Home > Compare Tour & Adventure Operators > Globus vs Insight Vacations
Globus vs Insight Vacations
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Globus and Insight Vacations.The Low Down
The Globus Family of Brands, which includes Globus, Cosmos, Monograms & Avalon Waterways are always popular with our clients. Globus offer a premium guided touring experience all over the world, catering mainly for the 55+ market - but like most Operators are open to all ages. Along with their standard itineraries, Globus also have a range of popular European Winter Escapes and numerous faith-based religious tours.The majority if their trips are centred on Europe, Canada and the USA where they provide 4+ star accommodation, luxury coaches, plenty of meals & inclusions. Our team have enjoyed numerous journeys with Globus including trips to South America, Dalmatia, Mexico and Spain, so we have plenty of first hand knowledge to help you plan your next trip!
Upmarket coach touring, with 4.5+ star accommodation, maximum group sizes of 40 on a full size coach and more leisurely paced touring itineraries. The pricing of Insight's trips tends to attract travellers in their 60's and 70's. If you're tall, then you should seriously consider Insight, as their coaches been reconfigured to allow up to twice as much legroom as on a standard coach. Insight have recently launched trips through South America, and expanded their range of Gold Luxury Vacations, where you can expect the ultimate in luxury and refinement.We find that the feedback we get back from past clients is sometimes a little critical, and we feel this is because of the very high standard some of our clients are expecting due to Insight's positioning in the market. On every multi-day journey, there will always be little annoyances, but as a whole package the team here definitely recommend Insight worthy of your consideration. If you've travelled with any of its sister brands like AAT Kings, Trafalgar or Uniworld further savings are available.
Stats
No. of Trips
345
No. of Departures
11,056
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$471
Accommodation
4 - 4.5 Star
Budget
Premium
No. of Trips
453
No. of Departures
4,465
Avg. Trip Length
13 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$555
Accommodation
4 - 4.5 Star
Budget
Premium
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
At Globus, we’re not just hooked on travel as a destination, but on the way it makes you feel. Our promise is to craft adventures that you’ll want to re-live forever.
We’ve been creating wonder-filled first class touring for more than 90 years; we have the experience and local knowledge globally to craft immersive adventures that make Globus travellers feel alive. Not only can you expect to see the big sites, we’ll also take you deeper in each location, right to the beating heart of each new discovery.
At Globus, we understand that your holiday is your treat – a gift from you to you. Let us connect you with a new world of people, places and experiences that will ignite your imagination.
At Insight Vacations we have been creating magical travel experiences for over 40 years, showcasing the most outstanding destinations and curated experiences in Europe and North America.
Why are we different to any other operator? It’s our unique Insight experiences. It’s our authentic and varied dining options, it’s travelling in smaller groups on customised coaches with twice the legroom, it’s staying in the right hotels in the right location, all brought together seamlessly by our exceptional travel directors. In essence: All the sights, and the insights….up close and personal…in comfort and style.
Travel is such a joy and a personal passion for myself and every member of our team. We’re so proud of the quality, service and value we provide and invite you to try it for yourself. Talk to Global Journeys to find out more about travelling in style and booking your next holiday with Insight Vacations.
Recent Reviews
4.5
The holiday was fantastic, especially the Rocky Mountaineer trip and the tour bus. The guide was so professional and helpful at all times. Accommodation was outstanding. The Inside passage cruise was very good except that our room stunk of sewage from day one despite the efforts of cabin crew spraying toilet spray every morning and night, Also the dining ...read more room needs a shake up. Meals were cold due to them being pushed out of the kitchen and left on tables before being served. Also they tried to overcharge me $94US for drinks.
Seriously I don't know why you wouldn't tour the world with Globus. Be chauffeured around in a fancy, comfy coach by an excellent driver being educated and entertained at the same time by one of the best tour guides you'll find anywhere. You won't either carry your bags or go hungry on these tours! But most importantly, you won't miss a thing. Meticulous ...read more organisation means a relaxing holiday for me 😊
Our tour guide Paul is an absolute gem - he has so much knowledge about everyone and everything and regaled us all with the most enthralling stories during our trip! I don't feel like I missed a thing on this tour, and I came out the other side with both a wealth of knowledge and a cache of memories I'll cherish for a lifetime.
We had a great mix of people on-board which made it an extra positive and enriching experience. The pace of this tour, however, was a little too quick for us (and this isn’t our first rodeo on “fast paced” tours!). We would have liked more time in some of the locations - Edinburgh and Dublin of note - and a stopover even for half a day in Belfast would have been welcome. A couple of the days were really quite too long travel wise and in particular the day we drove/ferried from Dublin to Edinburgh was a mood-shifter. Everyone was tired and cranky by the end of that day! If you’re looking for a taster of Ireland/Northern Ireland/Scotland though with an intention to return for a lengthier stay at a later date then this tour is definitely for you.
The included breakfasts and dinners were delicious and plentiful and the accommodation was very comfortable. Being Globus, the hotels were all located central to the cities we visited which meant more time sightseeing and less time travelling to and from. For optional excursions, The Royal Britannia excursion in Edinburgh was a highlight - very well presented and thoroughly enjoyable. The Irish night in Dublin, too was wonderful and the entertainers were fantastic.
Our experience with Global Journeys was very positive. Overall, I do definitely recommend this tour – and Globus/Cosmos as a touring brand.
Our tour guide Paul is an absolute gem - he has so much knowledge about everyone and everything and regaled us all with the most enthralling stories during our trip! I don't feel like I missed a thing on this tour, and I came out the other side with both a wealth of knowledge and a cache of memories I'll cherish for a lifetime.
We had a great mix of people on-board which made it an extra positive and enriching experience. The pace of this tour, however, was a little too quick for us (and this isn’t our first rodeo on “fast paced” tours!). We would have liked more time in some of the locations - Edinburgh and Dublin of note - and a stopover even for half a day in Belfast would have been welcome. A couple of the days were really quite too long travel wise and in particular the day we drove/ferried from Dublin to Edinburgh was a mood-shifter. Everyone was tired and cranky by the end of that day! If you’re looking for a taster of Ireland/Northern Ireland/Scotland though with an intention to return for a lengthier stay at a later date then this tour is definitely for you.
The included breakfasts and dinners were delicious and plentiful and the accommodation was very comfortable. Being Globus, the hotels were all located central to the cities we visited which meant more time sightseeing and less time travelling to and from. For optional excursions, The Royal Britannia excursion in Edinburgh was a highlight - very well presented and thoroughly enjoyable. The Irish night in Dublin, too was wonderful and the entertainers were fantastic.
Our experience with Global Journeys was very positive. Overall, I do definitely recommend this tour – and Globus/Cosmos as a touring brand.
Thank you to Jemma for making our booking run smoothly and booking extra nights at the hotel before the tour started. We had a wonderful trip and excellent commentary from our tour director, and in the safe hands of our driver. Nothing was too much trouble. Highlighted places we would like to revisit in the future.
My solo journey to Israel was short term planned but thanks to Rachel’s professionalism, my trip was perfectly made possible. Rachel went the extra mile to work on my booking even with the challenges of time zones, the last minute planning on my part and communication. My trip was successfully concluded and a very big thank you to Rachel and Global ...read more journeys for making my tour so pleasant.
Having been my first visit to Israel, the 8 day tour was generally good but quite intense and there is a lot to take in. If possible, one could add a few extra days depending on personal interests. Some of the hotels were ok, but not actual value for money. The meals at all hotels were perfect as they offer a variety of dishes. The group I travelled with was great considering most of them were couples and I was a solo traveler but they made me feel like one of them. All the sites we visited were as described and the tour guide was knowledgeable about the site. Generally, I was satisfied with the arrangements and would consider booking with you again if possible. Thanking you for your services.
Having been my first visit to Israel, the 8 day tour was generally good but quite intense and there is a lot to take in. If possible, one could add a few extra days depending on personal interests. Some of the hotels were ok, but not actual value for money. The meals at all hotels were perfect as they offer a variety of dishes. The group I travelled with was great considering most of them were couples and I was a solo traveler but they made me feel like one of them. All the sites we visited were as described and the tour guide was knowledgeable about the site. Generally, I was satisfied with the arrangements and would consider booking with you again if possible. Thanking you for your services.
The trip was absolutely great as a short intro to Scotland it covered everything and more. The tour guides, accommodation etc were all first class. The two optional excursions were also worth the expense. Overall would highly recommend this tour to anyone that is seeking a good starting point to understand Scotland.
Incredibly well run tour, saw many great things with a good mix of free time and sightseeing. At some of the sights, maybe less explaining and more free exploring would be good. There was really great service, with Anna being very knowledgeable and helpful. Gianni was also a great driver, and very organised.
4.5
I would certainly recommend this tour. It covers the whole country and it is a country of contrasts, from the Algarve in the south to the Duoro valley in the north. They are two very different geographies. The hotels were comfortable and there was plenty of food. There was also plenty of walking. Bring comfortable walking shoes with you.
There were ...read more many highlights, even if some were a bit of a challenge: try wine tasting at 9.15 am. The three that stood out for me were the Capela dos Ossos with its skulls, bones and the mummified remains of a young women and a child; the cork factory; and the Templar Castle and Convent of Christ in Tomar. The local guides were excellent, especially the local guide in Tomar.
Criticisms are few. The time in Lisbon was limited and our tour director probably spent more time talking about his real estate adventures and the unreliability of Portuguese tradesmen than was necessary. And if you use a face washer (or face cloth), bring one with you, because they aren’t supplied in the hotels.
Jemma Rosen, as always, provided the service I’ve come to expect from Global Journeys, but excelled when it came to a major problem with Lufthansa’s cancelled flights and difficulties with alternative flights. She had the problem sorted in a very short time.
There were ...read more many highlights, even if some were a bit of a challenge: try wine tasting at 9.15 am. The three that stood out for me were the Capela dos Ossos with its skulls, bones and the mummified remains of a young women and a child; the cork factory; and the Templar Castle and Convent of Christ in Tomar. The local guides were excellent, especially the local guide in Tomar.
Criticisms are few. The time in Lisbon was limited and our tour director probably spent more time talking about his real estate adventures and the unreliability of Portuguese tradesmen than was necessary. And if you use a face washer (or face cloth), bring one with you, because they aren’t supplied in the hotels.
Jemma Rosen, as always, provided the service I’ve come to expect from Global Journeys, but excelled when it came to a major problem with Lufthansa’s cancelled flights and difficulties with alternative flights. She had the problem sorted in a very short time.
It was my first Insight Vacation and it was even better than I thought it would be. Exceptional accommodation, an awesome tour director and for me, just long enough at 11 days. It was more full on than I thought, we were shattered by the end of each day but will know to really study for next time. Our tour group were fun, from across the globe and ...read more for many it was their 4th, 5th or more tour. I will definitely book again!
Overall the trip was amazing. Probably better than we had even hoped for. There was so much to see every day and it never got old. The guide in each country was excellent. Each had an amazing knowledge of each place we visited and could answer almost any question. The accommodation was good and the coach travel was comfortable and we felt safe and ...read more well cared for. Highlights for us were Bethlehem in Israel, Petra in Jordan and Karnak Temple & Abu Simbel in Egypt.
We felt the Egypt section could have been improved with some changes to schedule. On day one we arrived at the hotel at 6pm and had to be packed, ready to leave at 3.30am to catch the 6am flight to Luxor. The optional flight to Abu Simbel was more than 7 hours later which meant a rushed trip to the site and arrival back at the boat at 10.30pm for a buffet dinner! On our last day in Luxor, we toured all day then returned to the boat for 2 hours before catching the 10pm flight to Cairo. It ran 90 minutes late, the coach was not waiting for us in Cairo and we finally got to the hotel at 2.30am. People were tired and still had 2 days of touring in Cairo.
We felt the Egypt section could have been improved with some changes to schedule. On day one we arrived at the hotel at 6pm and had to be packed, ready to leave at 3.30am to catch the 6am flight to Luxor. The optional flight to Abu Simbel was more than 7 hours later which meant a rushed trip to the site and arrival back at the boat at 10.30pm for a buffet dinner! On our last day in Luxor, we toured all day then returned to the boat for 2 hours before catching the 10pm flight to Cairo. It ran 90 minutes late, the coach was not waiting for us in Cairo and we finally got to the hotel at 2.30am. People were tired and still had 2 days of touring in Cairo.
Travelling with Insight for the first time was a joy; our accommodation was of a high standard and all were centrally located. The tour director Gwen was very personable and did a great job, and our tour companions were also very friendly and a mix of nationalities.
Our main goal was to see the fabled Aurora Borealis and we managed to see it once ...read more (at North Cape), which was satisfactory. Most of our fellow travellers however were disappointed there weren't many more sightings despite having necessary favourable weather conditions a few times (clear, cloudless skies and sufficient solar activity), but Mother Nature was not cooperative. Just going to the northern parts of Norway above the Arctic Circle was special enough for us, as Honningsvag, Alta, and Tromsø were all unique and spectacular places to be, especially in winter (or close enough to it) with a snowy landscape.
Overall, I would recommend this tour, but don't have too many expectations of seeing the Northern Lights night after night. Just enjoy this part of the world for all it has to offer, and it's a lot!
Our main goal was to see the fabled Aurora Borealis and we managed to see it once ...read more (at North Cape), which was satisfactory. Most of our fellow travellers however were disappointed there weren't many more sightings despite having necessary favourable weather conditions a few times (clear, cloudless skies and sufficient solar activity), but Mother Nature was not cooperative. Just going to the northern parts of Norway above the Arctic Circle was special enough for us, as Honningsvag, Alta, and Tromsø were all unique and spectacular places to be, especially in winter (or close enough to it) with a snowy landscape.
Overall, I would recommend this tour, but don't have too many expectations of seeing the Northern Lights night after night. Just enjoy this part of the world for all it has to offer, and it's a lot!
Overall we enjoyed our tour in Spain. We loved the country and acquired a lot of interesting information about it from our tour guide and from the local guides we also used along the way. We felt that the company did a good job of highlighting as much of the country as possible in the time available. The coach was comfortable and the accommodation was ...read more good.
However, there are a couple of aspects of the tour we would like reviewed by the operators. The first is the group dinners. Overall they were disappointing. I don’t believe the food was the best Spanish restaurants have to offer … and the way it was served to such a large group wasn’t pleasant either. We felt like we were a nuisance … and so the faster the food’s served and finished, the better. Probably one group dinner together would be sufficient. Surely this would also mean a fairer distribution of business in each location? And I’m quite sure the quality and value for money would be better.
The ‘optional extras’ were the other aspect of the tour I didn’t like. If something is worth seeing in a particular city, then include it in the tour. Why make it an ‘extra’? Of course I understand that every important site or monument can’t be included in a ‘highlights’ tour, but if the inclusions are listed then the customer knows what they are signing up for. By all means leave the occasional free afternoon or morning (I’m not saying we should have every second filled) but when it’s free time just make it free time. Overall I felt these ‘optional extras’ were more about the company creating more revenue.
The tour guide and driver were really lovely. These people do a good job … I hope the tour operators adequately remunerate them (because in the tour information there is a lot made of the tipping, and how essential it is etc … the implication being that we need to help the company to supplement their salaries). Surely tipping is at the discretion of the customer, without the percentage or amount being suggested by the company in their tour notes?
However, there are a couple of aspects of the tour we would like reviewed by the operators. The first is the group dinners. Overall they were disappointing. I don’t believe the food was the best Spanish restaurants have to offer … and the way it was served to such a large group wasn’t pleasant either. We felt like we were a nuisance … and so the faster the food’s served and finished, the better. Probably one group dinner together would be sufficient. Surely this would also mean a fairer distribution of business in each location? And I’m quite sure the quality and value for money would be better.
The ‘optional extras’ were the other aspect of the tour I didn’t like. If something is worth seeing in a particular city, then include it in the tour. Why make it an ‘extra’? Of course I understand that every important site or monument can’t be included in a ‘highlights’ tour, but if the inclusions are listed then the customer knows what they are signing up for. By all means leave the occasional free afternoon or morning (I’m not saying we should have every second filled) but when it’s free time just make it free time. Overall I felt these ‘optional extras’ were more about the company creating more revenue.
The tour guide and driver were really lovely. These people do a good job … I hope the tour operators adequately remunerate them (because in the tour information there is a lot made of the tipping, and how essential it is etc … the implication being that we need to help the company to supplement their salaries). Surely tipping is at the discretion of the customer, without the percentage or amount being suggested by the company in their tour notes?
The tour itself was great. There were many highlights especially for those who love the buildings, culture and art of Ancient Egyptians. The Nile cruise was wonderful and food good. There is one hitch. Transfers at Cairo airport, the pickup is not at the Arrival Hall but at the area before the Immigration. For travellers especially jet lagged travellers ...read more who after after 21 hours flight from Australia can easily not notice it. Insight informed travellers that the pickup was at Arrival Hall or outside depending on Covid restrictions. I had before the trip, enquired with my advisor to confirm the pickup point. Sadly she said there was no reply from Insight. It was a dent in my holiday because I was not informed of the pickup point, walked pass it and had to take local taxi and paid US 30 dollars!!!
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