20 Day USA National Parks & luxury Alaska cruise

Transcription

1 20 Day USA National Parks & luxury Alaska cruise International airfares Internal US airfares All transfers 8 Day 5 star Alaska cruise 11 Days touring 5 of the best USA national parks Breakfast daily, plus all meals on board your cruise Professional guide Sightseeing in all major cities Dedicated coach transportation All national park fees #1 Online Travel Company in Australia Webjet Approved Guides Webjet Crafted Itineraries Always Includes Flights No Fuss, Easy Booking Process 1 June July August September 2017 (B) - Breakfast / (L) - Lunch / (D) - Dinner Flight Cruise Train Day 1: Australia - - Seattle Depart Australia today. Welcome to the Pacific Northwest and beautiful Emerald City, Seattle. Upon your arrival, hitch a ride aboard the free 24/7 courtesy shuttle bus from Red Lion Hotel or walk. The shuttle bus runs approx. every 7 minutes. Once at the hotel, a professional tour manager will meet & greet you at the Webjet Exclusives hospitality desk (between 14:00hrs-18:00hrs). Outside of these hours, the hotel s front desk staff will gladly assist you with your room key. Tomorrow morning, the shuttle bus to the cruise port will depart promptly at 12:00P. Please meet your professional tour manager in the front lobby area. Day 2: Seattle - Embark on Cruise (B,D) Please enjoy breakfast at leisure and a free morning. If you feel like venturing into town, you will find the LINK light rail Westlake station steps away from the hotel, at Seattle-Tacoma Airport. The LINK is a light rail tram that takes you directly into downtown Seattle and runs approx. every 10 minutes. If you did not yet check-out, please return to the hotel in time to do so, as our private motor coach will depart at 12:00P (midday) to take you to the Seattle cruise port to board your luxury Inside Passage cruise on board the Celebrity Solstice.

2 Day 3: At Sea Enjoy the day at sea on your luxury ship as it makes its way towards the beautiful inside passage. Day 4: Ketchikan You've never tasted salmon so fresh. Known as the 'Salmon Capital of the World', Ketchikan is also the ancestral home of the Tlingit people, who have carved the world's largest collection of totem poles. If you're up for an adventure, take a canoe and nature trail excursion through the rain forest or a wilderness exploration followed by a sumptuous crab feast you can't resist. Day 5: Tracy Arm Fjord Juneau Tracy Arm Fjord is book-ended by two of Alaska's most dramatic glaciers, the North and South Sawyer Glacier, and surrounded by granite walls that rise 3,000 feet from the emerald colored seas, this area has everything you've come to Alaska to experience. In Juneau, Here's your chance to take a glacial dogsled adventure via helicopter in Alaska's capital (on own account). A city that gracefully balances frontier ruggedness with cosmopolitan flair. Mendenhall Glacier, a river of ice measuring 1.5 miles in width and over 6 miles in length, is part of Juneau's Icefield, 1500 square miles of ice that feeds 38 glaciers and ready for you to take a float trip on it. Day 6: Skagway Inside Passage In 1897, gold stampeders from all over the world arrived in Skagway by steamship, bound for the Dawson Gold Fields in Canada's Yukon Territory. It wasn't long before the roughand-tumble tent town was festooned with boardwalks, dance halls, inns and saloons. More than 100 years later, Skagway still retains the feel of those Gold Rush days, though most travelers now arrive by cruise. Enjoy the day at sea on your luxury ship as it makes its way through the beautiful inside passage.

3 Day 7: At Sea Enjoy the day at sea on your luxury ship as it makes its way out of the beautiful inside passage. Day 8: Victoria The capital of British Columbia is also its largest island. This one-time British colony has retained much of its colonial splendor. Victoria is a seaside enclave that enjoys a temperate climate. Which is great, because you'll want to explore all the museums, parks and golf courses Victoria has to offer. Day 9: Seattle - - Salt Lake City (B) Welcome back to Seattle! After disembarkation, a local tour manager will meet & greet you at the terminal and will escort you to your private motor coach. From the cruise port, we head straight to Seattle-Tacoma airport for your flight to Salt Lake City. Upon arrival in Salt Lake City, your professional tour manager will welcome you and assist with transferring you to your hotel. Salt Lake lies in a mountain valley with the Wasatch Mountains to the east and north. The city is situated on land once covered by the prehistoric Lake Bonneville. This ancient lake existed within portions of Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, with an elevation rising from 1,280 meters to 1,585 meters at some points. Shortly after the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 at Promontory Summit on the north side of the Great Salt Lake, mass migration of various ethnic groups, including Chinese, Japanese, Greek and Central European, settled in the growing Salt Lake Valley. Adding to the influx of multi-cultural inhabitants was the discovery of silver and gold in the nearby Wasatch Mountains towering over the city, driving yet more settlers into the mining towns and into Salt Lake. Upon arrival at your hotel the rest of the evening is free at leisure to explore Salt Lake City at your own pace.

4 Day 10: Salt Lake City Yellowstone National Park West Yellowstone (B) After an early breakfast & check-out, we continue to Yellowstone National Park first thing in the morning. We plan on arriving into Yellowstone National Park for a quick peek around mid-to-late afternoon, but don t worry, we ll be spending a full day sightseeing on Day 11 as well. There's no better way to bond with nature and enjoy the great outdoors than to visit a National Park. Most National Parks have something unique to become a designated National Park. Yellowstone is beyond special, it is the world's first ever National Park. Yellowstone National Park is the flagship of the National Park Service, and a favorite to millions of visitors each year. Since its enactment in 1872, Yellowstone National Park continues to be America's most beloved park, with nearly 3 million visitors each year. Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone has over 2 million acres of the most pristine scenery, wildlife, waterfalls, geysers and of course hydrothermal features that exist nowhere else in the world. Our visit today will be rather brief, but we ll have plenty of time tomorrow to delve into beauty of this crown jewel of National Parks. Day 11: West Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park West Yellowstone (B) A full day of exploring awaits today. Among rugged nature, we may have a chance to meet the great American bison and other typical wildlife that roam the park s grounds. Yellowstone National Park has the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states, such as bears, wolves, moose, elk, bison, badgers, otters, foxes and to up the ante their offspring. The park is home to roughly 61 different mammals, along with an estimated 500 grizzly bears that live in the greater Yellowstone eco-system. Gray wolves were restored in 1995, and it s believed that more than 370 are currently calling Yellowstone their home. Wolverine & lynx are some of the rarest mammals to spot, so keep your eyes open. Seven

5 native species of ungulates elk, mule deer, bison, moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorn and white-tailed deer live here as well, including one of the largest herds of elk in the USA. Non-native mountain goats have colonized the northwestern & northeastern portions of the park. But apart from breathtaking scenery and fantastic wildlife viewing opportunities, the park is perhaps best known for its hydrothermal features & geysers. Yellowstone is a country teeming with an estimated 10,000 thermal features. Of these only three percent are actually geysers. The rest are steaming pools, hissing fumaroles, bubbling mud pots or warm seeps. Most of Yellowstone's geysers are small, and sputter and splash, barely reaching ten feet in height. Only six grand geysers, those which erupt 100 feet or higher on a predictable daily basis, exist. Old Faithful, the most famous of these, erupts once approximately every 45 to 90 minutes. Beneath the thermal basins lie the mechanisms which control these features. The most essential element is magma-underground molten rock. No one knows exactly how close to the surface this body of magma lies. Geologists believe the earth's crust is less than 40 miles thick in Yellowstone compared to 90 miles under most other land areas. Intruded into this thinner crust, like bubbles, are magma intrusions-also known as plutons. A test well drilled at Norris Geyser Basin during the late 1920s revealed a temperature of 205 Celsius at a depth of 265 feet. Day 12: West Yellowstone Grand Teton National Park Jackson Hole (B) Our journey of natural wonder continues to Grand Teton Nat l Park today, situated in the northwestern Wyoming. Rising above a scene rich with extraordinary wildlife, pristine lakes, and alpine terrain, the Teton Range stands monument to the people who fought to protect it. These are mountains of the imagination. Mountains that led to the creation of Grand Teton National Park where you can explore over two hundred miles of trails, float the Snake River or enjoy the serenity of this remarkable place. Grand Teton National Park is an almost pristine ecosystem and the same species of flora and fauna that have existed since prehistoric times can still be found there. More than 1,000 species of plants, dozens of species of mammals, 300 species of birds, more than a dozen fish species and a few species

6 of reptiles and amphibians exist. Due to various changes in the ecosystem, some of them human-induced, efforts have been made to provide enhanced protection to some species of native fish and the increasingly threatened white-bark pine. After exploring the breathtaking scenery in Grand Teton National Park, we head further South towards Jackson Hole. Jackson Hole is a valley between the Teton Mountain Range and the Gros Ventre Range in Wyoming. The term "hole" was used by early trappers or mountain men, who primarily entered the valley from the north and east and had to descend along relatively steep slopes, giving the sensation of entering a hole. These low-lying valleys are surrounded by mountains and contain rivers and streams, which were good habitat for beaver and other fur-bearing animals. Jackson Hole is of course the gate to Grand Teton National park and the area offers some of the best wildlife viewing in the Northwestern USA. Day 13: Jackson Hole Salt Lake City (B) After breakfast, we board our private coach and head further South. Our 5-hour journey will bring us back to Salt Lake City, and we ll embark on a complimentary tour of the heart of the city: Temple Square. Temple Square is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and located in the center of Salt Lake City. In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square. Perhaps the best known attraction within Temple Square, is the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir, counting 360 volunteer singers and 110 volunteer orchestra members. Attracting 3 million to 5 million visitors a year, Temple Square is the most popular tourist attraction in Utah, bringing in more visitors than the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park. After our visit of Temple Square, we check into our hotel and the rest of the late evening is at leisure. Day 14: Salt Lake City Bryce Canyon (B) Bryce Canyon National Park awaits us today. Only a 4-hour drive away, we ll have plenty of time to explore this unique national park in the afternoon. There is no other place like Bryce Canyon. Despite its name, it is not actually a canyon but

7 rather a collection of natural amphitheaters. Hoodoos odd-shaped pillars of rock left standing from the forces of erosion can be found on every continent, but here you find the largest collection of hoodoos in the world! Descriptions fail. Cave without a roof? Forest of stone? Photographs rarely do it justice, so we re thrilled you ll be able to witness this breathtaking oddity yourself. The air in the area is so clear that on most days from Yovimpa and Rainbow points, Navajo Mountain and the Kaibab Plateau can be seen 90 miles (140 km) away in Arizona. On extremely clear days, the Black Mesas of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico can be seen some 160 miles (260 km) away. The park also has a 7.4 magnitude night sky, making it one of the darkest in North America. Stargazers can, therefore, see 7,500 stars with the naked eye, while in most places fewer than 2,000 can be seen due to light pollution, and in many large cities only a few dozen can be seen. We spend the night in Bryce Canyon City, immediately outside the national park and only minutes-drive away from the natural beauty that is all encompassing here. Day 15: Bryce Canyon Zion National Park Lake Powell Area (B) Our journey continues to Zion National Park today. Located in southwestern Utah, Zion National Park encompasses some of the most scenic canyon country in the United States. The name "Zion" evokes many images. To the earliest settlers of Springdale, Utah, it described a place with beauty too stunning for mere mortals. Zion National Park encompasses some 150,000 acres of wild canyon country east of St. George, Utah, including the narrow, multicolored Kolob Canyons to the north, and many miles of largely impenetrable mountain wilderness. However, the vast majority of visitors come only to see Zion Canyon, probably the most spectacular of the many geological wonders in Utah. Sheer red and white sandstone cliffs tower up to 2,500 feet above the North Fork of the Virgin River, and gradually become closer together upstream until only 30 feet apart in areas, places which are only accessible via hiking trails Angels Landing & The Narrows being the most popular.

8 After exploring Zion, we stop for lunch in Springdale, we continue farther East towards Lake Powell and Page. Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona (most of it, along with Rainbow Bridge, is in Utah). It is a major vacation spot that around 2 million people visit every year. It is the second largest man-made reservoir by maximum water capacity in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing 24,322,000 acre feet of water when full. Lake Powell was created by the flooding of Glen Canyon by the Glen Canyon Dam, which also led to the creation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a popular summer destination and a haven for many houseboaters. We spend the night in the area and continue our trip through America s rugged Southwest tomorrow. Day 16: Lake Powell Area Grand Canyon National Park (B) Leaving Lake Powell behind us, we continue South to even more awe-inspiring nature: Grand Canyon National Park. Grand Canyon National Park is the USA's 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in northwestern Arizona. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers a massive 1,217,262 acres (4, km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties, only a relatively small portion one can visit. After a full afternoon of taking in all this beauty, we head just outside the park to Tusayan, for a restful night Day 17: Grand Canyon National Park Las Vegas (B) We leave Grand Canyon behind us and head towards Sin City. Las Vegas (Spanish for "The Meadows"), officially the City of Las Vegas and often known as simply Vegas, is the most populous city in the state of Nevada and is the county seat of Clark County. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and nightlife, and is the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for Southern Nevada. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its mega casino hotels and associated entertainment.

9 On arrival the late afternoon & evening are at your leisure. Whether you want to catch one of Las Vegas iconic night shows or simply stroll around, you are in the city that never sleeps. Day 18: Las Vegas - - Australia (B) We hope you enjoyed our journey through America s most iconic national parks. Please enjoy some free time this morning before we depart in our private coach to Las Vegas McCarran airport, where your flight back to Australia awaits. Day 19: In flight Day 20: Australia Arrive home today.