Why should we travel with Emerald?
We asked Emerald why you should travel with them, here's what they said...
Emerald Tours have more than 45 years' experience creating unforgettable journeys for our guests. Our custom-designed tours have set the benchmark in unforgettable land journeys. Enjoy scenically or conveniently-located accommodation to take advantage of the destination, and comfortable transport, complemented by inclusive sightseeing and the services of a dedicated Tour Director and knowledgeable local guides.
What types of trips do Emerald offer?
Coach ToursWhere can you travel to?
Canada & Alaska JapanEmerald Tours snapshot
Total No. Tours
Departures
Average tour length
Average price per dayOur thoughts...
The low down on Emerald Tours from our expert team of advisors at Global Journeys...
What started out as Evergreen Tours in 1980 delivering tours around Australia has grown into Emerald Tours & Cruises, offering journeys by land, river, and sea. Now part of the Scenic Group, Emerald offers a premium alternative to its luxury sister brand. Emerald is to Scenic what Travelmarvel is to APT, with fewer inclusions and a lower price point than their luxury counterparts.
Guests travelling with Emerald can expect a balance of inclusions, must-sees, and free time for independent exploration. Travellers will enjoy stays in complete comfort, whether this is in premium hotels or on their stylish star-ships. Despite being sister brands, read more Emerald trips will not count towards Scenic Club membership benefits. However, guests who have completed a Scenic trip may choose to have this count towards their Emerald Explorer membership (but not both programs).
Who travels with Emerald Tours?
Predominantly mature travellers, particularly Australians, with couples, friends and solo travellers joining.
What's the age range on a Emerald Tours tour?
Generally 50+, although Emerald Tours attracts a broad adult age range.
How many people will we be travelling with?
Group size varies by destination and itinerary. Traditional Canada and Alaska coach tours can carry up to 50 guests, while newer Emerald programmes increasingly feature smaller-group touring.
I'm a solo-traveller, will your tours suit me?
Yes. Solo travellers can join Emerald Tours, although single-room pricing and supplements apply.
Do you offer single rooms?
Yes. A single supplement applies and single-room pricing and availability is shown for each departure.
Do you offer room-sharing with other solo travellers?
No.
How would you describe the accommodation on your trips?
Premium hotels are used throughout, ranging from conveniently located city properties to scenic resorts, lodges and distinctive stays such as Fairmont properties in the Canadian Rockies.
Are there any extras to pay on top of the price shown?
Meals not specified in the itinerary and optional DiscoverMORE experiences. Gratuities are included.
Do you have the same guide throughout the trip?
Yes. An Emerald Tour Director accompanies guests while coach touring and manages the day-to-day journey.
Do you use local guides?
Yes. Emerald uses local guides alongside its Tour Directors to provide specialist destination knowledge and lead selected sightseeing.
How much free time will we have on a Emerald Tours trip?
There is a balance of included sightseeing and free time, giving travellers opportunities to explore independently between organised experiences.
How fit do we need to be?
Most tours require a moderate level of mobility, including regular walking, stairs and getting on and off coaches or trains. Requirements vary by itinerary and destination.
Recent Emerald Tours reviews
The Rocky read more Grandeur tour was good. We quite enjoyed the services and in general, accommodations were ok except for the South Thomson Inn in Kamloops and Emerald Lodge in Emerald Lake. I would rate South Thomson Inn as the worst in this tour due to the location and meals. The breakfast was something like an Australia outback motor inn. Emerald Lake Lodge was unique but I rated it low because of the dodgy pillows that could not support the neck. Not sure why this accommodation would use such cheap pillows that caused me and my wife unable to sleep and had sore necks the next day. Hilton Whistler was the best in term of everything. Places this tour included were good and we really enjoyed the sceneries and other places Emerald Tours took us. The tour director , Rhonda Borton was also nice, professional and very helpful.
The Rocky Mountaineer train ride was very nice with professional crews, good food and comfortable carriages. We felt lucky that we did not upgrade to Gold Leaf class as the Silver Leaf was quite nice. I think the approx US$3,000.- saving for 3 persons was a good decision. But if you really enjoy better food and the booze, the Gold Leaf might be your choice. Since we are not drinkers and have to be careful with food due to our age, the Silver Leaf was sufficient.
The Holland America Line’s Alaska Inside Passage cruise was good especially for those who never visited Alaska on cruise. HA provided lots of food and choices from many countries. Services were very good and super friendly. We were very impressed with the 2 staterooom stewarts, Amir and Cipto who looked after our cabins. These two guys worked so hard and always kept the rooms clean and tidy. Thumb up for the guys.
The optional (extra cost) dinners at Rudy’s and Pinnacle restaurants were worth the money with yummy food and services. I highly recommend if you want to taste something different from the meals included in the cruise package. The all you can have laundry at US$70.- for the entire cruise is also a good option if want to keep your clothes clean.
Entertainments were good and we did enjoyed the dancing performances. The gym was ok but not as good as I expected. But I am more on the weightliftings side rather than treadmills though.
Out of some optional excursions we took, the Tracy Arm Fjord was the most disappointed one. At US$309.95/pax, it was a waste of time and money. The Tracy Arm Fjord was replaced with Endicott Arm. Since I had never seen Tracy Arm, my comment here is about Endicott Arm. It was another glacier, nothing special. It took 6 hours for the return journey and we stayed for about 30 or so minutes to view the glacier. No whale, dolphin nor bear to see. There could be a few seal but I cannot recall exactly. On 27/08/2025, the cruise arrived at Glacier Bay National Park. I can tell you that it is not much different (except the mountain view) from the Endicott Arm and it is FREE. So safe your $309.95 and enjoy Glacier Bay instead. From the Fjord environment perspective, my view is the Norwegian Fjords (like Geiranger) and New Zealand’s Milford Sound are better.
The Holland America Line cruise was excellent as well and we felt it was worth paying extra for a balcony cabin. The main negative was that we paid for pre and post accommodation with Emerald and after many many weeks, we were told they wouldn't provide it. So we had to book our own accommodation which by then had risen significantly in price. And no explanation. Georgie is an excellent travel agent and always responded very quickly. She gave us a great price too, thanks Georgie.
Emerald's most popular trips this month...
Why should we travel with Travelmarvel?
We asked Travelmarvel why you should travel with them, here's what they said...
Holiday memories are not just shaped by the incredible places you visit, but also by the wonderful people you meet along the way. At Travelmarvel, we know that great service is about going above and beyond, and that’s why our staff are regarded as a holiday highlight in their own right.
Travelmarvel holidays offer the perfect combination of all the highlights of the destination with outstanding quality and value for money - you won’t go wrong choosing Travelmavel for your next holiday adventure.
What types of trips do Travelmarvel offer?
Land Journeys River Cruises Small Group Tours Rail Journeys Coastal CruisesWhere can you travel to?
Africa Asia Australia Canada & Alaska Europe New Zealand South America USA More...Travelmarvel snapshot
Total No. ToursDeparturesAverage tour lengthAverage price per dayOur thoughts...
The low down on Travelmarvel from our expert team of advisors at Global Journeys...
Lesser known, but equally as popular, Travelmarvel, is the sister brand of APT and are positioned as a premium operator. A level down from APT with regards to pricing and trip inclusions, but both share the same past passenger loyalty scheme, and many of our clients prefer to spend a little less, knowing they are still backed by one of Australasia's leading touring and river cruise companies.
With it's roots in coach touring through Australia and New Zealand, Travelmarvel also offer river cruises in Europe and Asia as well as tours and cruises in Canada and around South & Central America. As Platinum Partners of APT & Travelmarvel for read more many years, our advisor team has an in-depth knowledge of Travelmarvel tours and river cruises having experienced travelling with them on many occasions, and would relish the opportunity to help you organise your next holiday with them.
Who travels with Travelmarvel?
Primarily mature aged travellers who enjoy a relaxed, social group-touring style with included sightseeing and time to explore independently.
What's the age range on a Travelmarvel tour?
Generally 55+, with many travellers in their 60s and 70s.
How many people will we be travelling with?
-
I'm a solo-traveller, will your tours suit me?
Solo travellers are welcome on Travelmarvel tours, with solo offers available on selected departures.
Do you offer single rooms?
Yes. A single supplement applies and single-room pricing and availability is shown for each departure.
Do you offer room-sharing with other solo travellers?
No.
How would you describe the accommodation on your trips?
Premium hand-picked hotels and resorts, selected for comfort, service and convenient access to key attractions.
Are there any extras to pay on top of the price shown?
Optional Enhance Your Journey experiences and meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary. Transfers, porterage and tipping are included.
Do you have the same guide throughout the trip?
Yes. Land tours are escorted by experienced Travelmarvel Tour Directors, although that varies on some rail and cruise components.
Do you use local guides?
Yes. English-speaking local guides are used throughout many itineraries to provide localised specialist destination knowledge.
How much free time will we have on a Travelmarvel trip?
Tours deliberately balance structured sightseeing with leisure time, allowing travellers to explore independently or choose additional experiences.
How fit do we need to be?
-
Recent Travelmarvel reviews
I have been on 6 different river cruises with 4 different companies and must say that all except Travelmarvel have provided daily water in your cabin and also provided a refillable bottle to take on excursions. On this trip we were not provided with these essential services. There was no room service and although the tv offered movies to watch you were greeted with a message that the service was unavailable every time you tried. Overall the food was very good but the much anticipated bbq in the middle of the cruise was poorly organized (long wait in line to get access to the buffet) and the food very ordinary!
So, overall a wonderful trip in a beautiful part of the world but we will look to other river cruise companies for future holidays. This was the second trip organized by Hannah Perry and she did a wonderful job. Courteous, professional and efficient, she takes a genuine interest in your trip and does everything possible to ensure a trouble free and enjoyable holiday experience.
The Travelmarvel cruise was an excellent product too. Their staff were all highly skilled and very effective at working around difficult circumstances. Due to low water levels in the Rhine/Danube river system we were unable to make the full journey on a single ship and ended up traveling on four different ships with buses shuttling us between navigable portions of the rivers. In many ways we probably managed to see more of Europe than we would normally see just from the river. Through the efforts of our Cruise Director Bernadett we covered every one of the locations we were booked to see and there was a sound clear plan and effective control measures every time we had to relocate. (With over 150 passengers that adds up to a lot of cats to herd). I would go on a similar Global Journeys/Travelmarvel trip again in a heartbeat without any concerns about what fate throws at us. (I might wait until it rains again in Europe though.)
