Discover the Travel Club Advantage

DAY 1: ARRIVE VANCOUVER (1 NIGHT)

Welcome to Vancouver. You are met on arrival and taken to your Downtown Vancouver hotel. Time-permitting, we recommend heading into town for lunch or dinner and a look around. Refer to your Lonely Planet guide for ideas.

After check-in spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring the city.

DAY 2: VANCOUVER - KELOWNA - L. OKANAGAN-WINERY - SALMON ARM/REVELSTOKE

We'll start our journey via the trans-Canada highway; passing through Fraser valley, and heading east for Kelowna, the heart of the Okanagan Valley and home to world-class vintners. At Lake Okanagan, let us listen to its legendary story and search for the lake monster “Ogopogo”. Visit one of the most renowned wineries before settling down in Salmon Arm/Revelstoke in the evening.

Visiting Attractions:

• Kelowna
• Okanagan Lake

DAY 3: SALMON ARM/REVELSTOKE - BANFF NATIONAL PARK - GONDOLA - BOW FALLS - TOWN OF BANFF

Arrive at Canada’s oldest National Park - Banff National Park via Rogers Pass and Yoho National Park. An eye-opening Gondola Ride will captivate you with the majestic views of the Rocky Mountains. Passing by Vermilion Lakes, visit Bow Falls which was also featured in 1953 Marilyn Monroe starred movie River of No Return. Stroll along Banff Avenue where you will find myriad of art galleries, trendy shops and boutiques in the highest town of Canada.

Visiting Attractions:

• Banff
• Salmon Arm
• Banff National Park
• Bow Falls

DAY 4: LAKE LOUISE - JASPER NATIONAL PARK - ICEFIELD - GLACIER SKYWALK – GOLDEN

Today you will journey to Lake Louise, also known as the "Jewel of the Rockies." After, you will make your way to the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park. There you will ride on the specially designed “Ice Explorer” onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier. After, you will enjoy a thrilling experience walking on the new Glacier Skywalk. Later you will pass by Crowfoot Glacier, before arriving in Golden where you will stay overnight.

Visiting Attractions:

• Golden
• Lake Louise
• Columbia Icefield

DAY 5: GOLDEN - LAST SPIKE - KAMLOOPS - GINSENG FACTORY - FRASER VALLEY - VANCOUVER (1 NIGHT)

Proceed to Eagle Pass and visit the Last Spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Head west to BC interiors and arrive in Kamloops, a city with over 2000 hours of sunshine each year. Visit the only GMP certified Ginseng factory and learn about manufacture and the amazing healing power of Ginseng. After passing by the District of Hope, where Sylvester Stallone filmed First Blood in 1982 and Hunter’s Creek, return to Vancouver by late afternoon.

Visiting Attractions:

• Kamloops
• Golden

Tonight you'll stay in Vancouver. Take the opportunity to head out for the evening to dine at one of Vancouver's many great restaurants. Tomorrow we're boarding our home for the next seven nights as we cruise north to Alaska.

DAYS 6 & 7: INSIDE PASSAGE CRUISE

Your cruise departs Vancouver at 4.30pm so this is an opportunity for you to explore the ship and get to know where everything is. Here are a few tips to get you started: First day on board

The next day you'll be at sea travelling through the beautiful Inside Passage to your first port at Ketchikan.

DAY 8: KETCHIKAN

Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "First City" because it's the first major community travelers come to as they journey north. Located on an island, Ketchikan began life as an Indian fishing camp. The name Ketchikan comes from a Tlingit phrase that means "eagle with spread-out wings," a reference to a waterfall near town. In the early 1900s, when gold was Alaska's claim to fame, fishing and timber industries were established in Ketchikan. The growth of these industries helped make this Inside Passage port Alaska's fourth-largest city.

Visitors to Ketchikan will be intrigued by its rich Native heritage, which includes the world's oldest collection of totem poles at Totem Heritage Center. The Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian are all a part of the city's colorful history. Ketchikan, with its abundance of salmon, is also a sportfishing paradise. Sightseers will be impressed with both the scenic town and its surroundings, especially Misty Fjords National Monument.

DAY 9: JUNEAU

In 1880, it was slow going for Joe Juneau and Richard Harris as they searched for gold with the help of Native guides. After climbing mountains, forging streams and facing countless difficulties, they found nuggets "as large as beans." From their discovery came three of the largest gold mines in the world. By the end of World War II, more than $150 million in gold had been mined. Eventually the mines closed, but the town Joe Juneau founded became the capital
of Alaska and the business of gold was replaced by the business of government.

Some 30,000 people live in Juneau. Its total area makes it one of the biggest towns, in size, in the world. Only Kiruna, Sweden, and Sitka, Alaska, exceed Juneau's 3,248 square miles. Today Juneau is famous not only for gold and government but also for its breathtakingly beautiful glaciers and stunning views of both water and mountains.

DAY 10: SKAGWAY

Skagway was the gateway to the gold fields for the thousands who flocked to Alaska and the Yukon with the hope of striking it rich. Skagway may have boasted the shortest route to the Klondike, but it wasn't the easiest. Over 100 years ago, the White Pass route through the Coast Mountains and the shorter but steeper Chilkoot Trail were used by countless stampeders. Many a would-be miner perished on the treacherous Chilkoot Trail.

The gold rush was a boon and by 1898, Skagway was Alaska's largest town with a population of about 20,000. Hotels, saloons, dance halls and gambling houses prospered. But when the gold yield dwindled in 1900, so did the population as miners quickly shifted to new finds in Nome. Today, Skagway has less than 1,000 residents. It still retains the flavor of the gold rush era.

DAY 11: GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK (SCENIC CRUISING)

Glacier Bay is the highlight of our 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise. Just west of Juneau, this breathtaking national park and preserve boasts some of the world's most spectacular tidewater glaciers, such as Margerie Glacier, which often drops colossal chunks of ice into the sea. Not surprisingly, Glacier Bay National Park and its epic ice giants are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising Alaska's magnificent park system.

During your scenic cruise, friendly Park Rangers will join the ship to share their knowledge of this amazing place and host a fun Junior Ranger program for kids. They may even be able to help you identify Glacier Bay's abundant wildlife, including humpback whales, sea otters, porpoises, harbor seals, black bears, mountain goats, bald eagles and large colonies of seabirds.

Take in the awe-inspiring scenery as you enjoy an unforgettable day of sailing through this dazzling park, where you'll glide along emerald waters and past calving icebergs, and can breathe in the crisp, fresh air to your heart's content.

DAY 12: COLLEGE FJORD (SCENIC CRUISING)

Discovered in the northwest corner of Prince William Sound during an 1899 research expedition, spectacular College Fjord and its glaciers were named after prestigious east coast schools by the college professors who first laid eyes upon their majesty. Stretching for miles, these massive rivers of ice tumble down from mountains and through valleys, dipping into the pristine waters of the fjord. There you'll have a chance to watch the awe-inspiring process of glaciers calving, or dropping enormous pillars of ice into the sea, as they crack and land with a thunderous splash ? a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed!

College Fjord not only boasts the world's largest collection of tidewater glaciers, but it features magnificent snowcapped mountains as far as the eyes can see. Plus, during the summer, it's not unheard of to catch a glimpse of one of the area's 40-ton humpback whales feeding in the waters of the fjord.

It's a magical wonderland of epic proportions, so breathtaking you won't want to blink!

DAY 13: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (1 NIGHT)

Whittier, approximately 65 miles southeast of Anchorage, lies nestled at the base of the Chugach Mountains bordering Passage Canal. Established as a World War II port for cargo and troops of the Alaska Command, Whittier remained activated until 1960. Today, Whittier's economy and its 290 residents rely largely on the fishing industry, the port and, increasingly, on tourism.

Once accessible only by boat or via a war-era railway tunnel, The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was recently enhanced to accommodate highway traffic as well, making it the longest highway/rail tunnel in North America at 2.5 miles. Named for the poet John Greenleaf Whittier, the community is also the gateway to spectacular Prince William Sound, with its magnificent tidewater glaciers and abundant marine life.

Tonight you'll stay in Anchorage before heading to the airport for your flight back to Australia.

DAY 14: RETURN TO AUSTRALIA

Depending on flight time you will have some extra time to relax and enjoy Anchorage before returning to Australia. This Canada and Alaska adventure will open your eyes to the majesty and beauty of this part of the world and will certainly be one of your best holidays ever.