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.
Unforgettable experience 2
Wonders of Turkey
Jennifer & Christopher Elliott, NSW, Australia, Apr 2015
It was a shame that we missed the first day of our tour of Turkey because Turkish Airlines bumped us off our flight to Instanbul due to an earlier flight cancellation. We were then unable to get a seat on a flight to Instanbul until the following day, which was Day 2 of the tour. Being a Sunday when this happened it was not easy to contact Insight read more to let them know about our unfortunate delay, which was outside our control completely, although I was able to leave messages with Insight's London Office and the hotel in Istanbul. This hiccup over, we joined the tour group late in the afternoon of Day 2. Our tour director was nothing short of brilliant. He not only had outstanding people and management skills, but his in-depth knowledge of the places we visited, their history, geography, and modern society was simply outstanding, and his ability to communicate this equally as good. We learnt so much about Turkey - both ancient and modern - that our memories of that part of the trip will stay with us forever.
We joined the Greek Island cruise section of our holiday in Istanbul. While this was a more relaxed paced, we found we had been spoilt with having such an outstanding tour director with us throughout Turkey. Because a number of different tour groups joined the cruise, the group we had was suddenly much bigger, coaches for the land excursions more crowded and overall the tour guiding was not nearly as informative and interesting as our Turkey experience had been. This may have been influenced by the nature of a cruise differing from the nature of a smaller, more intimate tour group travelling throughout a country together. But this does not explain the different attitudes between the tour directors. Whilst our Turkey tour director was very open in sharing and acknowledging the historical past and the present of the country in a way that acknowledged how the past has shaped the present, we found that the Greek tour guides always seemed defensive of Greece, relying primarily on its ancient past without teaching us also about modern day Greece. They did not distinguish well between historical fact and mythical history, and this was frustrating for anyone who actually had any knowledge of ancient history. We definitely missed being led on a tour of discovering how more recent history (e.g. the last 1000 years) has influenced the development of modern Greece, and just how Greece functions today. We always got the feeling that somehow the Greeks have a bit of a chip on their shoulder, and only had the glories of their ancient past to boast of... I actually don't think this should be the case, as Greece is undoubtedly a very unique country. it's just that the tour guide failed to bring this out.
Nevertheless, overall the trip was fantastic. Without at doubt, the Turkish Delights part of the trip, though very full on, was an amazing and unforgettable experience that has changed my understanding and knowledge of modern Turkey enormously. Marvel Tourism, that manages the Insight tours in Turkey, really has got their act together! Well done!
We joined the Greek Island cruise section of our holiday in Istanbul. While this was a more relaxed paced, we found we had been spoilt with having such an outstanding tour director with us throughout Turkey. Because a number of different tour groups joined the cruise, the group we had was suddenly much bigger, coaches for the land excursions more crowded and overall the tour guiding was not nearly as informative and interesting as our Turkey experience had been. This may have been influenced by the nature of a cruise differing from the nature of a smaller, more intimate tour group travelling throughout a country together. But this does not explain the different attitudes between the tour directors. Whilst our Turkey tour director was very open in sharing and acknowledging the historical past and the present of the country in a way that acknowledged how the past has shaped the present, we found that the Greek tour guides always seemed defensive of Greece, relying primarily on its ancient past without teaching us also about modern day Greece. They did not distinguish well between historical fact and mythical history, and this was frustrating for anyone who actually had any knowledge of ancient history. We definitely missed being led on a tour of discovering how more recent history (e.g. the last 1000 years) has influenced the development of modern Greece, and just how Greece functions today. We always got the feeling that somehow the Greeks have a bit of a chip on their shoulder, and only had the glories of their ancient past to boast of... I actually don't think this should be the case, as Greece is undoubtedly a very unique country. it's just that the tour guide failed to bring this out.
Nevertheless, overall the trip was fantastic. Without at doubt, the Turkish Delights part of the trip, though very full on, was an amazing and unforgettable experience that has changed my understanding and knowledge of modern Turkey enormously. Marvel Tourism, that manages the Insight tours in Turkey, really has got their act together! Well done!
We wanted to experience the cold weather, snow and living in the Arctic and weren't disappointed. Everything went like clockwork. Tour director Chad Hartin and coach driver Oleg were excellent. We had good weather most days. Even when it was overcast it never rained heavily. The tour group were all very nice and we made new friends. Saw some wonderful read more sights, got up close to wildlife, reindeer, huskies. etc. We took all the extra excursions so it was very lively but we thoroughly enjoyed everything. Took lots of great photos too.
Highly recommend this tour. Great hotels, pace was good, saw some fantastic sights. Costa Del Sol not that good, hotel good but too much of a tourist holiday destination. But would certainly do it again. Loved the Spanish food wine and people.
Enjoyed especially with the knowledge of the fabulous Tour Director Stephen Thacker. He pointed out little details and included his vast travel stories and most of all his upbeat positive attitude.
Scenery was beautiful and the travel comfortable 1
Eastern Capitals & Dalmatian Riviera
Debra & Alan, QLD, Australia, Apr 2015
The tour was very enjoyable with a knowledgeable friendly guide. The guide was always available and happy to help, well organised and managed the tour group well. The scenery was beautiful and the travel comfortable with a friendly expert driver.
A wonderful trip overall, very well organised, professional and knowledgeable tour guide, comfortable coach with lots of leg rooms, all hotels are in the central location. Would be better if all the hotels have free wifi.
Had a really fantastic adventure 1
Kee Tan, VIC, Australia, Mar 2015
Had a really fantastic adventure. The tour guide was very informative and took good care of all of us. The driver was skilful and the ride was indeed smooth. The hotels and food were generally great. One hotel the breakfast was below par but the location was fantastic. This cannot be helped I suppose because its the only hotel in that vicinity (Lake read more Powell). Most part of the tour was very scenic and this is by far by my greatest adventure.
Overall we had a memorable fun holiday. Big thanks to our tour director Elena - she always do her best to keep us on time. And also big thanks to our driver Bernado for his best driving skill. Thanks to Hannah Campbell for making our booking so much easier. She is really polite and courteous.
We were very pleased with this tour - the coach, our guide, (there was some beautiful little extras - provided by the guide ) our coach driver, the accommodation, the included tours - our only concerns were the optional extras - 6 in total were listed but we only did 3. We had allowed the extra money, researched the tours and we were looking forward read more to them, but the tour director decided against doing them. Our welcome dinner meal was very poor in quality and so was one of our other included night meals.
Overall a great itinerary at a comfortable pace. Highlight was the accommodation inside the National Parks at Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon. These are NOT 5 star hotels and some on the tour complained of the 'basic' standard forgetting that these are National Park cabins and not the Grand Hyatt....still they were clean and comfortable and only a few read more steps from the rims. I feel we could have spent one more day at Bryce Canyon as this would allow for some short walks around the park. Lake Powell could be one day instead of 2. A place to use as a base but not much to do there itself once you have done the boat tour. I was able to go into Page to join a tour through Antelope Canyon - is there a reason why this is not included or offered as an option in the tour? A majestic canyon well worth the effort! I would not waste time going to Cameron Trading Post, very much a 'set-up for tourists' and also contained a lot of products made overseas instead of local work. Native American designs made in China, quite disappointing to see. Our tour guide Larry was most helpful and patient and knowledgeable. He made sure everything ran smoothly for each of us. Meals were always great when included.
Planning was executed in a most efficient manner 1
New England's Fall Foliage
Brian & Margaret, Australia, Sep 2014
The trip was conducted by an experienced tour guide who made every effort to ensure that everything worked perfectly. Forward planning was executed in a most efficient manner. We were fortunate that the Fall colours developed strongly during the latter half of the journey. Special mention must be made of the coach driver 'Randy' who drove with safely read more as his prime concern. He was always first off the coach at each stop and was there to assist all passengers to alight. Accommodation was of a high standard. While we would have preferred to eat fruit for the 'on-your-own' lunches it was obligatory to use restaurants in those towns where there was no public toilet facilities. In a group of 40 participants we ended the short tour not meeting some of the other passengers. I would recommend that the daily seating plan should be varied so you are not sitting with the same group for the whole journey.
We wanted to turn around and do it all again 5
Landscapes of the Canadian Maritimes
Rosemaree & Colin, WA, Australia, Sep 2014
We enjoyed this tour so much we wanted to turn around and do it all again. Our tour director Mary Lynch and our bus driver were simply amazing. The sights were unforgettable as were the experiences undertaken. We would recommend this tour to any one wishing to see the marvellous eastern coast of Canada and USA. We marvelled at the scenic vistas and read more the accommodations could not be faulted. Our tour group were warm and friendly and extremely thoughtful. Due to this we were always back to the bus on time and Mary was able to add in extra special sights and visits for us all. A big thank you to Yvonne from Global Journeys for assisting us with all the planning and we will definitely be using the company again for our future travels. We have already recommended Global Journeys to family and friends - some of whom have already booked to travel this year using this very professional company.
The tour delivered all we expected and more. We had not been to any of the places on this tour and every experience, while different, was great. The efforts of our Tour Director, Alex, no doubt enhanced all aspects of this trip. The arrangements by Global Journeys, including support with Russian Visas assisted greatly.
Majority of optional excursions should have been included 6
Country Roads of Switzerland
Margaret Jean Donges, Australia, Aug 2014
The majority of optional excursions should have been included in the tour. Who wants to spend a fortnight in Switzerland and not see the Matterhorn & Jungfrau? Also they were expensive so added a considerable amount on to the true cost of the trip. Martin was an excellent guide. Centrally located accommodation was good but would have been improved from read more a safety point of view if the rooms had a separate shower instead of over a narrow bath.
No hesitation recommending this tour to others 1
Highlights of Eastern Europe
Kerrie Davis, Australia, Aug 2014
Overall I really enjoyed my trip our tour quide was fantastic and made sure everyone's need were catered for. The cities and places we visited were excellent and the local guides were informative and generally easy to understand. I would have no hesitation recommending this tour to others.
An excellent tour. Our Tour Director, Caroline Huyshe, was a treasure. Her knowledge and her willingness to share the culture made the tour a great experience. The pace of the tour was good, but 22 days is a long time and we were happy to get a break at the end.
The Best of Italy tour was fantastic. The tour guide was just amazing, and the coach driver was so patient, courteous, and kept the coach immaculate. The pace of the tour at times seemed overwhelming, however we heard our tour guide once mention in a conversation that we are on a tour, and not a holiday - and she was spot on in saying this. The intention read more of going on a tour is to see as many spectacular places as possible so then you can pick where to come back to and stay the next time you return to that country. The guided tours were worth doing because we were taken to the little hidden parts of Italy that we would never have been exposed to otherwise. Love Italy and will definitely return one day for a holiday at a personally chosen city - which will be very hard to decide on because the beauty of Italy is abundant.
We loved the tour, especially the excellent tour director 1
Spectacular Scandinavia & its Fjords
Del Stitz, Australia, Aug 2014
We loved the tour, especially thanks to the excellent tour director. The coach was very comfortable and the group of 40 was very friendly. You do have to be prepared for early starts in order to pack everything into the day. I would definitely recommend Insight Vacations.
We thoroughly enjoyed our 15-day 'Spectacular Scandinavia' tour with Insight Vacations. Let's dispense with the negatives first. The hotel at Frederikshaun in Denmark was poor and there were several long driving days. The latter is to be expected in any tour of Scandinavia, but it meant early starts to the day and plenty of sitting. Fortunately, the read more coach was excellent, with plenty of leg room, the tour director, Chad Hartin, competent, knowledgeable and entertaining, the local guides first class and there was much of very great interest throughout the tour. Norway, however, was simply outstanding. The fiords, glaciers and mountains of the west coast are stunningly beautiful. Winding through, up and down the ranges was exhilarating, the experience complemented by the skill of our very safety-conscious driver. The group of forty travellers included Aussies, Canadians, New Zealanders and Americans and not surprisingly it bonded well. We recommend this tour.
Excellent tour. Tour director and driver were excellent. There appeared to be more options offered than are normally encountered but other than that a wonderful tour.
