Canada certainly knows how to turn it on when it comes to natural wonders. It’s home to the bluest of lakes, where glacial ice has crept down mountains over millennia, carving out deep valleys in its wake. Across the border, North America’s Alaskan state promises wilderness adventure, packed with wildlife and natural wonder. Here are our top picks on where to find grizzlies, glaciers and more in Canada and Alaska with APT.
Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer Train
Canada’s Rocky Mountains
Is there anything quite as magical as slipping through the countryside on a rail journey? Especially when it’s exploring the Canadian Rockies’ storybook scenery. Board the Rocky Mountaineer train, from Vancouver to Banff. Sit back in GoldLeaf cabin comfort and gaze at the views from your bi-level glass-dome carriage. Trackside you’ll enjoy one-of-a-kind outlooks including Spiral Tunnels, Kicking Horse Canyon and Fraser Valley.
Lake Louise in Banff National Park
Athabasca Glacier
Come face to face with Mt Robson’s sheer beauty before travelling through the Canadian Rockies along the Icefields Pathway. Stop off to ride across the giant Athabasca Glacier on an Ice Explorer, experiencing what it’s really like to skim over a glacier’s surface. Continuing to Banff National Park, discover that the scenery is equally staggering in Jasper and Banff – especially at turquoise glacier-fed Lake Louise.
Glacier Bay in Alaska
Whistler
This year-round wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts offers every imaginable mountain thrill, from floatplane flights to skiing, biking to gondola rides. So, Whistler’s Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre serves as a reminder and fascinating insight into the region’s rich cultural heritage. This gallery showcases Whistler’s two First Nations communities, here long before the ski slopes and snowcats arrived. Explore the centre’s interpretive displays, learn about native produce and try local dishes.
Glacier Bay National Park
Discover how Canada’s heritage, mountains, glaciers and wildlife are just an introduction to the picturesque drama that unfolds when you board a cruise ship from Vancouver bound for Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park. Here, in the heart of Alaska’s coastal wilderness, some 13,520 square kilometres of mountains, fjords and glaciers are a haven for wildlife from bears to whales, and clouds of seabirds, as your onboard guide will explain.
Denali National Park
Denali National Park
A Tundra Wilderness Tour deep in Alaska’s Denali National Park is the ideal opportunity to see grizzlies, moose, caribou, eagles and wolves in their natural habitat. With Mt Mckinley, North America’s tallest peak at its centre, Denali’s tundra interior shelters wildlife within its forests and along its riverbanks, where grizzlies are more frequently spotted. If the scenery isn’t enough of a distraction, stay on the lookout for park wildlife, great and small, and revel in Denali’s vast open spaces.
Canada and Alaska offer a winning combination of escapes to naturally blessed destinations. They’re all the more enticing thanks to APT’s travel styles and accommodation that work seamlessly with their environments, ensuring your Canada and Alaska journey is exceptional.
APT’s long-standing partnerships with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Rocky Mountaineer and Holland America Line ensure lavish stays and dedicated service throughout your unforgettable journey, as you explore these lands of grizzlies and glaciers.
Travel Talk’s Top Picks:
APT’s 22-day Rockies Odyssey & Alaska Cruise, Vancouver return, includes a rail journey aboard the Rocky Mountaineer in Goldleaf Service, a two-night stay in a guaranteed Lakeview Room at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a journey onto Athabasca Glacier, a First Nations experience in Whistler and a seven-night Holland America Line cruise through Alaska’s Inside Passage. Prices start at $15,295 per person with savings of up to $3,200 per couple when you book by 29 May 2024 for travel in 2025.
For a deeper exploration into Alaska’s wilderness, APT’s 25-day Rockies with Alaska by Sea and Land journey from Victoria to Fairbanks includes a McKinley Explorer train journey to Denali National Park, a Tundra Wilderness Tour and a two-night stay in a Denali Suite at McKinley Chalet Resort. Prices start at $19,995 per person for travel in 2025 with savings of up to $3,200 per couple when you book by 29 May 2024.
To discover APT’s full range of Canada and Alaska tours for 2025, visit http://www.aptouring.com.au/canada
