Earth, ice and sea: An extraordinary trip through the Canadian Rockies and Alaska

Imagine travelling on an ice explorer right on to an icy Athabasca Glacier?

Or cruising down a forest-lined river where brown bears frolic on the bank?

These once-in-a-lifetime experiences are just some of the impressive highlights of a set-and-forget itinerary created for Travelmarvel clients travelling on the 17-day Highlights of the Rockies and Alaska cruise.

Packed with carefully curated, close-up experiences, but with plenty of free time to explore on your own, the trip will appeal to soft adventurers and nature lovers who appreciate a certain level of service and comfort, matched by excellent value for money.

The tour begins in the cosmopolitan capital of Vancouver, with a night’s accommodation in the vibrant downtown area, before heading off to the mountain playground of Whistler.

Home to the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations, this area offers an opportunity to learn about the history of Canada’s first nations with an included indigenous interpretive walk and first nations-inspired dinner.

A once-in-a-lifetime cruising experience. Photo: Travelmarvel

Next stop is the beautiful Banff National Park, home to the postcard- pretty Lake Louise, a turquoise glacier-fed lake encircled by high peaks.

Another highlight in a standout itinerary is the river safari along the Blue River, an old fur traders ‘highway’ and, actually a rather fetching shade of jade.

Keep your camera to hand as the boat glides past waterfalls and glacier lakes through the “Grizzly Valley”, where bears play or fish from the banks, seemingly unconcerned by the curious humans slowing down for a look.

Returning to Vancouver, there’s time to explore the city’s multitude of multicultural restaurants, historic quarters and colourful art scene before transferring to Seattle for the next stage of the adventure.

Today’s more modern adventurers enjoy the premium comfort on the cruise, while being richly rewarded by the magnificent scenery. With all Travelmarvel passengers guaranteed an ocean-view stateroom cabin, views are never more than a head-turn away.

Snow, sun and scenery. What more could you ask for? Photo: Travelmarvel

On deck, join your fellow passengers for drinks as the MS Oosterdam manoeuvres between small islands, inlets and the 16 spectacular glaciers that flow from surrounding mountains to the tranquil waters below.

There are picturesque ports to explore en route, along with calving glaciers and a plethora of wildlife, from humpback whales and orcas to sea lions and harbour seals, brown and black bears, wolves and majestic bald eagles.

Best of all, while you’re busy soaking up the impressive natural beauty and making new friends with like-minded travellers, absolutely everything is taken care of by the Australian-owned Travelmarvel, part of the highly regarded APT Travel Group – from transfers to tours to tips – guaranteeing that your trip of a lifetime is totally stress-free.

This content was brought to you by Travelmarvel.