Glaciers by sea, mountains by train. An Alaska cruise and the Rockies make one of the great trips in North America, and they meet in one city: Vancouver.
Most Alaska cruises from Vancouver leave from Canada Place, right on the downtown waterfront. Rocky Mountaineer’s trains to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper start just a short drive away. Put them together and you get ten to fourteen days that move from rainforest coast to turquoise lakes, without ever feeling rushed.
Here’s how we plan it: which way round to go, which train to take, when to travel, and what a typical trip looks like.
Rockies first, or the cruise first?
Both work. The choice usually comes down to how you want the trip to end.
Rockies first, then the cruise. Fly into Calgary, spend a few nights in Banff and Lake Louise, take the train west to Vancouver, and finish with a week at sea. It’s the easiest way to pace the trip. The busy part comes first, and the cruise is the slow, easy ending, with nothing to pack until you’re home.
Cruise first, then the Rockies. Start with an Alaska cruise from Vancouver, then take the train east into the mountains and fly home from Calgary. This suits travellers who want the big mountain finale, or whose preferred sailing falls earlier in the trip.
One-way cruises add a twist. Some Alaska cruises sail one way between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier, near Anchorage. Pair one with the Rockies and you can see Alaska, the Inside Passage and the mountains in a single journey, flying in and out of different cities. Our Alaska cruises from Vancouver page explains round trip and one-way sailings in more detail.
Which Rocky Mountaineer route?
Rocky Mountaineer runs in daylight only, from spring to autumn. You travel by day, spend the night in a hotel, and never miss the scenery. Two routes link Vancouver with the Rockies.
First Passage to the West. Vancouver to Banff or Lake Louise over two days, with a night in Kamloops. This is the classic route, through the Fraser Canyon and over the Kicking Horse Pass, and the natural choice if Banff and Lake Louise are on your list.
Journey through the Clouds. Vancouver to Jasper over two days, also with a night in Kamloops. It passes Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Jasper is quieter than Banff and a great base for wildlife.
Many travellers ride one route and drive the Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Lake Louise, so they see both.
SilverLeaf or GoldLeaf?
SilverLeaf has a single-level coach with large windows, and meals served at your seat, so you never look away from the view.
GoldLeaf adds a two-level glass-dome coach, a separate dining room with multi-course meals, a large outdoor viewing platform, and usually higher-category hotels.
GoldLeaf is the one people remember, especially for a milestone trip. SilverLeaf is still a beautiful journey, and the savings can pay for an extra night in the mountains. We’ll help you decide.
When to go
The sweet spot for both is mid-June to mid-September, when the Alaska cruise season and the Rocky Mountaineer season overlap and the mountain lakes are thawed.
June. Long days, waterfalls at full flow and fewer crowds. Early in the month, some higher lakes may still have ice.
July and August. Warmest weather and the bluest lakes, and the easiest time for families. Also the busiest, so trains, hotels in Banff and Lake Louise, and the best cabins go first.
September. Golden larches in the Rockies, quieter trails and good value. Days are cooler, and weather on the coast is more changeable.
For summer dates, we suggest booking 9 to 12 months ahead. The train, mountain hotels and cruise all need to line up, and each has limited space in peak season.
A sample 14-day plan
This is the Rockies-first version, with a seven-night round trip Alaska cruise. Every trip we plan is adjusted to your dates, pace and budget.
Days 1 to 3: Banff and Lake Louise. Fly into Calgary and drive about 90 minutes to Banff. Take the Banff Gondola, cruise Lake Minnewanka, and spend a day at Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Moraine Lake is reached by shuttle or tour, so we book that ahead.
Days 4 and 5: Rocky Mountaineer to Vancouver. Board in Banff or Lake Louise and travel west through the Kicking Horse Pass and the Fraser Canyon, with a night in Kamloops. You arrive in Vancouver on the evening of day 5.
Day 6: Vancouver. A free day for Stanley Park, Granville Island or a seaplane over the coast, and a night near Canada Place.
Days 7 to 14: Alaska cruise. Sail the Inside Passage, with stops such as Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway and a day of glacier scenery. Disembark in Vancouver on the morning of day 14 and fly home.
Short on time? Skip the extra Vancouver day and board your ship the morning after the train arrives. You’ll still have a night in Vancouver between the two.
Tips for planning both
- Build in a night between the train and the ship. The train arrives in Vancouver in the evening, so plan to board your cruise the next day or later.
- Book the mountains early. Hotels in Banff and Lake Louise fill up for summer, often before cruise cabins do.
- Pack for two climates. Warm layers and a rain jacket for Alaska; sun hat and walking shoes for the Rockies.
- Think about luggage. Big suitcases don’t fit everywhere on a multi-stop trip. We’ll tell you what the train and hotels allow.
- Great for three generations. Scenic days on the train and the ship need no walking at all, so grandparents and grandchildren can enjoy the same views.
Ready to plan your Alaska cruise and the Rockies?
We’ll match the train, the ship and the hotels so the whole trip flows, from your first night in the mountains to your last morning at sea. Tell us who’s travelling and when, and we’ll suggest the dates and routes that fit.
More on sailing from here: Alaska cruises from Vancouver.
