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Wendy Wu Tours · Go Beyond Cruise & Tour

Rockies, Rail & Alaska

Rocky Mountaineer and Alaska Inside Passage cruise from Calgary to Ketchikan

Illustration of Rockies, Rail & Alaska

Wendy Wu Tours combines Canada's mountain rail with Alaska's Inside Passage on this 14-day journey starting in Calgary and ending in Ketchikan. After exploring Banff and Lake Louise by coach and gondola, passengers board the Rocky Mountaineer for two days of daylight rail travel through the Canadian Rockies, crossing the Spiral Tunnels and passing Glacier National Park before reaching Vancouver. From Vancouver, the tour transitions to a 7-night cruise aboard Holland America Line's Koningsdam, sailing north along the Inside Passage with stops in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, passing through Glacier Bay and the Great Bear Rainforest. Throughout, English-speaking guides provide context, entrance fees and most meals are included, and accommodation ranges from Banff and Vancouver hotels to cruise cabins. This itinerary suits repeat rail travellers seeking a premium blend of mountain scenery and coastal wilderness, couples looking for a guided two-country adventure, and those travelling with a professional operator who manages all logistics.

What to know before you look closer

  • Day 3 dinner in Kamloops is not included and must be purchased separately.
  • International flights to and from Calgary and Vancouver are excluded; the price is land-only.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Banff

    Fly to Calgary

    Arrive in Calgary, gateway to the Canadian Rockies. Transferred to your hotel in Banff; welcome dinner this evening.

  2. Day 2overnight: Banff

    Explore Banff

    Ride the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. Continue to Lake Louise and the Columbia Icefield.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Kamloops

    All Aboard the Rocky Mountaineer

    Board the Rocky Mountaineer at Banff station; breakfast onboard as the train winds through the Rockies, past Spiral Tunnels and Glacier National Park, arriving in Kamloops. Dinner is not included this evening.

  4. Day 4overnight: Vancouver

    Arrive in Vancouver

    Continue aboard the Rocky Mountaineer through fir forests and along the Fraser River, passing Hell's Gate, arriving in Vancouver in the late afternoon.

  5. Day 5overnight: Vancouver

    Explore Vancouver Island

    Ferry across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island; guided walk through Butchart Gardens.

  6. Day 6overnight: Koningsdam (cruise)

    Board the Holland America Line Koningsdam

    Transfer to Vancouver's cruise terminal to board the Koningsdam.

  7. Day 7overnight: Koningsdam (cruise)

    Cruise - At Sea

    Journey northwards along the Inside Passage, renowned for calm waters and forest, mountain and glacier scenery; possible whale and eagle sightings.

  8. Day 8overnight: Koningsdam (cruise)

    Cruise - Juneau

    Welcome to Alaska; Juneau is set among water, forest and mountains, the most remote state capital in the USA.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Koningsdam (cruise)

    Cruise - Skagway

    A frontier Gold Rush town; learn about the Klondike Gold Rush and the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad.

  10. Day 10overnight: Koningsdam (cruise)

    Cruise - At Sea

    Cruise through Glacier Bay, surrounded by mountains, temperate rainforest and ice-carved fjords; watch for humpback whales.

  11. Day 11overnight: Koningsdam (cruise)

    Cruise - Ketchikan

    Flanked by forests, a hub of salmon-fishing and native culture; visit intricate totem poles.

  12. Day 12overnight: Koningsdam (cruise)

    Cruise - At Sea

    Cruise southwards back into the Inside Passage past the Great Bear Rainforest.

  13. Day 13overnight: Vancouver

    Arrive in Vancouver

    Disembark the Koningsdam; city tour including Stanley Park and Granville Island. Farewell dinner this evening.

  14. Day 14

    Depart Vancouver

    Transfer to the airport and fly home.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 3Board the Rocky Mountaineer at Banff station; the train passes the Spiral Tunnels and Glacier National Park, with breakfast served onboard as it winds through the Canadian Rockies to Kamloops.
  • Day 4Continue on the Rocky Mountaineer along the Fraser River, passing Hell's Gate before arriving in Vancouver in the late afternoon.
  • Day 7Journey northwards along the Inside Passage aboard the Holland America Line Koningsdam, with possible whale and eagle sightings amid forests, mountains and glaciers.
  • Day 10Cruise through Glacier Bay surrounded by ice-carved fjords, temperate rainforest and mountains; watch for humpback whales.
  • Day 11Stop in Ketchikan to visit intricate totem poles and experience the hub of native culture and salmon fishing.

Included

  • Meals as stated (refer to itinerary)
  • Domestic transportation
  • Touring with English-speaking guides & entrance fees
  • All accommodation
  • 7 night cruise with Holland America Line Koningsdam

Not included

  • International flights (land only price)
  • Visa
  • Early check-in and late check-out (available at additional cost)
  • Day 3 dinner (own expense in Kamloops)

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included in the price?
Yes. The package includes two segments of the Rocky Mountaineer (Banff to Kamloops and Kamloops to Vancouver) with breakfast on both days. International flights are not included.
Is this trip escorted or independent?
Escorted. Wendy Wu Tours provides English-speaking guides and arranges all domestic transportation, hotels, and entrance fees throughout.
What is the cruise component?
A 7-night cruise on Holland America Line's Koningsdam from Vancouver to Ketchikan, sailing the Inside Passage with stops in Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier Bay. Accommodation onboard is included.
What meals are included?
Meals are included as stated in the itinerary. Notably, dinner on Day 3 in Kamloops is your own expense. Welcome and farewell dinners are included in Banff and Vancouver respectively.
How much walking is involved?
Physical Rating 1: walking, some steps and time on your feet. A reasonable level of fitness is required. Activities include the Banff Gondola, a guided walk through Butchart Gardens, and city tours in Vancouver and Ketchikan.
When does this tour run?
Wendy Wu Tours does not publish specific departure dates in the available information. Contact the operator for a current schedule.

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