Tauck

About Tauck and its global reach

Tauck is an escorted tour company that runs its own fully guided land journeys, European river cruises, small ship cruises and family trips around the world. Its land tours page sums up the format: "Explore six continents on fully guided land journeys, seamlessly orchestrated with authentic experiences on and off the beaten path, exclusive access, insider perspectives, premium hotel stays, and local cuisines." The destination menu covers Africa (Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Tanzania, and South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia), Antarctica and the Arctic, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Israel and Jordan, Latin America, the Middle East and the United States. The UK site lists a freephone number, 0800-810-8020, and says trips can be booked direct or through a travel advisor. Tauck runs a second brand, Roam by Tauck, described as "dynamic escapes, designed for travelers in their 40s and 50s who have limited time off."

Safaris and wildlife trips

For this directory's purposes the African safaris are the headline. The site says "Tauck's African safaris reveal nature on its grandest stage. Track the Big Five across Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Botswana," with nights "in lodges and camps that bring you closer to the wild." Featured tours are Kenya & Tanzania: A Classic Safari, Spotlight on South Africa and Victoria Falls, South Africa: An Elegant Adventure, Botswana, South Africa & Zambia, and Namibia: Epic Safari, with Tanzania: A Grand Family Safari on the family side and Magic of Morocco among the Africa tours. The safari section links to guides titled Best Time to Safari, On Safari with Tauck, Safari FAQ, Safari Packing Guide, Safari Parks Guide and Which Safari is Right for You? Other wildlife-led trips include an expedition cruise to Antarctica, a land trip to Churchill, Manitoba "in search of the polar bears," and Galapagos: Wildlife Wonderland by small ship.

Land tours, river cruises and small ships

Land tours reach well beyond Africa. In Asia the site features The Mekong, Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia; Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand; A Portrait of India; Kingdoms & Dragons: Singapore to Bali; and Essence of Japan, plus a Sakura Seas: Japan & South Korea section. In North America it lists Grand New England; Southern Charms: St. Augustine, Savannah & Charleston; America's Canyonlands; Yosemite and Sequoia: John Muir's California; Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks; and Canadian Rockies tours. A long-running partnership with filmmaker Ken Burns produces Ken Burns American Journeys, such as Music of America: Nashville to New Orleans and In Freedom's Footsteps: New York to Washington, DC. Down Under tours take in Melbourne, Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney before crossing to New Zealand; Latin America runs from Cuba: A Cultural Odyssey and Colombia: South America's Eternal Spring to Patagonia and Essence of South America; and the Middle East section offers Jordan & Egypt: Petra to the Pyramids and Egypt: Jewels of the Nile. Roam by Tauck's shorter trips include Tokyo, Kyoto & the Seto Inland Sea, South Africa & Mozambique, Porto & the Douro Valley and Florence & the Tuscan Hills.

River cruises run on the Rhine, Danube, Rhône, Seine and Douro and the Belgian and Dutch waterways, described as "all-inclusive, intimate riverboat journeys, with exclusive cultural experiences onshore," with Christmas market and family sailings. The river section explains "The Tauck Difference" under the headings distinctively inclusive, exclusive access, fully guided and "Small is Big." Small ship cruises cover Alaska's Inside Passage, the Great Lakes, the Scottish Isles, the Norwegian fjords, the Mediterranean, Iceland, and Venice and the Dalmatian Coast.

Group sizes and ways to travel

Tauck is specific about group size on its smaller-group range: "Small Group journeys (averaging 24 guests) and Even Smaller Group journeys (averaging 15 guests)," which the site says bring "a lower guest-to-guide ratio." It advertises "85+ small group journeys worldwide." Tauck Bridges is the family brand, promising "one upfront price" and trips designed for "kids, parents, and grandparents alike"; examples include Italia Bella: Rome to Venice with gelato and pizza-making lessons, a new family yacht cruise on the Croatian coast for 2027, and Costa Rica: Jungles & Rainforests, which the site says combines a rainforest lodge, a hot springs hotel and a beach resort with zip lining and rafting. A family Alaska trip promises lodge stays in the wilderness, sled dogs, a flightseeing trip over Denali and gold panning. The site also lists Women's Only Departures, trips of "A week or less," train journeys, group bookings, multi-generational travel, "special savings for solo travelers and groups," and private trips "for you, your family, and friends."

Booking and support

The homepage says "Call us, or call your travel advisor, to book your preferred departure date today," and offers a free brochure, an online account, an eGift card and a newsletter. The footer links to an FAQ, Travel and Health, Travel Updates and the Travel Terms and Conditions, and there is a separate Advisor Connect portal for travel agents. The homepage says Tauck has been voted to the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards for 29 consecutive years and shows a seller of travel number, CST# 2016001-20.

What the site does not settle

The homepage and menus show no prices, departure dates or tour lengths for individual trips, so these come from the brochure, a tour page or a call. Deposits, payment schedules and cancellation rules are not in the trip descriptions; the footer links to the Travel Terms and Conditions. The average group sizes apply to the Small Group and Even Smaller Group ranges; the site does not give a group size for its other land journeys or for each safari. It does not say how many safari departures run each year or which camps and lodges each safari uses.

Who it suits

Tauck suits travelers who want a fully guided, all-arranged safari in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa or Botswana, and those who would rather join an organized group than plan a trip themselves. Families have a dedicated brand in Tauck Bridges, and travelers in their 40s and 50s have Roam by Tauck. Budget travelers and those who want to build their own itinerary will find the escorted format and the price-on-request approach a poorer match.