JGT “Bucket List” Special

Deluxe Canadian Rockies, Rocky Mountaineer Railtour, Vancouver, Victoria & 5-Star Alaska Cruise 2018

Tour departs 24th August 2017. 17 Days

Fully Escorted throughout by senior John Galligan Travel staff*

 

John Galligan Travel’s Bucket List Trip –

Rocky Mountaineer Tour & Alaska Cruise

Friday 24 August 2018
Morning flight Dublin to Calgary via London with Air Canada. Arrive early afternoon local time and transfer by deluxe coach to Banff (1 hr 30 mins). Overnight at the Caribou Lodge. L

Saturday 25 August 2018
Morning tour of Banff & Yoho National Parks. Among the highlights are visits to the “Hoodoos”, Surprise Corner and Tunnel Mountain Drive, which overlooks the Bow River Valley. Continuing on to Lake Louise, you will tour through Yoho National Park, with it’s magnificent natural wonders like the Spiral Tunnels, the turquoise serene waters of Emerald Lake and a natural Rock Bridge spanning the Kicking Horse River. Gourmet lunch is included at the delightful Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. You will have about an hour after lunch to stroll around the lake and revel in the breathtaking surroundings of famous Lake Louise, before traveling back to your hotel in Banff. On the way back from Lake Louise last year we were treated to a herd of Caribou graving on the side of the road. Beautiful creatures. Then we saw an Osprey fledgling learning to fly and hunt. Incredible! This evening, meet in Banff’s Irish pub – The St James’ Gate”, for a welcome drink. Get to know your fellow travelers and stay on for something to eat. The food is delicious and the craic is mighty! Don’t stay too late though, as we have an early (and exciting) start in the morning. Overnight in Banff. B/L

Sunday 26 August 2018
All aboard! We board our motor coach and transfer the short distance to the rail station. Check-in and board the Rocky Mountaineer for our rail “spectacular” to Kamloops. Breakfast and lunch will be served on board. The top-of-the-line Gold Leaf Service gives you comfortable armchair seats in the all glass “dome”, while gourmet meals will be taken in the downstairs restaurant. En route, we travel via Yoho, Glacier National Parks and the famous Spiral Tunnels, numerous rivers and pass over high trestle bridges. On arrival in Kamloops you will be transferred to your “Gold Leaf” hotel. B/L

Monday 27 August 2018
This morning, again  ascend to the lovely Gold Leaf cabin for another stunning day of sightseeing and fine dining. Today’s scenery will be a big contrast from what you will have seen yesterday. Travel from Kamloops to Vancouver, through Canada’s semi-arid desert, follow the Fraser and Thompson rivers and enjoy the interior of British Columbia from the comfort of your armchair. Start with a hearty breakfast and a lunch will follow when you are ready. During the day you will pass Hell’s Gate, the narrowest part of the Fraser Canyon, where millions of gallons of water rush through each minute. Before reaching the coast and Vancouver city, we travel through the final range of mountains, The Pacific Coast mountains, followed by the flat fertile plains. On arrival, we transfer to the lovely Sutton Place Hotel, which will be our home for the next five nights. B/L

Tuesday 28 August 2018
Morning tour of the beautiful city of Vancouver. Highlights include Chinatown, Old World Gastown, Stanley Park Queen Elizabeth Park, Granville Island. You will also get a voucher for an entrance to the Vancouver Lookout at the top of the Sears Tower, for you to visit during your free time. Return to hotel mid-day. Afternoon and evening at leisure. B

Wednesday 29 August 2018
Early morning transfer by coach to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal for our boat ride to Swartz Bay, Vancouver Island, passing through Gulf Islands. Upon arrival at Swartz Bay, the tour will visit the world-renowned Butchart Gardens, with their 50-acre display of magnificent colour and floral arrangements. This is a must for garden and flower lovers and is one of the most renowned gardens in the world. The tour continues on to downtown Victoria. Highlights en route include the Inner Harbour, Beacon Hill Park, Mile Zero of the trans-Canada highway, the Parliament Buildings and the Fairmont Empress Hotel. You will have time to stroll around the small town of Victoria. Return to Vancouver to arrive there late evening. B

Thursday 30 August 2018
Full day at leisure to explore Vancouver. B

Friday 31 August 2018
Full day free to explore this vibrant West Coast city, do a bit of shopping or just take a stroll through Stanley Park. This evening join your fellow pioneers in a “Farewell to Canada” dinner in the Boulevard Restaurant in the hotel. B/D

Saturday 01 September 2018
Morning free to do some last minute shopping or explore Vancouver, or simply enjoy a leisurely “walkabout”. Early afternoon transfer to Cruise Ship Terminal to check-in and board the 5-star Holland America Line cruise ship – MS Nieuw Amsterdam for your seven night Alaska cruise. Sail at approximately 1700. B/D

 

Sunday 02 September 2018
Cruising northwards through the Inside Passage. Get to know the ship as you glide along. Don’t miss the show this evening. Included in your package is a complimentary dinner at the marvellous Pinnacle Grill speciality restaurant and complimentary vitamin water in your cabin (3 bottles) B/L/D

Monday 03 September 2018
This morning, take a brief look at Tracy Arm, on your way north. It’s Stephens Passage takes a hard right turn into the sheer rock of the Boundary Ranges at Tracy Arm, a narrow, twisting, 30-mile-long fjord that ends at the twin Sawyer glaciers. Lush rain forest recedes to reveal bare rock, and verticality predominates: 7,000-foot peaks, sheer rock faces, waterfalls at every turn. And tucked away at the end of this remarkable waterway are two very active reminders of the Ice Age – the twin Sawyer Glaciers, calving icebergs into the jade-colored inland sea. You will not be traveling into Tracey Arm today, as we are visiting Glacier Bay later this week instead.

In the afternoon, you will dock at Juneau. The capital of Alaska since 1900, Juneau is located in the south-eastern part of the state, sheltered from the Pacific by a belt of islands 75 miles (120 km) wide. Surrounded by rock, ice, water and forest, Juneau is built on a small strip of land. The city is named after Joe Juneau, a gold miner who once wept because he had more gold than he could possibly spend in a lifetime. Step ashore and shop for gold nuggets, visit the stately Governor’s Mansion, saunter through the swing doors of the Red Dog Saloon, the city’s famous watering hole. Visit the mighty Mendenhall Glacier just outside town or take a whale-watching trip on a high speed jet-boat. Depart late evening. B/L/D

Tuesday 04 September 2018

Early morning arrival into Skagway. The Gold Rush Gateway to the Klondike. Some of the aspiring Klondike gold rushers who made it to Skagway took a look at the 500-mile journey that still lay ahead of them and decided a change of profession was in order. The mighty White Horse Pass would be better off avoiding than tackling.

So many of them set up shop as provisioners that Skagway was the largest city in Alaska by the end of the 19th century. Booms fade and dreams move on, but the glory days still reverberate through the town. Ride the antique White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge railway, step into the Red Onion Saloon or peruse the restored buildings and wooden boardwalks of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Full day in port. B/L/D

Wednesday 05 September 2018
If you didn’t know any better, you’d think Glacier Bay ostentatious for the way it flaunts its ice. The glaciers practically terminate in your lap. A cruise to Glacier Bay National Park will show you a UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects a unique ecosystem of plants and animals living in concert with an ever-changing glacial landscape. When a monumental chunk of ice splits off a glacier and thunders into the sea the impact shoots water hundreds of feet into the air, you hold your breath as you catch the moment on film. Then you wait for it all to happen again. And it does: Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anywhere else in the world.

Thursday  06 September 2018
Ketchikan clutches the shores of the Tongass Narrows, with many shops and houses built right out over the water. The stairways are weathered and the vibe is cheerful in the town that calls itself the Salmon Capital of the World. Besides the main attractions – Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Village – try a flightseeing trip to Misty Fjords National Monument. These deepwater fjords were gouged out by retreating glaciers, leaving granite cliffs towering thousands of feet above the sea and countless waterfalls plunging into placid waters.

Ketchikan is situated on Revillagigedo Island, part of the Alexander Archipelago in south-eastern Alaska, just at the southern US border with Canada. Originally a fishing settlement and a supply centre for miners during the gold rush of the 1890s. Full day in Ketchikan. B/L/D

Friday 07 September 2018
Cruising south through the Inside Passage. This scenic waterway reaches 1,000 miles from historic Skagway, Alaska to beautiful British Columbia. The fabled Inside Passage is one of the most scenic sea-lanes in the world, and one of the few where deep-draft vessels can sail close to steep mountain walls. The scenery is unbelievable, with forests in a hundred shades of green, tumbling turquoise glaciers, and evocative towns loaded with history, culture and adventure. This is a great place to see pods of Killer Whales, as we did on our 2015 trip. With most of Southeast Alaska accessible only by boat or plane, the Inside Passage is a lifeline to the outside world. All day long it hums with activity. Through the maze of bays, straits and fjords, you will cruise past an ever-changing panorama of unspoiled beauty. B/L/D

Saturday 08 September 2018
Arrive at Vancouver early morning. Sadly our cruise comes to an end. We say farewell to “Nieuw Amsterdam” after breakfast and transfer by coach to Vancouver Airport for the 1330 flight home (via Toronto). B/D

Sunday 09 September 2018
Arrive Dublin Airport at 1045. B

The Rocky Mountaineer Train

 

Travelling onboard the Rocky Mountaineer is an unforgettable experience, considered by many to be, a trip of a lifetime. The two-day rail journey recaptures the romance of rail travel as it follows the historic train route constructed over 100 years ago through Canada’s West and the Canadian Rockies, uniting the country. The entire train ride takes place during daylight hours to ensure you enjoy every minute of the breathtaking scenery of glacier-fed lakes, majestic mountain ranges and ferocious rivers. The Rocky Mountaineer train travels in both eastbound and westbound directions between the beautiful coastal city of Vancouver in British Columbia, the resort town of Whistler, BC. and Jasper, Banff and Calgary, Alberta.

 

Gold Leaf Service

Discover why travelers rave about Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf service. The custom-designed Gold Leaf Dome Coach puts you right in the middle of the awe-inspiring scenery of the Canadian Rockies. From the ever attentive service provided by highly trained and pleasant Onboard Attendants, to the gourmet meals prepared from regional cuisine specially prepared by the talented on-board chefs, you will be assured of luxury and comfort. Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf Service is the ultimate in luxury train travel.

Click here to see more about Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam :- http://nieuwamsterdam.hollandamerica.com/

Holland America

What our previous Rockies clients said when they came home-

“we want to compliment you on having put such a fantastic trip together. It really was the trip of a lifetime” L & L, Dublin

“Wonderful holiday. Have great memories. Lovely group.” AK, Wicklow

“Many thanks both to yourself & Eileen for ensuring that we had a fab & flawless holiday making sure that the group were always in the right place at the right time & that all arrangements re our bookings were in situ when we arrived at our various locations.  Well done, it was much appreciated.”   P.S., Dublin

Tour Prices.

Inside cabin on ship – € 5,399 pp Sharing (€ 6,999 Single)

Oceanview cabin on ship – € 5,599 pp Sharing (€ 7,299 Single)
Partially obstructed view cabin.

Balcony (VQ Grade) cabin on ship – € 6,299 pp sharing  (€ 8,999 Single)
Plus Airline & Airport Taxes € 300 approx. Ship Port Taxes € 185
Non-refundable deposit € 1000pp. Gratuities on ship not included. Gratuities on tours, transfers & train are included.
Price includes economy class air transport, Gold Leaf service on the train and similar quality hotel accommodation where available.
Cabin upgrades possible to all available categories.
Code B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
Details subject to change without notice
* John Galligan personally or one of our senior staff will escort the group throughout.

 

To enter Canada now you need pre-clearance from the Canadian Government. Please click here to apply:-

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/eta-start.asp

As Alaska in in the USA, you also need US ESTA pre-clearance. This is valid for 2 years. If you do not have a valid ESTA please apply here:-

http://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/esta

To book this hotel call John Galligan Travel on (01) 207 6555 or e-mail leisure@jgt.ie

Gallery of the Tour:

 

To book this tour call John Galligan Travel on (01) 207 6555 or e-mail leisure@jgt.ie