‘Business Class’ as Standard: What Makes an Insight Vacations Tour Different

by | 24 Jul 2024

More than a guided tour, when you journey with Insight tour you’ll travel in ‘Business Class’ style, with all the perks. No matter your destination, the result is the superior touring experience you deserve, and here’s how we deliver it.

As Insight Vacations’ Travel Experiences Manager EMEA Jen Hirtle explains, “Insight Vacations is different from other brands out there because it’s an elevated experience – just like how flying business class is different from economy. Along with 5- and 4-star hotels and premium dining, it’s about extra special experiences that open up the world for the curious traveler.”

For all the details: ‘Business Class’ Tours

Premium Experiences

Premium experiences are a signature inclusion on every Insight Vacations journey. With every tour expertly curated for the curious traveler, our trip planners go the extra mile to source the most insightful experiences and the most engaging experts.

Of course you will see the iconic highlights, but you’ll also see a more intimate side to each place you visit with our Insightful Experiences. You could be admiring the sensational frescos of the Vatican Museums in Rome, Italy, with a local expert revealing all the stories. In California discover the secrets in the sky as you stargaze with a professional astronomer, and in England take a completely new look at nature as you feel the healing power of England’s Dartmoor with local Emma Cunis.

Curated for the inquisitive mind, the knowledge of your Travel Directors and Local Experts is unmatched. And through an Insight Choice on each itinerary, you’ll have the option to choose between two different experiences on certain days to tailor your tour further to your preferences.

 

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What Exactly Goes into Making an Insight Tour, with Trip Planner Jen Hirtle

 

 

Business Class does not mean a compromise on sustainability

For us, premium travel and responsible travel goes hand on hand. Not only leaving a positive impact and supporting the UN SDGs, our innovative MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences are a highlight on our tours, often opening your mind to places you might otherwise not find.

Learn about geothermal power in Iceland and meet acid attack survivors at Sheroes Café in India. In the USA join mountain climbers to learn how they are preserving Yosemite for future generations.

With sustainable travel at our core, we offer 83 of our innovative MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences across 93% of itineraries on our ‘Business Class’ Tours, meaning you don’t need to give up your creature comforts to travel responsibly.

 

Differentiate from the masses with Insider Access

Travel with Insight and we invite you to skip the queues to save time and visit select sites before or after hours. For us Insider Access is an important perk of our ‘Business Class’ tours, offering a serene, VIP view on some amazing sites.

In Rome, admire the best-preserved Byzantine mosaics in the Eternal City in peace and tranquility as you enjoy exclusive access to the Basilica of Saint Praxedes after-hours. Your visit to Memphis, USA is enhanced with a private after-hours tour the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Just imagine exploring this musical treasure trove in your own time. While in Romania you can lose yourself in folklore with a private visit to Bran Castle, said to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

 

 

Every Premium Dining experience a delight

Whichever Insight tour you choose, our included dining offer connects you further with the places you visit. We know that cuisine is so much more than nourishment – as you dine you’ll discover history and traditions through regional flavors, traditions, recipes and the people you meet. With top rated local restaurants just the start and a thoughtful vegetarian option available at every included meal, here’s some of the ways we elevate your taste experience.

With our intimate Dine at home experiences, you’ll step into the home of a local host, try their recipes and hear their stories. In Sarajevo, Bosnia this is a poignant opportunity to hear of life during the siege and the war from your hosts the Gradjan family, while in York, England it’s an opportunity to find out about life in a stately home, Thirsk Hall with Daisy and her family.

 

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Farm to Table, and Beyond: How Dining With Insight Vacations Does a World of Good

 

Farm-to-table meals are a highlight of many of our tours. Just steps away from the food source, you’ll not only savor a delicious meal, but find out how it was produced and the locations sustainability credentials. Prepare to me impressed. In New Brunswick, Canada this means cruising the waters of Shediac Bay onboard a lobster boat to get a glimpse into the fascinating world of these sea creatures, with a presentation on the industry, before a delicious sea-to-table dinner. In Lima, Peru this means lunch at Museo Larco, a private museum located in the capital’s Pueblo Libre District, housing the largest collection of Pre-Columbian art. Here you will indulge on a Highlight Lunch of local ingredients in its 18th century garden setting.

Add to the picture cooking classes and foodie walks with professional local chefs, and you have many delicious ways to get hands on with the cuisine of your destination. Our tours are also structured so that you will also have many opportunities to make your own dining choices, with your Travel Director is on hand to make recommendations to match every palette.

 

Superior Hotels

There’s hotels, and then there’s Insight hotels. Always 4- and 5- star properties, our hand-picked collection is thoughtfully put together, and is such an important part of every trip. A great deal of thought goes into each stay, whether you’re passing through or staying for longer, Insight hotels are the ultimate treat.

All the hotels we choose are in fabulous locations, either in the heart of the city, close to the sites or in stunning natural surroundings. A mix of heritage properties, boutique hotels, country retreats and modern establishments, each is picked not just for comfort and style but also for character and history, adding to the story of the tour.

A stay at Ashford Castle in Ireland takes you back to medieval times, the Glacier View Lodge Hotel in Canada’s Jasper National Park offers breathtaking glacier views, while the Hotel Simplon on Italy’s Lake Maggiore leads the way in both style and sustainability.

 

 

 

At the helm of every ‘Business Class’ Tour – your Travel Director

So, who is ensuring that every minute of an Insight Vacations tour runs perfectly? Let us introduce your Travel Director. So much more than a tour guide, your Travel Director ensures your journey is not only seamless and stress free, but also fact filled and fabulous.

Its like having a knowledgeable best friend in every destination combined with a master of logistics. Your Travel Director not only takes care of all, and we mean all, the details for your journey. On top of this, they are destination experts who know the best restaurants, the local language, as well as all the stories behind the sites.

Combined with your driver and local experts, they offer a 24/7 service, meaning you do not have to worry about a thing.

 

 

 

Exceptional Local Experts

A cut above, we seek out the most inspiring and interesting Local Experts to bring your destinations to life. Bursting with knowledge and passion, these are not your run of the mill tour guides.

For a taster of what they offer, you can hear from many of them in our Insightful travel magazine. In Spain meet Amada to learn all about the treasures of Barcelona as seen here 10 Most Famous Gaudi Masterpieces in Barcelona You Need to Know About while in Scotland find out if there is Something in the Water: Exploring Loch Ness With Local Expert, Emma Harrison. In the Boreal Forrest learn about Mother Nature’s medicine: the healing power of Canada’s great outdoors with Brenda, a First Nations Cree Iroquois traditional knowledge keeper, and in Lima, meet to destination expert Dante to discover The fascinating history of Peru’s rise as an astronomical superpower.

Every moment, elevated

We’ve customized our coaches so that you’ll always travel in style, with air conditioning, fewer seats, increased legroom and larger window spans for better views. When you travel with us you get always smaller groups than main stresm tour companies, with the flexibility to choose your group size. Choose to travel in a group with an average of 20 travellers, and no more than 24. Or opt for an average group size of 33 travellers, and no more than 40.​

When you travel with Insight, it’s not just the big moments of our tours that are stand out, it is every moment that weaves them together. From relaxed morning starts, porterage and transfers taken care of to your Travel Director taking care of check-ins and all logistics, it really is ‘Business Class’ all the way.

I'm a writer, editor and interview specialist with a lifetime's love of travel. There’s nothing more inspiring to me than meeting, and writing about, the world's leading destination experts and travel industry insiders. The thing I love most about writing for Insightful is that I'm always learning something new.

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