The world is within reach with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi (where available). Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!Your Tour Includes:• Entrance fee to Banff National Park and Jasper National Park• Orientation tours of Banff, Jasper, and Victoria• Tickets for the Icefields Explorer Experience at Columbia Icefields• 2-day, all-daylight rail journey on the Rocky Mountaineer in SilverLeaf Service (GoldLeaf Service upgrades are available)• Guided city sightseeing of Vancouver• Ferry crossing to/from Vancouver Island• Admission to Butchart Gardens, Vancouver Island• Alaskan cruise on Holland America’s MS Zaandam including Holland America’s ‘Have It All Premium Cruise Package,’ featuring a signature beverage package, dinner in a specialty restaurant, $100 shore excursion credit, and Wi-Fi package.
Notes:
• Early departures may not be able to visit Columbia Icefield, which opens in early May, take the Maligne Lake & Spirit Island optional excursion which opens in late May to early June, or take the Moraine Lake optional excursion which opens in early June. Visiting and participating in other activities in this region may be subject to favorable weather conditions and vendor dates of operation.• At least one member of the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older.• Cruise itineraries are provided by Holland America Line and are up to date at time of printing. Your travel documents will contain the most current information.• Maximum elevation on tour: 7,500 ft.
Day 1 CALGARY
Welcome to Calgary! Your Tour Director is on hand from 3:-6:00 p.m. to answer any questions
Day 2 CALGARY–BANFF NATIONAL PARK
Home to the Calgary Stampede, discover how the discovery of oil turned this once ranching town into a thriving cultural city. See many of downtown Calgary’s attractions on today’s sightseeing tour, including Fort Calgary, Stampede Park, the Saddledome, and Canada Olympic Park. Next, drive west through the foothills of the Rockies into Banff National Park. Enjoy an orientation tour upon arrival. Evening is at leisure
Day 3 BANFF NATIONAL PARK
Enjoy the day exploring Banff, Canada’s first national park. Hike the many trails, stroll through Banff townsite, or simply relax at the hot springs. The park is also the perfect place for wildlife watching as it is home to 53 species of mammals. Most commonly seen are deer, elk, and big horn sheep. For a uniquely thrilling perspective, take an optional helicopter ride for breathtaking aerial views of the Canadian Rockies. If you prefer your feet on the ground, join the Panoramas & Peaks* optional excursion to visit breathtaking Moraine Lake in the famed Valley of the Ten Peaks.
*This optional excursion begins operating in early June
Day 4 BANFF NATIONAL PARK–LAKE LOUISE–COLUMBIA ICEFIELD–JASPER NATIONAL PARK
First stop is stunning Lake Louise, the crown jewel of Banff National Park, with its turquoise waters reflecting the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Then precipitous gorges, snowcapped mountain ranges, and more exquisite lakes come into view as your motorcoach scales three mountain passes. Stop at the Columbia Icefield for a special trip highlight and experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice measuring 750 feet thick! Late this afternoon, go with the flow on an optional float trip down the Athabasca River. Upon arrival in Jasper National Park, take an orientation tour showcasing the area’s unspoiled beauty
Day 5 JASPER NATIONAL PARK
A day at leisure to explore the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. This morning, consider joining the optional narrated cruise on magical Maligne Lake to Spirit Island*. On the return journey, view picturesque Medicine Lake and Maligne Canyon keeping an eye out for native wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose, and elk. Then perhaps do some hiking or peruse the shops in town.
*This optional excursion begins operating in late May/early June
Day 6 JASPER NATIONAL PARK–ROCKY MOUNTAINEER–MOUNT ROBSON–KAMLOOPS
An exciting morning as you board the Rocky Mountaineer for a two-day, all-daylight, classic rail journey from the Canadian Rockies to the Pacific Coast. En route, pass Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. Follow the North Thompson River and enjoy vistas of the Monashee Mountains. Enjoy free time in Kamloops this evening. (B,L)
BreakfastLunchDay 7 KAMLOOPS–ROCKY MOUNTAINEER–VANCOUVER
This morning, your train adventure continues as you head through the ranchlands along the Thompson River. View the stark beauty of Fraser Canyon and the turbulence of mighty Hell’s Gate creating whitewater on the Fraser River. After an evening arrival in Vancouver, transfer to your hotel. (B,L)
BreakfastLunchDay 8 VANCOUVER–FERRY CROSSING–VICTORIA
Morning sightseeing focuses on Vancouver’s beautiful Stanley Park and other famous landmarks. Afterward, sail through the spectacular Gulf Islands, known for their Mediterranean-like climate, to the charming city of Victoria, capital of British Columbia. Stop at world-famous Butchart Gardens with its 55-acres of floral displays, then enjoy sightseeing in Victoria that includes Bastion Square, the Parliament Buildings, and Thunderbird Park with its collection of totem poles. This evening, perhaps enjoy a walk and a fresh seafood dinner along the harbourfront while you savor the view
Day 9 VICTORIA–FERRY CROSSING–VANCOUVER (EMBARKATION)
Sail via ferry across the Strait of Georgia this morning to Vancouver. After arrival in Vancouver, bid farewell to your Tour Director and transfer to Canada Place to board your cruise ship. Your package price includes Holland America’s ‘Have It All Premium Cruise Package.' (D)
DinnerDay 10 SCENIC CRUISING: INSIDE PASSAGE
Spend the day cruising one of the world’s most spectacular waterways. Located along the coast of British Columbia, the Inside Passage is the longest sheltered inland waterway in the world. Watch the water for orcas and humpback whales. (B,L,D)
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DinnerDay 11 JUNEAU
Located at the foot of grand mountain peaks on Gastineau Channel, Alaska’s capital city of Juneau features massive Mendenhall Glacier and the Juneau Icefield at its back door. Visit the rustic shops in town—or get out and kayak, raft, hike, whale watch, flightsee, or fish. With long daylight hours, the possibilities are endless. (B,L,D)
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DinnerDay 12 SKAGWAY
Skagway is historically considered the gateway to the Gold Rush of 1898 when thousands of men with dreams of striking it rich poured into the city and withstood treacherous winter conditions en route to the Yukon Territory. Explore gold rush lore at the Trail of ’98 Museum or at the Red Onion Saloon, with its treasure trove of memorabilia featuring pictures of Klondike Kate, Peahull Annie, and other historic characters. Or simply walk on the boardwalks along the dirt streets and enjoy perusing all the shops. (B,L,D)
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DinnerDay 13 SCENIC CRUISING: GLACIER BAY
With the serene majesty of snow-flecked and forested mountains defining its shores, Glacier Bay National Park offers some of the most dramatic scenery in the world. Keep your binoculars and camera on hand as you cruise Glacier Bay to the mile-wide Margerie Glacier, where you may have a chance to witness the thrilling spectacle of ice calving. Wildlife abounds in Glacier Bay, so keep a watchful eye to catch the fluke of a humpback rise breaking the surface or a lone grizzly bear wandering a wind-swept beach. (B,L,D)
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DinnerDay 14 KETCHIKAN
Named Alaska’s “First City,” Ketchikan is so named as the first major landfall for most cruisers entering the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage. The town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain. An important hub of the salmon-fishing-and-packing industries, Ketchikan offers the opportunity to try your luck on a sport-fishing excursion, savor fresh seafood at a local restaurant, or dive into rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. (B,L,D)
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DinnerDay 15 SCENIC CRUISING: INSIDE PASSAGE
Arguably one of the greatest cruising routes in the world, the Inside Passage stretches through stunning landscapes, from Misty Fjords National Monument to famed Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Sailing the Inside Passage offers opportunities to spot some of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife, with humpback whales and orca plying the bountiful waters alongside the ships, bald eagles soaring overhead and brown bears lumbering on the shoreline. (B,L,D)
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DinnerDay 16 VANCOUVER (DISEMBARKATION)
Your cruise ends this morning. Please schedule flights after noon. (B)