Tauck
With Tauck, You Have a World of Choices
Connecting people and places with the promise of an inspirational experience.
There’s no better way to discover the world’s most exciting destinations than on a land journey or cruise with Tauck. With more than 90 distinctive vacations in destinations throughout the world to choose from, Tauck offers a wide variety of journeys and cruises to suit every traveler.
Personalized service, quality experience, inclusive value – that's the Tauck difference. To knowledge-seeking world travelers, Tauck is the premium guided travel experience, with all vacation details taken care of so that guests connect with people and places in every destination, every day. Tauck's passion for travel and dedication to superlative service makes every travel experience enriching and inspirational.
Tauck’s worldwide collection of premier travel programs features options to fit your lifestyle:
- One- and two-week land journeys
- Small ship ocean cruises
- European river cruises
- Family travel adventures
- Culturally immersive, active travel
- Once-in-a-lifetime events
- And more!
To plan your Tauck vacation, call a AAA Travel professional toll-free 877-870-9408
or stop by your local AAA office.
Best of the Canadian Rockies - Tauck World Discovery
2012 Tours: 8 days from $3,490
Tauck's Canadian Rockies / Alberta vacation is packed with breathtaking scenery, adventure, and natural history as you explore Banff, Jasper, and Yoho national parks. Enjoy a "Wild West" welcome dinner... climb up the surface of a glacier on an Ice Explorer... learn park history, legends, and folklore at a presentation by a Parks Canada official... keep an eye out for elk, bighorn sheep, moose, and grizzlies... discover the Icefields Parkway... explore Jasper National Park "your way" with a choice of wilderness adventures... attend an educational wine tasting... and stay in the Canadian Rockies' best resorts – at The Fairmont Banff Springs and The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, in Signature Club rooms at the Delta Lodge in Kananaskis, and in lake-view rooms at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Day 1: Head out to Kananaskis country
Tauck's Alberta vacation experience in the Canadian Rockies departs at 3:00 PM from Calgary International Airport. For guests who are spending the previous night in Calgary, an airport transfer from Calgary International Airport to The Westin Calgary is included; pick-up time today will be 1:00 PM at The Westin Calgary. Your trip begins with a journey from Calgary that takes you across the last few miles of Canadian prairie to Kananaskis country, the foothills of Canada's Rocky Mountains. As a Tauck guest, your Signature Club room at the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis offers you exclusive concierge services, complimentary high-speed Internet access, and access to the Signature Club Lounge. Please join us this evening at our “Wild West” welcome cocktail reception and dinner featuring rodeo entertainment at an upscale ranch – a great way to kick things off!
Lodging: Delta Lodge at Kananaskis
Meals: D
Day 2: Spectacular glacial lakes
From Kananaskis, head high up into the Canadian Rockies and cross the Continental Divide through Kicking Horse Pass on a day of Alberta travel on which you'll see some of the most beautiful lakes in North America. Enter Yoho National Park, where Emerald Lake sparkles with the surrounding peaks reflected in the green waters. See the Spiral Tunnels, a century-old engineering feat created for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and Natural Bridge, a rock formation over the Kicking Horse River. Arrive at your historic chateau-style resort hotel on the edge of Lake Louise overlooking Victoria Glacier in Banff National Park, where you'll enjoy lake-view accommodations during your two-night stay; have dinner at the hotel tonight.
Lodging: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3: A Moraine Lake excursion
Weather permitting, we invite you to join our naturalist guide today for an excursion to lovely Moraine Lake, one of the most photographed spots in all of Canada, located in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. This glacially fed lake reflects the awe-inspiring beauty that prompted explorer Walter Wilcox, who named it Moraine Lake after the moraine, or rock pile, deposited by the Wenkchemna Glacier, to write “no scene had ever given me an equal impression of inspiring solitude and rugged grandeur,” adding that his time spent contemplating the view was the happiest half-hour of his life. Return to The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise to spend the rest of the day as you wish.
Lodging: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Meals: B, D
Day 4: Along the Icefields Parkway
After breakfast, set off along the Icefields Parkway, an Alberta vacation highlight whose 143-mile length past more than 600 glaciers, six icefields and a cornucopia of mountains features jaw-dropping views of spectacular rocky peaks, waterfalls and snowfields around every turn. Watch for bears, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats – especially in the spring and fall – en route to your lodge in the heart of Jasper National Park. During your two-night stay, you'll have an opportunity to attend a presentation by a Parks Canada official to hear the history, legends and folklore that are the very essence of Canada's magnificent national parks.
Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Meals: B, L, D
Day 5: Explore Jasper Your Way
Continue your Alberta vacation with a day spent exploring magnificent Jasper National Park with your choice of an included "Jasper Your Way" discovery tour. You may choose from among an "Experience Maligne Valley" tour offering a guided walk along the beautiful Maligne Lake shoreline; a "Wilderness Discovery Tour," joining a wildlife interpreter to search for bear, elk and more; an Athabasca River whitewater rafting adventure led by Rocky Mountain River Guides; or a trip on the Jasper Tramway through alpine tundra, leading to the interesting alpine town of Jasper. Or you may want to engage in some of the optional activities at your lodge (available at an additional cost) including horseback riding, biking, tennis, golf, fishing or boating.
Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Meals: B, D
Day 6: Climb along Athabasca Glacier on an Ice Explorer
Retracing your route along the Icefields Parkway back to Banff National Park today, you'll appreciate the region's spectacular scenery from several perspectives. View powerful Athabasca Falls and Athabasca Glacier on the Columbia Icefield – the largest ice cap in the Canadian Rockies – as well as the two majestic peaks that frame it. Then take a memorable ride across the surface of Athabasca Glacier on an Ice Explorer, a specially designed glacial vehicle, for a close look at the glacier's geological features – another highlight of your Alberta vacation adventure. Arrive in Banff National Park, the first national park in Canada; your grand hotel, one of the Rockies' finest resorts, was built more than a century ago to resemble a Scottish baronial castle.
Lodging: The Fairmont Banff Springs
Meals: B, L, D
Day 7: The incredible bounty of Banff
Today is yours to explore Banff National Park and environs as you please. You may wish to check out the village of Banff, which, with its spectacular scenery and trendy shops and boutiques, has grown over the decades to rival the chic alpine villages of the American Rockies. Tauck includes a Heritage Pass that grants admission to the Banff Park Museum National Historic Site of Canada, housed in a grand 1903 landmark building of cross-log construction. There are also many optional activities to choose from (available at an additional cost) in Banff National Park itself. You can ride the Banff gondola, take a guided nature walk, go horseback riding, mountain biking, or canoeing on the Bow River. Play a round of golf at your world-famous resort, or perhaps book an alpine aromatherapy massage at the Willow Stream Spa, ranked among the top spas in Canada. The week comes to a conclusion tonight at a special farewell reception with musical entertainment, followed by dinner where the views are a feast for the heart and a great finale to your Alberta vacation.
Lodging: The Fairmont Banff Springs
Meals: B, D
Day 8: Journey home
Travel back to Calgary, approximately 80 miles. Tauck's spectacular Alberta vacation experience ends at 10:00 AM at Calgary International Airport. Guests spending additional nights in Calgary will be transferred to The Westin Calgary upon arrival; a transfer from The Westin Calgary to Calgary International Airport is included. Allow a minimum of three hours for check-in; U.S. direct flights clear U.S. customs in Calgary.
Meals: B
To plan your Tauck vacation, call a AAA Travel professional toll-free 877-870-9408
or stop by your local AAA office.
Mystical Peru - Tauck Bridges
2013 Tours: 8 days from $3,416
Did you know that more than 300 kinds of wild cacao – the source of chocolate – have been found to grow in Peru? Inca wonders, colonial treasures, and local traditions combine to create your family's ultimate Peru vacation! Swim with sea lions... wander through catacombs lined with colonial bones... cook traditional recipes... meet llamas and alpacas and more... as the height of adventure, the thrill of discovery, and the hunt for centuries-old mysteries old come together for your family on Tauck Bridges' new Peru vacation adventure!
As you discover the secrets of this ancient land from today's capital, Lima, to its original Incan capital of Cusco, the Sacred Valley and mysterious Machu Picchu, you'll paint pottery, get blessed by a shaman, go horseback riding or river rafting, see Peruvian Pasos dance, weave bracelets with schoolchildren, ride the rails to a lost city, find clues to daily life in a Cusco market, take a chocolate-making class, play a pan flute and much more. It's the perfect Peru vacation for your family.
Day 1: Arrive Lima: City of conquistadors and kings
Your family's Peru vacation begins: JW Marriott Hotel Lima. A transfer is included from Lima Airport to the JW Marriott Hotel Lima, ideally located in one of the city’s best neighborhoods. Most international flights arrive late evening, so settle into your room for a snack and a good night’s rest.
Lodging: JW Marriott Hotel Lima
Day 2: Sea lions, catacombs, and a hands-on cooking class in Lima
Kick off your family's Peru vacation this morning with a seaside boating adventure to meet the "locals" who live in the coastal waters off San Lorenzo Island; put on your wet suits for a swim with playful sea lions! After lunch, head back to the hotel for a change of clothes. Once the wealthiest city in South America, Lima was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro to be the “City of Kings” in 1535, and reigned for two years as the capital of the New World. Discover its historic heart as you visit Pizarro’s tomb in la Catedral de Lima, then go underground at the Monasterio de San Francisco to explore spooky catacombs stacked with centuries-old colonial bones! Dinner tonight is prepared by special guest chefs – that means you and your fellow Tauck Bridges families – as you assist in making appetizers, entrees and desserts for everyone during our hands-on cooking class at a popular restaurant, followed by a great dinner you helped create. Buen provecho!
Lodging: JW Marriott Hotel Lima
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3: Alpacas, a pachamanca, pottery, and prayers in the Sacred Valley
Fly this morning to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, where you'll board our private coach for a drive to the Sacred Valley. This mountainous region of Peru offers mystical awe-inspiring sights to discover... along with farms and villages that welcome you with a taste of daily life. Learn how to tell the difference between an alpaca and a llama at a weaving center where their wool is woven into beautiful colorful textiles by the artisans you’ll see during your visit. Enjoy a tasty lunch wrapped in banana leaves at our own private pachamanca – an ancient barbecuing technique that uses an “earthen oven” and hot stones to cook vegetables and meat. This afternoon, discover the meanings behind the sacred markings of ancient Peruvian cultures at a renowned pottery studio, then let your creative spirit take over when you paint your own ceramic masterpiece. Settle into your hotel, nestled in the peaceful town of Urubamba in the heart of the Sacred Valley, where you'll meet a local shaman (renowned for their healing abilities) this evening who blesses our journey and shares time-honored, spiritual insights about the ancient sights and beliefs surrounding Machu Picchu. Enjoy dinner at your leisure at the hotel tonight.
Lodging: Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4: Paso horses, riding or rafting, crafts, pizza making, and Ollantaytambo
Your Tauck Bridges Peru vacation offers a choice of adventures* in the Sacred Valley today: join us for a horseback ride through a small village and along a trail into the countryside, or don a wet suit for a rafting trip on a nearby river. Later, meet up for a barbecue lunch at a private ranch, followed by a show starring the country’s beautiful smooth-gaited Peruvian Paso horses, protected as part of the Patrimonio Cultural (Cultural Heritage) of Peru. Explore another cultural treasure this afternoon when you visit the massive Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo; this intricate walled complex houses seven rose-colored marble monoliths of unknown origin that still mystify scientists today. Walk to a local school where schoolchildren will be waiting to show you how to weave the colorful bracelets you’ll see during your Peruvian family adventure. Although it will be prepared in an adobe wood oven in a colonial kitchen that dates back centuries, tonight's dinner has a modern-day twist, too... as you select toppings for your homemade pizza in a 17th-century hacienda!
Lodging: Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel
Meals: B, L, D
Day 5: To Aguas Calientes by rail to explore mystical Machu Picchu... and stay in a cloud forest
Experts are still not exactly sure what it was used for, but for centuries, the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu lay hidden from the world until Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham accidentally stumbled on it in 1911 while looking for other major Incan ruins. His discovery revealed myths and mysteries that still confound visitors today, making your rail journey to Aguas Calientes, the "gateway to Machu Pichhu," and your drive up the mountain to what Bingham called the “Lost City of the Incas” that much more exciting. You'll spend the afternoon exploring Machu Picchu – a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was recently named one of the “new seven wonders of the world” – with our expert guides. This evening, head back down into Aguas Calientes for an overnight in whitewashed casitas (bungalows) at your pueblo-style hotel surrounded by a cloud forest.
Lodging: Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6: Endangered species, a village market, and on to ancient Cusco by rail
There are lots of great optional activities for you to choose from during a free morning in Aguas Calientes today. Learn about the plight of the region’s nearly extinct spectacled bear and how you can help this endangered species at a special presentation with a naturalist. Or take a guided nature walk on the flower-filled grounds of your hotel, seeing the collection of orchids and herbs that thrive here. Or perhaps you'll head over to the colorful local market in Aguas Calientes, and check out an eye-opening array of locally made arts and crafts, including woven tapestries, ponchos, jewelry and more. Your family's Peru vacation continues as you make your way by train and coach to Cusco for a two-night stay in the historic city center at the JW Marriott Hotel Cusco; your brand-new hotel features an indoor pool to cool off in (a rarity in Cusco), as well as parts of ancient walls and artifacts uncovered during the hotel’s construction.
Lodging: JW Marriott Hotel Cusco
Meals: B, L, D
Day 7: Sacsayhuamán, treasure-hunting in Cusco, chocolate, and Incan lore
Wake up this morning in the heart of South America’s oldest continuously inhabited city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the shape of a puma, Cusco astounds with both Incan relics and some of the oldest Spanish colonial architecture in the "New World." In nearby Sacsayhuamán, the “House of the Sun,” view awe-inspiring stone fortresses built by the Incas more than five centuries ago. Then get a taste of daily life on a scavenger hunt in Cusco’s Wanchaq marketplace and during a hands-on, mouth-watering chocolate-making class at the Choco Museo; lunch is on your own today. This evening, music is on the menu when you experience a magical performance by the renowned folk arts group Kusiwasi, who make Quecha lore and Incan mythology come alive through a song and dance presentation entitled The Apus of the Andes. Later, the melodies continue at our farewell dinner in Cusco, as you learn how to play the Peruvian pan flute – which you'll get to take home with you as an unforgettable musical memento of your Tauck Bridges family Peru vacation!
Lodging: JW Marriott Hotel Cusco
Meals: B, D
Day 8: Journey home
Your family's Peru vacation ends in Lima. Fly from Cusco to Lima for lunch; rooms have been reserved for you at the JW Marriott Hotel Lima whether you choose to fly out tonight or stay overnight and fly out in the morning. A transfer is included to Lima Airport from the JW Marriott Hotel Lima. Allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in.
Meals: B, L
To plan your Tauck vacation, call a AAA Travel professional toll-free 877-870-9408
or stop by your local AAA office.