Cosmos Tour Reviews
The 1,999 Cosmos Tour reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have travelled with Cosmos. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
The 1,999 Cosmos Tour reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have travelled with Cosmos. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
South Africa - So Many Highlights 6
South Africa: from the Cape to Kruger with Victoria Falls
Jeff & Dee, ACT, Australia, May 2018
We considered we had value for money on this trip. In a small group of 20 we soon became a close knit group making the experience so much better. Coaches very comfortable and so too the selected accommodation. Variety, quality and quantity of meals good. A lovely Tour Director Wendy.
We enjoyed some of the wonderful sites and attractions of South read more Africa at a leisurely pace. There were so many highlights one has difficulty in identifying one real stand out. Table Mountain, Cape of Good hope, Garden Route, Cango Caves, Ostrich Farm, Shakaland, Hluhluwe and Kruger game parks and Victoria Falls - to name just a few.
We managed to see the big four just missing out on the Leopard. Although others in our group where lucky. If you are after an inexpensive tour take a close look at this. You might like to look close at time of year if you wish to see the blooms.
We enjoyed some of the wonderful sites and attractions of South read more Africa at a leisurely pace. There were so many highlights one has difficulty in identifying one real stand out. Table Mountain, Cape of Good hope, Garden Route, Cango Caves, Ostrich Farm, Shakaland, Hluhluwe and Kruger game parks and Victoria Falls - to name just a few.
We managed to see the big four just missing out on the Leopard. Although others in our group where lucky. If you are after an inexpensive tour take a close look at this. You might like to look close at time of year if you wish to see the blooms.
Wonderful trip through France and Spain 1
Manmohan & Sunita, VIC, Australia, May 2018
A great way to see a broad section of France & Spain although it involved a lot of travelling. Elsa and the driver worked well together and both provided excellent service. Every stop on our itinerary was well timed, even if we sometimes felt rushed at times, in hindsight extra time wouldn’t have been beneficial and less time wouldn’t have been enough. read more Cosmos is a great way to travel on a budget!
Fabulous tour guide, Margarita, knowledgeable and kind. Lots of good humour and banter on the bus, and she always ensured that people with any disablilites were taken care of. Although some of the options should really have been included in the overall trip, they were well priced and enjoyable. The trip included many of the sights that are “musts” i read moren Greece, and overall, we loved the entire experience.
We decided to arrive a few days before our tour started to get the feel of Tokyo and we did this by exploring the city on the subway. Our tour started with meeting our fellow travellers in the lobby of the hotel and our tour guide introduced herself. She was very knowledgeable but that was no surprise as she would have been well over retirement age read more in Australia.
Length was long enough, the hotels good but of course small rooms but that is Japan for you. We did not leave after our tour to go home and added more time in Fukuoka to see one of our homestay students from years ago which was a lovely experience.
Length was long enough, the hotels good but of course small rooms but that is Japan for you. We did not leave after our tour to go home and added more time in Fukuoka to see one of our homestay students from years ago which was a lovely experience.
The tour was great with good people and places visited. I did not like the tour leader Jzolt as he was frank and abrupt and had to speak with him on three different occasions regarding to frequent stops, ignoring my questions and giving the group an option and then 10 minutes later telling me it was not possible? And he still expected a tip? Don't be read more frank is my tip.
Apart from that I loved it, well handled by Hannah and Cosmos and stuck to the itinerary and would travel again. Tour leaders are like lotto whether you get a good one or not.
Apart from that I loved it, well handled by Hannah and Cosmos and stuck to the itinerary and would travel again. Tour leaders are like lotto whether you get a good one or not.
Great Trip Through the National Parks 12
Exploring America's National Parks
Joan & Mike, WA, Australia, May 2018
This Cosmos trip was an excellent way to see the National Parks of America. It was fairly fast paced as there were only 2, 2 night stopovers in the 15 days. The accommodation was very good in all but one place, Cody. This accommodation was in a very small cabin, no fridge or coffee machine and very cramped with 2 double beds in the room. I would recommend read more that future tours include all breakfasts in the booking as there's not a lot of time in the mornings to find somewhere to eat before having to depart for the days journey.
Booking through Global journeys was easy and problem free, and I would book through them again. The Cosmos Tour Director, Jim Grenfell, was an excellent tour director, very knowledgeable about all the places we visited and nothing was too much trouble for him. I would certainly recommend this tour to anyone who wants a 'taste' of the National Parks as they are all very different and interesting.
Booking through Global journeys was easy and problem free, and I would book through them again. The Cosmos Tour Director, Jim Grenfell, was an excellent tour director, very knowledgeable about all the places we visited and nothing was too much trouble for him. I would certainly recommend this tour to anyone who wants a 'taste' of the National Parks as they are all very different and interesting.
Those Awesome National Parks of the USA 10
Exploring America's National Parks
Marilyn & Barry, VIC , Australia, May 2018
This tour was new to Cosmos and it was a terrific experience. Our tour leader was Jim and his capable tour driver was Randy. These guys really complimented and upgraded the tour with their personal styles and presentations. The itinerary was sublime as we meandered through the most glorious scenery some in difficult driving spots.
There were many read more highlights being The Grand Canyon with the optional helicopter ride, Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Yellowstone, Bryce National Parks, Salt Lake City and the lovely unknown and friendly towns such as Cody and Custer. Las Vegas was an interesting visit---we had a booking glitch on our arrival and this was promptly sorted out by the hotel SLS to our satisfaction.
To our Global Journeys rep Madeline Lewis we say a big thank you for her care, warmth and patience. We had heaps of questions and even made a cancellation and a change of date - even had trouble using the website because we are computer dunces but Madeline handled everything with aplomb and patience. We would thoroughly recommend Global Journeys/Cosmos for the tour of your life.
There were many read more highlights being The Grand Canyon with the optional helicopter ride, Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Yellowstone, Bryce National Parks, Salt Lake City and the lovely unknown and friendly towns such as Cody and Custer. Las Vegas was an interesting visit---we had a booking glitch on our arrival and this was promptly sorted out by the hotel SLS to our satisfaction.
To our Global Journeys rep Madeline Lewis we say a big thank you for her care, warmth and patience. We had heaps of questions and even made a cancellation and a change of date - even had trouble using the website because we are computer dunces but Madeline handled everything with aplomb and patience. We would thoroughly recommend Global Journeys/Cosmos for the tour of your life.
An effortless and worry-free way to travel through the Canadian Rockies 6
Heart of the Canadian Rockies
Michelle, NSW, Australia, May 2018
May was the perfect time of year to travel and I loved that this tour took me to see all the scenic places in the Rockies, yet gave me the freedom to choose where I dined and the excursions that interested me.
My last three European holidays were with more expensive tour operators, so was wondering how I would find Cosmos after a period of ten years since my last Cosmos tour. EXCELLENT!! The Tour Guide, Billie, was outstanding, and the coach driver, Angel, second to none. Hotels (several of which were 4-star) were very good, with five out of the eight being read more near the city centres. Those in Madrid & Barcelona were a little further out, but close to convenient bus routes. Personally, I don't find this a problem as I like to get a glimpse of life beyond the main tourist centres.
Some of the highlights were Cuenca, Café Iruna in Pamplona, the gardens of the Alhambra Complex in Granada, unbelievable cathedrals in all major cities and towns, and the enormous extent of the olive groves. Optional tours to Montserrat and Toledo were very worthwhile. Also enjoyed the Flamenco Show in Seville. If I had to find a negative, it might be that a couple of the meals were just average, and breakfast in one hotel was quite basic.
I travelled during the last three weeks of May and the weather was very pleasant - sunny with temperatures in the low to mid-twenties and only one day of rain. The service provided by Hannah at Global Journeys was as helpful and efficient as it has been in the past. (Ed. This trip has changed this season, so this review refers to a slightly different itinerary.)
Some of the highlights were Cuenca, Café Iruna in Pamplona, the gardens of the Alhambra Complex in Granada, unbelievable cathedrals in all major cities and towns, and the enormous extent of the olive groves. Optional tours to Montserrat and Toledo were very worthwhile. Also enjoyed the Flamenco Show in Seville. If I had to find a negative, it might be that a couple of the meals were just average, and breakfast in one hotel was quite basic.
I travelled during the last three weeks of May and the weather was very pleasant - sunny with temperatures in the low to mid-twenties and only one day of rain. The service provided by Hannah at Global Journeys was as helpful and efficient as it has been in the past. (Ed. This trip has changed this season, so this review refers to a slightly different itinerary.)
Wonderful holiday in Spain 3
Diane, New Zealand, May 2018
Great value for money. Cosmos tour Director (Billy) was helpful, well organised, had extensive knowledge of the areas we visited and was always cheerful even after some long days. Hotels were clean and comfortable in great locations.The few located outside of city had bus stop close by hassle free to use. May was great time to visit Spain, not overly read more hot and little rain. I feel tour gave us a good overall look at Spain.
We had a wonderful group, wide age group and everyone mixed well. No-one caused delays by being late. I found booking online with Global Journeys great and will certainly use them again. Overall a worry free holiday! (Ed. This trip has changed this season, so this review refers to a slightly different itinerary.)
We had a wonderful group, wide age group and everyone mixed well. No-one caused delays by being late. I found booking online with Global Journeys great and will certainly use them again. Overall a worry free holiday! (Ed. This trip has changed this season, so this review refers to a slightly different itinerary.)
Wonderful holiday in Canada 4
Canadian Masterpiece with Rocky Mountaineer & Alaska Cruise
Eric & Anne , QLD, Australia, May 2018
We had the best trip. Wonderful organisation. The hotels were all first class. The Rocky Mountaineer was a wonderful experience that we will always remember. Lake Louise was magnificent. We would recommend Global Journeys to anyone.
Best trip with Cosmos through Canada and Alaska 1
Canadian Masterpiece with Rocky Mountaineer & Alaska Cruise
Wendy, QLD, Australia, May 2018
From booking the tour with Hannah until the end of our tour everything went extremely well. Our tour guide Tarek was so knowledgeable and extremely helpful. He made our trip the most memorable. All our fellow travelers were wonderful and we made some very good friends. Canada is such a beautiful country, each day just got better and better. The optional read more tours are so varied, from helicopter flights to rafting.
Excellent holiday 2
Canadian Masterpiece with Rocky Mountaineer & Alaska Cruise
Valda & John, QLD, Australia, May 2018
The journey through Canada and Alaska was an exceptional and enjoyable experience from the Rocky Mountaineer through to the bus tour and cruise on the Volendam. The Rocky Mountaineer staff, tour director, bus driver and Volendam crew all helped make the journey a memorable one with their wonderful service. We totally recommend this tour. Of course the read more tour could not have taken place without the expert help of Yvonne of Global Journeys. Yvonne who took care of the tour and flight arrangements made the process a seamless one.
The tour director Mereika, was amazing, so knowledgeable, thoughtful and really gave us an insight into the culture and vast history of Greece. The places we visited were all very interesting, and the tour was planned really well in regards to timing. The bus was very comfortable and the driver very professional and safe. The accommodation on the whole read more was very good. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone that would like to see many of the wonderful historic sites of Greece, and experience their culture. We went on all the optional excursions, they really made our holiday special.
Interesting cities and beautiful Scandinavian scenery 7
Focus on Scandinavia
Dawn, NSW, Australia, May 2018
The tour left on 12 May and we were blessed with beautiful sunny and warm weather throughout. The cities were interesting and some days perfect picture postcard scenery. I often travel with Cosmos and usually do all the optional extras and I enjoyed all the options on this trip. To keep the costs down the hotels in Copenhagen and Stockholm are out of read more town but close to public transport links to the city if you want to spend extra time there and your guide or the hotels can give you details.
Wonderful trip through the Canadian Rockies & Alaska 8
The Canadian Rockies with Alaska Cruise
Bernie & Carolyn, QLD, Australia, May 2018
We had a great tour director in Alma. She had so much enthusiasm for her country and the wildlife and was totally efficient in ensuring our accommodation was always ready for us after a day of travelling. We stayed in quality motels and were shown most of the highlights in this part of the world. The mountains covered with snow took our breath away read more - very spectacular.
One of the down spots to the trip was arriving via Air Canada at 7am and not being able to get our hotel room until 3pm after a 14 hour trip. The Holland/America cruise ship Volendam for our trip to Alaska was excellent but there were no Cosmos reps on board. Felt a bit out of it with all the Scenic, APT etc people who all had there own tour director. We chose our own excursions on line before we left and all were great, especially in Skagway which was the highlight of our trip. Cosmos really looked after us on the bus tour in Canada.
One of the down spots to the trip was arriving via Air Canada at 7am and not being able to get our hotel room until 3pm after a 14 hour trip. The Holland/America cruise ship Volendam for our trip to Alaska was excellent but there were no Cosmos reps on board. Felt a bit out of it with all the Scenic, APT etc people who all had there own tour director. We chose our own excursions on line before we left and all were great, especially in Skagway which was the highlight of our trip. Cosmos really looked after us on the bus tour in Canada.
Cosmos Niagara Tour 3
New York City, Niagara Falls & Washington DC
David & Leeanne, QLD, Australia, May 2018
Overall a good tour. A couple of long days on the bus but that goes with the territory. Some accommodation was below what we expected.
The Cosmos “best of Spain & Portugal” is a fast paced budget tour. It was a good way to cover off the highlights of both countries however, there are fairly significant compromises made to do so. Most hotels were located quite a distance from the city or town centres which were very inconvenient for seeing the places we were staying at and meant extra read more costs in taxi/transport fares.
The tour group were almost all retirees aged 65 plus. This meant that walking tours were slow going. Something to keep in mind for younger travellers. All the local experts we had on our walking/city tours and the bus driver were fantastic. However, the tour director could have been more informative of the towns we were visiting by giving us more detailed and accurate information, providing recommendations on restaurants and memorable or unique experiences we could have. I was also concerned by the fact that the tour director wrote our names on the gratuities envelope we gave her at the end of the tour.
I enjoyed all the stops at the towns in Spain and Portugal but found we had to choose between seeing the town and having a relaxing lunch. There wasn’t time to do both - only 1.5-2 hours at each town we visited. My biggest disappointment of the tour was that the included visit to Alhambra did not in fact include seeing the Palaces which are the main part of Alhambra. We were simply taken around the Alhambra grounds and gardens and I felt this was highly misleading of Cosmos to claim this as an included visit. I would have preferred to pay to experience Alhambra the way it should be.
The towns of Cordoba and Seville were lovely with a good amount of free time. The optional Flamenco show in Seville was also amazing. In Lisbon, the guided tour was mostly on the bus with two small photo stops at Belem Tower and another monument. The optional dinner and Fado show was average. For almost $90 (57 euro) whilst the music was beautiful the dinner was average - vegetable soup, cod, and only a slice of pineapple for dessert. Not worth the money paid.
Also the optional excursion to Sintra meant that we had very little time to see Lisbon properly. And this brings me to the second biggest disappointment of the tour - the excursion to Cascais and Sintra. Sintra is a picturesque town but with only two hours in the town we did a guided tour of the medieval palace and had a small amount of free time. We were not taken to Pena Palace which is supposed to be the most beautiful palace in Portugal and the one on all the postcards for Sintra. There is also a Forest in Sintra which has the ruins of a Moorish castle, something the tour guide did not explain at all. We had stopped at Cascais for lunch but with very little to see and do here, this time could have been better spent at Sintra.
In Porto, the guided walk and included Porto tastings was great. I skipped the optional tour to Guimareas to spend more time in Porto and I’m glad I did. Porto is a beautiful little town. The optional river cruise and dinner were also exceptional and a definite highlight of the tour. Overall, I will not choose Cosmos again. I have done five budget coach tours before with other companies and this was disappointing in comparison.
The tour group were almost all retirees aged 65 plus. This meant that walking tours were slow going. Something to keep in mind for younger travellers. All the local experts we had on our walking/city tours and the bus driver were fantastic. However, the tour director could have been more informative of the towns we were visiting by giving us more detailed and accurate information, providing recommendations on restaurants and memorable or unique experiences we could have. I was also concerned by the fact that the tour director wrote our names on the gratuities envelope we gave her at the end of the tour.
I enjoyed all the stops at the towns in Spain and Portugal but found we had to choose between seeing the town and having a relaxing lunch. There wasn’t time to do both - only 1.5-2 hours at each town we visited. My biggest disappointment of the tour was that the included visit to Alhambra did not in fact include seeing the Palaces which are the main part of Alhambra. We were simply taken around the Alhambra grounds and gardens and I felt this was highly misleading of Cosmos to claim this as an included visit. I would have preferred to pay to experience Alhambra the way it should be.
The towns of Cordoba and Seville were lovely with a good amount of free time. The optional Flamenco show in Seville was also amazing. In Lisbon, the guided tour was mostly on the bus with two small photo stops at Belem Tower and another monument. The optional dinner and Fado show was average. For almost $90 (57 euro) whilst the music was beautiful the dinner was average - vegetable soup, cod, and only a slice of pineapple for dessert. Not worth the money paid.
Also the optional excursion to Sintra meant that we had very little time to see Lisbon properly. And this brings me to the second biggest disappointment of the tour - the excursion to Cascais and Sintra. Sintra is a picturesque town but with only two hours in the town we did a guided tour of the medieval palace and had a small amount of free time. We were not taken to Pena Palace which is supposed to be the most beautiful palace in Portugal and the one on all the postcards for Sintra. There is also a Forest in Sintra which has the ruins of a Moorish castle, something the tour guide did not explain at all. We had stopped at Cascais for lunch but with very little to see and do here, this time could have been better spent at Sintra.
In Porto, the guided walk and included Porto tastings was great. I skipped the optional tour to Guimareas to spend more time in Porto and I’m glad I did. Porto is a beautiful little town. The optional river cruise and dinner were also exceptional and a definite highlight of the tour. Overall, I will not choose Cosmos again. I have done five budget coach tours before with other companies and this was disappointing in comparison.
Wonderful trip New York, Niagra Falls and Washington DC 4
New York City, Niagara Falls & Washington DC with Extended Stay in New York City
Carolyn & Graeme, TAS, Australia, May 2018
It was a great time of year to travel as all the trees were bursting out in their new foliage, especially in Philadelphia where we took an optional carriage ride through the streets. What a wonderful slow pace to marvel at all the old buildings and our guide had been doing this excursion for 30 years so there was nothing she did not know about Philly. read more
The group all got along very well and we had a wonderful time together. We covered a lot in the short time we had, although another day in both Philadelphia and Washington DC would have been great, as we could've spent much more time in the museums in Washington DC.
Altogether a wonderful tour and we would book with Cosmos again, although we would have like to have fridges in our hotel rooms as well as tea/coffee making facilities.
The group all got along very well and we had a wonderful time together. We covered a lot in the short time we had, although another day in both Philadelphia and Washington DC would have been great, as we could've spent much more time in the museums in Washington DC.
Altogether a wonderful tour and we would book with Cosmos again, although we would have like to have fridges in our hotel rooms as well as tea/coffee making facilities.
Magnificent scenic trip in Switzerland by train 16
Scenic Switzerland by Train
June & Ewin, VIC, Australia, May 2018
I had a magnificent trip around Switzerland by train. We viewed fantastic snow capped mountains with lovely relaxing villages among the mountains and lakes. The trains we went on were comfortable and relaxing. We had many highlights but the one that stands out for me was the day we went up to Gornergrat on the highest rack railway in Europe to view read more the majestic MATTERHORN. It was a beautiful warm sunny clear day about 23 degrees. The MATTERHORN stood out clear and majestic in all its glory.
The town of Zermatt was another of my favourites. The museum was very interesting and the Mountaineers Cemetery was very profound with many mountaineers in their 20's. One grave had written on it "We Chose To Climb". You could feel the love they had for the Mountain. We enjoyed the famous towns of Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Lausanne, Montreux, St.Moritz, and Tirano.
The accommodation was very good and the fellow travellers were very friendly and a good mix. Booking online was a first for me and was easy and the Global Journey people were friendly and helpful and would recommend dealing with Global Journeys again. Thanks Global and Cosmos for a wonderful adventure!!!!!
The town of Zermatt was another of my favourites. The museum was very interesting and the Mountaineers Cemetery was very profound with many mountaineers in their 20's. One grave had written on it "We Chose To Climb". You could feel the love they had for the Mountain. We enjoyed the famous towns of Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, Lausanne, Montreux, St.Moritz, and Tirano.
The accommodation was very good and the fellow travellers were very friendly and a good mix. Booking online was a first for me and was easy and the Global Journey people were friendly and helpful and would recommend dealing with Global Journeys again. Thanks Global and Cosmos for a wonderful adventure!!!!!
