Deluxe Alaskan Voyage and the Rocky Mountaineer

Day 1 London – Calgary – Banff
We begin with Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service® to London Heathrow Airport and your scheduled Air Canada direct flight 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 4★ Delta Banff Royal Canadian Lodge.

Day 2 – 3 Banff (Lake Louise)
Banff is regarded as one of North America’s loveliest small towns, and makes a wonderful base for exploring the stunningly scenic surrounding area. On day 2, we head out on an excursion to Lake Louise – not without reason is this enchanting lake known as ‘the jewel of the Rockies’. Named after Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter, Lake Louise is one of Canada’s most beloved attractions and perhaps the most picturesque body of water in the world. A fine chateau,located on its eastern shore, presents postcard-pretty views of snow-capped mountains and picturesque pine forests reflected in the lake’s opal waters. We take a different route to and from the lake for the very best introduction to the natural glory of Banff National Park.
With national park protection from large scale development, Banff retains a charming, friendly atmosphere, and being so compact, it is easily discoverable on foot. Day 3 is yours to enjoy the craft shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants, or join an optional gondola ride to Sulphur Mountain for a bird’s-eye view of six mountain ranges.

Day 4 Banff – Columbia Icefield – Jasper
We journey north through the Rockies to Jasper, with ever-more-captivating vistas unfolding at every turn of the road. En route we make a stop at the Columbia Icefield for a unique Ice Explorer ride on the surface of the Athabasca Glacier (subject to favourable weather conditions). The v› icle’s expert driver guide shares a wealth of enthralling information about glaciers, icefields and the environment, and there is also the chance to safely step off and stand on this icy giant. In the charming town of Jasper our hotel is the Chateau Jasper.

Day 5 Jasper
Jasper National Park is one of Canada’s oldest and largest, full of cultural treasures and miracles of nature. Our guided excursion takes in the dramatic, steep-sided Maligne Canyon, peaceful Medicine Lake and another breathtaking icon of world travel, unforgettable Maligne Lake, surrounded by mountains and glaciers, and itself surrounding tiny, endlessly photogenic Spirit Island. Dinner is included at the hotel this evening.

Day 6 – 7 Rocky Mountaineer (Jasper – Kamloops – Vancouver)
The legendary Rocky Mountaineer train is surely the most comfortable and romantic way to appreciate the breathtaking majesty of the Canadian Rockies. The exhilarating two-day route between Jasper and Vancouver, by way of Kamloops, has been called ‘the most spectacular train journey in the world’, along sublime valleys and lake shores, over mountain passes, through forests and remarkable tunnels hewn from the rock. Highlights of the Jasper-Kamloops sector include Mount Robson, the expansive glaciers of the Albreda Icefields, Pyramid Falls and the snow-capped Monashee peaks. Then, after a hotel stay in Kamloops, we continue through the desert-like environment of the interior to the lush green fields of the Fraser River Valley, admiring the Coast and Cascade mountains, the steep slopes of the Thompson River and the tumbling waters of Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon. We disembark this iconic train in Vancouver on the afternoon of day 7, and transfer to the Metropolitan Hotel.

Day 8 Vancouver – Alaska cruise
There will be more time to explore Vancouver at the end of our cruise, but this morning is at leisure to gather memorable first impressions of a city justly regarded for its beautiful aspects, vibrant spirit and cosmopolitan culture. We board Holland America Line’s luxurious MS Zuiderdam at Vancouver’s waterfront for lunch and further time free to settle into your spacious stateroom and explore the superlative amenities before setting sail late afternoon.

Day 9 Alaskan cruise (Canada’s Inside Passage)
As our 1,600km journey north begins in earnest, take in the awe-inspiring panoramas of Canada’s Inside Passage, a peaceful and picturesque ‘marine highway’ between British Columbia’s islands and mainland characterised by intricate fjords, dense forests and snow-draped mountains. Keep an eye out too for the wildlife that calls this region home – harbour seals, humpback whales and swooping eagles.

Day 10 Alaska cruise (Tracy Arm – Sawyer Glacier – Juneau)
Frequent sightings of whales, seals and sure-footed mountain goats are also likely as MS Zuiderdam makes its serene way through the classic 45km-long fjord Tracy Arm (weather permitting). At the head of the fjord is the awe-inspiring Sawyer Glacier, shimmering blue, framed by snowy mountains and regularly calving colossal blocks of ice into the water with unearthly groans and booms. Through narrow waterways reminiscent of the coastline of Norway, we arrive in Juneau, Alaska’s state capital since 1906. Though the borough covers a large area, this sophisticated, cosmopolitan city has a remarkably small population (at 32,000, roughly on a par with Torquay!). Juneau’s location in the heart of the Tongass National Forest and at the foot of the towering mountains that overlook Gastineau Channel, makes it a memorable visit.

Day 11 Alaska cruise (Skagway)
Skagway was the coastal gateway to the goldfields of the Klondike during the ‘rush’ of the late 1890s and this ‘boom town’ owes its size and prominence to those thousands of fortune-seekers stocking up for the slow, arduous and often deadly trek along the Chikoot Trail. In its boardwalks, pebble streets and turn-of-the-century buildings, the town demonstrates a fascinating ‘living history’ of those frantic times. Optional excursions present the opportunity to follow the ‘Trail of 98’ by coach into Canada’s Yukon Territory or take the White Pass and Yukon narrow-gauge railroad that became the supply line for the goldfields.

Day 12 Glacier Bay National Park
There can be few more inspiring sights to greet you on waking than Glacier Bay National Park. This morning, you will find yourself in the midst of towering mountains, magnificent tidewater glaciers, vast icebergs and an abundance of wildlife – a paradise for photographers, artists, birdwatchers and anyone who appreciates the majesty and beauty of the natural world.

Day 13 Alaska cruise (Ketchikan)
Beautifully located Ketchikan stretches like a ribbon along the shoreline below Deer Mountain, so remote that it may only be reached by sea or air. Echoes of pioneer days still haunt the historic Crefi Street area, but these days Ketchikan is better known for its extraordinary collection of tribal totems and its salmon production – as ‘the salmon capital of the world’, it is the perfect place to sample the freshest and most delicious wild fish.

Day 14 Alaska cruise (Canada’s Inside Passage)
We return southwards through Canada’s Inside Passage on a last full day at sea, with more epic views from the deck or time to enjoy MS Zuiderdam’s fine facilities.

Day 15 Vancouver
We arrive back in Vancouver this morning, and an orientation tour introduces you to its standout highlights. The afternoon is then at leisure for independent exploration from our comfortable base (for the next two nights), the Metropolitan Hotel. You may like to try one of the many superlative restaurants on Robson Street and Granville Street that serve up a global selection of cuisines.

Day 16 Vancouver
Today is also free to make your own discoveries in Vancouver, or join an optional excursion to Grouse Mountain and the Capilano Suspension Bridge, the world’s longest and highest suspension bridge, set in the treetops of the Capilano Canyon.

Day 17 Vancouver – London
Enjoy a further leisurely morning, with some time for shopping, before we transfer to the airport for our direct, scheduled, overnight Air Canada flight to London.

Day 18 London
Upon arrival at London Heathrow, members of our airport team greet you and show you to your VIP Home Departure vehicle, waiting to take you home.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please note:
The deposit for this holiday is £450 per person. Cruise itineraries can be subject to alteration by the cruise companies.

Titan Travel have a reputation for innovative and enthralling escorted holiday itineraries, and through the guidance of their founding principles, “quality, service and value” which have remained unchanged since the 1970′s, their expertise and experience are second to none.

Titan Travel strive to ensure that aspect of their holidays whispers quality, before you fly, you get to appreciate a comfortable, chauffeur-driven transfer from your front door to the airport with our peerless VIP Home Departure Service, check-in assistance and complimentary porterage. All international flights are with world-renowned scheduled airlines and cruises with acclaimed operators. Touring holidays are expertly designed by the product team to present a comprehensive, imaginative introduction to the destination of choice yet still offer plenty of time for relaxation. The services of a tour manager or cruise manager are included throughout. When you return to the UK, you are met in the arrivals hall of the airport and shown to your VIP Home Departure Service vehicle, waiting to return you to your front door.

Our Opinion
“Titan Travel’s guiding principles of customer service, quality of product and value for money are undoubtedly a contributing factor to them being voted, on many occasions, the UK’s best tour operator.”