Day 1 - Toronto, Canada's Largest City
The cosmopolitan city of Toronto offers visitors a plethora of memorable sights and experiences. After transferring to your hotel located in the heart of the city, take the day to discover Toronto at your leisure. Ride to the top of CN Tower for breathtaking views of the city. Visit Eaton Centre for shopping, Chinatown, Old Town Toronto, and the city's many interesting ethnic markets. Toronto is well-known for its nightlife. Dine at a gourmet restaurant, sample the fare at one of the city's smaller ethnic restaurants or visit a club to enjoy some local music. Overnight Toronto.
Day 2 - Board VIA Rail's Canadian
Get an early start to the day and enjoy breakfast on your own before heading to Toronto's Union Station to board the famed Canadian. Get settled into your Sleeper Plus accommodations before setting off to explore the train and its many amenities. Relax in one of the observation lounges and enjoy the impressive passing scenery. Overnight train. (L, D)
Day 3 - En Route to Vancouver
After you wake this morning, enjoy a hot breakfast in the Dining Car while admiring the rugged landscape of the Canadian Shield. First-class passengers have access to all of the lounges onboard the train as well as to the Skyline Car - your entertainment center with an observation dome offering 360-degree views - and the Park Car with three different salons and an upper observation deck. Both the Skyline and Park Cars offer great vantage points for photo opportunities along your trip, so be sure to bring your camera. Overnight train. (B, L, D)
Day 4 - En Route to Vancouver
Spend the day chatting with other travelers and enjoying exclusive access to first-class lounges, dining on superb meals, and delighting in impeccable service. Today's journey takes you through Saskatchewan, which has been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups. Saskatchewan was first explored by Europeans in 1690 and settled in 1774. In 1992, the federal and provincial governments signed a historic land claim agreement with the First Nations people in Saskatchewan. The First Nations received compensation and were permitted to buy land on the open market, now reserve lands. Overnight train. (B, L, D)
Day 5 - VIA Rail, Nearing Vancouver
Your final full day onboard takes you through Alberta and into the heart of the Canadian Rockies. VIA Rail's Canadian rolls into Jasper for a short stopover before continuing the journey west, past Mt. Robson and into British Columbia. This evening, enjoy your last sumptuous dinner aboard the train and reflect on your breathtaking voyage across five provinces. Overnight train. (B, L, D)
Day 6 - Arrival in Vancouver
Arrive in Vancouver and transfer to your hotel by taxi (included). Spend the day exploring historic Gastown, Granville Island, or Stanley Park. Vancouver is home to some of the best restaurants in the country, so be sure to bring your appetite. Overnight Vancouver. (B)
Day 7 - Sightseeing in Vancouver
Today enjoy a Hop On/Hop Off sightseeing tour of Vancouver, which includes some of the city's most popular attractions including Stanley Park, the Vancouver Aquarium, English Bay Beach, Chinatown, and the Robson Street shopping district in addition to many other attractions. Use the tour to learn about the city and its diverse neighborhoods as well as your means of transportation between Vancouver's must-see destinations. Overnight Vancouver.
Day 8 - Vancouver Cruise Port and Departure on Holland America Cruise
Check out of your hotel this morning and head to the pier where you will board Holland America's ms Nieuw Amsterdam. Settle into your accommodations on the ship before coming on deck to wave good-bye to Vancouver-and say hello to Alaska's Inside Passage. Overnight ship. (D)
Day 9 - Cruising Alaska's Inside Passage
Take today to enjoy some of the ship's unique features. Enjoy a hot stone massage, steam in a thermal suite, or enjoy a variety of other relaxation and beauty treatments in the spa, visit the Culinary Arts Center - presented by Food & Wine Magazine - for gourmet cooking lessons, or enjoy the scenery as you lounge poolside. Overnight ship. (B, L, D)
Day 10 - Juneau
Juneau, the capital of Alaska, is your port of call this afternoon. Juneau is known for being home to the immense Mendenhall Glacier and colossal Juneau Ice Fields. In addition to exploring both sights, be sure to see the lush Tongass National Forest, the United States' largest national forest that includes fjords, glaciers, and peaks of the Coast Mountains. Enjoy the local shops in town or embark on some soft adventure activities like kayaking, rafting, or flightseeing. Before you leave Juneau, hop aboard the Mt. Roberts Tramway for a short hike to one of the area's many dramatic locations for the perfect photo spot to capture today's excursion. Overnight ship. (B, L, D)
Day 11 - Skagway
Skagway is a small town with a Gold Rush past that is long in organic beauty, offering an assortment of sights and activities that show off its storied history and natural setting. During your visit today, admire the White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad, recalling the town's mining past and now for tourist use. Pop into the town's old-time saloons, browse the rustic shops, visit the Trail of '98 Museum or the Gold Rush Cemetery, or embark on a shore excursion that will reward you with a taste of Skagway's local flavor. Overnight ship. (B, L, D)
Day 12 - Glacier Bay Scenic Cruising
Surrounded by high cliffs, rugged rock walls, and a protected ecosystem, breathtaking Glacier Bay contains 16 glaciers, 12 of which reach shorelines and calved to produce icebergs. The area has more actively calving icebergs than anywhere else in the world. Watch in awe is as it happens time and again as you cruise the area. Overnight ship. (B, L, D)
Day 13 - Ketchikan
Today's excursion takes you to Ketchikan, located just 90 miles north of Prince Rupert. The town is famous not only for its salmon fisheries but also for its natural history, which is paid tribute through the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park, and Saxman Village. Ketchikan is also home to one of the area's most impressive sights, Misty Fjords National Monument, more than 2,294,000 acres of protected acres of Tongass National Forest in Alaska's panhandle. Deepwater fjords left by retreating glaciers left granite cliffs towering thousands of feet above the sea and countless waterfalls cascading into the tranquil waters. It is truly a sight to behold! Overnight ship. (B, L, D)
Day 14 - Cruising the Alaska's Inside Passage
Unwind from your adventuresome days of sightseeing by relaxing onboard the ship today, enjoying the scenery as you cruise Alaska's Inside Passage and taking advantage of some of the ship's many amenities. Overnight ship. (B, L, D)
Day 15 - Vancouver
Arrive in Vancouver today. You may elect to extend your stay in Vancouver for additional sightseeing, or you can transfer from the cruise terminal to the airport for your return flight home.
Destination & Sightseeing
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