CANADA & ALASKA Lakes Wildlife Glaciers Mountains Wilderness Salmon Fishing Join me as we explore the spectacular scenery and Canadian Rockies wildlife of the Canadian Rockies and Alaska’s Inside Passage & Wild Alaska. - Tour Escort, Sue Verrall with Sue Verrall Sue Verrall is a landscape and rural development specialist, now based back in Canterbury after many years 26 day Escorted Tour, 6-31 July, 2016 living in Africa. Sue regularly escorts tours to Tanzania, Ethiopia and India where she draws on her regional knowledge and many friendships to Experience all the Your tour highlights: create a rare experience of people highlights of the l Rocky Mountaineer Train and fun times when travelling. Canadian Journey – Vancouver to We are delighted to be able to offer Rockies and the Jasper this one-off tour to Canada & Alaska Inside Passage l Jasper, Lake Louise and for 2016. Like Africa and India, this Banff tour has been crafted to include all on this small the key highlights, sights and l group journey. Drive the Icefield Parkway experiences as well as some off the From the and visit the Athabasca beaten track activities. The tour is Glacier limited to just 20 and typically Sue’s cosmopolitan city trips are sell-outs, mostly to friends l The Calgary Stampede – of Vancouver you will and family of past travellers. Rodeo Event & Grandstand enjoy the stunning Rocky Show Meet your fellow travellers Mountaineer train journey to Jasper. Marvel at the l Vancouver – Stanley Park, We will have social evenings before magnificent Rockies as we travel from Jasper to Lake Capilano Bridge & Grouse the tour where you can meet Sue and Louise and Banff. Then it is time to don our cowboy hats your fellow travellers and of course Mountain and boots as we spend a few days enjoying the “Greatest get detailed information on the tour l Vancouver Island – Victoria and hints and tips for your travel. Outdoor Show on Earth” at the Calgary Stampede. In and the Butchart Gardens Victoria we explore the exquisite Butchart Gardens with l Whale Watching Tour dinner and an outdoor show as well as some whale l 7 night Holland America watching in the bay. Our Holland America Inside Passage Cruise of the Inside Passage cruise includes cruising the magnificent Glacier Bay. To l Scenic Cruising Glacier Bay truly experience the Alaskan Wilderness we have a l Helicopter Flight & Dog- thrilling tour flying into a glacier and experiencing sledding Trip Discover dogsledding – the national pastime in Alaska. Our final l White Pass & Yukon Railway Alaskan highlight is the spectacular White Pass and Excursion Yukon Railway tour. l Granville Island Market Tour Experience. The Difference. Cnr Oxford Tce & Montreal St Phone 03 364 3400 Email [email protected] discovertravel.co.nz Your Tour Itinerary Day 1: Wed 06 July our journey through a changing landscape. Meet at airport for check-in and then depart Rolling hills morph into snowy peaks before CHCH for our flight to Auckland. At 8pm we will Pyramid Falls tumbles out of its hanging valley depart Auckland for Vancouver arriving at and falls 92 metres into the North Thompson 2.15pm. On arrival we will transfer to our hotel. River. The glittering Albreda Icefields and This evening we will stroll down to Gastown to glorious Mount Robson mark the entry into the try some of the boutique beers Vancouver is World Heritage Site of Jasper. (B,L,D) famous for. Day 5: Sun 10 July Day 2: Thurs 07 July Today we visit Maligne Lake and Canyon. The Today you will see the best of Vancouver on the Canyon is considered one of the most beautiful Hop on Hop off bus. Main stops include Canada gorges in all of the Canadian Rockies. The walk Place, Gastown, Chinatown, Science World, takes you past beautiful waterfalls, astounding Granville Island, English Bay and Stanley Park. rock formations and you can learn about the underground water systems. We will take a Tunnel Mountain Drive, Bow Falls and the spectacular boat cruise on glacial Lake Maligne Hoodoo’s. We then take the 8-minute gondola and visit Spirit Island. This is a great place to ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain – at an spot animals. (B) elevation of 7,486 feet you will have spectacular views. Back in Banff you can enjoy the evening at Day 6: Mon 11 July leisure. (B) Today is a scenic day as we travel along the Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise. We will stop Day 9: Thurs 14 July for a visit at Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls Today is a free day to explore Banff at your before arriving at the Columbia Icefield, where leisure. You may like to take advantage of some you will ride on the Icefield Explorer. Enjoy a great value shopping, visit the Hot Springs, visit buffet lunch before we continue our journey with the Banff Natural History Museum or simply stops at Bridal Veil Falls and beautiful Peyto relax. (B) Lake. Along the way keep your eyes peeled for Day 10: Fri 15 July wildlife. Tonight we enjoy dinner at our remote This morning it is time polish your boots and lake lodge. (B,L,D) Afternoon at leisure. You might enjoy a walk or strap on your belt buckle for a day of Stampede cycle around the 10km seawall that encloses Day 7: Tues 12 July action. We will be transferred from Banff to the Stanley Park. (B) Today we will visit exquisite Lake Louise and will Calgary Stampede Grounds (bags will be delivered to our hotel). We have reserved seats Day 3: Fri 08 July take a hike up to the Lake Agnes Teahouse. This is a 7km return hike and we can enjoy morning for the highly entertaining afternoon Rodeo Today we board our Rocky Mountaineer Train tea or lunch at the Teahouse. There will be time Event where we watch the top eventers in the and travel through the fertile fields of the Fraser to visit Chateau Lake Louise before we return to world compete for a place in the final. Then Valley. Farmland gives way to the towering our lodge with a visit enroute to stunning there is plenty of time to enjoy the Stampede peaks of the Coast Mountains before the rumble Moraine Lake for a perfect picture stop. Enjoy action or head back to the hotel at our leisure. of raging waters hail the arrival of Hell’s Gate. our beautiful lodge for the rest of the day. (B) (B) Piney forests turn into the abstract beauty of dusty desert hills as you pull in to spend the Day 8: Wed 13 July Day 11: Sat 16 July night in Kamloops. (B,L) Today we have a short drive to Banff and enroute Enjoy a relaxed start this morning as we will have a very late night tonight. Then it is off to the Day 4: Sat 09 July we visit spectacular Johnston Canyon’s where we can have a walk around the Canyon walls. We Stampede grounds where you can enjoy more of Back on the train this morning as we continue also enjoy a short sightseeing tour including the festivities. There will be plenty of Day 13: Mon 18 July Enjoy a day of leisure. Mid-afternoon we will head off to the Butchart Gardens for a tour of these magnificent gardens, but not all 55 acres of them! Garden highlights in July are the gorgeous roses and the exquisite, peaceful Japanese Garden. Dinner will be a lawn picnic and then we can enjoy the evening entertainment on offer. (B,D) Day 14: Tues 19 July This morning we are off on a whale watching Day 17: Fri 22 July tour. Rest of day free to enjoy Victoria at leisure. Day 2 – Tracy Arm and Juneau – Today when we You may like to visit the Royal BC Museum with arrive into Juneau we will enjoy an amazing entertainment with bands performing and loads its outstanding exhibitions, (this Summer they excursion. A helicopter flight over the Juneau of different foodstalls to tempt you for lunch and have a Food Truck Festival), or enjoy the famous Icefield with its enormous glaciers to a dog sled dinner. A table at one of the many open air bars High Tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel or camp. Here, after a few pointers from the is a great place to settle in and watch the street perhaps visit the Vancouver Island Brewery. mushers, you will be off on the sled to enjoy the entertainment. In the evening we will take our Tonight enjoy an evening stroll to look at incredible atmosphere as the dogs power you seats for the Chuckwagon Races (heart-stopping Government House lit up with over 32,000 light through the crisp Alaskan snow. (B,L,D) excitement!) followed by the spectacular bulbs. (B) Day 18: Sat 23 July Grandstand show. (B) Day 15: Wed 20 July Day 3 – Skagway – Today we will do the world Day 12: Sun 17 July Today we take the ferry back to Vancouver. We famous White Pass and Yukon Railway Time for a sleep in and a relaxed start this will then be dropped at Canada Place to board Excursion. Our historic train will climb to the morning. Lunchtime we fly to Victoria on our Holland America Cruise on the MS summit of White Pass – a 2,865 foot elevation. Vancouver Island and check in to our hotel. Volendam. (B,D) The fully narrated tour passes through two Enjoy a walking tour of this beautiful city Day 16: Thurs 21 July tunnels, over sky-high trestles and cascading including the lovely waterfront area to Day 1 – Scenic Cruising Inside Passage.