We begin with VIP Home Departure Service to London Heathrow Airport and your scheduled Air Canada flight direct or indirect to Calgary. On arrival, our coach transports you to Banff, set in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, and our hotel for the next three nights, the Caribou Lodge.

This morning we board our coach for a tour through the surrounding area of Banff and its lakes. We visit the most famous lake in Canada, Lake Louise, named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter. Here from the Chateau gardens at the lakeside, we have a picture postcard view of the magical Victoria Glacier. We return to our Banff hotel by a different route, and this evening we are free to discover some of the town’s nightlife, which includes a good selection of restaurants.

Today is free to explore one of the loveliest small towns in North America. Protected as a National Park, Banff has been saved from any large scale development and has retained much of its charm, remaining fairly compact and easily explored on foot. With Cascade Mountain at one end leading to the town’s main street, Banff Avenue which has a number of small gift shops, some selling local craftwork, several boutiques and a selection of cafés and bars. Why not take a gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain, the ‘top of the world’ at 7,500 ft, visit the hot springs or just stroll around and take it easy in one of the many cafés.

This morning an early start to board the Rocky Mountaineer train for what has been called the most spectacular train journey in the world. Your journey offers an exhilarating range of scenery as you travel between the high peaks of the Canadian Rockies, over mountain passes and through the remarkable tunnels, along rocky lakeshores and across the ranch lands of the interior. Today’s highlights include the Continental Divide, the Spiral Tunnels, the Kicking Horse Canyon, Rogers Pass, Craigellachie where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven and of course the snow capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies before arriving in Kamloops for your overnight stay.

Our second day aboard the Rocky Mountaineer and another exciting journey of stunning vistas awaits us. You will see dramatic changes in scenery, from the desert-like environment of the interior, through winding river canyons and forests surrounded by the peaks of the coast and Cascade Mountains, to the lush green fields of the Fraser River Valley. Highlights include the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River and the rushing waters of Hells Gate in the Fraser Canyon. As the end of our journey draws near, the skyline of Vancouver is soon in sight. On arrival our coach awaits to transfer us to our hotel, the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle.

As an introduction to Vancouver we have arranged a short orientation tour of this sophisticated city before we head to Seattle in Washington State for an overnight stay at the Paramount Hotel.

This morning there is an orientation tour of Seattle before transferring to the pier for the Alaska cruise onboard the Norwegian Star. There will be time to make yourself comfortable in your cabin before we set sail this afternoon. With spacious, light and airy public rooms, the Norwegian Star offers excellent observation areas from which to view the scenery. Facilities on board include a spa and fitness centre, library, theatre, shops, swimming pools and you have a choice of dining rooms for breakfast, lunch and dinner, allowing you to choose where and when you wish to dine all day

Our 1,000 mile journey to Alaska takes us through the beautiful cruising waters of the Inside Passage. Calm and sheltered, this scenic “highway” meanders through countless islands that hug the coastline of this majestic, untamed wilderness. In summer the wildlife sightings are more common, being home all year to bald eagles, deer and brown bears.

This morning we arrive at Ketchikan, stretching like a ribbon along a narrow shelf of shoreline beneath the slope of Deer Mountain. Surrounded by wilderness, without highway or rail connection to the rest of the world, the only way to reach Ketchikan is by sea or air. Echoes of pioneer days still haunt Creek Street, which is built on pilings along Ketchikan Creek.

Early this morning, we arrive through spectacular scenery, reminiscent of the Norwegian fjord-like landscape in Juneau. Alaska’s state capital is full of contrasts, a sophisticated cosmopolitan city in the heart of the Tongass National Forest and nestled at the base of towering mountains overlooking the Gastineau Channel. This afternoon, we explore Tracy Arm Fjord and Sawyer Glacier onboard the Norwegian Star. Tracy Arm is a classic 30-mile long fjord. You are almost guaranteed to see harbour seals hauled out on ice floes and there is a strong possibility of spotting humpback whales, bears, eagles and mountain goats. Perched at the head of Tracy Arm is the awe-inspiring Sawyer Glacier, beautifully framed by snow-capped mountain peaks and arguably the bluest and most beautiful of glaciers in a land renowned for them. As your ship confronts the slow-moving rivers of ice that carve icebergs into the blue-green water with unearthly creaks and booms, you will take in so many breathtaking sights to be remembered as some of the outstanding highlights of your holiday.

Early this morning, we arrive in Skagway, the starting point for the famed Chilkoot Trail, a long, slow, arduous and often deadly haul for thousands of gold seekers stampeding towards the goldfields of the Klondike during the late 1890s. The compact town still remains rich in gold rush history and character with its boardwalks, pebble streets and many original buildings. Here you will have the opportunity to follow the original White Pass “Trail of 98” by coach into Canada’s Yukon Territory or to take the White Pass & Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad, that became the supply line for the gold fields.

We cruise southwards back through the Inside Passage before arriving in Prince Rupert, renowned as the ‘City of Rainbows’ on account of the mild, moist climate, which often creates spectacular double or triple rainbows. We have a short stay here before continuing our cruise back to Seattle.

We arrive back in Seattle and transfer to Vancouver and our hotel, the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle. This evening sample one of the many restaurants along Robson Street or Gastown.

You are free to explore on your own and there is plenty to do, including an optional excursion to Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge. Chinatown is well worth a visit to experience the bustle of the city. Or walk by the harbour and watch the ship, boat and float plane activity.

A leisurely morning and time for some last minute shopping before boarding our coach for the transfer to Vancouver Airport and your return flight direct to the UK. Or extend your stay - call for details

Arrival at London Heathrow where our staff will greet and transfer you home to your front door.