Hello

Im an australian planning a trip with a friend to america later this year.
We are interested in doing the national parks and canyon tour and are interested to hear from others that may have done this particular trip or any cosmos tour in the USA. The reviews seem to be mainly from european/british tours so far.

What was the tour like? Was it fun? Professional? Was the accomadation satisfactory and clean? etc etc.

We are 2x late 20s girls hoping our group is fun and around our age group. Ive heard there can be quite a mix on these tours.

Im excited by the price of these tours and we are quite prepared to stay in budget accomadation and spend our savings on other things. Just hoping its value for money and not tooooo scummy/cheap/dingy etc.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks!

Gee thanks for all the feedback guys!!!

Hi Lou,
I have not taken an American Cosmos tour, but I am an American so I can help with some of your questions/concerns. First the Hotels/Motels that the Cosmos tours use in the States are Very clean and Comfortable. In the US of A we have some real sleazy motels (like most countries) but Cosmos does NOT ever stay at those, luckily we have some very nice hotels/motels in great neighborhoods that can be as little as $30-$40pp a night and these are the ones Cosmos use! They are Clean SAFE Comfortable and worth more then what Cosmos has to pay, so you can feel at ease when it comes to the rooms!
I have looked at the tour you speak of and it is worth the price as you will see some incredible scenery (of course Australia has some incredible scenery too) with dramatic contrasts plus you can "Experiance" the non-stop circus called Las Vegas (Fun/Safe/nothing else like it in the world). . As for the "Ages" on the tour, well it is just the luck of the draw and you really wont know until you get on the bus. If I were you I would consider the time of year you want to go as most the tour is in the desert and can get quite hot in the summer months (june-sept). . If it was me going I would probably go in April/May or late Sept when it was warm but not really hot and plenty of desert blooms (really pretty sight) too see! Feel free to ask any more questions and I will try to help you as much as possible and can even do some research on stuff if you need (I like helping when I can and since Im just a working class man not a T/A then it is FREE lol), just let me know and I'll do what I can. Have Fun

Hi Brian,

Thankyou so much for replying and giving me so much good advice and offering to help! Its very much appreciated and I am very grateful!

The hotels were my main concern as Cosmos offers much cheaper tours than anyone else so we were worried the accomadation might be less than savoury but you have certainly put my mind at ease.

We are looking at taking the tour at the very end of Sept/early Oct so the weather shouldn't be too bad I'm hoping! I'm very excited to be visiting your country and know we will be seeing very beautiful places/scenery on that tour. I hope all the tipping and extra options don't end up costing us a fortune but they sound exciting and probably worth doing.
We are very very excited about Las Vegas! Im sure 2 young aussies gals will have a ball there!

Whereabouts in the USA are you from? We will be doing alot of other travel while in the USA as we will be there for 5weeks. I'm in the process now of trying to organise domestic flights and accomadation for our other destinations in the USA. The main cities that worry me are LA and NY in terms of safety and where to stay on a budget!

Anyway thankyou so much for replying. Any further advice for can give me would be greatly appreciated and I hope to hear from you soon. Please let me know where you are from incase we are travelling through there, I may need to ask you for more advice/tips.

Thanks! Lou x

Well Lou Im right next to one of your scary cities, Los Angeles (we call it LA), I actually live in live in the Anaheim Hills/Yorba Linda part of Orange County California a very safe are considering all the money, pro athletes, cops & fireman that live here . .. ..lol! Los Angeles is a very nice are Except a few areas and you wont be in those places so relax , but remember to always keep your eyes open "Just in case". . Aussie's are quite Welcome and of course many will think you are English, we have a bit of a different menu, but you will enjoy most. If you are on a budget then check Jet Blue ( a new airline open arounds sept/oct)they will have real low fares. Almost any Comfort Inn , Raddison, Quality Inn type Hotel/motels are pretty clean some offer a continental breakfast and be safe and convienient for as little as $70 a night between 2 people (not bad for american standards). .
As for New York that is a whole different lifestyle (most my family still live there) just remember they are not yelling, they just talk LOUD there.. .. ..lol. You are safe in New York just like any other Big city, just listen to people tell you what Not to do, for instance if your in Manhatten and you must go there, remember if someone says go 2 blocks turn left go 1 block turn left go 1 block and youre there, then there is a RESAON they dont think you should go down the first street when it is quicker (my wife and I learned how to RUN real fast). . Honestly I would not worry about any of the US as long as you use common sense and try to stick with the well known Chain hotel/motels and I believe you can get free nights if you stay with the enough times. Well good luck, let me know if you have any more questions! Ive seen Aussie's in Las Vegas they have no problem keeping up with the Party, you will have a blast (I know my kids do)!

Hi,

I'm in my early 30's and took this tour last year. I am an Australian married to an American and living in Florida. The tour was wonderful, very relaxing and the scenery was magnificent. It will be very cold for Australians in the mountains in September/October. I went in July and it was still freezing in Jackson, Wyoming and in the Black Hills of South Dakota (30's and 40's fahrenheit). . Bring a coat and boots and sweaters. The hotels were all clean and comfortable, some with free breakfast included. Most were well located with the sights at your doorstep or a short walk or, in the case of Salt Lake City, tram ride away. My favorite stops were Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, Deadwood, and of course, Las Vegas. The crowds on Cosmos tend to be quiet, mostly American, family-oriented, and middle-aged (with a sprinkling of some older and some younger, including older children). . If you are into partying, I would recommend you try Contiki instead. Cosmos tour participants are there to experience the scenery and culture, not the nightlife. So if this is what you are into, you may be disappointed with a Cosmos tour. Hope this helps. Bye for now.

National Parks & Canyon Country tour

Dear Michelle,

I am so delighted to hear from you. I will be taking the above 12 days tour in July this year and am eager to find out more. Your comments are really really informative. I am so worried that it will be too hot for me in July. But, with your advice, I am better prepared for it. I am from Singapore and the weather is terribly hot here. Therefore, I would prefer a cooler climate. By the way, I heard that the canyons and parks we are visiting are more lovely in Spring (Apr/May) and Autumn (Sept/Oct). . Is it true that July will not be as good ? Also, there are a few optional tours - Raft Trip down Snake River, Monument Valley & Grand Canyon Helicopter flights. Can a non swimer join a raft trip ? Also, are the 2 helicopter flights worth visiting ? Is there any other advice for me ? I would be most grateful. Thanks a lot and have a nice day.

Hi Doreen,

I found July to be a pretty good time to go on the trip. If you go outside of the summer season (July-Aug) you might risk bad weather in the mountains. The scenery was spectacular in July and there was still views of snow-capped mountains. The sights were crowded during the US summer school holiday period, but I didn't find them to be too bad, except for the Grand Canyon which was like a zoo (don't expect solitude there). . I have been to Singapore a number of times and love it, but I know that you have to deal with high humidity and heat. You will find it pleasantly cool in the Rockies and the Black Hills during the day and it can get down right cold in the evenings. I had the bad luck to experience a lot of rain around the Black Hills of South Dakota which made it very cold and damp. Hopefully, you will have nice sunshine while you are in that particularly beautiful area. You will get the chance to go on a optional van tour of the national forest. This trip is particularly worthwhile to see some wonderful rock formations and perhaps buffalo and other wildlife. The optional trip to see the Crazy Horse monument and the rather corny cowboy show and dinner is worthwhile for the price. Once you get out of the mountains (just before Salt Lake City) you will find that the weather will change dramatically. The rest of the way will be extremely hot and dry. Bring a hat and sunscreen. I didn't go on the helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon (too scared) but my elderly mother did. She's a thrillseeker and loved every minute of it. She got to see a lot more of the Canyon than I did from the rim. Neither of us went on the Monument Valley helicopter ride (too expensive). . Unfortunately, Denver is not a nice city. I have never seen so many homeless people in my life. The hotel is a couple of blocks from downtown Denver's mall and this is probably as far as I would suggest you go during the day. If you go out at night, take a taxi to and from your destination. All the rest of the places visited are small town America and are charming and safe. The people are very friendly. Las Vegas is one of my favorite places to visit and it just keeps getting bigger and better every year. It is very safe if you stay on the Strip and don't walk down the side streets. Salt Lake City is probably the least interesting place visited on the tour, unless you are particularly interested in the mormons. You can not go inside the temple unless you are mormon. However, you can visit the rather uninspiring venue where the choir sings. Hope this helps with planning your trip. Let me know if there is anything else you would like to know.

I am not a swimmer either so I didn't go on the raft trip or the float trip. I heard that the float trip would be ok for a non-swimmer but I didn't hear any people who did the water activities saying that they thought that they were really good. I believe that you do get wet on the raft trip, but not the float trip. The tour director I had (Roger) was unusually truthful about the optional excursions and didn't try to put the hard sell on us. He was up front with what he thought was good and what wasn't worth the money.

Dear Michelle,

Thank you once again for posting a diary of your experiences. I have learnt a great deal. Glad to also know that you have been to Singapore a few times and love it.

There are several sections on the snake River, the most serious Whitewater is through Hells Canyon. That section is usually a four or five day trip. The other sections are quite mellow and it is not necessary to be a swimmer. While in the raft you would be wearing a life jacket and the guides are very experienced in rescuing anyone who should fall out.. . However, these sections that you would be doing our very mild and the chances of going overboard are quite slim.

The trouble is some companies, that handle rafting for tour companies, many times are not interested in the enjoyment of the participants. For example I signed up to do a rafting trip near Denali Park, Alaska. The rafting company so overloaded the rafts I refused to go. Even though they would not refund my money.

I have drafted many rivers including a five day trip on the Snake through Hells Canyon. Being an experienced rafter I did not find even this section intimidating. The sections you would be doing are probably I to III class Rapids. These are not much more than a ripple in the water. I would not let be a non-swimmer affect my decision.

Thanks Bill for sharing your many experiences.

Hi
Im an Australian and have done plenty of Cosmos and other tours in America
May I also agree with others that you do a Contiki they are great fun and very social

Another very good option is Van/camping with group such as Suntrek or Trek America

Work out more expensive but you see the real America rather than from a bus going past

Cosmos tend to stay out of town and are a budget tour so you get what you pay for but are generally quite good

They do have a lot of optionals which are not always worth the money so choose wisely

Also be careful of booking with Cosmos too early

Changes incurr costs

You are better to use guaranteed departure dates
as once they have your deposit you cannot back out
and they may not tell you a tour is cancelled till just a couple of weeks
before due date

They also tend to combine Tours also so you may be offered a tour at the last minute that you dont or cant take because of dates

Also this makes it hard to arrange other connecting tours

We are doing 3 Cosmos this year but will wait to book until last minute to book unless they are guaranteed departures

Hope this info helps

You will enjoy America and the people are all very friendly and helpful

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Wish I had checked this earlier.. ..we have booked the tour and Im praying it doesnt get cancelled or changed at that last minute!
Although we are looking for some fun in the USA we arent actually interested in getting drunk and making out with everyone in sight, so from what you have told me Im very excited! We just want a laid back tour with alot of beautiful scenery. We have 5weeks in the USA so Im sure we'll have plenty of nightlife on the rest of the trip!

Thanks