2022 & 2023 Guided Tours - Cosmos® Affordable Tours

Heart of the Canadian Rockies with Alaska Cruise (8915)

17 days from Calgary to Vancouver

2027 Tour Details View 2026 Tour Details »

The Canadian Rockies are known for their stunning scenery, rugged mountains, breathtaking glaciers, mighty rivers, and gorgeous national parks. On this Heart of the Canadian Rockies tour, you’ll experience all of this plus a 7-night Alaska cruise where you’ll witness the amazing Inside Passage, one of the world’s most picturesque sea lanes! You’ll overnight in Calgary, Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Kamloops, Victoria, and Vancouver. Enjoy two nights in Banff National Park, gateway to the Canadian Rockies, with free time to hike, stroll along the river, visit the hot springs, or take an exhilarating optional helicopter ride for incredible aerial views. You’ll also have two nights in Jasper National Park where you can join an optional excursion to see beautiful Maligne Lake and Spirit Island or take an optional float trip down the Athabasca River. Between Banff and Jasper, you’ll experience two highlights of this Canadian Rockies tour— a stop at Lake Louise, whose turquoise waters create a natural mirror that reflects the surrounding mountains and a thrilling ride aboard an Ice Explorer all-terrain vehicle to the Athabasca Glacier. Sail across the Strait of Georgia to Victoria where sightseeing includes world-famous Butchart Gardens with its 55 acres of showcase floral displays and have free time to explore this charming city on your own. Perhaps enjoy high tea at the Empress Hotel, discover Victoria’s delightful historic buildings and harbour, or join the optional Marine Wildlife & Whale-Watching Expedition to seek out the resident pods of orca whales. Ferry across the picturesque Gulf Islands to vibrant Vancouver where sightseeing includes beloved Stanley Park and other famous landmarks. Then 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. All of this and more await you on this once-in-a-lifetime Canadian Rockies tour designed for savvy, value-minded travelers!

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:

• Guided city sightseeing in Calgary and Vancouver
• 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
• Ferry to/from Vancouver Island
• Admission to Butchart Gardens, Vancouver Island
• Alaskan Cruise on Holland America’s MS Koningsdam or MS Zaandam with 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.

Heart of the Canadian Rockies with Alaska Cruise map

 Photo Highlights

 Meals

 Meals & Itinerary

7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners


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.

 Itinerary

Day 1 CALGARY

Welcome to Calgary! Your Tour Director is on hand from 3-6:00 p.m. to answer any questions.

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Day 2 CALGARY–BANFF NATIONAL PARK

Home to the world-famous 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. Motor west through the foothills and into Banff National Park, gateway to the majestic Canadian Rockies. An orientation tour highlights Banff’s unspoiled beauty.

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Day 3 BANFF NATIONAL PARK

Enjoy a free day in Banff, one of Canada’s favorite year-round resorts, with summer activities such as hiking, biking, and fishing. Your Tour Director will have many suggestions, including a sky-high adventure with an unforgettable optional helicopter ride for incredible views of the Canadian Rockies. If you prefer keeping your feet on the ground, join the Panoramas & Peaks* optional excursion to see breathtaking Moraine Lake in the famed Valley of the Ten Peaks.

*This optional excursion begins operating in early June.

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Day 4 BANFF NATIONAL PARK–LAKE LOUISE–COLUMBIA ICEFIELD–JASPER NATIONAL PARK

Enjoy a day of scenic grandeur. First stop is Lake Louise, where turquoise waters create a natural mirror that reflects the surrounding mountains. Up next, a stop at the Columbia Icefield to ride the all-terrain Ice Explorer on ice measuring 750 feet thick! Continue north into Jasper National Park, where precipitous gorges, snowcapped summits, and lakes of exquisite blues and greens come into view as your journey scales three mountain passes. Enjoy an orientation tour of the town of Jasper upon arrival. Later, consider an optional float trip down the Athabasca River.

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Day 5 JASPER NATIONAL PARK

Today, experience the magic of nature on an optional excursion to Maligne Lake and Spirit Island* where you’ll embark on a narrated cruise to learn about the area’s history, geology, flora, and fauna amid stunning scenery. The balance of the day is free to enjoy everything Jasper has to offer—from guided hikes and quaint shops to meandering wildlife.

*This optional excursion begins operating in late May/early June.

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Day 6 JASPER NATIONAL PARK–MOUNT ROBSON–KAMLOOPS

Depart Jasper and follow the Fraser River to the base of Mount Robson, which at 12,972-feet is 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

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Day 7 KAMLOOPS–FERRY CROSSING–VICTORIA

Travel through British Columbia’s Cascade Mountains and the fertile Fraser Valley to the majestic Pacific coastline, where the desert landscape gives way to lush alpine forest. Board your ferry for the scenic crossing to Vancouver Island. Prior to arriving in Victoria, visit world-famous Butchart Gardens and view 55 acres of beautiful floral displays. Continue downtown and see the Inner Harbour, Bastion Square, and Thunderbird Park. This evening, consider a relaxing stroll along the lively Waterfront Promenade.

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Day 8 VICTORIA

Today is free to explore on your own. Your Tour Director will have ideas for enjoying this most British of Canadian cities. Perhaps enjoy high tea at the Empress Hotel or choose an adventure at sea with an optional wildlife and whale-watching expedition, looking for whales, porpoises, seals, and eagles.

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Day 9 VICTORIA–FERRY CROSSING–VANCOUVER

This morning, set sail across the Strait of Georgia, an arm of the Salish Sea, and through the scenic Gulf Islands. In Vancouver, city sightseeing includes the harbourfront, Stanley Park, and other famous landmarks. The remainder of the day is free to explore this vibrant city known for its incredible scenery, thriving art scene, and diverse culture. Perhaps visit Robson Street and experience British Columbia’s premier shopping and entertainment location.

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Day 10 VANCOUVER (EMBARKATION)

Say goodbye to your Tour Director and embark on your cruise ship. Your package price includes Holland America’s ‘Have It All Premium Cruise Package.

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Day 11 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.

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Day 12 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.

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Day 13 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 the shops.

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Day 14 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.

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Day 15 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.

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Day 16 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.

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Day 17 VANCOUVER (DISEMBARKATION)

Your cruise ends this morning. Please schedule flights after noon.

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Breakfast Breakfast

 Tour Director

With COSMOS, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of a Tour Director. We’d like you to meet one of our Tour Directors, who average over a decade of experience and are representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

ANDREW MORAN

Escorting tours for more than 20 years

Born in Salisbury, England, I left England at the age of nine and ended up in Los Angeles. Some of my hobbies include travel, flying (I have my license to fly small, single-engine planes), gardening (growing my own fruits and veggies is awesome), and landscaping (it gives me a chance to learn about different trees and plants). My advice to travelers is to come with an open mind and look forward to learning new things. What makes other places so special is that they're not home!

Tour Director - ANDREW MORAN

 Accommodations

 Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyCosmos site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 CAD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 CAD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 CAD)
$$$$ (Over $150)

No Excursions are available at this time.



The “Starting at” or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per person based on twin occupancy and any applicable port charges, non-commissionable taxes and fees and intra-vacation flight are included in the price shown. Any included overnight stay in Canada, applicable GST/HST is also included in the price shown. International airfare, however, is not included. If price is crossed out, the new price shown includes a limited time promotional offer(s). Please review current promotions or deals for additional information.