Home > Compare Tour Operators > Scenic vs Tauck
Scenic vs Tauck
Compare the travel styles, pricing, destinations and popularity of Scenic and Tauck.The Low Down
Scenic's 5 star luxury river cruises are well known and popular in Australia (not so much in NZ). Scenic were the first to introduce balconies on their Scenic Space-Ships, which many clients love, but this comes at a cost to interior cabin space. Like many of the other premium river cruise Operators, look out for their great Fly Free offers, and Earlybird Savings. All inclusive, with Freechoice activities that allow you to choose what you want to do in each port, Scenic also offer a range of luxury additions (like your own Butler) depending on the cabin type select. Launching in 2018 and with another ship in 2020, the Scenic Eclipse is Scenic's first foray into luxury all inclusive ocean cruising. From the Arctic to Antarctica and everywhere in between, these Discovery Yachts, are all inclusive with shore excursions involving Zodiacs, kayaks and e-bikes as well as the option (for an additional charge) to adventure out by helicopter and submarine!
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
596
No. of Departures
2,587
Avg. Trip Length
16 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$902
Accommodation
4.5 - 5 Star
Budget
Premium / Luxury
No. of Trips
176
No. of Departures
1,523
Avg. Trip Length
11 Days
Avg. Price Per Day
$892
Accommodation
4.5 - 5 Star
Budget
Premium / Luxury
In Their Own Words We asked the travel companies themselves why you should travel with them
Scenic is proudly an Australian founded company setting the global standard for all inclusive luxury travel. We have delighted guests for more than 30 years with memorable journeys to fascinating locations across the world, delivering unsurpassed excellence in service, product quality and exclusive experiences. The guest is at the heart of everything we do, as we strive to provide continual innovation to enhance the guest experience in Luxury River Cruising, Land Tours and our state of the art expedition Ocean Cruising with Scenic Eclipse.
The Scenic difference is the details, the unwavering commitment to anticipate our guests every need, from butler services, quality dining, wellness, Scenic Enrich and Scenic FreeChoice experiences. That is why so many of our past guests choose to travel with Scenic many times, to destinations around the globe with family and friends, trusting Scenic to create memories that will last a lifetime. We welcome you to enjoy the portfolio of Scenic luxury products and feel the difference of Scenic’s dedicated staff, who will look after you to the nth degree.
This is why first time and past guests choose Scenic.
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
We finally undertook our dream holiday to Egypt. The sheer beauty of this timeless country exceeded all of our expectations. We were initially apprehensive about travelling to Egypt in regard to our safety but it was unfounded. Egypt is as safe as anywhere in Europe. We travelled with Scenic who provided a never to forget experience. The professionalism ...read more of the Scenic staff could not be faulted and their attention to detail was excellent. Our cruise down the Nile was exceptional. My wife and her sister are gluten intolerant and the Chef's on the boat specially prepared separate and exquisite meals, for both of them. We could not praise them enough. As for Cairo, Luxor and Aswan with their museums, temples, tombs and Pyramids you cannot appreciate their beauty and intrigue unless you are there. Their photos in glossy magazines and on the internet do not do them justice. So if you have the opportunity do not miss this once in a lifetime experience.
We totally enjoyed our River Cruise. Booking through Global Journeys was sooo easy. Communication was great and nothing was to much trouble. We found communication with Global Journeys much easier than communicating directly with river cruise company. The cruise was great - we were a bit concerned that the age demographics would be older than us ...read more but that was not the case. There was a great mix of ages on the ship and we have formed some strong friendships. There was a late change of ship which we were disappointed in but Scenic went out of their way to ensure they made up for any disappointment. We would definitely do another river cruise and we certainly will be booking that through Global Journeys. Very happy customers.
The scenery was brilliant. The service in the restaurant was just below perfect. The reason for this qualification was due to all the smorgasbords. There was an additional specials menu - twice we ordered from this but the meals didn't turn up. Free beverages were excellent.
Another thing mentioned and rectified was all the 'double beds' on the ship ...read more were in reality single beds put together. Put my leg through the centre and could have broken a leg or ankle. Fell out of bed with the mattress. Hello, passenger in danger. They did bind this one up and then I was okay. The Palais Liechtenstein Mozart and Strauss concert was perfect. All transfers were very good and prompt.
Another thing mentioned and rectified was all the 'double beds' on the ship ...read more were in reality single beds put together. Put my leg through the centre and could have broken a leg or ankle. Fell out of bed with the mattress. Hello, passenger in danger. They did bind this one up and then I was okay. The Palais Liechtenstein Mozart and Strauss concert was perfect. All transfers were very good and prompt.
Rocky Mountains are an exciting experience. The beauty of the mountains and lakes are everywhere around you. A sight to behold.
The river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest was an excellent way to travel. It was fully catered and the food selection was varied to provide dishes from the country you travel through. It gave us an opportunity to taste food that we may not have ordered from a restaurant elsewhere. We enjoyed the ability to integrate cycling with our sight seeing. ...read more The Scenic river cruise was indeed scenic and the onboard app provided great insights to the various castles, churches and towns as we passed by.
The staff on this Scenic river cruise were friendly and very pleasant to deal with. Our cruise director was the best we have ever had compared to our travels. He was always around to help people with their queries and had a great dry sense of humour. We really enjoyed this cruise and would recommend it to others. Our booking through Global Journeys was simple, easy and without any problems. Anything that was promised was delivered on time and without any need for us to chase. This gave us the opportunity to start our trip in relaxed frame of mind and to enjoy the experience.
The staff on this Scenic river cruise were friendly and very pleasant to deal with. Our cruise director was the best we have ever had compared to our travels. He was always around to help people with their queries and had a great dry sense of humour. We really enjoyed this cruise and would recommend it to others. Our booking through Global Journeys was simple, easy and without any problems. Anything that was promised was delivered on time and without any need for us to chase. This gave us the opportunity to start our trip in relaxed frame of mind and to enjoy the experience.
Fascinating trip from Moscow to Berlin via St Petersburg and the Baltic States 1 Lorraine & Roger, NSW, Australia, Jul 2019
We booked this trip because it offered something a bit different from our usual European holidays, and we were not disappointed. The tour operator, Scenic, were excellent. Our trip started in Moscow, where we were met at the airport and driven to our cruise ship, the Scenic Tsar. This is a smaller ship than some others, only taking a maximum of 96 guests, ...read more which meant people mixed well and we met some lovely friends. Three tour directors looked after all our excursions, as well as offering some fun entertainment on board. They were a talented group, and we learnt Russian history, language, cooking and Matryoshka decoration. The ship's crew, all Russian, spoke good English, and catered for our every need.
After the cruise we were accompanied on a train journey to Helsinki, where we continued our tour through the Baltic States, again learning much history and culture, as well as seeing some lovely cities and countryside. Our tour director was wonderful, and we couldn't have been better looked after. On both parts of the tour we experienced some wonderful cultural events, excellent accommodation, comfortable travel and some great meals. We would definitely take another trip with Scenic, and happily use Global Journeys to book, as they were very organised and helpful. We really appreciated being able to log on to our record and check how the planning was progressing.
After the cruise we were accompanied on a train journey to Helsinki, where we continued our tour through the Baltic States, again learning much history and culture, as well as seeing some lovely cities and countryside. Our tour director was wonderful, and we couldn't have been better looked after. On both parts of the tour we experienced some wonderful cultural events, excellent accommodation, comfortable travel and some great meals. We would definitely take another trip with Scenic, and happily use Global Journeys to book, as they were very organised and helpful. We really appreciated being able to log on to our record and check how the planning was progressing.
Fantastic company and nice staff on board. We never had to ask for anything... it was all offered on a plate. Very good service and Global Journeys handled the booking and delivered all the required paperwork.
Our experience was an intriguing and memorable holiday on our Portrait of India tour. From the moment we arrived until we boarded our plane to leave, we didn’t have to worry about a thing as everything was taken care of. The accommodation was superb and we visited some magnificent places and sites along with a couple of real surprises. The Taj Mahal ...read more and Varanasi were highlights along with lunch cooked cooked by a famous local in her home. Our tour guide was very interesting and informative throughout our journey and we would recommend this trip to our friends.
Jemma was highly professional booking our trip and keeping us informed with a Tauck hotel change. We were fortunate to explore towns that felt like you were on a movie set and experience the colours of autumn and how each of the states we went to had their own uniqueness. Denise, a local to the area, was our tour guide and she had years of experience ...read more as well as knowledge only residents would have. Staying overnight at Mount Washington Resort was a highlight as was the lobster dinner in Maine. Acadia Park was overrun with tourists and cruise ship passengers but I understand they are working on coming up with a solution. Tauck had great accommodation for the most part and meals were excellent. We were blessed with warm temperatures and only 1 day of rain and it certainly gave a great picture of New England overall.
Another hassle free and highly professional booking with Jemma at Global Journeys. We had a wonderful tour director, Jenee, and driver, Peter, who worked well together and went the extra mile to throw a few extra stops in that weren't on the itinerary. Tauck was chosen as it stayed overnight at Martha's Vineyard and also had a flight to Nantucket from ...read more there which gave a whole new perspective from above. They also offered one night accommodation pre or post tour as part of the package. The accommodation was excellent as were the options to choose meals from menus rather than set dinners. It also left Boston straight away which had more time on Cape Cod and islands, as Boston was very easy to self explore pre and post trips. The pace was leisurely with no early departures, no long drives, and mostly 2 night hotel stays. I am glad we chose this tour company when compared to others.
Absolutely fantastic trip that ran like clockwork. 5 star accommodation and food. Cannot recommend more highly. Yes it is a bucket list destination and the price tag is higher than other tours, but as an example, we stayed in the a Fairmont lake lodge that the queen has stayed in.
A very good introduction to the delights of Scandinavia. Accommodation was excellent, with 'rooms with a view' for Tauck guests, when available. However, we felt that visits to museums were too rushed - more time should be provided, for example at the Viking Ship museum in Oslo and the VASA ship museum in Stockholm.
We felt that touring Scandinavia ...read more as we did in late May, early June was just right. Plenty of snow on the mountains, lots of water in the waterfalls, not too many crowds, and day-time temperatures were not too hot.
We understand that Tauck is changing the Scandinavia tour for 2020 in an attempt to reduce the exposure of its guests to high temperatures in non-airconditioned hotels in the height of summer.
We felt that touring Scandinavia ...read more as we did in late May, early June was just right. Plenty of snow on the mountains, lots of water in the waterfalls, not too many crowds, and day-time temperatures were not too hot.
We understand that Tauck is changing the Scandinavia tour for 2020 in an attempt to reduce the exposure of its guests to high temperatures in non-airconditioned hotels in the height of summer.
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