Luxury Silversea Alaska cruise & Rocky Mountaineer

Experience exclusive access to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise without the crowds as the sun peeks over the mountains, highlighting the mountain peaks and water in bright pink and orange tones. This scenic private tour has semi-exclusive access to Moraine Lake at this time, so pretty much the only other people there are those staying at the lodge itself. Enjoy a complimentary hot drink served by your guide as you take in the sunrise and listen to Moraine Lake's fascinating history. 

Awake amid the grandeur of Canada's Rocky Mountains and meet your guide after breakfast to join a small-group guided walking tour into the mountains. Four different signature routes are available, ranging from four to six hours. Each operates on set days of the week and offers a different perspective of the mountains. Your guide will tell you about this spectacular landscape's flora, fauna, geology and history, and you’ll enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the valley. In the afternoon, you are free to wander around Banff. We recommend visiting Banff Gondola at sunset for some of the best views of the valley and mountain peaks.

You'll be taken from your hotel in the early morning to board the Rocky Mountaineer train for the first day of your journey west to Vancouver. Sit back and relax as your train hosts point out all the scenic highlights along the way, including Castle Mountain and the Spiral Tunnels. Travel in Silverleaf with meals served at your seat and large, domed windows to see as much of the landscape as possible. Arrive in Kamloops late this afternoon, where you and your bags will be taken to your hotel for the night.

This morning, you’ll be met at your hotel and taken back to the station to rejoin the Rocky Mountaineer for the second day of your journey. Today, you will pass the great rivers and canyons of British Columbia's Cariboo region. We recommend keeping an eye out for Hell's Gate Falls, which your guide will point out as well. Upon arrival in Vancouver, you’ll be taken to your hotel to settle in.

You have a full day at leisure to enjoy Vancouver, and this cosmopolitan city has plenty of sights to see. You could visit the Museum of Anthropology to learn about the area's First Nations culture or head to Gastown to sample delicious local food at one of the many eateries. We also recommend taking a water taxi to Granville Island, where you’ll find a range of artisan producers, handicraft stores, and food stalls. You can take your food outside to watch the boats and kayakers paddling the bay.

Enjoy a relaxed morning exploring more of the city. If you’re interested in the arts and culture, we suggest a stop at The Museum of Vancouver and the Bill Reid Gallery. This afternoon, you’ll see the city from a different perspective on a group cycling tour. A highlight is Stanley Park: your guide will tell you about the park’s biodiversity and history, which spans over a century. The ride takes a relaxed pace, with plenty of stops to enjoy the park’s scenery and its views of the city, the North Shore, English Bay and Lion’s Gate Bridge.

You have a leisurely morning to finish sightseeing in Vancouver before making your own way to Vancouver's cruise ship terminal in the early afternoon. After checking in and settling into your suite on Silver Whisper, you set sail this evening, heading toward the spectacular scenery of the Canadian and Alaskan Inside Passage. All meals and drinks are included onboard (except premium alcohol) and daily shore excursions.

Wake up in the heart of the Inside Passage, known for its rich waters and abundant bears, eagles, and whales. A highlight is Johnstone Strait, where pods of orcas hunt for plump salmon.

Today's highlight will be a visit to Ketchikan, the gateway to Alaska. Once known as the 'Salmon Capital of the World', the town's impressive totem pole collection is a 'must see' for visitors interested in First Nations art and culture. Ketchikan is also home to both grizzly and black bears on land, and whales and seals in the water to satisfy any wildlife watcher.

Docking in Icy Strait Point, today is about spotting wildlife. Look for bears and eagles in the Spasski River Valley on a safari drive or board a boat to whale watch in Point Adolphus, whose nutrient-rich waters attract many humpbacks.

Sitting at the northern end of Lynn Canal, the northernmost fjord on the Inside Passage, Skagway is an attractive town with Gold Rush-style buildings surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery. It is connected to Canada's Yukon Territory by the famous White Pass Railroad, constructed in the late 1800s to open the goldfields of the Yukon's Klondike region. While here, you have the option to take the train along part of this route alongside thundering waterfalls, or visit one of the mighty rivers to spot brown bears catching salmon.

You’ll spend a day at sea, or rather, at bay, cruising through the aptly named Icy Bay. Wrap up and head to the deck to look for harbour seals, seabirds, and the odd grizzly on shore. Your suite comes with butler service, and you can also choose to dine privately in your suite (we think there’s something particularly peaceful about waking up to breakfast on your balcony). The ship has an array of dining options, too, from Japanese kaiseki and French fine dining to fresh pizza. You could also try a treatment at the Otium Spa.

In Valdez, you might embrace the adventure with a white-water rafting trip down Keystone Canyon. Or opt for a lower-key day with a trolley tour to see the tidewater glaciers, rainforest, mountains, and wildlife that surround the city.

This morning you’ll disembark your cruise. You’ll then be taken by shared coach north to Anchorage. The journey takes about three hours and will be scenic as you travel up the Kenai Peninsula and along Turnagain Arm, passing the Chugach Mountains as you arrive into Anchorage. Alternatively, you can upgrade to a Gold Class seat on the rail journey north, affording the same views while relaxing in style.

This morning, you’ll board the train from Anchorage to Denali. Boasting the finest views of any lodge at the park entrance, the Grande Denali Lodge is conveniently located just north of the Denali National Park entrance road on Sugar Loaf Mountain. Its peaceful mountain location provides a scenic setting amid the wilderness of the Denali area.

Today, break away from the crowds with an afternoon heli-hike through Yanert Valley. You’ll hike through the Alaskan wilderness accompanied by a local naturalist, exploring the tundra and taking in the alpine ridgeline views. If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of Mount Denali’s peak above the clouds, and some of the wildlife roaming the plains below.

Another adventure today as you embark on a wilderness tundra tour. This half-day tour takes you along the wilderness road into Denali National Park, immersing you in the wilderness and hopefully offering sightings of the grizzly bears, wolves and caribou that call the area home. The bus will stop frequently to allow you to take plenty of photos and spot the wildlife.

Today you’ll take the train back to Anchorage. Settle into your hotel and enjoy your last night in Alaska.

Today you’ll board your onward flight home.