Stepping down from a giant Ice Explorer right onto the Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefield; a powerful, dynamic force, constantly shaping the regional landscape.
Summary
A blend of dramatic Canadian mountain scenery and rugged Alaskan shoreline, this 18-day cruise and tour holiday will expose you to a wonderland of scenic delights in two of North America’s most glorious regions. Journey to the mountain town of Banff (gateway to the awe-inspiring Canadian Rockies and glittering Lake Louise); admire the iconic landscapes of Jasper National Park; and sightsee in vibrant Vancouver. Then, it's time for an Alaska cruise. You'll set sail on the elegant Zuiderdam - your window to Alaska’s immense coastal splendour.
Your holiday includes:
5 excursions and visits
Tours of Banff (including Lake Louise), Jasper National Park and Vancouver
Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure
Interpretative talk during dinner in Jasper
Plus:
9 nights in hotels, 7 nights cruise on Zuiderdam and 1 in flight (accommodation as specified or similar)
International flights. Prices are based on return flights with Air Canada from London Heathrow. Supplements may apply from other airports
Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Calgary. On arrival, we transfer to the beautiful city of Banff, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. This mountain town is the stuff Rocky Mountain holiday dreams are made of.
Banff Caribou Lodge (3.5-star)
Banff - Lake Louise
Today we discover the naturally beautiful, unspoiled, rugged landscapes surrounding Banff, as we visit one of the Canadian Rockies’ most beloved destinations - Lake Louise - with turquoise waters sparkling underneath the towering Victoria Glacier.
This evening take a stroll down Banff Avenue and soak up the atmosphere of this lovely mountain resort.
Tour of Banff, including Lake Louise (all day)
Banff Caribou Lodge (3.5-star)
Banff
Today is free to explore Banff at your leisure. Maybe take the gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain for spectacular views and great photo opportunities or take a helicopter ride for a bird’s-eye view of the mountain ranges.
Banff Caribou Lodge (3.5-star)
Columbia Icefield - Jasper
Today we travel the Icefields Parkway, considered one of the most scenic highways in the world offering ever-changing scenery of waterfalls, emerald lakes, alpine meadows and snow-capped peaks. We make a stop at the Columbia Icefield, on the boundary of the Banff and Jasper National Parks, and board an Ice Explorer that has been specially designed for glacier travel (subject to favourable weather conditions). We continue our journey to our hotel in Jasper.
Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure (afternoon)
Chateau Jasper (3-star)
Jasper
This morning we discover Jasper National Park with its many iconic landmarks such as Maligne Canyon, the shores of Medicine Lake, and one of the most photographed lakes in the world - Maligne Lake. This evening we enjoy an included dinner with an interpretative talk.
Tour of Jasper National Park (morning)
Interpretative talk during dinner (evening)
Chateau Jasper (3-star)
Sun Peaks
Today we drive through the Rockies, past Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, to Sun Peaks. This popular alpine ski resort is a summer playground too, and a peaceful overnight stop to enjoy the mountains.
Sun Peaks Grand Hotel (4-star)
Vancouver
It’s an early start today for our journey to Vancouver.
Pinnacle Vancouver Harbourfront (4-star)
Day 8 - Vancouver
A leisurely morning before we transfer to the harbour to board our ship, for an unforgettable cruise to Alaska.
Zuiderdam (4-star)
Day 9 - Inside Passage
The fabled Inside Passage is one of the most scenic sea lanes in the world, and one of the few where deep-draft vessels can sail close to steep mountain walls. Calm and sheltered, this scenic ‘marine highway’ is cut deeply by fjords and passes dense forests and snow-capped peaks. Keep a watchful eye out for wildlife including seals, whales and bald eagles.
Zuiderdam (4-star)
Day 10 - Juneau
Today we sail along narrow fjords to reach Juneau, the state capital of Alaska and the gateway to the Tongass National Forest. You can explore the compact city centre, or perhaps choose to join a whale-watching trip in the nearby waters.
Zuiderdam (4-star)
Day 11 - Skagway
We arrive in Skagway early this morning. This compact town was the starting point for the Chilkoot Trail and still remains rich in gold-rush history and character with its boardwalks, pebble streets and original buildings.
Zuiderdam (4-star)
Day 12 - Glacier Bay National Park
We awake to the unforgettable scenery of Glacier Bay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anywhere else in the world and is home to huge icebergs and an abundance of birds and wildlife. We depart late afternoon for Ketchikan.
Zuiderdam (4-star)
Day 13 - Ketchikan
A morning arrival into Ketchikan, built out over the water and climbing weathered stairways. Ketchikan stretches along a narrow shelf of shoreline beneath the slope of Deer Mountain. The main attractions of this unique town are Creek Street, Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Village.
Zuiderdam (4-star)
Day 14 - Inside Passage
We travel southwards, back through the Inside Passage, with more opportunities of wildlife sightings.
Zuiderdam (4-star)
Vancouver
We arrive back into Vancouver this morning and disembark. Our coach awaits to take us on an orientation tour so you can familiarise yourself with this cosmopolitan city. You may choose an optional tour this afternoon to Capilano Suspension Bridge. It’s home to the Cliffhanger, a cliffside journey taking you through rainforest vegetation on a series of unobtrusive walkways, jutting out from the granite cliff face above the Capilano River.
Tour of Vancouver (morning)
Pinnacle Vancouver Harbourfront (4-star)
Vancouver
Today you’re free to explore this coastal city on your own. Maybe take a stroll to Gastown to see the famous steam clock or explore the attractive Stanley Park.
Pinnacle Vancouver Harbourfront (4-star)
Day 17
Vancouver - In flight
Time this morning for some last-minute souvenir shopping or sightseeing before our transfer to the airport, for your return flight to the UK.
In flight
Day 18 UK
Upon arrival your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.
Visa is not included, please call for details
Included Drinks Package:
Book an Ocean View stateroom or higher and receive the Signature Beverage Package* - book by 28 February 2021.
*Signature Beverage Package (Drinks Package) has a daily limit of 15 beverages, which includes all beverages priced at US$9.00 or lower. Guests must order beverages one at a time and must be 21 years or older for alcoholic beverages. Sharing is not permitted. Package excludes purchases made in Signature Shops, Mini Bar and In-Room Dining. Offer ends 28 February 2021.
Climate
Inspire Me - Rockies and Alaska Grand Discovery
See snow-topped mountains reflected in shimmering lakes
In the Rockies, we’ll stop off at a trio of Canada’s most spectacular lakes. In Banff National Park, we’ll head for Lake Louise, where impossibly turquoise waters sit in the shadow of Victoria Glacier. In Jasper National Park, we’ll spend time at Medicine Lake, surrounded by forested slopes, and Maligne Lake, one of the most photographed in the world.
Hear footsteps crunch as you walk across a glacier
Our route from Banff to Jasper takes us via Columbia Icefield. Weather permitting, we’ll swap our coach for an all-terrain Ice Explorer and head out onto a 10,000-year-old sheet of ice. At a suitable spot, we’ll stop and walk on this ancient ice (and perhaps fill a water bottle with fresh glacier water).
Wake early to watch the sun rise over the Inside Passage
Our Holland America Line cruise takes us along the famously beautiful Inside Passage. The ship will glide past islands, inlets, fjords and snow-dusted mountains. If the weather’s kind, it’s well worth setting your alarm for dawn – head up on deck for a front-row seat for the sunrise.
Spy orcas swimming alongside the ship
The waters off the coast of Alaska and British Columbia are patrolled by pods of humpbacks and orcas. Keep an eye out during your cruise – if you’re lucky, you’ll spot some swimming close to the ship (and if not, optional whale-watching excursions can take you to their favourite swimming spots for an even better chance of seeing them).
Pack binoculars, for spotting wildlife
Sip cocktails with new friends at an exclusive cocktail party onboard the ship