Overview
Itinerary
Your journey into wonder begins with a two night Special Stay at Victoria’s iconic The Fairmont Empress. Celebrate tonight at a welcome dinner.
Please book your flight to arrive into Victoria prior to 05:00 PM. (D)
Explore the spectacular Butchart Gardens.
Freechoice: Look out for Orcas on a whale watching cruise by Zodiac or cruise boat. Alternatively, enjoy a scenic floatplane flight or indulge in an “Eat Like a Canadian” walking tour. (B)
Cross Georgia Strait by ferry. Visit Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler.
Enrich: Join renowned black bear expert researcher Michael Allen for an enlightening session about these extraordinary creatures.
Enjoy a two night stay at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
Floatplane flight - Soar over Georgia Strait on an optional floatplane flight to Whistler (additional expense). (B)
Freechoice: Whistler is an outdoor adventure playground. You might choose to soar above Whistler on a helicopter flight, enjoy the view by Zipline or Peak 2 Peak Gondola or take a Whistler Tasting tour. (B)
Drive to the alpine village of Sun Peaks where you’ll stay at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel. (B/D)
After breakfast, travel to Jasper via Mt Robson, the Rockies’ highest peak. Enjoy a two night stay at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.
Enrich: Jasper National Park is one of the world’s largest dark sky preserves. Join local guides from Jasper Planetarium for a breathtaking Dark Sky Experience. (B/D)
Freechoice: Don your leathers and hit the open road in a Harley Davidson™ sidecar, go rafting down the Athabasca River or boating on Maligne Lake. Alternatively, take a scenic drive around Jasper’s stunning lakes and explore Maligne Canyon. (B)
Drive along one of the most famous roads in the world, the Icefields Parkway, then take an ‘Ice Explorer’ onto the Athabasca Glacier. Visit Lake Louise, a true natural wonder, and the Fairmont Château Lake Louise where you’ll enjoy a two night Special Stay.
Freechoice Dining: Enjoy a choice of restaurants at your hotel tonight, from fine to casual dining. (B/D)
For the early-riser or the budding photographer, set a sunrise wake-up call to capture the stunning colours painted across the mountain, lake and glacier. (B)
Small town charm nestled in stunning mountain scenery greets you in Banff.
Enrich: Meet a retired member of the Mounties for an insight into their role in Canadian history and the country today.
Settle into your two night Special Stay at the Fairmont Banff Springs.
Freechoice Dining: Choose from a range of restaurants. (B/D)
Freechoice: Choose to ascend Sulphur Mountain on the Banff Gondola for awe-inspiring views of Bow Valley or take a helicopter flight over the Three Sisters Peaks. Alternatively, enjoy a Bow River Float trip or a relaxing soak in the mineral pools. Whichever activity you choose, you’re sure to be swept away by Banff National Park, the first national park established in Canada and a World Heritage-listed Site.
Enrich: Head out at dusk to explore one of the most active wildlife corridors in the Canadian Rockies by golf cart. Enjoy jaw-dropping views, the opportunity to see local wildlife, the Bow Falls and more. (B)
Embark on one of the most iconic rail journeys in the world, the Rocky Mountaineer. Be pampered by GoldLeaf Service in your glass-dome carriage. Tonight, stay at a Kamloops hotel as assigned by Rocky Mountaineer. (B/L)
View the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson rivers from your glass-dome carriage. Later, you’ll arrive at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, where you’ll be comfortably appointed for the next two nights. (B/L)
Visit Capilano Suspension Bridge Park as it opens early, exclusively for Scenic guests. Wander among the glistening morning dew of the rainforest, before the crowds arrive. Later, a sightseeing tour will showcase Vancouver’s hidden treasures.
Tonight, join your Tour Director and fellow adventurers for a celebratory farewell dinner as you prepare for the next part of your journey – cruising Alaska, the last frontier. (B/D)
Farewell your Tour Director as you board your luxurious seven-night Alaskan voyage on board Holland America Line’s ms Koningsdam and settle into your comfortable Verandah Stateroom. (B/D)
Settle back and relax with a book or explore the ship’s facilities, restaurants and lounges. (B/L/D)
Alaska’s charming state capital is only accessible by air or sea, so go ahead and explore knowing you’ll never get lost. (B/L/D)
Take a stroll into the past. Historic shop façades, wooden boardwalks and echoes of the gold rush typify Skagway, the gateway of the Klondike Gold Rush. (B/L/D)
A National Park Service Ranger will interpret the natural wonders you see in this spectacular area. (B/L/D)
Alaska’s last port of call is Ketchikan, known as the ‘salmon capital of the world’. Be sure to sample some fresh local fare while you’re in town. (B/L/D)
Continue southwards on your cruise. Celebrate your Canadian and Alaskan escapade with a toast, share and reminisce with your newfound friends over your favourite highlights. (B/L/D)
Your journey comes to an end as you transfer to Vancouver airport.
Please book your flight to depart out of Vancouver after 02:00 PM.
The itinerary is a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons. As such Scenic cannot guarantee the journey will operate unaltered from the itinerary stated above. Please refer to our terms and conditions for further information. (B)
Trip Inclusions
Handcrafted 5-star journeys featuring the very best inclusions and a host of memorable moments. When you travel with Scenic, everything is taken care of. Read more
Scenic offer the full range of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts for the most iconic and memorable Canadian experience. Read more
Scenic's seasoned Journey Designers have handpicked and created a range of exclusive experiences that will be among the highlights of your journey. Read more
When you travel with Scenic, everything is taken care of, including transfers and tipping. All transport, whether it's by coach or rail, is of the very highest standard. Read more
Choose between a vast range of activities, sightseeing and dining experiences to ensure you only see what you want to see and do what you want to do, at a pace that suits you. Read more
While cruising, you can look forward to Verandah Staterooms and onboard inclusions exclusive to Scenic guests plus a dedicated Scenic Cruise Director. Read more
Trip Reviews (5) Most Recent 'Icons of Western Canada & Alaskan Cruise' Reviews
Between Whistler and Jasper we stayed at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel for one night as we were putting down kilometers to cross this huge country. The stops along the way and the journey itself was filled with absolutely stunning scenery and the experts, guides and presentations provided in the tour package were interestingly informative and very entertaining. All the meals provided by the hotels as part of the package were very nice and some were fabulous, so we tended to eat "in house" for the few evening meals the package didn't include, after all, the facilities in general and dining in particular at the Fairmonts, was second to none.
On the train part of the journey, we were pampered with two days of delicious drinks and food and more stunning scenery in the glass domed carriages of the Rocky Mountaineer's Goldleaf Service. Now in Vancouver, we had another two night stay at a Fairmont Hotel and, like the motorcoach part of the journey, the tours included in the package were very good.
On to the cruise and again we were treated to the best available, Holland America were the original cruise company to do Alaska and have available to them the best berths at all the ports and best access to the glaciers in the national parks. The rangers from these parks, as well as the ship's crew were very informative and and especially so when there was wildlife to be seen.
Where this holiday is at the top end pricewise for seeing Western Canada and Alaska, the two night stays while journeying into the interior, the Goldleaf service on the Rocky Mountaineer and the Holland America cruise to Alaska make it good value for money for such an immersive travel experience. Also with Scenic, the people we travelled with on this journey were simply a great bunch, enjoyable in every way and most had previously travelled with Scenic, describing the travel company as not only having the best itineraries, but having a knack of having happy travellers on their tours.
The tour director for this tour, Cathy was at the top of her game and this is yet another reason why we would travel with Scenic again. And to book such a holiday, we would be using the help and guidance of Jemma at Global Journeys again.
We had a wonderful tour guide Benjamin who really looked after us and made the trip enjoyable ! Alaska cruise with Holland America was excellent ,and we were lucky to have perfect weather August perfect time of the year to see both Rockies and Alaska. Thank you Georgie at Global Journeys for organizing a wonderful and stress free holiday.
We particularly, like the selection of included activities in Victoria, Whistler, Jasper and Banff. We chose the whale watching in Victoria; Zip Lining in Whistler; Rafting in Jasper and the helicopter ride in Banff. We also did the Peak-2-Peak Gondola ride in Whistler. We paid for this ourselves and had plenty of time to fully explore the peaks in the afternoon as we did the Zip lining in the morning. The zip lining is suitable for all ages it is very comfortable and easy to do.
The Holland America Cruise was fantastic - great entertainment at night time - particularly the One Step Dance company, the BB King All Stars Blues band, the two comedians and the BBC Planet Earth shows.
This was our second holiday we have booked through Global Journeys and once again it was hassle free and everything was so easy - despite COVID. I would highly recommend them. Our previous tour was an Albatross tour throughout Ireland which like the Scenic tour had a number of 2 and some 3 nights stays and lots of inclusions. We chose Scenic for this holiday only because Albatross don't offer any packages for Canada and Alaska. It was our first time with Scenic and we were very impressed with them. Overall Global Journeys, Scenic and Holland America all provided quality products and service that made it a superb holiday.
We didn't have to worry about a thing ...read more and the scenery, accommodation, food, and service was just wonderful. Our Scenic Tour guide Karen was exceptional. We could not fault a thing and we will definitely be booking again with Jemma and Global Journeys.
Cabins
Verandah Stateroom (Included)
Filled with light from floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a private verandah, these staterooms include a sitting area, two lower beds convertible to one queen-size bed - Holland America's signature Mariner's Dream™ bed - with plush Euro-Top mattresses, and shower with premium massage showerheads. The configuration of staterooms may vary from the images shown. Approximately 213-379 sq. ft. including verandah.
Signature Suite (Upgrade)
These large, comfortable suites feature a spacious sitting area with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a private verandah, two lower beds convertible to one queen-size bed—our signature Mariner's Dream™ bed with plush Euro-Top mattresses, and one sofa bed for one person. The bathroom includes a dual-sink vanity, full-size whirlpool bath and shower, and an additional shower stall. Approximately 273–456 sq. ft. including verandah.
Neptune Suite (Upgrade)
With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a private verandah, these spacious suites are flooded with light. They feature a large sitting area with a mini-bar and refrigerator, and two lower beds convertible to one king-size bed—our signature Mariner's Dream™ bed with plush Euro-Top mattresses plus a separate dressing room. There's also a sofa bed, suitable for two people. The bathroom comes with a dual-sink vanity, full-size whirlpool bath and shower, plus additional shower stall. Amenities include use of the exclusive Neptune Lounge, a private concierge and an array of complimentary services. Approximately 506–590 sq. ft. including verandah.
Brochure
Scenic Canada, Alaska & USA (2024)
Availability
Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you enquire. Additional savings may apply. We guarantee the lowest price in Australia. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Prices and trip information are correct at the time at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Scenic.
