Tauck…How You See The World Matters
Imagine a personal experience of the wonders of the Sistine Chapel after hours with no other tourists or dining with a Prince in his Palace in the heart of Vienna.
Every generation is a little more travelled than the generation before, and travellers are looking for experiences that engage and enrich their lives at various levels. Inspiration is found in the connections you make while travelling, experiencing a world of unique cultures, genuine emotion, camaraderie and the little things that comprise day-to-day life in the destinations visited. The modern traveller wants to see places with an authentic and personal focus.
This is the benchmark to which Tauck delivers an amazing range of travel experiences across the globe. To do this they believe that travel should be easy…it should be fun! It should be worth your time and the price you paid.
Above all Tauck believe travel should re-energise and transform you, that how you see the world matters and it should be Beyond the Ordinary.
The Tauck business started with that premise, and it has defined Tauck for the past 90+ years. In 1925, Arthur Tauck, at the age of 27, founded Tauck Motor Tours - a travel company that would give birth to a new industry. As a travelling salesman in New England he saw a part of the world that few others were seeing. He registered as the very first tour operator in the U.S.A. with Tour operator license number 1, placed an advert in the paper and invited 6 guests to come along for the ride. He wanted to take them to places he knew well and to give them a real insider’s view. He wanted them to experience the area in the best way possible, and to create an enriching travel experience; to provide it at a single inclusive price with no surprises; to ensure there was great value for money, and then rely on their recommendations as satisfied customers to build a following and grow his business. It embodies the same successful formula that Tauck are still using today.
Three generations of Taucks later, the scope of destinations served and the variety of modes of travel has grown dramatically. Today, there are six main Tauck brands with hundreds of trips across seven continents, incorporating their own purpose built premium riverboats, small cruise ships, trains, helicopters and more…plus exclusive destination content through ongoing partnerships with filmmaker Ken Burns and BBC Earth. They have strong partnerships with some of the world’s premier hotels and lodges, and family connections across the globe that permit uncommon access and behind the scenes opportunities.
The six Tauck brands are Tauck USA/Canada, Europe, Exotics, River Cruising, Small Ship Cruising and the Bridges family program. Because not everyone travels in the same way, with different interests and wish-lists, within those brands Tauck has created an impressive program of different styles of tours and cruises e.g. rail excursions, small group travel, classic tours, solo travel, family travel, trips celebrating food, wine, nature, and safaris. Recent and important additions to the lineup in the last couple of years include the specially crafted BBC Earth Journeys, created by Tauck tour architects and the BBC. Always in pursuit of innovation and looking for ways to enhance the travel experience, these partnerships bring a fresh new perspective to natural history, and historical and cultural learning.
With their focus on connecting people with places, the design of the tours, is meticulous in detail from planning, execution and follow-up. It takes 2 years from inception and trial to release a new tour to market. Only when they know it will deliver an inspirational travel experience is it released for sale.
Guests have come to expect sparkling events and inclusions like private, after hours visits to the Vatican, private recitals at a spectacular Venetian Palace, back stage passes, local foodie and hands on experiences…and they’ll introduce you to some of their ‘friends’. Those friends include princes and noble families, Safari trackers, musicians, naturalists, professors, artisans, historians, storytellers, wildlife conservationists, Sir Winton Churchill’s granddaughter, and folks who are happy to give you a glimpse of their life in the amazing places they live.
For New Zealanders there is a growing awareness of Tauck from those looking for authentic and meaningful travel experiences.
Who you travel with can be so important and travelling in good company, meeting interesting, like-minded people who enjoy travel as much as you do is a big part of the Tauck experience. There are some key destination and itinerary favourites for New Zealanders. In Europe Tauck has a comprehensive series of land tours in Italy offering the opportunity to explore the various regions and iconic cities.
There are 13 tours ranging from 7 to 14 days. These include the Classic Italy Tour, and the new 2017 “A Taste of Tuscany and Umbria.
A main highlight of the Italian tours, which go to Rome, is the exclusive and included after-hours visits to the Vatican and Sistine Chapel.
Also in Europe, they operate an extensive range of river cruises. With their luxury premier ships, operated by Tauck, they ply the main European waterways of the Rhine, the Main, the Moselle and the Danube. They offer 20 cruises and over 200 departures, including the popular multi-country, 14 nights Amsterdam to Budapest (v.v.) and a number of cruises on the rivers in France.
A highlight on the Danube cruise is the exclusive evening event to the Palais Pallavinci in Vienna, for a musical and dance review with Prince Edouard Pallavinci.
The USA & Canada is where it all began for Tauck, so it is expected that they would offer a wide range of tours. 2015 was the centenary year for the National Parks of America so there has been a lot of interest in Tauck’s tours dedicated to the parks. Yellowstone & the Tetons – an America Safari is a small group, active tour where you can enjoy horseback riding at a cattle ranch, white water rafting, hiking along wilderness trails watching out for wildlife, and viewing the awesome beauty of two of America’s most spectacular national parks. New for 2017 is an 8-day New Orleans and Mississippi River Plantation Country tour.
In the Exotics program, Tauck offer a series of tours to Asia, South America, Middle East, Australia & New Zealand and Africa. In Africa you visit the game-rich parks including Amboseli, Serengeti and Kruger. Incredible accommodation inside the game reserves is a highlight.
These itineraries are BBC Earth Journeys and include use of the documentary toys like the long-range microphones, thermal imaging cameras and night vision goggles. There are special opportunities to connect with the people of Africa getting to know the locals and learning about their traditions. New for 2017 is the BBC Earth Journey ‘Tanzania – Serengeti to Zanzibar’ a 10-day Grand African Safari.
What started as a New England motor coach company has evolved with seamless continuity across generations, maintaining the shared vision and values handed down by Arthur Tauck Sr. The simple idea he started with and called the “ideal vacation, is still at the heart of every Tauck journey, cruise or travel event. What they offer to the New Zealand traveller is something unique and out of the ordinary.