Insight Vacations Reviews
The 608 Insight Vacations reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have travelled with Insight Vacations. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
The 608 Insight Vacations reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have travelled with Insight Vacations. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
Great experience and insight picked some wonderful places to see. Very professional through out the tour, overall had a great time and would definitely would use Global Journeys and Insight again. Thank you.
The tour guide was extremely good. Most hotels were good and well located, although a few were at a distance from the centre. Global Journeys gave great support. Purely based on this tour would recommend Insight.
A truly magnificent journey through Scandinavia. We had amazing weather. Perfect timing as summer was 3 weeks late in coming so had the added benefit of seeing heaps of snow, ice and then all the trees come into into leaf at the end of our tour. Accommodation better than we were lead to believe for that part of the world. Oslo the only one with read more sub standard accommodation. We were told all the Hotels in that city had very small rooms. Staff made up for it-they were great. If you want to cross the Arctic Circle, see the mid-night sun and go to the North Cape (top of Europe) this is the trip for you. And of course too see Santa in Lapland. Not forgetting the fjords and lakes. Amazing.
Wonderful tour of Scandinavia run by insight. Tour director Chad and driver Oleg were exceptional. It was just sight after sight with each day bringing something new. Not sure if all the extra tours were necessary. We did some but not all. Some may have just been time fillers.
The Italian Elegance tour was a great experience. The areas visited are extremely diverse so there was always something different to see, experience and enjoy – cities, medieval towns, Tuscan country, coast, lakes and mountains. The tour was all-inclusive so there were no options to be discussed (sold), decided on or paid for during the tour. There read more were 36 people on the coach but it never felt crowded and was very comfortable due to the generous amount of space between the seats.
Our accommodation was always in the very good to excellent range and the variety of the locations where we stayed was amazing; a converted farm building in a resort in Tuscany, overlooking the sea in Santa Margherita, on the lake in Baveno with mountain views, in the Dolomites and very close to St Mark’s in Venice. The “flourishes” along the way included gelato in San Gimignano and Strudel in the Dolomites which were both highlights. Our tour director, Jackie, was very well organised and willing to assist when required.
The only thing that didn’t work well was in Rome as we travelled to the Vatican twice - St Peter’s Basilica early morning then Sistine Chapel and dinner later in the afternoon – with Colosseum tour in between. It would be much better if both Vatican visits could be done together. The Vatican dinner was average so could be removed from the itinerary to allow the visits to be completed in the morning.
We have travelled with Insight before and would have no hesitation in recommending them. As always, Georgie at Global Journeys was extremely efficient and helpful during our planning and booking of the tour.
Our accommodation was always in the very good to excellent range and the variety of the locations where we stayed was amazing; a converted farm building in a resort in Tuscany, overlooking the sea in Santa Margherita, on the lake in Baveno with mountain views, in the Dolomites and very close to St Mark’s in Venice. The “flourishes” along the way included gelato in San Gimignano and Strudel in the Dolomites which were both highlights. Our tour director, Jackie, was very well organised and willing to assist when required.
The only thing that didn’t work well was in Rome as we travelled to the Vatican twice - St Peter’s Basilica early morning then Sistine Chapel and dinner later in the afternoon – with Colosseum tour in between. It would be much better if both Vatican visits could be done together. The Vatican dinner was average so could be removed from the itinerary to allow the visits to be completed in the morning.
We have travelled with Insight before and would have no hesitation in recommending them. As always, Georgie at Global Journeys was extremely efficient and helpful during our planning and booking of the tour.
Pleasant ' Insight' Trip but expensive with poorer quality hotels 10
Grand Scandinavia
Beryl, ACT, Australia, May 2017
Although it was summer (June) in Scandinavia it was still very cold and it snowed or sleeted several times. Don't bother heading to the Artic Circle or North Cape until much later in summer as you can't see much in the bad weather. The Insight coach and driver were great and the tour guide was good, but definitely a sales person when it came to optional read more extras - just do your own itinerary in the free time and you will get more out of the stops.
The standard of the hotels were disappointing when the tour was sold as providing a min 4 star, but most were 3 star with one or two even less. Be prepared for very basic cabins on the ferry to Helsinki. Stockholm was the highlight - very pretty city with lovely old town and easy to walk around. The Hilton Hotel in Stockholm was by far the best. If you are looking for a gastronomical experience on vacation, Scandinavia will somewhat disappoint - reindeer is worth trying and the salmon was also good, but the other white fish were bland. The other main stay of pork was nothing special. Potatoe is the main vegetable served so I really missed my greens. Norway is the most expensive of the Scandinavian countries so be prepared for the cost of food, wine and clothing to be double what you pay in Australia. Worth seeing Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, but I wouldn't bother going back.
The standard of the hotels were disappointing when the tour was sold as providing a min 4 star, but most were 3 star with one or two even less. Be prepared for very basic cabins on the ferry to Helsinki. Stockholm was the highlight - very pretty city with lovely old town and easy to walk around. The Hilton Hotel in Stockholm was by far the best. If you are looking for a gastronomical experience on vacation, Scandinavia will somewhat disappoint - reindeer is worth trying and the salmon was also good, but the other white fish were bland. The other main stay of pork was nothing special. Potatoe is the main vegetable served so I really missed my greens. Norway is the most expensive of the Scandinavian countries so be prepared for the cost of food, wine and clothing to be double what you pay in Australia. Worth seeing Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, but I wouldn't bother going back.
The tour content was perfect and exceeded our expectations, but the tour director was disappointing as he was ill-prepared and unfamiliar with several destinations. His poor organisation and vague instructions saw one family left behind on the excursion to Jungfrau and needing to find their own way back to the hotel. So, except for the choice of tour read more director, a perfect trip and a good case for leaving the payment of gratuities until the end of the tour.
Great trip and a very good time of the year to do Yellowstone. Late snow blocked access to the northern park but the snow added a magical touch to the park.
Great Way To Experience Portugal 3
Country Roads of Portugal
Graham & Caroline, SA, Australia, May 2017
This tour is a great way to see all that Portugal has to offer. Although the tour was full, it didn't feel so and there is plenty of space on the bus. Our tour guide John was excellent and provided great commentary throughout the tour. The hotel accommodation was very good, as were the included meals. This was our third Insight Vacations tour and definitely read more the best one so far. You know you have had a good tour when you can't think of anything to complain about.
Overall accommodation was very satisfactory. Some of the advertising was a little exaggerated re rooms and views. Tour director repeated her family details too often but otherwise did a very good job. Tipping should be included as an option in the cost of the tour. Bus driver was excellent. Views from some accommodation were alleys and back lanes. Nice read more balance with meal inclusions.
Disappointed that Global Journeys did not advise us that we could break our journey in Abu Dahbi at no additional flight cost. The Troll road excursion was in the tour bus and I question why this was an additional option tour to be paid for. Transfers were well organised. But beware this is a very expensive area to visit. Food and drink costs are well above sometimes 2 + the cost of what you would pay for in Australia. Overall a very enjoyable trip. Good to see that the composition of the travellers included a high number of Australians. Would recommend this tour to anyone
Disappointed that Global Journeys did not advise us that we could break our journey in Abu Dahbi at no additional flight cost. The Troll road excursion was in the tour bus and I question why this was an additional option tour to be paid for. Transfers were well organised. But beware this is a very expensive area to visit. Food and drink costs are well above sometimes 2 + the cost of what you would pay for in Australia. Overall a very enjoyable trip. Good to see that the composition of the travellers included a high number of Australians. Would recommend this tour to anyone
We have been regular visitors to the US in recent years so we look for "new" destinations to explore in addition to visiting family now residing on the East Coast. My husband and I have completed many tours with Insight Vacations in America, Canada and Europe so we have had the opportunity to weigh up the pros and cons of coach tours and in particular read more with this company. Coach tours do not suit all and you regularly need to remind yourself why you have chosen a coach tour as opposed to a self drive holiday following the same route !
Having said that, this trip probably exceeded our expectations. The coach itself was extremely comfortable, plenty of leg room, on board wi-fi and a recharge power points for each seat. Our tour director appeared to have a good knowledge of local history and culture which he shared with the group and prior experience about how to get the best out of each location in the limited time that you have available.There were 33 passengers on tour, 50% Americans ( mainly east coast retirees) and 50% Australians (again mainly retirees). There is a lot of coach travel on this tour with a couple of days of extended mileage. To get the best out of the trip you need to have a good level of fitness. Whilst there is full porterage of your bags, the accommodation did not always have lifts and there are steps to be climbed at some locations. At a couple of overnight stops you do need to walk outdoors from the accommodation to dining areas.
If you are looking for big cities and shopping this tour is not for you. We looked forward to seeing some of the other American Icons away from cities , more of the US National Parks and staying in Rustic Lodges and we were well satisfied.
We did not realise that this tour was stage 3 of an extended West Coast tour that had started in San Francisco. So a few passengers had booked on all 3 stages; several more on the final two stages and others like us joined up for the final stage 3. We in fact, had completed the second stage that included Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion National Parks back in 2010.
We flew from LA airport to Salt Lake City two days in advance of the tour date and would have been otherwise disappointed with the tour's itinerary / commentary of this town. We booked on both a City local tour and a lake local tour before departing Australia ; we were also able to easily walk to Temple Square and also attend the free Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert on the Thursday evening. We also chose to depart the tour in Denver rather than Rapid City. The Insight coach provided this connection and this gave us better options for ongoing flights to New York. We stayed in a hotel close to the airport for a flight the following morning - note Insight Vacations' warning about booking flight times that are too early.
We chose a tour in early May because we wanted to see snow capped mountains. The south gate into Yellowstone had only just opened for the season, a couple of roads in the park were still closed because of a late snow fall but that was the risk we were prepared to take with this early date. We did not want to experience summer school holiday crowds and traffic jams especially in Yellowstone! The snow covered Grand Tetons were magnificent - it had been a heavy snowfall winter. There was heavy snow still on the ground in the southern parts of Yellowstone, some lakes were still frozen, the waterfalls and mountain streams were raging. It was also still cool enough to enjoy walking geyser trails at Yellowstone and the board walk at Mt Rushmore and for fireplaces to be enjoyed in lodge foyers.
We saw plenty of bison, elk, deer, prairie dog and were lucky enough to spot a grizzly bear ambling out of the lake ! There were 2 optional excursions for the tour - we did not book the river float as we had been very satisfied with our memories of a Colorado River Float on another tour. We would recommend the Bison Safari and Cookout optional though ( do not be put off - this is not rough road touring ! )
We were very happy with all the accommodation. We had not anticipated the scale of these lodges. There are many rooms ; not luxury, but all have interesting character décor, good linen, satisfactory bathrooms and pleasant foyers. Meals were usually limited to the accommodation's large dining rooms with a seasonal staff who, in May, were fairly new to the job! While the "no bookings system at Yellowstone" is not always ideal, it is all part of the experience and will make you appreciate even more the wonderful dinner later on at the more intimate U Cross Ranch. Take on board the fact that Americans often have to book a long time in advance to stay at some of these lodges. We were fortunate that our dates enabled us to stay at all the "onsite accommodation" and I would suggest that future travellers read the fine print carefully for accommodation on their chosen dates as a couple of local events impose some limitations.
Custer State Park and the Buffalo Bill Museum were our unexpected favourite destinations on this tour. Eating dinner looking out on the Grand Tetons at twilight is a special memory we will never forget.
This is the first time we have booked with Global Journeys - the savings, in addition to Insight's early payment and past traveller discounts were attractive. All our communication and payments were made online. The process was efficient and I felt confident with the company even without a face to face meeting.
Having said that, this trip probably exceeded our expectations. The coach itself was extremely comfortable, plenty of leg room, on board wi-fi and a recharge power points for each seat. Our tour director appeared to have a good knowledge of local history and culture which he shared with the group and prior experience about how to get the best out of each location in the limited time that you have available.There were 33 passengers on tour, 50% Americans ( mainly east coast retirees) and 50% Australians (again mainly retirees). There is a lot of coach travel on this tour with a couple of days of extended mileage. To get the best out of the trip you need to have a good level of fitness. Whilst there is full porterage of your bags, the accommodation did not always have lifts and there are steps to be climbed at some locations. At a couple of overnight stops you do need to walk outdoors from the accommodation to dining areas.
If you are looking for big cities and shopping this tour is not for you. We looked forward to seeing some of the other American Icons away from cities , more of the US National Parks and staying in Rustic Lodges and we were well satisfied.
We did not realise that this tour was stage 3 of an extended West Coast tour that had started in San Francisco. So a few passengers had booked on all 3 stages; several more on the final two stages and others like us joined up for the final stage 3. We in fact, had completed the second stage that included Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion National Parks back in 2010.
We flew from LA airport to Salt Lake City two days in advance of the tour date and would have been otherwise disappointed with the tour's itinerary / commentary of this town. We booked on both a City local tour and a lake local tour before departing Australia ; we were also able to easily walk to Temple Square and also attend the free Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert on the Thursday evening. We also chose to depart the tour in Denver rather than Rapid City. The Insight coach provided this connection and this gave us better options for ongoing flights to New York. We stayed in a hotel close to the airport for a flight the following morning - note Insight Vacations' warning about booking flight times that are too early.
We chose a tour in early May because we wanted to see snow capped mountains. The south gate into Yellowstone had only just opened for the season, a couple of roads in the park were still closed because of a late snow fall but that was the risk we were prepared to take with this early date. We did not want to experience summer school holiday crowds and traffic jams especially in Yellowstone! The snow covered Grand Tetons were magnificent - it had been a heavy snowfall winter. There was heavy snow still on the ground in the southern parts of Yellowstone, some lakes were still frozen, the waterfalls and mountain streams were raging. It was also still cool enough to enjoy walking geyser trails at Yellowstone and the board walk at Mt Rushmore and for fireplaces to be enjoyed in lodge foyers.
We saw plenty of bison, elk, deer, prairie dog and were lucky enough to spot a grizzly bear ambling out of the lake ! There were 2 optional excursions for the tour - we did not book the river float as we had been very satisfied with our memories of a Colorado River Float on another tour. We would recommend the Bison Safari and Cookout optional though ( do not be put off - this is not rough road touring ! )
We were very happy with all the accommodation. We had not anticipated the scale of these lodges. There are many rooms ; not luxury, but all have interesting character décor, good linen, satisfactory bathrooms and pleasant foyers. Meals were usually limited to the accommodation's large dining rooms with a seasonal staff who, in May, were fairly new to the job! While the "no bookings system at Yellowstone" is not always ideal, it is all part of the experience and will make you appreciate even more the wonderful dinner later on at the more intimate U Cross Ranch. Take on board the fact that Americans often have to book a long time in advance to stay at some of these lodges. We were fortunate that our dates enabled us to stay at all the "onsite accommodation" and I would suggest that future travellers read the fine print carefully for accommodation on their chosen dates as a couple of local events impose some limitations.
Custer State Park and the Buffalo Bill Museum were our unexpected favourite destinations on this tour. Eating dinner looking out on the Grand Tetons at twilight is a special memory we will never forget.
This is the first time we have booked with Global Journeys - the savings, in addition to Insight's early payment and past traveller discounts were attractive. All our communication and payments were made online. The process was efficient and I felt confident with the company even without a face to face meeting.
This trip was my third with Insight and I am already looking at another holiday with them for next year. I was quite surprised to find out all was included and there was no more added expense for extras. The hotels were luxurious and all the meals were very enjoyable. I have no one highlight, they were all highlights. The tour director Patricia was read more so knowledgeable and I was quite surprised about some of the information she was telling us. The coach was very roomy but unfortunately the foot rest were best suited for tall people, but that is the only concern. The pace was very easy to deal with and we had a fair bit of free time to wonder around. I would recommend them.
Spectacular scenery, excellent organisation 4
Country Roads of Scandinavia
Robyn, QLD, Australia, May 2017
A really well organised tour with an excellent intinerary. The tour leader was fantastic, managing the group, but still being attentive to individuals. The tour hotels were of a high standard, and the coach was comfortable.
Meals were very good, but perhaps they could reflect local cuisine a bit more, even though this would not appeal to all people. read more After seeing the prices in Norway. I am convinced that the tour represented value for money.
Meals were very good, but perhaps they could reflect local cuisine a bit more, even though this would not appeal to all people. read more After seeing the prices in Norway. I am convinced that the tour represented value for money.
Northern Capitals & Russia with Insight 3
Northern Capitals
Margareta & John, VIC, Australia, May 2017
The weather was still pretty cold, but the tour was excellent. We did have the best bus driver and the best tour director. We did enjoy every minute of this tour.
This was a fabulous itinerary, we travelled through some important and incredible cities. Our guide Emma was wonderful. The driver was adequate, no personality but I guess he didn't need to have one, we just like a driver with a bit of a spark. Included tours were wonderful, extras where underwhelming and expensive and rushed. I would just go with read more the inclusions and use the free nights and afternoons (not many) to catch your breath or perhaps explore a city for yourself. Overall, the accommodation was awesome, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Costa Del Sol is a bit of a yawn, but you can use this time to relax.
What a fabulous trip! Our Tour Guide, Simon, was the best. This was the first time we had used Global Journeys and we'd certainly use them again. Both Michelle and Madeline were great with all responses to any questions or concerns received in an amazingly short timeline. Thank you so much.
We have had the pleasure of Tracey supporting our travels through Global Journeys over the last few years. Tracey is very professional, courteous, knowledgeable and always considerate. She makes it easy for organising our travel and we hope she can support our future travel plans.
This tour was well organised with an excellent range of experiences. The tour leader, Jonathan, was informative, funny and an excellent host. This tour is ideal for people who want a broad overview of Europe and a diverse range of experiences.
April is an excellent time to travel in Spain and Portugal...not too hot yet. We were fortunate in having both an excellent driver and a knowledgeable Tour Guide who went out of their way to provide personal service. While I realise it must be difficult to find hotels for a group of over 40 I believe some hotels were too far out of the part of town read more I wished to visit. e.g. a 15 euro fare into the old city in Barcelona. Also simple plumbing where you don't scald yourself , walk in shower (not over the bath) and windows that open are an overlooked necessity. Arrangements with Global Journeys went smoothly.
Outstanding visit to Ireland and Scotland 8
Best of Ireland & Scotland
Steve Strong & Carol McKay-Strong, QLD, Australia, Apr 2017
Our trip started with a looong plane trip from Brisbane to Dublin. We broke it with a stop over in Guangzhou using China Southern Airlines. We stopped a day and a half, could have been a day longer. We happened on Blacklane Professional Drivers in Guangzhou. Our driver told us to call him "G". He was fantastic, picking us up from the airport and taking read more us to our hotel. Having studied in England, his English was excellent and we negotiated with him to have a 6 hour private tour of Guangzhou the next day.
We arrived in Dublin a day early also, to get our land legs again - I would recommend this to anyone having a long flight. (12 hours Brisbane to Guangzhou, 9 hours to Paris, 2 hours to Dublin). We stayed at the Clayton Cardiff Lane Hotel, used by Insight Vacations for the start of our tour in Dublin. The tour was excellent, well timed and the places visited were excellent. We couldn't really think of any others to add. Unfortunately, a leisurely start meant an 8am start instead of 7.30. There were a number of 2-night stays which were well received. The ferry from Northern Ireland to Scotland was a large vessel making it a smooth sail. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable of the scenery, history and politics of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland and really had the touch of Blarney. The other travelers came from the US, Canada, 2 from NZ and and 8 from Australia. We all got on well. Of course there was "that couple' who loved the sound of their own voices and anecdotes, but overall the people all got on incredibly well. Once again, we stopped at Guangzhou on the way home - the Pullman Hotel is less than a 100m walk from the terminal- and spent a restful 15 hours before the final big leg home.
We arrived in Dublin a day early also, to get our land legs again - I would recommend this to anyone having a long flight. (12 hours Brisbane to Guangzhou, 9 hours to Paris, 2 hours to Dublin). We stayed at the Clayton Cardiff Lane Hotel, used by Insight Vacations for the start of our tour in Dublin. The tour was excellent, well timed and the places visited were excellent. We couldn't really think of any others to add. Unfortunately, a leisurely start meant an 8am start instead of 7.30. There were a number of 2-night stays which were well received. The ferry from Northern Ireland to Scotland was a large vessel making it a smooth sail. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable of the scenery, history and politics of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland and really had the touch of Blarney. The other travelers came from the US, Canada, 2 from NZ and and 8 from Australia. We all got on well. Of course there was "that couple' who loved the sound of their own voices and anecdotes, but overall the people all got on incredibly well. Once again, we stopped at Guangzhou on the way home - the Pullman Hotel is less than a 100m walk from the terminal- and spent a restful 15 hours before the final big leg home.
