Seattle, Alaska & the Mountains

Day 1 - Fly UK to Seattle

Arrive in Seattle and transfer to your choosen hotel. 

Day 2 - Seattle Sightseeing

Sightsee in Seattle at your leisure. Be sure to take in Space Needle and Pike Place Market during your stay. Perhaps even do a walking tour.

Day 3 - Board Alaska Cruise on your Princess Cruise

Transfer to the Port around midday to board the Ruby Princess for a stunning 7 night Alaska cruise.

(Transfer not included)

Day 4 - At Sea

Use your day at sea to take explore the Ruby Princess and enjoy the activities and facilities on offer.

Day 5 - Juneau, Alaska

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 6 - Skagway, Alaska

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 7 - Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska (scenic cruising)

Today you will be cruising Glacier Bay National Park.

Day 8 - Ketchikan, Alaska

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 - Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria exudes old-world charm and fragrant and colorful flowers are everywhere. Founded in 1843 by James Douglas of the Hudson's Bay Company, the city was first known as Fort Victoria. By 1848, Vancouver Island was a British colony and Victoria was its capital. In 1858, Victoria was a tent city and the base for some 25,000 prospectors on their way to the Frasier River gold fields. When Vancouver Island was incorporated with mainland British Columbia in 1868, Victoria became the capital of the entire province. Although it's a port city, Victoria is not as industrially oriented as Vancouver. The harbors, especially Inner Harbour, are dotted with pleasure craft, ferries and floatplanes. The city is renowned for its beautiful gardens, charming houses and very British feel.

Day 10 - Arrive back to Seattle, Coach transfer to Vancouver

Arrive back into Seattle this morning where you will disembark your ship. You will have a coach transfer from the Pier to Vancouver downtown included.

Day 11 - Vancouver City Tour

Today we have included the Vancouver City Tour and Lookout.

Duration: 4 hours 

This tour of culturally rich Vancouver begins with an introduction to key downtown including Canada Place, and Robson Street. Wind through historic and modern architectural wonders en route to Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre natural oasis, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. View the First Nations Totem Poles, and gaze upon ever-changing rainforest and shoreline scenery on the way through the park. Get the camera ready for a photo stop at Prospect Point, with a great view of Lions Gate Bridge. Continue to the enchanting sights of English Bay beach area, followed by the eclectic Granville Island Market. This artisan's market embodies the ideal of smaller is better, with all food, art, and music locally produced, as a labour of love. This tour is a great introduction to the scenic and historic highlights of beautiful Vancouver.

Highlights & Inclusions: Stanley Park, English Bay, Granville Island, Robson Street, Gastown, Chinatown, Canada Place.

Day 12 - Vancouver

Spend today at your leisure taking in Vancouver and all it has to offer. Why not ask one of our Canada Experts about an optional excursion to Victoria with Butchart Gardens or Whistler with the Sea 2 Sky Gondola ride.

Day 13 - Vancouver to Whistler (coach transfer)

This morning you will have a coach transfer taking your from coastal Vancouver to alpine Whistler, this drive is one of the most scenic in Canada as you will travel a long the Sea to Sky Highway.

Day 14 - Whistler

Spend today at your leisure in Whistler. Why not pre-book the Peak 2 Peak Gondola ride with Suspension Bridge admission for a birds eye view of the mountain ranges, glaciers, lakes and Whistler village. Speak to one of our Canada Experts about the popular Bear Watching excursion that we have on offer.

Day 15 - Vancouver to UK

This morning you will have a coach transfer from Whistler included to take you to Vancouver Airport for your flight back to the UK.