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Insight Vacations vs Tauck
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Insight Vacations and Tauck.The Low Down
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.
New to the Australian market in 2017, Tauck began operations in the US over 90 years ago. Offering premium river cruises, land tours, small ship cruises, family adventures and small group journeys around the world. You won't find too many Aussies and Kiwis on their trips yet, as they have only recently opened an office Downunder, but Tauck are renowned for the quality and inclusiveness of their trips, whether they are on land or water. Stats
No. of Trips
449
No. of Departures
3,401
Avg. Trip Length
12 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$648
Accommodation
4 - 4.5 Star
Budget
Premium
No. of Trips
208
No. of Departures
1,587
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$1,311
Accommodation
4.5 - 5 Star
Budget
Premium & Luxury
In Their Own Words
We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
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.
We believe that when you travel, you should never settle for ordinary. You deserve to travel in good company, with someone who cares. We believe that good value sells itself – you should get what you pay for, and then some, in one upfront price with virtually everything included. Leave your worries at home; we take on all the planning, all the logistics. To you, it’s peace of mind travel, to us, it’s 90+ years of integrity.
Wherever we travel, we’re all about taking you to explore the world’s treasures….discover people and cultures you may not have known existed…and experience extraordinary, life-changing moments. Since 1925, we’ve built our company on the personal referrals and recommendations of our guests. We can think of no higher testament to our journeys and commitment to customer satisfaction – and no better way to tell you what we do than through their words.
Recent Reviews
4.5
Best of Ireland and Scotland August 2026 0
Best of Ireland & Scotland
Cathy, VIC, Australia, Aug 2026
This was our 4th tour booked through Global Journeys, our second with Insight Vacations. The trip was fantastic, giving us a good sample of what Ireland and Scotland have to offer. The sights were fantastic, as were our Travel Director, driver and local guides. Together, Global Journeys and Insight Vacations made this an easy and memorable holiday. read more Would definitely book with them again.
Britain and Ireland Discovery 0
Britain & Ireland Discovery
Debra and John, VIC, Australia, Jul 2026
We had an excellent tour director and driver. We specifically chose this tour because we wanted to go to the Orkney Islands and Isle of Skye. We were unable to achieve this due to weather conditions for the Orkneys and motor bike accident that closed the road to the Isle of Skye and cut short our stay there. We were disappointed with Insight’s compensation read more for these cancellations, which was a trip to a historical cemetery, which was originally a paid optional extra, that we had chosen not to do. The cost of including the Orkneys and Isle of Skye was a reasonable as part of our tour cost. We were of the view a number of additional optional paid experiences did not represent good value for money, in particular the dinners, with the exception of the Torphichen dinner. Accomodation was 4 star with the exception of the highlands in Scotland which we rated as 2.5.
This was our 3rd tour with Insight Vacations over the years and once again a very enjoyable tour with good travel companions from different countries. Global Journeys were our Travel booking consultants who always look after us with our bookings, they run a very efficient service, and we started using Global Journeys in 2017.
In Germany the range of read more accommodation never disappointed us, and we always rose to a good feed at breakfast that accommodated for many nationalities. Our tour companions were friendly, fun and great to be with, our tour guide was a delight she had a wonderful bright personality and energy. We loved the many villages we visited and the local tour guides. Weather was excellent and our favourite area was the Bavarian areas of Germany, Neuschwanstein Castle and surrounding area was a special place to see. A very enjoyable tour.
In Germany the range of read more accommodation never disappointed us, and we always rose to a good feed at breakfast that accommodated for many nationalities. Our tour companions were friendly, fun and great to be with, our tour guide was a delight she had a wonderful bright personality and energy. We loved the many villages we visited and the local tour guides. Weather was excellent and our favourite area was the Bavarian areas of Germany, Neuschwanstein Castle and surrounding area was a special place to see. A very enjoyable tour.
We had a wonderful time touring the seven Balkan countries. Our tour director Taib made this trip more enjoyable with his knowledge of the region, effortless planning to get us through all the border crossing without any hassle. The scenery throughout was amazing. A special mention to our driver for guiding us through the many countries we visited safely. read more His driving skill we really appreciated. The tour was well paced, and all the attractions were a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit.
A trip with plenty of variety 0
Country Roads of Scandinavia
Lesley and John, NSW, Australia, Jun 2026
We had a bit of everything Scandinavia has to offer. Pieter and Roland took us to the highlighted places but surprised us with a few spectacular extras that made the journey special.
4.6
Beautiful, safe Colombia 0
Colombia: South America's Eternal Spring
Loyal Global Journey Travellers, NT, Australia, Jan 2026
Well organised, informative and a very safe trip to Colombia. Travelling with Tauck is a luxurious experience. The travel itinerary was interesting and varied, hotels were good quality, transportation was well organised and comfy and the food was plentiful (lots of quality three course meals included). Key highlights included a private tour of Boltero read more museum in Bogotá guided by Botero’s grandson, Colombian Paso Fino horse experience at Normandia Equestrian Center in Medellín, staying at the beautiful Sofitel Legend Santa Clara hotel in Cartagena and an impromptu salsa class in Cartagena. The local guides generously shared their knowledge along the way and were instrumental in facilitating efficient check in for internal airline flights. Highly recommended trip for those wanting to go beyond traditional places especially as tourism in Colombia continues to grow. Beautiful country, beautiful people.
Tip: If booking airline flights through Global Journeys, ask for each passenger to have their own individual travel reservation number. Due to airline system upgrades, Colombian/ Panamanian airlines at international airports do not appear to recognise multiple passengers booked under the same travel reservation number (you’ll be stuck at the airline check in counter for an additional 2 hours for each flight you take).
Tip: If booking airline flights through Global Journeys, ask for each passenger to have their own individual travel reservation number. Due to airline system upgrades, Colombian/ Panamanian airlines at international airports do not appear to recognise multiple passengers booked under the same travel reservation number (you’ll be stuck at the airline check in counter for an additional 2 hours for each flight you take).
Spirit of the Desert with Tauck 22
Spirit of the Desert: The National Parks of the Southwest
Janet and Alfred , CA, United States, May 2025
Just a bare glimpse (see our photo) of our amazing Tauck journey “The Spirit of the Desert”. It was fabulous!!! Colorado River, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce at sunrise (2 of those), Zion, and the clouds lifting over the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Thank you, a million times over! It was wonderful! I hope you have the opportunity to do it. Happy trails.
Warsaw, Budapest, Vienna and Prague 4
Warsaw, Budapest, Vienna & Prague
Sugie and George, Korea, May 2023
The poor weather (rain, cold and wind) was a distraction throughout the tour which, unfortunately, had a negative effect on many of the venues. It made the tour guides jobs particularly difficult. Not Tauck's problem but, nonetheless, it was unfortunate as it negatively impacted the tour. When we booked this tour, we compared it to another Tauck Eastern read more European tour referred to as a Jewish Heritage Tour. As we are are not of Jewish faith, we felt that this tour would not be meaningful to us. In hindsight, we are not sure that the tour we chose would have been much different from the Jewish Heritage Tour. Most of the members in our tour group were in fact Jewish and the focus of the tour definitely was on the Jewish faith and the Holocaust. I would like to suggest that Tauck make more of an effort to differentiate between these two tours. There is much to consider in an Eastern European tour that does not focus so highly on the Jewish heritage.
On a very positive note, the local tour guides were excellent, very knowledgeable, courteous and friendly. Our Tauck Tour Guide was also excellent with extensive experience in Eastern Europe. One final negative comment, unfortunately. Even though we realize that Tauck does not make hotel room assignments, we feel that they can do a much better job of influencing the hotels on our stay to provide rooms that are more comparable to the cost of our tour. We have not once during our Tauck tours been assigned a hotel room with a view of anything but rooftops of adjacent buildings or a view of another section of the hotel itself. That's not what we feel we deserve for the money we pay for these tours. On a closing note, we are booked on our next Tauck tour to Portugal in October and plan to book a follow-on Tauck tour to New Zealand on 2024.
On a very positive note, the local tour guides were excellent, very knowledgeable, courteous and friendly. Our Tauck Tour Guide was also excellent with extensive experience in Eastern Europe. One final negative comment, unfortunately. Even though we realize that Tauck does not make hotel room assignments, we feel that they can do a much better job of influencing the hotels on our stay to provide rooms that are more comparable to the cost of our tour. We have not once during our Tauck tours been assigned a hotel room with a view of anything but rooftops of adjacent buildings or a view of another section of the hotel itself. That's not what we feel we deserve for the money we pay for these tours. On a closing note, we are booked on our next Tauck tour to Portugal in October and plan to book a follow-on Tauck tour to New Zealand on 2024.
Denali was spectacular and thoroughly enjoyed the plane ride up over Denali. The trip into the park was also great and we did see some bears and Dall sheep way off into the distance. The Lodges were all Princess Lodges and were very crowded. Quite a number of us caught COVID so didn't make the cruise which was very disappointing but enjoyed what we did see.
Tauck Capital Cities Plus Niagara Falls 4
Canada's Capital Cities plus Niagara Falls
Veronica, NSW, Australia, Aug 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this tour. We had a great Tour Director and everything was well organised. She gave very informative information on the places we were visiting and had a great sense of humour. The accommodations were fabulous and there was a great group of people on the tour.
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