Insight > Majestic Canadian West and Cruise - Veranda Cabin - 2008

Majestic Canadian West and Cruise - Veranda Cabin - 2008
20 Days starting from $6,745

Countries Visited:
Canada, United States

 

Length: 20 Days
Type: First Class Tour
Category: USA and Canada 2008
Operator: Insight
Tour Code: ACCB
   
 
About This Tour


This comprehensive tour takes in the major highlights of Western Canada, featuring two-night stays in Waterton Lakes, Banff, Jasper and Victoria. Experience two days of GoldLeaf Service aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train.

 
  • What's Included
  • Itinerary
  • Dates & Prices
  • Sightseeing

Enjoy our Premium Highlights plus these extra tour features

Excursions & Sights

  • Explore colourful Red Rock Canyon in Waterton Lakes National Park
  • Learn about the great 1903 Frank Slide
  • Explore four national parks – Waterton Lakes, Kootenay, Banff and Jasper
  • Interpretive walk along Lake Louise
  • Explore the township of Banff, Bow Falls and the Hoodoos
  • Drive the spectacular Icefields Parkway
  • Learn all about Rocky Mountain wildlife at an informative lecture
  • Join a narrated walk at beautiful Maligne Canyon
  • Enjoy a walking tour through Whistler Village with a local guide
  • Discover the English charms of Victoria
  • Cruise amongst the picturesque islands of the Georgia Strait
  • See the sights of Vancouver, jewel of the Pacific Northwest
  • Soak up the beauty of Alaska on a 7-night cruise on the ms Statendam*

Sightseeing Tours

  • Orientation tours of Calgary, Banff, Jasper, Victoria & Vancouver

Insight’s First Class Services

  • Airport transfers on the first and last day of your tour
  • Escorted by a professional Tour Director (Days 1-13)
  • Maximum group size of 40 people
  • Luxury air-conditioned coach with extra legroom & restroom facilities
  • First Class hotels with service charges, taxes & porterage
  • GoldLeaf Service aboard Rocky Mountaineer’s Fraser Discovery route from Jasper to Whistler (including tips)
  • Scenic cruise through Georgia Strait to Vancouver Island
  • All the facilities aboard the Holland America Line cruise ship*

Quality Dining

  • 11 Full Breakfasts, 1 Highlight Breakfast at Butchart Gardens, 2 Lunches, 4 Dinners & 1 Highlight Dinner in Banff
  • 7 Full Breakfasts, 6 Lunches & 7 Dinners aboard the ms Statendam*(see page 6 for meal codes)

*Exclusive to 20 day Tour & Cruise

20 Days ~ Alberta, British Columbia & Alaska

Tour Pace - This comprehensive tour takes in the major highlights of Western Canada, featuring two-night stays in Waterton Lakes, Banff, Jasper and Victoria. Two days of GoldLeaf Service aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train adds to the unforgettable experience.

DAY 1 – ARRIVE CALGARY. Start your trip with a complimentary transfer from the airport to the hotel. This afternoon, meet your tour director who will answer questions. Join us at 6 p.m. for a Welcome Reception. Hotel: The Westin Calgary.

DAY 2 – CALGARY – WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK. Begin the day with an orientation tour of Calgary before heading south. At the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump, discover how the Blackfoot people hunted the great buffalo herds. Arriving in Waterton Lakes National Park, explore Red Rock Canyon and keep an eye out for the park’s resident wildlife. Hotel: Waterton Lakes Lodge. (B,D)

DAY 3 – WATERTON – MONTANA’S GLACIER NATIONAL PARK EXCURSION. Enjoy a scenic symphony today! Cross the US border to experience the rugged beauty of the mountainous lake-filled Glacier National Park. Enjoy a narrated trip up the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road to the Logan Pass Visitors Center aboard the park’s famous “Red Jammer” coaches (seasonal). (B)

DAY 4 – WATERTON – FAIRMONT HOT SPRINGS. Visit the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre to hear how in 1903, Turtle Mountain collapsed burying the mining town of Frank. Cross the Continental Divide and journey back to the gold rush days at Fort Steele Heritage Town. Later, take some time to soak in your resort’s natural hot springs! Hotel: Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. (B)

DAY 5 – FAIRMONT HOT SPRINGS – BANFF NATIONAL PARK. Visit Kootenay National Park before entering Banff National Park. Enjoy an interpretive walk along Lake Louise, Canada’s “Diamond in the Wilderness.” See Victoria Glacier, the famous chateau and learn about the history, geology and wildlife of this spectacular area. Stop at Moraine Lake (seasonal) surrounded by 10 soaring peaks. View Bow Falls and the Hoodoos, before arriving at your hotel, styled after a Scottish baronial castle. For dinner this evening, choose from a selection of five outstanding restaurants at the hotel. Hotel: Fairmont Banff Springs. (B,HD)

DAY 6 – BANFF NATIONAL PARK AT LEISURE. A full day at leisure in Banff to pursue your own interests. Options include a float trip down the Bow River or a guided hike to Sunshine Meadows. Why not enjoy a round of golf on the magnificent hotel course, or relax in the Willow Stream Spa …the choice is yours! (B)

DAY 7 – BANFF – JASPER NATIONAL PARK. Journey along the unforgettable Icefields Parkway, one of the world’s most scenic drives. Venture onto Athabasca Glacier aboard a specially-designed Ice Explorer for a once-in-a-lifetime guided tour over steep grades, snow and ice. Arrive at Jasper National Park. Tonight, a local wildlife expert will lead an informative discussion about some of the park’s most interesting residents which include elk, moose, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, grizzly bear, black bear, beaver and caribou. Hotel: Sawridge Inn. (B,D)

DAY 8 – JASPER NATIONAL PARK SIGHTSEEING. Join a narrated walk along the Maligne Canyon trail past beautiful waterfalls, spectacular rock formations and learn about the underground river system. The delights of Jasper National Park are yours for the rest of the day. Relax on a lake cruise or hike up a glacier... These are just some of the options available to you. (B)

DAY 9 – JASPER – ROCKY MOUNTAINEER. Step aboard Rocky Mountaineer’s GoldLeaf Service for two days of glorious rail travel through Canada’s Western mountains. Enjoy panoramic views from your seat in the GoldLeaf Dome Car and fine meals in the GoldLeaf Dining Car. Highlights include Yellowhead Pass, Moose Lake and the Rockies tallest mountain, Mount Robson. Spend the night in Quesnel, deep in the heart of Cariboo Country. Hotel: Assigned by Rocky Mountaineer. (B,L,D)

DAY 10 – ROCKY MOUNTAINEER – WHISTLER. Journey from the desert-like Fraser Canyon to the lush farmlands of the Pemberton Valley to the towering Coast Mountains. Admire sweeping views of glacier-fed lakes and Deep Creek Bridge – one of the highest railway bridges in the world. The train journey ends in the alpine village of Whistler. Hotel: Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa. (B,L)

DAY 11 – WHISTLER - VICTORIA. Meet a local guide for a walking tour through Whistler Village before heading down the Sea-to-Sky Highway. Cross the Strait of Georgia by ferry to Vancouver Island and drive to Victoria. Hotel: Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour. (B)

DAY 12 – VICTORIA SIGHTSEEING. Begin the day with breakfast at the renowned Butchart Gardens, which have delighted visitors from around the world for over a hundred years. During your visit, a horticulturist will explain the garden’s history and plants. Enjoy ample time to wander through the 55 acres of exquisite floral displays, meandering paths and spectacular views. The afternoon is yours to explore further. Tonight, join us for a farewell dinner at the hotel. (HB,D)

DAY 13 – VICTORIA – VANCOUVER – DEPARTURE OR ALASKA CRUISE. Cruise by ferry across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver and enjoy an orientation tour, including Gastown, Chinatown, Stanley Park, with its famous Totem Poles and English Bay. Guests on the 20-Day Coach, Rail & Cruise tour are transferred to Canada Place to board Holland America Line’s ms Statendam for an unforgettable Inside Passage cruise. (D)

DAY 14 – INSIDE PASSAGE SCENIC CRUISING. Enter a region so isolated, it can only be accessed by sea or air. Come face to face with the grandeur of the Ice Age. Slowly glide past a maze of bays, glacier-carved fjords, channels and waterways protected from the open sea by islands and other land masses. The ms Statendam is designed for Alaskan cruising with its airy lounges, teak decks and roomy verandahs, allowing for comfortable observation of the ever-changing panorama of unspoiled virgin forests and vast wilderness that stretch from British Columbia to Skagway, Alaska. (B,L,D)

DAY 15 – JUNEAU. Juneau is a place to let your imagination run wild. Stop in rustic shops offering beautiful sculptures of jade and ivory, silver jewelry, carved wooden masks, intricate beadwork and apparel designed by native Alaskans. Visit Gold Rush-era bars like the Alaska Hotel & Bar with its ornate Victorian furnishings or the Red Dog Saloon showcasing Wyatt Earp’s gun. Take a guided tour of the State Capitol, or climb aboard the Mount Roberts Tramway. Follow in the footsteps of the original North Americans as you explore the massive Mendenhall Glacier and the immense Juneau Icefields just outside the city, or trek through the lush Tongass National Forest. And don’t hurry: daylight here lasts well into the evening. (B,L,D)

DAY 16 – SKAGWAY. Established in 1897 as a trading post for prospectors headed to the Klondike Gold Rush, Skagway once was “hell on earth,” an untamed, violent town controlled by organized criminals. Today, of course, the town is a bit more civilized, though its colourful past is carefully preserved in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. For a truly memorable excursion, take a short ride on the narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon Railroad, which was built in 1897 to take miners over treacherous terrain to the distant gold fields. The railway still uses vintage parlor cars, the oldest built in 1883. (B,L,D)

DAY 17 – GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK SCENIC CRUISING. In the watery wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park, witness a landscape at its literal moment of creation. Your ship becomes a time machine as you travel thousands of years back in time, witnessing the life cycle of a new land from maturing Sitka-spruce forests alive with grizzlies and wolves to thin-skinned tundra, to the algae, lichens, and mosses that were the beginnings of life in the region. In this isolated land the shrill noises of modern life are replaced with the deep, thunderous boom of building-size icebergs calving into the sea from a vast river of ice. It is raw, primordial… and unforgettable. (B,L,D)

DAY 18 – KETCHIKAN. Welcome to the salmon capital of the world! Part of the town is built along a steep hillside, part is built on pilings over the water where bald eagles watch from waterside perches. An outstanding collection of totem poles makes the town an essential stop for anyone interested in native art. To make the most of your time ashore, consider taking a guided tour through town, a harbor cruise, or a float plane “flightseeing” trip. If you prefer a more hands-on experience, you can take a sport fishing charter, kayak expedition, jeep ride or mountain excursion on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. The adventure never stops. (B,L,D)

DAY 19 – AT SEA. Today is a day of relaxation as your cruise returns to Vancouver. Take advantage of the ship’s many outstanding facilities, or simply relax on deck with a drink and watch unmatched scenery glide by your floating palace. (B,L,D)

DAY 20 – DEPART VANCOUVER. After disembarking, a complimentary transfer takes you to Vancouver International Airport and the Insight hotel in Vancouver for guests extending their stay. (B)

Hotels - The Westin in Calgary and Marriott in Victoria provide exquisite facilities in the heart of these fascinating cities. The Waterton Lakes Lodge, Fairmont Banff Springs and Sawridge Inn are all perfectly situated inside Western Canada’s great national parks.

Fellow Passengers - This tour is perfect for those wanting to experience the best of Canada’s West. Join a group of enthusiastic travellers as you see the sights in style on Insight’s luxurious motorcoach and the famous Rocky Mountaineer train.

Highlights- Explore five great national parks of the Rocky Mountains, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Vancouver and Victoria. Enjoy enriching experiences, a two-day scenic rail journey and perhaps join a fabulous seven-night Alaska cruise.


To speak to one of our live, experienced travel consultants, Call us now at 1-800-942-3301.

Airfare Disclaimer
A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link.

Documents
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

         
Touring Date
Land Only
Land + Air
Single
(Land Only)
Single
(Land + Air)
5/12/2008 - 5/31/2008
$6,745
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5/26/2008 - 6/14/2008
$7,099
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6/9/2008 - 6/28/2008
$7,540
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6/23/2008 - 7/12/2008
$7,840
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7/7/2008 - 7/26/2008
$7,945
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7/21/2008 - 8/9/2008
$7,945
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8/4/2008 - 8/23/2008
$7,785
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8/18/2008 - 9/6/2008
$7,660
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9/1/2008 - 9/20/2008
$7,220
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9/5/2008 - 9/24/2008
$6,860
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Enjoy our Premium Highlights plus these extra tour features

Excursions & Sights

  • Explore colourful Red Rock Canyon in Waterton Lakes National Park
  • Learn about the great 1903 Frank Slide
  • Explore four national parks – Waterton Lakes, Kootenay, Banff and Jasper
  • Interpretive walk along Lake Louise
  • Explore the township of Banff, Bow Falls and the Hoodoos
  • Drive the spectacular Icefields Parkway
  • Learn all about Rocky Mountain wildlife at an informative lecture
  • Join a narrated walk at beautiful Maligne Canyon
  • Enjoy a walking tour through Whistler Village with a local guide
  • Discover the English charms of Victoria
  • Cruise amongst the picturesque islands of the Georgia Strait
  • See the sights of Vancouver, jewel of the Pacific Northwest
  • Soak up the beauty of Alaska on a 7-night cruise on the ms Statendam*

Sightseeing Tours

  • Orientation tours of Calgary, Banff, Jasper, Victoria & Vancouver

Insight’s First Class Services

  • Airport transfers on the first and last day of your tour
  • Escorted by a professional Tour Director (Days 1-13)
  • Maximum group size of 40 people
  • Luxury air-conditioned coach with extra legroom & restroom facilities
  • First Class hotels with service charges, taxes & porterage
  • GoldLeaf Service aboard Rocky Mountaineer’s Fraser Discovery route from Jasper to Whistler (including tips)
  • Scenic cruise through Georgia Strait to Vancouver Island
  • All the facilities aboard the Holland America Line cruise ship*

Quality Dining

  • 11 Full Breakfasts, 1 Highlight Breakfast at Butchart Gardens, 2 Lunches, 4 Dinners & 1 Highlight Dinner in Banff
  • 7 Full Breakfasts, 6 Lunches & 7 Dinners aboard the ms Statendam*(see page 6 for meal codes)

*Exclusive to 20 day Tour & Cruise

   
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