| 1 | VANCOUVER.
Welcome to the "Best City in the Americas!" Vancouver is a dynamic, multicultural city set in a spectacular natural environment. Enjoy time at leisure to relax or to do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions. |
| 2 | VANCOUVER.
This morning, an included city tour shows you STANLEY PARK, Chinatown, the harbour and beaches, and more. The remainder of your day is free for your further exploration of the city. Shoppers and browsers can take a water taxi to lively Granville Island with its outdoor markets, street musicians, and waterfront cafes. Or, visit historic Gastown with its steam-powered clock, antique shops, art galleries, and street vendors. |
| 3 | VANCOUVER - KELOWNA.
This morning, start out through British Columbia's fertile valleys and rich mountain forests to Lake Okanagan. Travel along the lake to the resort city of Kelowna, attractively set on the lake shore and surrounded by orchards and vineyards. Sample the local wines on the included WINERY tour this afternoon. |
| 4 | KELOWNA - FOUR NATIONAL PARKS - KICKING HORSE PASS - BANFF.
Motor north through the Okanagan Valley, famous for its peaches and vineyards. Then, begin the journey through four of Canada's most spectacular national parks: MOUNT REVELSTOKE, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, YOHO NATIONAL PARK, and BANFF NATIONAL PARK. Take a break at the pass, a perfect spot for photos of the impressively rugged mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls. Travel from primeval forests to Ice Age glaciers, from spectacular waterfalls to soaring peaks. At Kicking Horse Pass, cross the Continental Divide, where all of North America's rivers are diverted to the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans. By early evening, reach Banff, gateway to the majestic Canadian Rockies. |
| 5 | BANFF.
Banff is one of Canada's favourite year-round resorts, with activities ranging from skiing in the winter to hiking, boating, and fishing in the summer. With a free day, your Tour Director will suggest an optional helicopter ride over the Canadian Rockies. Tonight, consider an optional dinner theatre featuring cuisine and entertainment all about Canada. |
| 6 | BANFF - LAKE LOUISE - COLUMBIA ICEFIELD - JASPER.
A day of scenic grandeur. First up: Lake Louise, its cold turquoise waters a perfect natural mirror reflecting the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Precipitous gorges, snowcapped summits, and lakes of exquisite blues and greens come into view as the motorcoach scales two mountain passes on the journey northward into JASPER NATIONAL PARK. Another highlight on today's agenda is a stop at the COLUMBIA ICEFIELD to experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice that is 1,200-feet (365-metres) thick. Late this afternoon, your Tour Director suggests an optional raft trip down the Athabasca River. Enjoy an orientation tour of Jasper townsite upon arrival. |
| 7 | JASPER.
Today, join our optional excursion to Maligne Lake, where you embark on a narrated cruise of the lake. The rest of the day is free to join one of our guided hikes, to shop, or canoe. With free time this evening you might take a walk along the trails and watch for elk. |
| 8 | JASPER - MOUNT ROBSON - SUN PEAKS.
Leave Jasper and follow the Fraser River to the base of Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, peaking at 12,972 feet. Follow the Yellowhead Highway south along the Thompson River, a route pioneered by fur trappers a century ago. Overnight at the mountain resort of Sun Peaks. |
| 9 | SUN PEAKS - LILLOOET - WHISTLER.
Head south following the once-treacherous Cariboo Wagon Trail. Via Lillooet-"Mile 0 of the Gold Rush Route"-your motorcoach will follow the shores of Seton and Duffey Lakes with an afternoon arrival in Whistler. There are plenty of optional activities to choose from, such as flightseeing by floatplane over the lakes and glaciated peaks of Garibaldi Provincial Park. Tonight, wander the many trails or relax in the plaza while enjoying the artists and musicians. |
| 10 | WHISTLER - FERRY CROSSING - VICTORIA.
Motor along the majestic Sea-to-Sky Highway. Then, sail this afternoon across the Strait of Georgia and through the spectacular Gulf Islands, an archipelago known for its Mediterranean-type climate. Afternoon arrival in Victoria. Sightseeing today includes Marine Drive, Bastion Square, and Thunderbird Park with its unusual collection of totem poles. Tonight, stroll along the lovely waterfront. |
| 11 | VICTORIA.
A full free day. Be sure to check out some of the attractions this splendid city has to offer, including the Royal British Columbia Museum, afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel, the IMAX presentation at the National Geographic Theatre, whale watching on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and fine shopping along Government Street. Suggestion for this evening: an optional outing that includes a harbour cruise and dinner at one of Victoria's waterfront restaurants. |
| 12 | VICTORIA - SWARTZ BAY - VANCOUVER.
First stop this morning is worldfamous BUTCHART GARDENS. At Swartz Bay, board the ferry for a scenic crossing to the mainland for a mid-afternoon arrival. Tonight, your Tour Director will offer recommendations for dinner. |
| 13 | VANCOUVER (EMBARKATION).
Today, tour guests are transferred to Canada Place to board Holland America's MS Statendam for an unforgettable Inside Passage cruise. (D) |
| 14 | CRUISING INSIDE PASSAGE.
Cruise through the awe-inspiring scenery of the Inside Passage. Keep your cameras ready for spouting whales, soaring eagles, and other wildlife. (B,L,D) |
| 15 | JUNEAU.
Located at the foot of grand mountain peaks on the Gastineau Channel, the town of Juneau has the massive Mendenhall Glacier and the immense Juneau Icefields at its back door. Juneau is a place to let your imagination run wild. There's no end to the adventure because of the long daylight hours. Climb aboard the Mount Roberts Tramway for a great spot to hike and shoot souvenir photos. (B,L,D) |
| 16 | SKAGWAY.
Take your time and poke into every little store, from the Trail Bench to Lynch & Kennedy's Dry Goods. The Red Onion Saloon, with its honky-tonk piano and costumed barmaids, is a treasure-trove of memorabilia featuring pictures of Klondike Kate, Peahull Annie, and other historic characters. To complete the picture of those rip-roaring days, visit the nostalgic Trail of `98 Museum. (B,L,D) |
| 17 | GLACIER BAY SCENIC CRUISING.
As a Biosphere Reserve and UNES CO World Heritage Site, Glacier Bay National Park features a unique protected ecosystem of plants and animals living in concert with an ever-changing glacial landscape. How does it feel when a monumental chunk of ice splits off a glacier and crashes into the sea? The sound is like thunder and the impact shoots water hundreds of feet into the air. You hold your breath as you catch the moment on film. Then, you wait for it all to happen again. And it does. Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world. (B,L,D) |
| 18 | KETCHIKAN.
Built out over the water and climbing weathered stairways, Ketchikan clings to the shores of Tongass Narrows and drapes the mountains with a hospitable air. In addition to the main attractions-Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park, and Saxman Village-try a flightseeing trip breathtaking Misty Fjords National Monument, a transformational adventure that must be experienced! These deep-water fjords created by retreating glaciers left granite cliffs towering thousands of feet above the sea and countless waterfalls cascading into placid waters. The souvenir photos you'll take from the pontoons of the plane are worth the trip alone. (B,L,D) |
| 19 | CRUISING INSIDE PASSAGE.
Return through the Inside Passage. (B,L,D) |
| 20 | VANCOUVER (DISEMBARKATION).
Disembark the ship this morning and transfer to Vancouver International Airport for your return flight home. (B) |
