Description:

29 April FLIGHTS
Depart your capital city for Vancouver


30 April VANCOUVER
Arrive in Vancouver, make your way to downtown hotel
Enjoy time at leisure to relax or to do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions.

01 May VANCOUVER
This morning an included city tour shows you STANLEY PARK, Chinatown, the harbour and beaches, and more. The remainder of the day is at leisure, and your Tour Director will have suggestions for your further exploration of the city. Shoppers and browsers can take a water taxi to lively Granville Island with its outdoor markets, street musicians, and waterfront cafes. Or, visit historic Gastown with its steam-powered clock, antique shops, art galleries, and street vendors.

02 May VANCOUVER - KELOWNA.
This morning, our journey begins in British Columbia's fertile valleys and continues through rich mountain forests to Lake Okanagan. Travel along the lake to the resort city of Kelowna, attractively set on the lake shore and surrounded by orchards and vineyards. Sample the local wines on the included WINERY TOUR this afternoon.

03 May KELOWNA - KICKING HORSE PASS - BANFF.
Motor north through the Okanagan Valley, famous for its peaches and vineyards. Then, begin the climb up 4,379-foothigh Rogers Pass in GLACIER NATIONAL PARK. Take a break at the pass, a perfect spot for photos of the impressively rugged mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls. Enter YOHO NATIONAL PARK and scale Kicking Horse Pass, at 5,421 feet. By early evening, reach BANFF NATIONAL PARK, gateway to the majestic Canadian Rockies.

04 May BANFF.
Banff is one of Canada's favourite year-round resorts with activities ranging from skiing in the winter to hiking, boating, and fishing in the summer. With a free day, your Tour Director will suggest an optional helicopter ride over the Canadian Rockies. Tonight, why not take in an optional dinner theatre performance featuring cuisine and entertainment about Canada?

05 May BANFF - LAKE LOUISE - COLUMBIA ICEFIELD - JASPER.
A day of scenic grandeur. First to Lake Louise, its turquoise waters a perfect natural mirror that reflect the mountains and glaciers. Precipitous gorges, snow-capped summits, and lakes of exquisite blues and greens come into view as the motorcoach continues northward into JASPER NATIONAL PARK. Another highlight on today's agenda is a stop at the COLUMBIA ICEFIELD to experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice that is 1,200-feet (365-meters) thick. Late this afternoon, your Tour Director suggests an optional raft trip down the Athabasca River. Enjoy an orientation tour of Jasper town site upon arrival.

06 May JASPER.
Today, join our optional excursion to Maligne Lake and Spirit Island, where you embark on a narrated cruise of the lake. The balance of the day is free to enjoy everything Jasper has to offer - from guided hikes and quaint shops to meandering wildlife.

07 May JASPER - MOUNT ROBSON - SUN PEAKS.
Leave Jasper and follow the Fraser River to the base of Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, peaking at 12,972 feet. Continue following the Yellowhead Highway south along the Thompson River - a route pioneered by fur trappers a century ago. Overnight at the mountain resort of Sun Peaks.

08 May SUN PEAKS - LILLOOET - WHISTLER.
Head south following the once treacherous Cariboo Wagon Trail. Via Lillooet-"Mile 0 of the Gold Rush Route"-your motor-coach will follow the shores of Seton and Duffey Lakes with a mid-afternoon arrival in Whistler. There are plenty of optional activities to choose from, such as flight-seeing by floatplane over the lakes and glaciated peaks of Garibaldi Provincial Park. Tonight, wander the many alpine trails or enjoy the shopping and great selection of restaurants and nightlife

09 May WHISTLER - FERRY CROSSING - VICTORIA.
This morning, sail across the Strait of Georgia and through the spectacular Gulf Islands, an archipelago known for its Mediterranean-type climate. Afternoon arrival in Victoria. Sightseeing today includes the Marine Drive, Bastion Square, and Thunderbird Park with its unusual collection of totem poles. Tonight, a stroll along the lovely waterfront might be fun.

10 May VICTORIA.
This morning visit Butchart Gardens, one of Victoria’s most celebrated sites and rates among the most beautiful gardens in the world. Once there, stroll through the colorful arrangements of the Sunken Garden, the Japanese and Italian Gardens. This afternoon is at leisure to discover some of the attractions this splendid city has to offer, including the Royal British Columbia Museum, afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel, an IMAX presentation at the National Geographic Theatre, whale watching on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and fine shopping along Government Street.

11 May VICTORIA VANCOUVER
Early this morning, board the ferry for a scenic crossing to the mainland for arrival in Vancouver

Make your way to the cruise terminal to join the “Rhapsody of the Seas”
In your choice of stateroom

Fri 11 May 2012 Vancouver, British Columbia 04:30 PM Boarding
Sat 12 May 2012 Inside Passage (Cruising) Cruising
Sun 13 May 2012 Juneau, Alaska 11:00 AM 08:00 PM Docked
Mon 14 May 2012 Skagway, Alaska 07:00 AM 08:30 PM Docked
Tue 15 May 2012 Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska 07:00 AM 02:00 PM Cruising
Wed 16 May 2012 Ketchikan, Alaska 08:00 AM 06:00 PM Docked
Thu 17 May 2012 Cruising Cruising
Fri 18 May 2012 Seattle, Washington 07:00 AM Departure

18 May
Depart Seattle 2.00 pm- onward flights to Australia