experience the majesty of the mountains as we first travel through the foothills and then enter Banff National Park. We tour the region around Banff amidst snow -capped peaks, sparkling glaciers and emerald green lakes and see landmark Banff Springs Hotel, Bow Falls and Tunnel Mountain.
The entire day is at leisure to tour Banff area and browse through the many boutiques and specialty shops along Banff Avenue.
Alternatively, you may wish to travel along the Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Icefield (additional expense). From the unsurpassed beauty of Lake Louise we enter rugged wilderness as we travel up the world famous Icefields Parkway. At the spectacular Columbia Icefield we board a Ice Explorer that will take us onto the surface of the ancient Athabasca Glacier. We return late in the afternoon.
Our drive today is on the famed Trans -Canada Highway, following a route charted by the railroad engineers and fur traders of the mid 1800s. We continue our tour of the Canadian parks system as we cross the jagged Kicking Horse Pass into British Columbia’s Yoho National Park. From the highway, we are treated to a dazzling display of vast icefields, deep canyons, dense forests and glacier -fed streams. One awe -inspiring landscape follows another en route to Glacier National Park. We continue through the Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges to the rugged interior town of Kamloops.
We can expect a day of dramatic scenery changes when we drive through the ranch lands and head for the coastal mountains. An optional Floatplane Sightseeing Tour over Garibaldi Park gives you an inspiring view of a natural preserve of volcanic peaks, alpine lakes and meadows. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
We drive south along the spectacular Sea -to -Sky Highway through a dramatic landscape of jagged fjords and glaciated mountain peaks. We leave the countryside behind and explore the metropolis of Vancouver on a sightseeing tour. Highlights include Stanley Park, Prospect Point, English Bay, historic Gastown, bustling Chinatown and much more. The afternoon is free to discover more of this coastal gem.
The Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains form the backdrop to your day at leisure in Vancouver. You might want to do some shopping down on Robson Street, relax in Vancouver’s playground Stanley Park or stroll through the markets of Granville Island. If you prefer to explore the outdoors, take a gondola ride to the summit of Grouse Mountain. You can also go on an optional full-day tour to Victoria, the charming provincial capital that is proud of her maritime heritage. See the beautiful 19th century landmarks and enjoy its lively atmosphere. Before taking the ferry back to Vancouver, you will visit Butchart Gardens, one of the world’s great floral displays set in a reclaimed stone quarry.
Enjoy another day at leisure in cosmopolitan Vancouver.
Please note: Guests staying on the 7th September 2024 will be required to change hotels to the 4-star Sheraton Wall Centre for this night.
You have some time this morning for some last minute shopping before making your own way to the Vancouver Cruise Terminal to board your Alaskan Inside Passage cruise.
Once you have checked in to the cruise, begin exploring all that your ship has to offer.
Alaska is one of 52 states in the USA and an ESTA or Visa may be required.
Ports of call may vary cruise to cruise based on ship schedules.
Relax and enjoy a full day of scenic Inside Passage cruising and immerse yourself in Holland America Line elegance.
We arrive into our first port of Ketchikan at 7am this morning.
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 sportfishing or simply savor the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants on a cruise to Ketchikan excursion. Ketchikanis 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. You can see intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center 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, where you can shop for souvenirs, smoked salmon and local art, while exploring gold rush–era tourist attractions like Dolly’s House Museum.
Arriving into Juneau at 10am, enjoy a full day of exploring Alaska's capital.
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 north to Auke Bay—bring a good pair of binoculars to get the best view of these majestic and surprisingly graceful creatures. If you prefer land mammals, catch a floatplane to a nearby wildlife reserve such as Chichagof or Admiralty Island to spy some bears lolling around on Alaska cruise excursion.
The sleepy, misty city of around 32,000—mostly fishermen and small-business owners—has a frontier town vibe, but welcomes more than a million visitors each summer to its natural attractions, cementing Juneau as Alaska’s number-one tourist destination.
Step back to the days of the last great gold rush as we arrive into Skagway at 7am this morning.
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 1900s, so did Skagway—but today it has been reinvigorated as a gateway for a new kind of visitor: those looking to explore Alaska’s colorful history, pristine wildlife and unrivaled natural beauty.
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.
Cruise the ice-studded fjords of this national treasure for a full eight hours as a Park Service Ranger narrates.
On your 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 givens on Glacier Bay cruises, but every experience in this changing biosphere is unique.
Scenic cruising College Fjord will bring you close to many glaciers—there’s even a spot where you can see eight at once. Your chances of watching ice thunder into the water is high, as the Prince William Sound is one of the most active areas for calving.
Out of all Alaska fjords, College Fjord is the most storied. The Harriman Expedition of 1899 with John Muir and other notable scientists traversed the College Fjord aboard the George W. Elder, funded by Ivy League colleges. All of the glaciers were named for various schools. As you travel into College Fjord, the glaciers on the left are named for women's colleges and those on the right are named for men's colleges. The names are Amherst, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Harvard, Smith, Vassar, and Yale).
Harvard Glacier is the biggest – its face is a mile and a half across. In case you’re wondering, it is rumored that the scientists snubbed Princeton.
Disembark in Whittier and board the luxurious domed rail cars of the McKinley Explorer to Denali for a two night stay at this magnificent national treasure. These unique, single level domed rail cars with great panoramic windows are just the perfect way to see this magnificent part of Alaska. Canyons, cascading waterfalls, glaciers and spectacular scenery await at every turn.
On arrival at your remote lodge on the edge of Denali National Park, enjoy the evening at leisure.
Today features the unforgettable Tundra Wilderness Tour. This 5 - 6 hour, fully narrated sightseeing excursion takes you into the heart of Denali National Park.
At an impressive 20,310 feet above sea level, Denali isn’t just any mountain; it’s the centerpiece of Alaska’s interior, a shining jewel rising above pristine Alaska wilderness. Good news if you want more than just a glimpse of “the Great One.”
On this expertly guided adventure, you’ll likely spot some combination of Alaska’s big five: grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall sheep, and wolves.
After a morning at leisure in Denali, today you'll head to Fairbanks - Alaska's Golden Heart City.
Your Canada & Alaska discovery concludes this morning in Fairbanks. At the appropriate time, make your own way to Fairbanks Airport for your onward flight.
The second of our Signature-class ships, Nieuw Amsterdam celebrates historic New York City with its inspired design and an art collection valued at more than $3 million. While on board enjoy regional cooking demonstrations and food and wine tastings with EXC Port to Table programming. Dine in your choice of specialty restaurants. Or rejuvenate in the Greenhouse Spa & Salon. Each day on board offers delicious dining options, world-class entertainment and enriching activities.
Stateroom Details
Each stateroom aboard MS Nieuw Amsterdam includes the following services and amenities:
Inside Stateroom - Included
Two lower beds convertible to one queen-size bed—our signature Mariner's Dream™ bed with plush Euro-Top mattresses, premium massage shower heads and a host of amenities are featured in these comfortable staterooms. Approximately 141-284 sq. ft.
Ocean View Stateroom - From an Additional $360 per person twin share, $720 per solo traveller
These expansive staterooms include two lower beds convertible to one queen-size bed—our Signature Mariner's Dream™ bed with plush Euro-Top mattresses, premium massage shower heads, a host of amenities and an ocean view. Approximately 169-267 sq. ft.
Verandah Stateroom - From an Additional $978 per person twin share, $1,955 per solo traveller
Filled with light from floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a private verandah, these staterooms include a sitting area, two lower beds convertible to one queen-size bed—our signature Mariner's Dream™ bed with plush Euro-Top mattresses, and bath tub with premium massage showerheads. Approximately 213–379 sq. ft. including verandah.
Cabin Upgrades and prices are subject to availability upon booking. Please note your upgrade option as a "Special Request" when booking and our team will be in touch with a confirmed quote. If we are unable to confirm your request, we will quote alternative options.
Secure your trip with a $99.00 deposit per person.
Once we receive your deposit, we will send you an invoice with your remaining balance and payment options.
Instalment Schedule:
This is a land only package.
This package does not include international airfares. If you would like to add airfares to your booking our flight portal will be available via your Traveller Hub. The flight portal will allow you to search for all available airfares to your destination. The function works like most general flight search engines allowing you to select your preferred airline, book different cabin classes (eg. Business class) and view flight durations and transit times to your destination.
The flight portal will be available via your Traveller Hub once the following criteria has been met:
Visit our Flight Hub for more information on terms and conditions, amending your flights and information on luggage allowances.
It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure they have a valid passport. The passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the intended date of return. Visas may be required for your destination. For further visa information, click here.
Fitness Requirements
While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.
As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.
This particular tour is categorised as a”3”
3 – Moderate Tour: A good level of fitness and mobility is required, as this tour includes a moderate level of physical activity and is considered a medium-fast paced tour. You should be able to walk up and down stairs, get on and off the coach and able to walk reasonable distances of approximately 2 kilometres per day or more with ease. Any physical ailments you may have must be disclosed at the time of booking to determine your suitability. If you have any form of walking aids, other than a walking stick or hiking poles, then this tour is not suitable.
Accommodation
The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard. Bedding configurations (double or twin) are requests only. All efforts will be made to meet your preferences, but we can’t guarantee your request will be available at all properties.
Single travellers
When booking this tour, solo travellers will be presented with two options:
1 - Single Supplement
By paying an additional $6,345.00 per person, in addition to the twin-share price, you guarantee the privacy of your own room throughout the entire trip.
Triple Share
Not available.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is recommended to protect yourself against the unexpected. In addition to the support that a policy may provide, you may be asked to present a copy of your travel insurance documentation while traveling.
We have partnered with nib to offer our customers competitive rates for their travel insurance. You can book Comprehensive or Essentials cover for your domestic, international or multi-trip journeys simply by clicking HERE.
Note that Inspiring Vacations cannot provide advice with regards to any insurance product.
Group Size
This package is made up of multiple components which will be provided by different operators throughout your trip. As such, group size will differ between operators and can be as intimate as 2 people or as lively as up to 60 people, depending on the activity and advertised inclusions. There may be unique cases where your selected travel date exceeds the expected group size for special events or types of activities, particularly during popular times of travel. For packages that include a train or cruise, you will be travelling with other passengers up to the capacity of this component.
When travelling with a group, no matter the size, we ask you to be understanding of the various needs and preferences of your group - patience with your fellow travellers is sometimes required for the benefit of everyone's travel experience.
Children
Children must share a room with parents at all times and are charged the same price as adults.
Tour Style
To meet the needs of various types of travelers, we choose to operate various types of tours, and depending on your selected package will mean different services are provided throughout your trip. The following descriptions of each tour style we hope will ensure that each traveller has appropriate expectations before they start their travels:
All participants must be in good physical condition to fully engage in this journey. For the safety and welfare of yourself and fellow travellers, if you are feeling unwell prior to departure, we advise staying home and contacting us to arrange alternate plans.
Prior to selecting your trip, carefully review the itinerary to assess your ability to comfortably manage our travel style. Please be aware that if, based on evaluation by our leader or local representative, a participant is deemed unable to safely complete the itinerary, we retain the right to exclude them from all or part of the trip without reimbursement.
It is advisable to consult your physician for current medical travel advisories and any required vaccinations before embarking. We recommend carrying a first aid kit and any necessary medications in their original packaging, as they may not be readily available during travel. For those carrying medication, it's essential to check your government's foreign travel guidelines for local restrictions or regulations.
Optional activities may be booked on-site with your tour director. Prices will be competitive with locally available sightseeing tours. Passengers must pay thetour director directly. Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard) are accepted.
Approximate cost per person in Canadian Dollars:
Day 3 Banff – Columbia Icefields Excursion including Ice Explorer ride $280 CAD
Day 5 Whistler Floatplane Sightseeing Tour – Spectacular Glacier Tour $205 CAD
Day 5 Whistler Floatplane Sightseeing Tour – Ultimate Glacier Tour $252 CAD
Day 7 Vancouver – Victoria Excursion including coach/ferry transfers and visit Butchart Gardens $328 CAD
Optional tour descriptions can be found in the day-by-day itinerary.
Click HERE for more information on weather in Canada & Alaska.
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