20 Day Highlights of Canadian Rockies With Alaska Cruise & Denali Discovery

Welcome to Calgary, the gateway to the Canadian Rockies. Upon arrival at the airport, make your way to your downtown hotel. Once you have settled in, you might choose to stroll through the city center or visit the nearby shopping district. Tonight is at your leisure to enjoy your first evening in Alberta. Special Information Airport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed. Hotel check-in time is at 3pm. If arriving prior to this, you will be able to leave your luggage with hotel reception and explore your surroundings until check-in becomes available. The hotel may grant early check-in, however this is strictly subject to availability and at the hotel's discretion.

After breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Calgary. We'll visit downtown Calgary, take in the views of the Calgary Tower, and see the famous Stampede Grounds and Saddledome. We then depart the city and travel along the Trans-Canada Highway into the heart of the Canadian Rockies. We visit the stunning Lake Louise and Moraine Lake before arriving in Banff. Your tour leader will show you the highlights of the town, including views of the Banff Springs Hotel, Tunnel Mountain, the Hoodoos, and the rushing Bow Falls. Inspiring Highlights Calgary city sightseeing tour Lake Louise and Moraine Lake visit Banff townsite tour Bow Falls and the Hoodoos Special Information Your travel time today is approximately 4.5 hours Moraine Lake typically opens early June. Access is dependent on snow and avalanche conditions.If access is not available, you will enjoy more time at Banff

Today is yours to spend at leisure in the beautiful mountain town of Banff. You might enjoy a walk along the many forest trails, browse the local boutiques and galleries on Banff Avenue, or relax at a local cafe. For those looking for adventure, there are several ways to see the park from a different perspective.

After breakfast, we journey north along the Icefield Parkway, a route famous for its incredible scenery of crystal green lakes and snow-capped peaks. Along the way, we stop at Peyto Lake before arriving at the Columbia Icefield. Here, you will board a massive Ice Explorer vehicle for a once-in-a-lifetime drive onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier. You will have the chance to walk on the ice and even fill your water bottle with fresh glacier water. We continue to Jasper, stopping at the powerful Athabasca Falls if time permits. Inspiring Highlights Icefields Parkway scenic drive Peyto Lake photo stop Athabasca Glacier Ice Explorer experience Athabasca Falls visit Special InformationYour travel time today is approx. 4.5 hours. Athabasca Glacier typically opens for visitors on 1 May. Access is dependent on weather conditions.If access is not available, you will enjoy more time in Jasper

Enjoy a full day at leisure to explore the rugged beauty of Jasper National Park. You could visit the local visitor center to learn about the park's history, take a stroll around the Jasper townsite, or head to the shores of a nearby lake to enjoy the mountain air.

After breakfast, we head west along the Yellowhead Highway, passing beneath the towering presence of Mt Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Leaving the mountains behind, the landscape opens as we drive into the interior of British Columbia, following river valleys and rolling highlands. We continue south into the fertile Okanagan Valley, renowned for its orchards, lakes, and vineyards, arriving in Vernon for our overnight stay. Inspiring Highlights View of Mt. Robson Scenic drive through the Thompson River valley Travel through the Shuswap Highlands Entry into the Okanagan Valley Special Information Your travel time today will be approximately 8 hours

Today we farewell Vernon and the Okanagan Valley, travelling west through the varied landscapes of British Columbia's Lower Mainland. Our journey follows the Coquihalla Highway, where the scenery shifts dramatically from the dry interior plateau to lush coastal rainforests. By late afternoon, we arrive in Vancouver, the jewel of Canada's West Coast, with the evening at leisure to begin exploring this vibrant city. Inspiring Highlights Scenic drive on the Coquihalla Highway Transition through diverse BC vegetation zones Special Information Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours

Today is yours to enjoy a full day exploring Vancouver at your own pace. This vibrant city offers a wealth of activities perfect for a relaxing day of discovery. You might choose to take a gentle stroll along the False Creek seawall, or visit the Granville Island Public Market to browse local artisan crafts and fresh produce. For those interested in history and art, the Vancouver Art Gallery or the Museum of Vancouver provide fascinating insights into the region's cultural heritage.

You have some time this morning for some last minute shopping before making your own way to the Vancouver Cruise Terminal to board your Alaskan Inside Passage cruise. Once you have checked in to the cruise, begin exploring all that your ship has to offer. Special InformationPorts of call may vary cruise to cruise based on ship schedules.

Relax and enjoy a full day of scenic Inside Passage cruising and immerse yourself in Holland America Line elegance.

We arrive into our first port of Ketchikan at 7am this morning. Alaska's "First City" of Ketchikan is so named because it's the first major landfall for most cruisers as they enter the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage, where the town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain. Ketchikan has long been an important hub of the salmon-fishing and -packing industries. Visitors can try their luck on a sportfishing or simply savor the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants on a cruise to Ketchikan excursion. Ketchikanis also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. You can see intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center and Totem Bight State Park, while the attractions of Saxman Village just outside of Ketchikan offers the chance to see Tlingit culture in action, with working carvers and a dance show in the clan house. On an Alaska cruise to Ketchikan don't forget to leave time to explore the sights in the town itself, including historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over the Ketchikan Creek, where you can shop for souvenirs, smoked salmon and local art, while exploring gold rush­–era tourist attractions like Dolly's House Museum. Inspiring Highlights Totem Heritage Center Totem Bight State Park Saxman Village Creek Street Dolly's House Museum

Arriving in Juneau at 10am, enjoy a full day of exploring Alaska's capital. Juneau is known for its outdoor recreation, fresh seafood and fine dining. The city itself is pleasant, but the real highlight of a visit to Juneau is tracking down some wildlife. You can hike up Mount Roberts to chance upon wild deer and bald eagles. Most sightseeing and whale-watching tours head north to Auke Bay—bring a good pair of binoculars to get the best view of these majestic and surprisingly graceful creatures. If you prefer land mammals, catch a floatplane to a nearby wildlife reserve such as Chichagof or Admiralty Island to spy some bears lolling around on Alaska cruise excursion. The sleepy, misty city of around 32,000—mostly fishermen and small-business owners—has a frontier town vibe, but welcomes more than a million visitors each summer to its natural attractions, cementing Juneau as Alaska's number-one tourist destination. Inspiring Highlights Mount Roberts Auke Bay Chichagof Island Admiralty Island

Step back to the days of the last great gold rush as we arrive into Skagway at 7am this morning. At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, the port town of Skagway served as the primary gateway to the legendary gold fields, and quickly grew into Alaska's largest settlement. It was then a raucous frontier hub packed with trading posts, saloons and guesthouses. As the gold rush faded into the 1900s, so did Skagway—but today it has been reinvigorated as a gateway for a new kind of visitor: those looking to explore Alaska's colorful history, pristine wildlife and unrivaled natural beauty. At every turn, you'll find yourself immersed in gold rush lore, from the infamous Red Onion Saloon that still keeps a pistol that Wyatt Earp left behind en route to the Klondike, to the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, a classic narrow-gauge railway that traverses rugged mountains and passes cascading waterfalls and towering glaciers as it connects Skagway to Whitehorse deep in the Yukon. Known as the "Garden City of Alaska," Skagway is filled with beauty and nature. Inspiring Highlights Red Onion Saloon White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad Skagway town

Cruise the ice-studded fjords of this national treasure for a full eight hours as a Park Service Ranger narrates. On your cruise to Glacier Bay, close your eyes and take in the sounds—the creaks and groans of “living” ice, the shrill cries of gulls and soaring eagles, the splash of a breaching humpback whale. Frosted peaks towering over mossy forests, wide tidewater glaciers (there are seven in the park), and marine wildlife are givens on Glacier Bay cruises, but every experience in this changing biosphere is unique. Inspiring Highlights Glacier Bay National Park Tidewater Glaciers

Scenic cruising College Fjord will bring you close to many glaciers—there's even a spot where you can see eight at once. Your chances of watching ice thunder into the water is high, as the Prince William Sound is one of the most active areas for calving. Out of all Alaska fjords, College Fjord is the most storied. The Harriman Expedition of 1899 with John Muir and other notable scientists traversed the College Fjord aboard the George W. Elder, funded by Ivy League colleges. All of the glaciers were named for various schools. As you travel into College Fjord, the glaciers on the left are named for women's colleges and those on the right are named for men's colleges. The names are Amherst, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Harvard, Smith, Vassar, and Yale. Harvard Glacier is the biggest – its face is a mile and a half across. In case you're wondering, it is rumored that the scientists snubbed Princeton. Inspiring Highlights College Fjord Harvard Glacier

Disembark and embark on a picturesque rail journey along Turnagain Arm aboard the cruise train, en route to Anchorage, where your Journey Host will be waiting to greet you. On arrival in Anchorage, enjoy the day at leisure to explore this fascinating city. Explore on your own or take an optional excursions. Don't miss the chance to ride the Anchorage Trolley or immerse yourself in Alaskan tribal culture at the Native Heritage Center. While the abundant wildlife alone is reason enough to cruise to Anchorage, Alaska, the city's rich culture is equally worth exploring. Nearly half of the state's population resides in Anchorage, including military personnel, Alaska Natives, adventurous transplants from the "lower 48," and oil industry workers. The city is dotted with coffee and espresso huts on every corner, and local culinary delights include fresh halibut, smoked salmon, and reindeer dogs. Inspiring Highlights Anchorage cruise train Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 2.5 hours.

This morning, board the luxurious domed rail cars of the McKinley Explorer to Denali for a two night stay at this magnificent national treasure. These unique, single level domed rail cars with great panoramic windows are just the perfect way to see this magnificent part of Alaska. Canyons, cascading waterfalls, glaciers and spectacular scenery await at every turn. On a clear day, you can see the stunning Denali (North America's tallest mountain) shortly after our departure from Anchorage. On arrival at your remote lodge on the edge of Denali National Park, enjoy the evening at leisure. There are a number of activities on offer at McKinley Chalet Resort. Speak with the hotel concierge or your Journey Host for more information. Inspiring Highlights McKinley Explorer Domed Rail Journey Denali National Park Denali (North America's tallest mountain) McKinley Chalet Resort Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 8 hours.

Today after breakfast, embark on the unforgettable Tundra Wilderness Tour, a 5-6 hour fully narrated sightseeing excursion that takes you into the heart of Denali National Park. Standing at an impressive 20,310 feet above sea level, Denali is more than just a mountain; it's the crown jewel of Alaska's interior, majestically rising above the pristine wilderness. If you're hoping for more than just a fleeting glimpse of “the Great One,” you're in luck. On this expertly guided adventure, you'll likely encounter some of Alaska's "big five": grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall sheep, and wolves. Back at the lodge, enjoy a cocktail reception with your fellow travellers. Inspiring Highlights Tundra Wilderness Tour

After a morning at leisure in Denali, today you'll head to Fairbanks - Alaska's Golden Heart City. On arrival, climb aboard an authentic Alaskan sternwheeler, the Riverboat Discovery, and embark on a journey back in time along the Chena and Tanana Rivers. Since 1950, the Binkley family has been operating riverboat tours in Fairbanks. Now, you can explore the natural beauty and history of the area with third- and fourth-generation captains. Enjoy a tour with native Alaskans in a traditional village and meet some of the pioneers who call this land home. Spend the evening at leisure in Fairbanks. Inspiring Highlights Riverboat Discovery Chena and Tanana Rivers Native Alaskan village tour Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.

Your tour concludes this morning in Fairbanks. At the appropriate time, make your own way to Fairbanks Airport for your onward flight. Thank you for travelling with Inspiring Vacations. We hope you had a memorable experience. Special InformationAirport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.