Alaska cruise & Canadian Rockies by train

Awake amid the grandeur of Canada's Rocky Mountains and meet your guide after breakfast to join a small-group guided walking tour into the mountains. Four different signature routes are available, ranging from four to six hours. Each operates on set days of the week and offers a different perspective of the mountains. Your guide will tell you about this spectacular landscape's flora, fauna, geology and history, and you’ll enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the valley. In the afternoon, you are free to wander Banff. We recommend visiting Banff Gondola at sunset for some of the best views of the valley and mountain peaks.

You’ll be met at your hotel this morning for a shared transfer to Jasper. You'll travel along the Icefields Parkway, one of Canada's most scenic highways full of sparkling lakes and towering mountains. There will be time to stop along the way to take in various viewpoints and waterfalls, including Athabasca Falls. You’ll also pass through the Columbia Icefields, where you can get an up-close look at the Athabasca Glacier and the chance to enjoy your included picnic lunch. Arrive in Jasper late this afternoon.

Discover the beauty of Jasper National Park uniquely this morning as you join a guided motorcycle sidecar tour. Get kitted out in traditional biker gear before setting out on the open road. There are many scenic highlights to visit, including Maligne Canyon and the Athabasca River, with stops at key viewpoints. This afternoon, you'll join a small-group wildlife tour with a Metis First Nations guide in search of the big-horned sheep, elk, moose and bears that call Jasper home.

You'll be taken from your hotel in the early morning to board the Rocky Mountaineer train for the first day of your journey west to Vancouver. Sit back and relax as your train hosts point out all the scenic highlights along the way, including Mount Robson and Pyramid Falls. Travel in Silverleaf with meals served at your seat and large, domed windows to see as much of the landscape as possible. Arrive in Kamloops late this afternoon where you and your bags will be taken to your hotel for the night.

This morning you’ll be met at your hotel and taken back to the station to rejoin the Rocky Mountaineer for the second day of your journey. Today you will pass the great rivers and canyons of British Columbia's Cariboo region. We recommend keeping an eye out for Hell's Gate Falls, which your guide will point out as well. Upon arrival in Vancouver, you’ll be taken to your hotel where you’ll be able to settle in.

Spend the day at your leisure exploring the urban yet natural Vancouver. We highly recommend renting a bike to cycle through the forested Stanley Park. From here it’s easy to continue to Granville Island, where you’ll find a market full of delicious and varied food and artisan boutiques. Vancouver also has a rich cultural background with many museums and art galleries to visit. We particularly recommend the Museum of Vancouver and the Bill Reid Gallery.

The morning is free to continue discovering Vancouver. This afternoon, you’ll make your way to Canada Place to check in and embark on your Holland America ship bound for Alaska. Relax on board and explore the wide range of facilities once you have settled into your ocean-view cabin. Later this afternoon you'll begin your journey through the Strait of Georgia, and we'd recommend keeping an eye out for whales. All your meals and drinks are included while on the cruise.

Today, you'll cruise through Canada's magnificent Inside Passage en route to Alaska. The scenery here is dramatic with steep-sided mountains, deep fjords and verdant rainforests. Between admiring the scenery, you may wish to take advantage of the swimming pool, spa, and gym, as well as the many bar and entertainment options. There is also an excellent selection of dining options to choose from.

Pass through the steep cliffs and mountains flanking Tracy Arm Inlet to arrive in Juneau, Alaska's capital, nestled between Mount Juneau and Douglas Island and only accessible by sea or air. There's plenty to see and do from here, including visiting the beautiful Mendenhall Glacier, taking a gondola to the summit of Mount Roberts, sea kayaking, whale watching or taking a thrilling light aircraft flight.

Today you’ll arrive in Skagway, a port town which once served as the primary gateway to the gold fields during the Klondike Gold Rush. The main draw of the town today is for the history of the gold rush, and for the White Pass Railroad. The train winds its way along the edge of rugged mountains, passing thundering waterfalls and glaciers along the way. Other tour options include gold panning, a saloon experience and dog sledding.

Holland America is one of the few lucky cruise companies that are able to enter Glacier Bay National Park. On your cruise into the bay, listen to the creaks of the living ice and keep your eyes peeled for humpback whales. The area is full of frosted mountain peaks, lush forests, marine life and wide tidewater glaciers. There'll be several talks and musical experiences on board to learn the history, geology and culture of the region in partnership with the park rangers and local Huna Tlingit guides.

Today you arrive in Ketchikan, which is the gateway to the pristine Misty Fjords National Monument and is known as the 'salmon capital of the world'. The options for exploring include kayaking in the fjord, taking a guided hike, or looking for bears and porpoises. There's also the chance to see the world's largest collection of totem poles, carved by the Tlingit people, or take part in a sumptuous crab feast.

On your final day of cruising, you’ll return south through the Inside Passage. After the activity in Alaska, you may wish to relax in the spa, browse in the library or shops, try your luck in the casino or simply choose where to dine and which shows to attend this evening. We also recommend one of the speciality dining restaurants for something special on your final night.

Arrive back in Vancouver early this morning, where, after breakfast, it is time to disembark. Depending on your flight time, you’ll be able to enjoy a leisurely morning in Vancouver, perhaps taking in a waterfront lunch before making your way to Vancouver Airport to board your onward flight.