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Canada and Alaska
27 Day Rockies & Voyage of the Glaciers and the Arctic Circle
After discovering the best of Western Canada and enjoying a luxury seven night cruise on board the Coral Princess you will have the rare and extraordinary experience of discovering the Arctic. After exploring Anchorage and viewing Mt McKinley, learn of the natural phenomenon of Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). Ride the 'Midnight Sun Express' train to Denali National Park and view the vast array of wildlife. Journey along the Delton Highway, crossing the Yukon River and Arctic Circle enroute to Coldfoot before reaching Prudhoe Bay, where you can dip your fingers in the Arctic Ocean, see the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope and observe the unique wildlife of the Arctic.
This is an exclusive Arctic tour so don't miss out.
There are plenty more amazing tours for you to choose from, enquire now for more information. The sooner you book, the better price we can offer you.
Itinerary:
Day 1 Victoria:
Upon arrival at Victoria Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel (please book flight to arrive no later than 5pm). Get to know your Tour Director and travelling companions over a `Welcome to Canada' dinner.
Two Night Special Stay: The Fairmont Empress.
Meals:Dinner.
Day 2 Victoria - Butchart Gardens:
Wander at your leisure through the Included world famous Butchart Gardens. Activities this afternoon. Meals: Full breakfast.
Day 3 Howe Sound - Whistler:
Optional 1 hour floatplane flight to Whistler. Leave the crowds behind and soar over the Georgia Strait. Arrive at lunch time giving you more time to explore (additional expense)
Cross to the mainland by ferry. View Shannon Falls and continue to Whistler. Today is included a presentation involves stepping into the world of the Black Bear with Michael Allen, a world leader in Black Bear research.
Overnight Special Stay: The Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
Meals: Full breakfast, dinner.
Day 4 Hat Creek Ranch - Sun Peaks:
Today, visit Hat Creek Ranch to learn about the local culture from members of the Shuswap Nation. Continue to Sun Peaks.
Overnight stay: Delta Sun Peaks Resort.
Meals: Full breakfast, dinner.
Day 5 Sun Peaks - Banff:
Today journey to Banff where you will enjoy a brief sightseeing tour.
Two Night Special Stay: The Fairmont Banff Springs.
Meals: Full breakfast, dinner.
Day 6 Banff:
Activities this morning. This afternoon is yours to explore Banff.
Meals: Full breakfast, dinner.
Day 7 Emerald Lake - Lake Louise:
This morning you will travel on the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Later visit Emerald Lake and Natural Bridge. Enjoy a nature walk along the shoreline of the beautiful Lake Louise before a relaxing day at leisure.
Overnight Special Stay: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Meals: Full breakfast, dinner.
Day 8 Icefields Parkway - Glacier `Ice Explorer' Jasper:
Travel along the Icefields Parkway, stopping at Columbia Icefield, where you'll take the `Ice Explorer' onto Athabasca Glacier. Upon arrival in Jasper, look out for Elk often found roaming near your hotel.
Two Night Stay: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.
Meals: Full breakfast, dinner.
Day 9 Jasper:
This morning enjoy your chosen activity, followed by an afternoon at leisure. Perhaps visit Jasper's township or engage in some resort activities such as canoeing, golf or even take a stroll around the shoreline of the picturesque Lake Beauvert.
Meals: Full breakfast.
Day 10 `The Rocky Mountaineer' - Kamloops:
Enjoy a 2 day rail experience on `The Most Spectacular Train Trip in the World'. Relax in your included GoldLeaf carriage and experience unsurpassed levels of dome car service. Enjoy tantalising glimpses of the soaring granite mountains of Canada's Rockies including the highest peak, Mount Robson as your journey towards Kamloops. Tonight, perhaps enjoy dinner and a show `The Rhythms on the Rails (optional dinner show at own expense, prebook prior to departure).
Overnight Stay: Kamloops Hotel.
Meals: Full breakfast, lunch.
Day 11 `The Rocky Mountaineer':
Continue westward following the Thompson River and Fraser River Valley before arriving into Vancouver.
Two Night Stay: The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
Meals: Full breafast, lunch.
Day 12 Vancouver:
Be the first one to explore the rainforest and new Cliffwalk, as the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park opens early. Later, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Vancouver's highlights including the historical hub of Gastown and the local's playground Stanley Park, which features many cultural and natural attractions. The afternoon is yours to explore at your leisure before dinner tonight with your Tour Director and fellow travellers.
Day 13 Vancouver - Alaskan Cruise:
This morning transfer to Vancouver's Pier, Canada Place. Step onboard your luxurious cruise ship for a 7 night Alaskan Voyage. Check into your Verandah Stateroom on the Island Princess and settle in for an unforgettable cruise. Familiarise yourself with the multitude of services, facilities and activities on offer at your convenience and contained all on one lavish vessel.
Meals: Full breakfast, dinner.
Day 14 Scenic Cruising:
Sit back, relax and enjoy the ambience as you cruise north. Alaska's dramatic coastline reveals North America's last great wilderness. Keep a look out for wildlife such as orcas, humpback whales and bald eagles as you sail by. Tonight, like every other night on board your magnificent ship, enjoy a dinner of mouth watering delights. Evenings on board your cruise ship glitter with choices - catch a musical production starring performers from Broadway productions in the show lounge or visit one of the many lounges featuring live music. For a quiet night perhaps catch the feature movie at the theatre or in the privacy of your own cabin.
Meals: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 15 Ketchikan:
Arrive into picturesque Ketchikan, salmon capital of the world. Stroll along the elevated boardwalk by the historic Creek Street buildings; or take a self guided tour of the town; or cast a line at the fishing camp; or experience a bear adventure by float plane (shore excursions are at own expense.)
Meals: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 16 Juneau, Alaska's Capital:
Surrounded by the Gastineau Channel, the Mendenhall Glacier, and the Juneau Icefields, Alaska's capital is famed for its scenery and isolation. Juneau is accessible only by air or sea, so the best way to arrive is by luxury cruise. Explore the lush Tongass National Forest; or journey above on Mount Robert's Tramway; or learn the city's Gold Rush story; or drop into the Red Dog Saloon; or visit the fascinating Alaska State Museum (shore excursions are at own expense.)
Meals: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 17 Skagway:
Cruise into Skagway, the gateway to the Klondike. Enjoy plenty of free time to go ashore and stroll along the weathered boardwalks admiring the shop front facades, reminiscent of the gold rush era. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park boasts restored buildings inviting you to take a stroll back in time.
Meals: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 18 Glacier Bay:
Early this morning, enter the iceberg strewn waters of Glaciers Bay National Park. Marvel at the glacial ice wall carved by nature in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. This breathtaking scenery will be brought to life by a National Park Service Ranger as they help you spot wildlife and interpret the glacier activity and surrounding environment. Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anywhere else in the world.
Meals: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 19 College Fjord:
Within Prince William Sound lies College Fjord and its collection of glaciers. The glaciers were named after Men's and Women's Colleges, by professors on their discovery expedition sponsored by elite U.S. Colleges. When naming the glaciers, Princeton however was curiously overlooked. The magnitude of these glaciers is difficult to imagine. Some reach forty storeys above sea level, dwarfing even the largest cruise ship.
Meals: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 20 Whittier - Mt McKinley:
Disembark in Whittier and travel into the Alaska Wildlife refuge to Anchorage. Explore Anchorage before continuing to Talkeetna for an included jet boat ride into Alaska's untamed wild land while being captivated by spectacular views of North America's highest peak, Mt McKinley. This is a great opportunity to view nesting bald eagles, moose, black bear and grizzly bear roaming the shore.
Optional flightseeing over Mt McKinley with glacier landing: view glacier filled valleys, rugged peaks and towering mountains of the Alaska Range. Learn the history and geology of the area and immerse yourself in this beautiful wilderness (additional cost, replaces Jet Boat Experience).
Continue to Mt McKinley. Learn of the natural phenomeon of Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), their creation and view images of this unique spectacle at and Included presentation this evening. The ever changing nature of the lights dancing across the sky occurs when electrons from solar wind interact with elements in the Earth's atmosphere. The Northern Lights are best viewed in the deep darkness surrounding cooler nights in the far north of the hemisphere. So you don't miss an opportunity, you can request a wake up call to annouce when the Northern Lights are visible.
Overnight Special Stay: Mt McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge.
Meals: Full breakfast, dinner.
Day 21 `Midnight Sun Express' Denali National Park:
Visit the homesteat of Joanne Porterfield and learn how one family's frontier spirit continues into modern day. This authentic homestead, built near Mt McKinley offers a glimpse into the lifestyle of the early pioneers of Trapper Creek. Tour their authentic homestead, garden and livestock area and hear stories of how the Porterfield's have lived in this remote land trapping, mining for gold, farming, hunting, and home schooling their children. Later board a full dome railcar on the `Midnight Sun Express' train. Weather permitting, you'll catch glimpses of spectacular Mt McKinley.
Two Night Special Stay: Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.
Meals: Full breakfast, dinner.
Day 22 Denali National Park:
Activites this morning. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy your natural surroundings of Denali National Park. Perhaps take a walk to Horseshoe Lake trail looking out for beavers and their ingenuitive dams.
Meals: Full breakfast.
Day 23 Riverboat Cruise - Fairbanks:
Continue your journey into the heart of the last frontier to Fairbanks. Board an authentic sternwheeler `Discovery III' for a morning cruise down the Chena and Tenana Rivers. Enjoy a lively narration as you cruise past local homes. Be entertained by a bush pilot performance. View the home and kennels of four time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, as you pass Trail Breaker Kennels. Stop at a replica Athabascan village and learn of the culture and traditions of the local people including their creative fishing techniques. Visit North Pole Alaska where the spirit of Christmas lives all year. Candy cane light poles line Santa Claus lane where Santa and his reindeer welcome visitors. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner with your Tour Director and travelling companions.
Two Night Stay: Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.
Meals: Full breakfast, dinner.
Day 24 Artic Circle Flight:
Fly over the Yukon River, landing ceremoniously north of the Artic circle at Coldfoot. Experience the rugged and magnificent Brooks Mountain Range and witness remnants of Alaska's gold mining wealth replaced now by the remarkable Trans Alaska Pipeline. Enjoy a ground tour and receive an official Artic Circle Adventure Certificate to commemorate your visit.
Meals: Full breakfast, lunch.
Day 25 Fairbanks:
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before transferring to Fairbanks Airport for your homebound flight. Land Only Tour concludes today.
Meals: Full breakfast.
Day 26 Cross international Dateline.
Day 27 Arrive Home Port Flight Inclusive tour concludes today.
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