Welcome to Calgary! More fun than a 10-gallon hat can hold, it’s no wonder the Calgary Stampede is “the greatest outdoor show on Earth.” The stampede brings the Old West to life throughout its grounds, with entertainment and exhibits, great food, world-famous Chuckwagon horse races, and the Calgary Stampede Rodeo. Continue your adventure through western Canada’s stunning scenery, rugged mountains, breathtaking glaciers, mighty rivers, and gorgeous national parks. Your value-minded Canadian holiday takes you to Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Kamloops, Victoria, and Vancouver. Enjoy two nights in Banff National Park, Canada’s oldest national park and gateway to the Canadian Rockies. You’ll have time to explore the alpine meadows, glaciers, lakes, hot springs, and quaint shops on your own or take an optional excursion like viewing the spectacular scenery by helicopter. You’ll also enjoy two nights in Jasper National Park, the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. You can hike, peruse the shops, and take an optional excursion to Maligne Lake and Spirit Island. Between Banff and Jasper, you’ll experience a highlight of this Canadian Rockies tour—a thrilling ride aboard an Ice Explorer all-terrain vehicle to the Athabasca Glacier, part of the Columbia Icefield, the largest expanse of ice in the Canadian Rockies. Your journey between the two national parks also includes a stop in Lake Louise, whose turquoise waters create a natural mirror that reflects the surrounding mountains and pristine wilderness. Embark on ferry crossings between Vancouver and Victoria to visit the world-famous, gorgeous Butchart Gardens. Board your Alaskan cruise ship and sail amid the emerald forests and turquoise glaciers of the spectacular Inside Passage on your way to Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. Choose to take in the authentic Yukon atmosphere of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park or ride the antique narrow-gauge railway. Cruise stunning Glacier Bay for the chance to witness mammoth chunks of ice calving into the sea. Keep your eyes on the water for the chance to spot whales, porpoises, orcas, eagles, and more! For the value-minded traveller, the stunning scenery, adventure, and natural wonders of this affordable holiday in Canada and Alaskan cruise is the trip of a lifetime!
Traveller Notes
- Adventure is knocking 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!
- Ferry crossing to/from Vancouver Island and a cruise on Holland America’s MS Koningsdam or MS Zaandam are included.
- Cruise itineraries are provided by Holland America Line and are up to date at time of publishing. Your travel documents will contain the most current information.
- Your package price includes Holland America’s ‘Have It All Premium Cruise Package.’ Included for 2025: Signature Beverage package, $100 Shore Excursion Credit, One dinner in a specialty restaurant and Surf Wi-Fi package.
- At least one member of the travelling party must be 21 years of age or older.
- Visiting and participating in activities in this region may be subject to favourable weather conditions and vendor dates of operation.
Please note: Itinerary is based on 2024, and is subject to change. Full details will be confirmed in 2024.
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What's Included
- 7 breakfasts (B).
- 6 lunches (L).
- 7 dinners (D).
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Pricing
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- Start Date
- End Date
- Price
- Availability
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- Start Date:5 Jul 25
- End Date:23 Jul 25
- Price:$11,261
- Availability:Open
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- Start Date:8 Jul 25
- End Date:26 Jul 25
- Price:$10,116
- Availability:Open
Please note: while prices are accurate at time of loading they are subject to change due to currency fluctuations and currency surcharges may apply. Please check price at time of booking -
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Itinerary
DAY - 1Location: CALGARY - Welcome to Calgary, home of the Calgary Stampede! Your Tour Director is on hand late this afternoon to answer any questions.
Location: CALGARY STAMPEDE GROUNDS - Welcome to Calgary and "The Greatest Show on Earth." Dressed in your best Cowboy fashion from belt buckles, boots to chaps, step through the gates of Stampede Park into a world of wonder, fun, and "Wild West" excitement with your included admission. Walk back in time and experience the traditions and culture of Canadian First Nations at Elbow River Camp or stroll the streets of a recreated frontier town. Enjoy a wide variety of exciting talent on the many entertainment stages, and then maybe head into the dazzling array of international exhibits and displays of Western art. This evening, watch the heart-stopping Chuckwagon Races in an all-out dash for the finish line, an amazing contest of nerves and horsepower. You'll be out of your seats cheering on your favourite driver during each heat. Afterward, get ready for an outdoor stage show featuring hundreds of singers, dancers, and musicians in a lavishly produced and choreographed musical variety spectacular.
Location: CALGARY STAMPEDE GROUNDS AND RODEO - Fuel up for the day's activities by visiting Fluor Rope Square at Olympic Plaza for a pancake breakfast. Return to the Stampede grounds this morning to see anything you missed yesterday, and cheer on your favourite rodeo contenders. If you haven't already, get suited with a cowboy hat, threads, and boots at one of the many stalls before heading to the Grandstand for the Calgary Stampede Rodeo this afternoon. See the best of the best as they saddle up for world-class rodeo action. Top professionals take on the West's wildest horses. You'll also enjoy rodeo's most famed event-bull riding! You will be in awe of the talent as you sit on the edge of your seat. Make the most of your time here and discover Canada's country core. With square dancing, mock gun fights, country bands, bars, restaurants and livestock, there is loads to see.
Location: CALGARY-BANFF NATIONAL PARK - The discovery of oil converted this ranching town into a sophisticated city. Sightseeing includes downtown, Fort Calgary, Stampede Park, the Saddledome, and Canada Olympic Park. Motor west through the foothills and into Banff National Park, gateway to the majestic Canadian Rockies. An orientation tour highlights Banff's unspoiled beauty.
Location: BANFF NATIONAL PARK - Banff is one of Canada's favourite year-round resorts, with summer activities such as hiking, boating, and fishing. With a free day, your Tour Director will have many suggestions, including an optional helicopter ride over the Canadian Rockies.
Location: BANFF NATIONAL PARK-LAKE LOUISE-COLUMBIA ICEFIELD-JASPER NATIONAL PARK - Enjoy a day of scenic grandeur. First stop is Lake Louise, whose turquoise waters create a natural mirror that reflects the surroundings. Up next: a stop at the Columbia Icefield to experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice measuring 750 feet thick. Then, journey north into Jasper National Park, where precipitous gorges, snowcapped summits, and lakes of exquisite blues and greens come into view as the motorcoach scales three mountain passes. Later, perhaps take an optional float trip down the Athabasca River. Enjoy an orientation tour of the town of Jasper upon arrival.
Location: JASPER NATIONAL PARK - Today, join our optional excursion to Maligne Lake and Spirit Island, where you embark on a narrated cruise of the lake. The balance of the day is free to enjoy everything Jasper has to offer-from guided hikes and quaint shops to meandering wildlife.
Location: JASPER NATIONAL PARK-MOUNT ROBSON-KAMLOOPS - Depart Jasper and follow the Fraser River to the base of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. The Yellowhead Highway continues south along the mighty Thompson River, with spectacular views of the Monashee Mountains. Overnight in Kamloops.
Location: KAMLOOPS-FERRY CROSSING-VICTORIA - As you travel through British Columbia's Coast Mountain Range to its majestic Pacific coastline, the vegetation changes from desert landscape to lush alpine forest. Board your ferry for the spectacular crossing to Vancouver Island. Sightseeing in Victoria includes world-famous Butchart Gardens, the Inner Harbour, Bastion Square, and Thunderbird Park. This evening, consider a stroll along the lively Waterfront Promenade.
Location: VICTORIA - Today is free to explore on your own. You may choose to join an optional wildlife and whale watching trip cruising the beautiful waters of the San Juan and Gulf Islands, looking for whales, porpoises, seals, and eagles. Your Tour Director will have ideas for enjoying this most British of Canadian cities.
Location: VICTORIA-FERRY CROSSING-VANCOUVER - This morning, set sail across the Strait of Georgia and through the spectacular Gulf Islands. In Vancouver, city sightseeing includes Stanley Park, Gastown, Chinatown, and other famous landmarks. The remainder of the day is free to explore Robson Street and experience British Columbia's premier shopping and entertainment location.
Location: VANCOUVER (EMBARKATION) - Embark your cruise ship. (Your package price includes Holland America's 'Have It All Premium Cruise Package'). (D)
Location: 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)
Location: JUNEAU - Located at the foot of grand mountain peaks on Gastineau Channel, Alaska's capital city of Juneau has 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. There's no end to the adventure because of the long daylight hours. (B,L,D)
Location: SKAGWAY - In winter, the sidewalks are all but rolled up in Skagway, so you can imagine the frightful conditions endured by gold prospectors who passed through en route to the Yukon. Take your time and poke your head into every little shop, from the Trail Bench to Lynch & Kennedy's Dry Goods. The Red Onion Saloon, with its honky-tonk piano and costumed barmaids, is a treasure trove of memorabilia featuring pictures of Klondike Kate, Peahull Annie, and other historic characters. To complete the picture of those rip-roaring days, visit the nostalgic Trail of '98 Museum. (B,L,D)
Location: SCENIC CRUISING: GLACIER BAY - Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world. How does it feel when a colossal chunk of ice splits off a glacier and crashes into the sea? The sound is like thunder. The impact shoots water hundreds of meters into the air. You hold your breath as you capture the moment on camera, then you wait for it all to happen again. (B,L,D)
Location: KETCHIKAN - Alaska's "First City" of Ketchikan is so named because it is the first major landfall for most cruisers as they enter the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage, where 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-visitors can try their luck on a sport-fishing excursion or simply savor the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants. It is also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. (B,L,D)
Location: 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 & 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)
Location: VANCOUVER (DISEMBARKATION) - Your cruise ends this morning. Please schedule flights after noon. (B)