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AAT Kings vs Inspiring Journeys
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of AAT Kings and Inspiring Journeys.The Low Down
AAT Kings have partnered with Global Journeys since our inception, and as a result we have an in-depth understanding of all their trips, through both Australia and New Zealand. Our team have journeyed with them on 9 tours through New Zealand, Tasmania, South Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland. That close relationship also means we can deliver fantastic savings throughout the year. AAT King's core multi-day coach tours cater mainly for those over 55+, whilst their short breaks in the Northern Territory tend to attract a more diverse range of ages. All coaches are first class, and AAT Kings pride themselves on their tour guides - many of which have been with them for decades!
Inspiring Journeys is part of The Travel Corporation, so it's sister brands include Trafalgar, Insight Vacations and AAT Kings. As a relative newcomer to the luxury touring market, Inspiring Journeys was developed to rekindle your passion for travel through immersive, boutique experiences. Offering a range of journeys from 5 to 22 days to the most idyllic, breathtaking and iconic locations in Australia and New Zealand.Designed for small groups of no more than 20 travellers, with no children under 12. From boutique accommodation to luxury coaches and exclusive experiences; all aspects of an Inspiring Journey have been carefully chosen to provide you with superior treatment.
Stats
No. of Trips
89
No. of Departures
3,598
Avg. Trip Length
8 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$516
Accommodation
3.5 - 4 Star
Budget
Affordable & Premium
Trip Styles Coach ToursShort BreaksCity Breaks
No. of Trips
16
No. of Departures
222
Avg. Trip Length
8 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$812
Accommodation
4 - 5 Star
Budget
Premium
Trip Styles Small Group Tours4WD Overland ToursFood & Wine ToursFestivals & Events
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
Choosing AAT Kings for your Australia or New Zealand holiday guarantees you’ll benefit from the insider secrets, off-the-beaten-path destinations and authentic interactions with local characters that only 100 years of experience can provide. With over a hundred years’ experience in sharing Australia with our guests, AAT Kings holds exclusive access to some truly unique locations, secret trails and roads less travelled that add so much value to the overall travel experience.
At AAT Kings, our on-road staff are best in class. Our Travel Directors, Driver Guides and Drivers are hand-picked for their passion, experience, and enthusiasm for the spectacular countries we live in. There is truly no one better to share with you the best destinations across Australia and New Zealand. We have been perfecting our itineraries and products for over 100 years, so the benefits gained from travelling with us are unrivalled. With over 150 expertly crafted holiday itineraries to choose from, we offer something for everyone.
The Inspiring Journeys experience is designed for immersion and authentic connection. We invite travellers to embark on an exclusive exploration through Australia and New Zealand, discovering ancient cultures and rugged destinations, in style.
Our bespoke journeys venture off the beaten track, to truly connect guests with the destination, through immersive experiences in an intimate small group setting. With a maximum of only 20 guests per journey, your experience will be more exclusive, allowing access to boutique accommodations and experiences. Every element of an Inspiring Journey has been curated to offer not only offer authentic experiences, but to add the tiny, noticeable touches that infuse the experience with an exclusivity only few will ever have the opportunity to experience.
Infused with a passion for the destinations that they specialise in, your Journey Director is eager to share their in-depth knowledge, whilst you uncover truly unique locations, secret trails and roads less travelled.
Recent Reviews
4.5
Very happy travelling with AAT, the tour guide and driver were both excellent at their jobs. The 10 day itinerary was a very full, we covered a lot of places, which was good but next time I probably would go for a more relaxed itinerary where we could spend a bit more time in each place. It was very early morning starts and very full days. We did have ...read more a couple of afternoons and nights as free time which were great just to chill. Good mix of people on the trip and accommodation and majority of meals were all very good.
Global Journeys were great to book through, all very easy and all documents and relevant information were emailed, extra accommodation etc booked and any questions were answered promptly by Toni. Would definitely book through them again.
Global Journeys were great to book through, all very easy and all documents and relevant information were emailed, extra accommodation etc booked and any questions were answered promptly by Toni. Would definitely book through them again.
Rachael did a great job in organising everything for us and we had a thoroughly good 11 days. Sadly some of the folk got Covid which rather put a dampener on things but it didn't stop us healthy ones from enjoying ourselves. Our Tour guide was amazing and being born there she had a great deal of knowledge which we would never have found out if we ...read more had been tripping around on our own. Also our driver was amazing. He could get that darn bus around some of the tightest corners and into some of the smallest parking spots. Our accommodation throughout the tour was great and would most certainly come through Global Journeys if and when we want to visit Australia again.
I enjoyed the tour and felt we saw the most interesting and scenic areas of the island. I have a good understanding of the way people live, and the industries that support them. The convict and colonial history of the island is incredible, and having seen the area around the Gordon River am extremely grateful for the successful blocking of the attempt ...read more to dam the Franklin River. I thought the standard of some of the hotel rooms was not good enough, with some air conditioners and lights not working, and having to hunt for power points to charge my phone and camera overnight. The irons in the rooms were cheap and flimsy - if they're provided they should be of a decent standard . I was disappointed at the end of the tour when lack of supervision of a passenger with obvious health issues caused me to bring home something that ruined my Christmas. Overall I enjoyed the tour, but will ensure in future that my expectations of the tour director's responsibilities are not unrealistic.
Very comprehensive tour of Tasmania - gave us a real insight in to the varying landscape and the history of the state. We went to places that we would never had gone to had we planned a tour ourselves. Weather was beautiful and really gave us the chance to explore.
Our Tour Director’s knowledge of NZ was impressive and the factual information and other interesting tales passed on to us during our time on the coach was delivered in a very pleasant, upbeat voice. Our Driver drove safely all of the 3,864km covered during the journey.
Included Experiences: The visits to the Kiwifruit Farm and Monteith Brewery ...read more were interesting, the Te Puia Whakawerawera visit as well as the Tamaki Maori Village Concert and Maori Hangi meal were both amazing as was the cruise across the Cook Strait into Queen Charlotte Sound.
The boat ride on Lake Manapouri was thoroughly enjoyable and the stop at Mirror Lakes was amazing. The Milford Sound cruise was an unforgettable experience as was the cruise aboard the TSS Earnslaw and dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm. The Pancake Rocks, Blowholes and scenery at Punakaiki were great experiences.
Optional Experiences – The Amphibious WWII era Duck at Rotorua was thoroughly enjoyable, the Speights Brewery in Dunedin was interesting, the flight from Te Anau to Queenstown was spectacular and the Skippers Canyon Drive and Jet Boat were exhilarating – all well worth doing. The helicopter at Franz Joseph Glacier seats 6 passengers in a tight squeeze and the flight path tracks on the right hand side of Fox Glacier and down on the right hand side of Franz Joseph Glacier, therefore one’s experience depends on where you are seated. The really enjoyable part was getting out and walking on Fox Glacier. The accommodation was very good across the board and the included meals were delicious. Overall a great experience!
Included Experiences: The visits to the Kiwifruit Farm and Monteith Brewery ...read more were interesting, the Te Puia Whakawerawera visit as well as the Tamaki Maori Village Concert and Maori Hangi meal were both amazing as was the cruise across the Cook Strait into Queen Charlotte Sound.
The boat ride on Lake Manapouri was thoroughly enjoyable and the stop at Mirror Lakes was amazing. The Milford Sound cruise was an unforgettable experience as was the cruise aboard the TSS Earnslaw and dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm. The Pancake Rocks, Blowholes and scenery at Punakaiki were great experiences.
Optional Experiences – The Amphibious WWII era Duck at Rotorua was thoroughly enjoyable, the Speights Brewery in Dunedin was interesting, the flight from Te Anau to Queenstown was spectacular and the Skippers Canyon Drive and Jet Boat were exhilarating – all well worth doing. The helicopter at Franz Joseph Glacier seats 6 passengers in a tight squeeze and the flight path tracks on the right hand side of Fox Glacier and down on the right hand side of Franz Joseph Glacier, therefore one’s experience depends on where you are seated. The really enjoyable part was getting out and walking on Fox Glacier. The accommodation was very good across the board and the included meals were delicious. Overall a great experience!
Thank you for the most wonderful travel experience. The tour was amazing with AAT Kings and the tour director Dave was professional, friendly, approachable and knowledgeable with a great sense of humour. Dave is an asset to the company. Perfect Tasmania is a fantastic tour showcasing Tasmania's highlights, highly recommend. Accommodation was of a very ...read more high standard and the food amazing. We meet some fantastic people and formed new friendships. Thank you Georgie from Global Journeys in booking our trip and making everything so easy for us. We certainly will book another trip with you.
4.8
Worry free and very comfortable journey from Auckland to Wellington in New Zealand. 0 Judith, QLD, Australia, Feb 2023
Our Tour Director, Cam and our Driver, Brian were extremely efficient and experienced as well as being very pleasant. They made our journey most enjoyable. Cam made every effort to ensure that all went according to plan and attend to our every need. I would not hesitate to book another holiday with Inspiring Journeys.
Tony our guide and Oly our driver looked after us in a thoroughly professional manner. We had enoughtime to enjoy the sights without being rushed and being in a small group made the whole process easier, i.e. no long queues when arriving at hotels, restaurants etc. Tony was very knowledgable and kept us entertained throughout the trip.
Everything about this trip was magnificent. The accommodation, the bus, the journey, the driver/Guide Michael, Aerial journey over Kakadu, attractions, Katherine Gorge and the sunset river cruise dinner was just out of this world. We were the only Vegetarians/Vegans in the group and we were looked after very well in the food that was served to us. Special ...read more mention to Driver/Guide Michael who was very caring, knowledgeable, patient, witty and made the whole trip a very memorable one. Good on you mate!
Jemma and the girls in Global Journeys were very proactive, answering all our questions and more, and made sure that our above trip went smoothly. Excellent customer service.
Jemma and the girls in Global Journeys were very proactive, answering all our questions and more, and made sure that our above trip went smoothly. Excellent customer service.
Booking with Global journeys was easy. They were very thorough and helpful. The tour was absolutely amazing and delivered everything it promised. We stayed at amazing accommodation and the meals were 5 star. We learnt so much about the Northern Territory from our tour guide and had lots of fun experiences.
Only 17 guests [max 20] on this tour made for a cohesive and enjoyable group. Our guide/driver Gordon was informative and professional. Due to a gearbox failure in the 4WD vehicle prior to our trip, we started the tour in a standard coach. however, AAT Kings went out of their way to expedite repairs of this vehicle, and delivered it mid trip so we ...read more did not miss any sightseeing.
Accommodation and dinners on tour were first rate, lunches [picnic style] were sometimes a little underwhelming [but understandable due to remoteness]. Having plenty of water, drinks and snacks onboard the vehicle at all times was an added bonus. Activities and sightseeing on tour were excellent, and the optional helicopter flight was great. Some activities were more strenuous than others, but there was always an alternative for the “not so fit”. Our driver also included some “not on itinerary stops”. All in all, a great trip!
Accommodation and dinners on tour were first rate, lunches [picnic style] were sometimes a little underwhelming [but understandable due to remoteness]. Having plenty of water, drinks and snacks onboard the vehicle at all times was an added bonus. Activities and sightseeing on tour were excellent, and the optional helicopter flight was great. Some activities were more strenuous than others, but there was always an alternative for the “not so fit”. Our driver also included some “not on itinerary stops”. All in all, a great trip!
The quality of attention to detail for us was 100%. It was a perfect holiday, perfect weather and a really lovely standard of bus. Tour Director and bus driver were so helpful, considerate and friendly, as were the other people travelling with us. Accommodation standard was really good, especially the Puka Park Tree Tops cabins.
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