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Rocky Mountaineer: First Passage to the West Classic + Alaska Cruise

Two essential holidays in one!
  • history
    DURATION
    11 nights
  • history
    DURATION DAYS
  • history
    DURATION NIGHTS
    11 nights

Take in the Canadian landscape for two days onboard Rocky Mountaineer. Start or finish your trip with a luxurious Alaska Cruise.

Choose from:

  • Vancouver-Banff itinerary with pre-tour cruise
  • Banff-Vancouver with post-tour cruise

Photos

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Read on for the amazing day-by-day itinerary

Inclusions/Exclusions

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Activities & Tours

  • Vancouver Lookout
  • North Shore Tour with Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain

Dining

  • 9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 7 dinners

Travel & Transport

  • 2 day Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Service or SilverLeaf Service
  • 7 night Glacier Bay Inside Passage Cruise
  • Rail station transfers in Banff, Kamloops and Vancouver
  • Hotel-cruise terminal transfers in Vancouver
  • Luggage handling and National Park Pass

Accommodations

  • 4 nights of hotel accommodation on tour.
  • Glacier Bay Inside Passage Cruise: 7 nights in Ocean-View Stateroom (if selecting SilverLeaf Service) or Verandah Stateroom (if upgrading to GoldLeaf Service).

Itinerary

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Vancouver-Banff itinerary with pre-tour cruise
ALSO AVAILABLE: Banff-Vancouver with post-tour cruis

Day 1: Embarkation
Begin your journey at the Vancouver cruise terminal where you board your ship. Overnight on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Amsterdam.

Day 2: Cruise the Inside Passage
Enjoy sailing through the dramatic Inside Passage. Overnight on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Amsterdam.

Day 3: Port of Call Juneau, Alaska
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 the place to let your imagination run wild. Explore the lush Tongass National Forest, visit the rustic shops in town, set out and whale watch, flightsee, hike, kayak, raft or fish. Due to the long daylight hours, there’s plenty of time for your perfect Juneau adventure. Overnight on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Amsterdam.

Day 4: Port of Call Skagway, Alaska
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 vintage characters. To complete the picture of those rip-roaring days, visit the nostalgic Trail of ‘98 Museum. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park boasts restored buildings and wooden boardwalks that invite you to take a stroll into the past. Overnight on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Amsterdam.

Day 5: Glacier Bay Scenic Cruise
As Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Glacier Bay National Park protects a unique ecosystem of plants and animals living in concert with an everchanging glacial landscape. Bring out the camera and listen for the thunderous sound of a monumental chunk of ice that has split from a glacier as it crashes into the sea. The impact shoots water hundreds of feet into the air. Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world. Overnight on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Amsterdam.

Day 6: Port of Call Ketchikan
Built out over the water and climbing weathered stairways, Ketchikan clings to the shores of Tongass Narrows and drapes the mountains with a cheerful air. Take time to explore Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Village, Ketchikan’s main attractions. Deep water fjords created by retreating glaciers has left behind stunning granite cliffs towering thousands of feet above the sea and countless waterfalls cascading into placid waters. Overnight on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Amsterdam.

Day 7: Cruise the Inside Passage
Enjoy sailing through the dramatic Inside Passage. Overnight on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Amsterdam.

Days 8-9: Disembark Vancouver / Free Day in Vancouver
After breakfast you will disembark the ms Nieuw Amsterdam in Vancouver. Take full advantage of a free day at leisure in Vancouver, and check out Vancouver’s must-see attractions like the Vancouver Aquarium (admission not included), Stanley Park, or Granville Island, explore the city’s museums, art galleries, gardens, and varied neighbourhoods, or take a day trip to discover the nearby resort town of Whistler or British Columbia’s charming capital on Vancouver Island, Victoria. Overnight in Vancouver.

Day 10: Vancouver to Kamloops
Board the Rocky Mountaineer train at the Vancouver Station at 7:30am PT. Travel from the coastal city of Vancouver to Kamloops, in the heart of British Columbia’s interior. On today’s journey you will see dramatic changes in scenery, from the lush green fields of the Fraser Valley, through forests and winding river canyons surrounded by the peaks of the Coast and Cascade Mountains, to the desert-like environment of the BC Interior. Highlights include the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon and the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River. Breakfast & lunch included onboard. Your day concludes as the Rocky Mountaineer travels along the shores of Kamloops Lake into Kamloops between 6:00pm and 7:30pm PT. Spend the evening exploring the city of Kamloops or relaxing in your hotel room. All hotels in Kamloops are of moderate standard: your hotel will be assigned post-booking.

Day 11: Kamloops to Banff

Board the Rocky Mountaineer train at the Kamloops Station at 6:25am PT, your journey continues eastwards to the mighty Canadian Rockies and the province of Alberta. Once again you will see a spectacular array of scenery as you travel across ranchlands, along rocky lakeshores, over high mountain passes and through the remarkable tunnels that form part of the rich rail history of the Canadian Rockies. Today’s highlights include Craigellachie, where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven, the climb over Rogers Pass, Kicking Horse Canyon, the Spiral Tunnels and, of course, the glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies. Breakfast & lunch included onboard. Your rail journey ends this evening upon arrival in Banff, between 8:00pm and 9:30pm MT.

Day 12: Tour End - Banff
Your vacation ends upon checkout from your Banff hotel.

Dates and Prices

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Pricing based on departure between 4-11 May, 2019 on the Banff-Vancouver itinerary. Please note that pricing will vary based on departure date and availability – please contact us for an up-to-date quote on your preferred departure date.

Accommodation

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SilverLeaf Service:

  • Banff Caribou Lodge and Spa
  • Georgian Court Hotel
  • Oceanview cabin

GoldLeaf Service:

  • Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge
  • Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
  • Veranda cabin

T&Cs

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Travel at 60 and RailPlus booking conditions apply. Please enquire for more information.

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This holiday deal has expired.

Want to find an alternative? Search for another holiday here or contact us.