Atlas Cruises & Tours www.escortedcosmostour.com
A division of the Atlas Travel Network

TOTEM CIRCLE (83802010)
A  13-Day tour starting from $2,279

Live, experienced travel consultants available:
1-800-942-3301
Monday-Friday 9AM - 6:30PM Eastern Time
9AM - 2PM Saturdays

Tour Length:    13 Days
Tour Type:    Other Cosmos Tours
Tour Category:    VALUE VACATION
Tour Operator:    Cosmos Tours
Tour Code:    8380-2010
About This Tour

Vacation Overview
Experience British Columbia and Alberta on this fun-filled Canadian vacation. Start your trip in Vancouver with a city sightseeing tour before taking a ferry to Vancouver Island, where you make stops in Victoria, Chemainus, and Port Hardy. Your tour in Victoria includes world-famous Butchart Gardens, a floral extravagance with 55 acres. Cruise one of the world’s most beautiful ocean voyages on the Inside Passage to Prince Rupert. The breathtaking scenery includes towering mountains, roaring waterfalls, endless islands, and virgin rainforest. Watch for sea lions, eagles, and porpoises. In Prince Rupert, board Canada’s VIA Rail®’s Skeena train to Prince George. On this train journey, watch for soaring bald eagles, black bears, moose, and majestic mountains. Leave British Columbia and cross the border into Alberta, where you overnight in both Jasper National Park and Banff National Park. Other fabulous highlights on this vacation include Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies; Columbia Icefield, where you take a thrilling Ice Explorer ride in an all-terrain vehicle on ice measuring 1,200 feet (365 meters); Lake Louise; and Yoho National Park, one of Canada’s most popular recreational areas. Your vacation ends back in Vancouver. To see spectacular scenery by land, train, and boat, this vacation offers it all!
What's Included?

Guides
Services of a professional Tour Director.

Hotels


Vancouver
Ramada Inn & Suites (MF);

Victoria
Embassy Inn (MF);

Port Hardy
Port Hardy Inn (T);

Prince Rupert
Crest Hotel (SF);

Prince George
Sandman Inn Prince George (ST);

Jasper
Marmot Lodge (F);

Banff
Spruce Grove Inn (ST);

Kelowna
Sandman Hotel (ST)

Meals
On VIA Rail’s Skeena: 1 breakfast (B), 1 lunch (L), 1 dinner (D)

Transportation
Ferry crossing from the mainland to Vancouver Island; full-day cruise through the Inside Passage; VIA Rail’s Skeena train with seating in Totem (First) class; private, deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach while touring.
Sightseeing / Highlights

City Highlights
In Vancouver and Victoria; Stanley Park; Butchart Gardens; orientation tour of Prince Rupert; guided visit to the North Pacific Historic Fishing Village; Columbia Icefield (Ice Explorer ride). Inside visits as shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges where applicable.Note: The Canadian Rockies are blessed with stunning lakes, exquisite mountain scenery, and extraordinary outdoor attractions. Visiting and participating in activities in these locations is subject to favorable weather conditions.

Scenic Highlights
Strait of Georgia, Gulf Islands, coastline of Vancouver Island, Campbell River, Skeena River, Pacific Coast rainforest, Jasper National Park, Lake Louise, Yoho National Park, Glacier National Park, Rogers Pass, and the Cascade Mountains.
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
VANCOUVER. Enjoy some time at leisure to relax or to do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions.

Day 2:
VANCOUVER–FERRY CROSSING–VICTORIA. Morning sightseeing focuses on Vancouver’s Chinatown, Gastown, the beautiful beaches and harbor, and lovely Stanley Park. Afterward, set sail across the Strait of Georgia through the spectacular Gulf Islands, an area known for its Mediterranean-like climate. Afternoon sightseeing in Victoria includes world-famous BUTCHART GARDENS, Bastion Square, and Thunderbird Park with its unusual collection of totem poles.

Day 3:
VICTORIA. Be sure to discover some of the attractions this splendid city has to offer, including the Royal British Columbia Museum, afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel, a whale-watching cruise on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and fine shopping along Government Street. This evening, join our optional excursion in Chinatown, complete with colorful lanterns and dinner at a first-class restaurant.

Day 4:
VICTORIA–CHEMAINUS–PORT HARDY. An early departure from Victoria follows the eastern coastline of Vancouver Island, stopping at Chemainus, the unique village with more than 30 murals depicting pioneer settlement of the area. Then, it’s through the port of Campbell River, the “Salmon Capital of the World.”

Day 5:
PORT HARDY–INSIDE PASSAGE CRUISE–PRINCE RUPERT. Early this morning, embark on BC Ferries for what is referred to as one of the world’s most beautiful ocean voyages. The scenery is spectacular, with towering mountains, roaring waterfalls, endless islands, and virgin rainforest. Animal and marine life abound, often with sightings of sea lions, eagles, and porpoises—you may even spot a killer whale! Late-evening arrival in Prince Rupert.

Note: Cruising time through the Inside Passage is approximately 15 hours. Please come prepared with all medications, eyeglasses, and any other items you will need.

Day 6:
PRINCE RUPERT. Depart for an orientation tour of Prince Rupert, then visit the NORTH PACIFIC HISTORIC FISHING VILLAGE for a guided tour of British Columbia’s oldest cannery village. Learn of the canning process and what life was like in the village during peak production earlier this century. With your free time this afternoon you may opt for an outing to learn the secrets of the totem. See a totem pole being carved and visit a longhouse to gain a better understanding of the day-to-day lifestyle of the First Nations culture. (The native people in Canada are referred to as the First Nations.)

Day 7:
PRINCE RUPERT–VIA RAIL SKEENA TRAIN–PRINCE GEORGE. This morning, board VIA Rail®’s Skeena train for the trip of a lifetime. The Skeena winds its way through the majestic Coast Mountains, follows the mighty Skeena River—often referred to as the “River of Mists”—and concludes in the Pacific Coast rainforest. You’ll retrace ancient First Nations trading routes and follow the paths of the earliest fur traders. Soaring bald eagles, inquisitive black bears, browsing moose, and other wildlife may be spotted from the glassed-in observation dome that provides 360-degree views. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. (B,L,D)

Day 8:
PRINCE GEORGE–MOUNT ROBSON–JASPER. As we continue onward to Jasper National Park the peak elevations grow, culminating with Mount Robson, the highest of Canada’s Rockies at almost 13,000 feet. Overnight in Jasper.

Day 9:
JASPER–COLUMBIA ICEFIELD–BANFF. Winding our way down the western fringe of Alberta, our journey takes us through some of the Canadian Rockies’ most breathtaking wilderness. Our first highlight on today’s agenda is a stop at the COLUMBIA ICEFIELD to experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice measuring 1,200 feet (365 meters) thick. Precipitous gorges, snowcapped mountain ranges, and lakes of exquisite blues and greens come into view as the motorcoach scales two mountain passes on the journey south to Banff.

Day 10:
BANFF. Banff is one of Canada’s favorite year-round resorts, with summer activities including hiking, boating, horseback riding, and fishing. Cosmos has arranged for an optional helicopter ride high over the Canadian Rockies. This evening, join the optional excursion to Oh Canada Eh for a 5-course dinner and musical entertainment.

Day 11:
BANFF–LAKE LOUISE–YOHO NATIONAL PARK–KELOWNA. This morning’s visit takes us to Lake Louise. Its cold waters perfectly mirror the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Afterward, enter the spectacular beauty of YOHO NATIONAL PARK, one of Canada’s most popular recreational areas and the site of pre-Cambrian fossil finds. On to GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, where the motorcoach climbs 4,379-foot-high Rogers Pass, a perfect spot for photos of the impressive surrounding mountain cliffs and glaciers. Continue on to the resort city of Kelowna, attractively set on the shores of Okanagan Lake.

Day 12:
KELOWNA–CASCADE MOUNTAINS–VANCOUVER. Today, continue through the fertile Fraser Valley with grand vistas of vineyards and orchards. Next, travel over the towering Cascade Mountains into Vancouver.

Day 13:
VANCOUVER. The trip ends today with guests departing on individual schedules. Transfers to Vancouver International Airport are included.

Dates & Prices

To speak to one of our live, experienced travel consultants, Call us now at 1-800-942-3301.

Airfare Disclaimer
A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation.

Documents
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date

       
Starting Date
Ending Date
Land Only
Land + Air
9/9/2010
9/21/2010
$2,279
Call (800) 942-3301
9/13/2010
9/25/2010
$2,279
Call (800) 942-3301
9/23/2010
10/5/2010
$2,279
Call (800) 942-3301
Additional Information

Price Details US
Single Room Supplement: $765Triple Room Reduction per person: $126

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Important Note:
All prices are per person, double occupancy, subject to availability. These pages are not endorsed or supported by the tour operator in any way. All information presented is based on promotional material provided by the tour operator. All prices, itineraries, accommodations and dates are subject to change without notice and at any time by the tour operators. Availability is limited and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. The prices on this website are not guaranteed. We are not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes in pricing. Please call us toll free at 1-800-942-3301 to confirm availability and pricing.