Can I book something like this myself instead of using a travel agent?

You can, but a trip with this many moving parts (flights, a cruise, rail travel, private transfers and hotels across three countries) gets complicated fast, and it's easy to miss the details that make the difference between a good trip and a great one. As your agent, I handle the logistics, the sequencing and the supplier relationships, so if anything changes along the way, whether that's a delay, a cancellation or you just wanting to tweak something, you've got someone actually looking after it rather than juggling six different booking confirmations yourself.

Does it cost more to book through a travel agent?

Generally not. In most cases I'm paid a commission by the suppliers, like Crystal Cruises or Rocky Mountaineer, rather than charging you extra on top, so you're getting the planning, the local knowledge and the support without paying more for it.

Can this itinerary be customised for a different length of trip or budget?

Definitely. This particular trip was built around six weeks and a genuine bucket-list scale, but the same building blocks (a Japan cruise, a Rocky Mountaineer rail journey, a North American city stretch) can be scaled up or down depending on how much time and budget you've got. That's the benefit of working with an agent rather than a fixed package: everything gets built around you.

Planning a Six-Week Japan, Alaska and North America Trip: How It All Came Together

I love it when a client comes to me with a big idea and just says "make this happen." That's exactly how this one started, and honestly, it's become one of my favourite itineraries I've ever put together.

The brief: start in Japan, spend proper time with family, then cross the Pacific by ship, and finish off exploring Canada and the US before heading home to New Zealand. Six weeks all up. Here's how I pieced it together.

First up, time in Japan with no plan at all

Before anything else, we built in unstructured time in Japan with family. No excursions, no bookings, nothing to be somewhere for. When you're about to head off on a huge trip like this, that breathing room at the start actually matters more than people expect. It gives you a chance to properly land before the adventure kicks off.

Crossing the Pacific on Crystal Serenity

From Yokohama, the client boards Crystal Serenity for the real start of the journey. First stop is a run up Japan's northern coast, calling into Hitachinaka, Sendai, Hakodate, Aomori and Kushiro, each one totally different from the last.

Then the ship turns east and it's six days straight at sea crossing the North Pacific (plus a bonus day gained crossing the International Date Line, which is a fun one to explain to clients). No ports, no excursions, just proper time to relax on board.

Next stop is Alaska, and this is where things get really scenic. Kodiak Island, then Seward near Anchorage, then a full day cruising Hubbard Glacier, which is one of those things photos genuinely don't do justice. From there it's through the Inside Passage hitting Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Wrangell, before sailing into Vancouver.

Twenty days, two countries, and every single day earns its place on the itinerary.

Onto dry land with Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf

This bit is where I think the trip really shows what a properly planned itinerary can do.

After a night at the Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver, the client boards Rocky Mountaineer in GoldLeaf Service for a two-day rail journey through BC and Alberta, Vancouver to Kamloops, then on to Banff. If you haven't done this trip, it's genuinely one of the best rail journeys in the world, and GoldLeaf is the top tier of it.

Two nights in Banff at Hotel Canoe & Suites, with a full day taking in the Banff Gondola and a Lake Minnewanka cruise, then on to Lake Louise for one night at the Fairmont Château Lake Louise. That hotel alone is worth the trip, sitting right on the lake inside a UNESCO World Heritage site.

From there it's a shuttle to Calgary, a bit of flexible time, then Toronto (staying at the Novotel Toronto Centre), a quick flight to Niagara Falls for a boat ride right up close to the falls, and then on to the next leg.

Wrapping up on the East Coast

Boston next, three nights at the Canopy by Hilton right between downtown and the North End, perfect for wandering around on foot. Then a First Class train down to New York for three nights at the InterContinental New York Times Square, with a 24-hour hop-on hop-off bus pass to see as much of the city as possible in a short stay.

Then it's a direct flight home to New Zealand, and that's six weeks, three countries, one cruise ship and one very good train, all sorted.

Why trips like this work

The thing I love about planning something this size is the sequencing. Slow time with family, then the total change of pace of a long ocean crossing, then the scenery and comfort of Rocky Mountaineer, then a run of city stays to finish. Nothing feels rushed and nothing overstays its welcome.

This is the kind of trip I genuinely love building. If something like this sounds up your alley, flick me a message at xtravel and let's chat about what your version could look like.

Ready to plan something like this?

If reading this has you thinking about your own big trip, whether that's a few weeks or a few months, I'd love to help you put it together. I work with a small number of clients at a time so every itinerary gets proper attention, and I've got great relationships with suppliers like Crystal Cruises and Rocky Mountaineer to make sure you're getting the real deal, not just a package off a shelf. Get in touch with me at xtravel and let's start talking about what your trip could look like.