Insight Vacations Introduces New "Luxury Gold" Collection with 2016-17 Americas Launch

Offering the finest new collection of luxury itineraries with savings of up to $2,096 per couple


TORONTO, Aug. 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Insight Vacations (www.insightvacations.com), the leader of premium and luxury escorted journeys, is proud to introduce its new "Luxury Gold" collection with the launch of its 2016-17 Americas compilation of 25 curated trips. The 10 Luxury Gold trips are featured in the USA, Canada and South America 2016-2017 program where the award-winning travel company will whisk clients away in true elegance and style to the vast continents of North and South Americas. A journey like no other, "Luxury Gold" clients will enjoy all the flavours of each continent with Insight's authentic Signature Experiences, discovering epicurean cuisine and regional specialties at fine restaurants such as La Terrazza in Vancouver and Arnaud's in New Orleans. Guests will also experience the finest handpicked hotels including the legendary Waldorf-Astoria in New York and Canada's iconic The Fairmont Banff Springs. As Canadians start to plan their 2016 spring and summer getaways, clients can take advantage of Insight Vacations "Early Payment Discount" program by saving up to $2,096 per couple* if they pay in full before November 19, 2015.
       
"I am excited to launch our 'Luxury Gold' collection of itineraries, our ultimate collection of outstanding journeys that will leave clients feeling pampered with the exceptional levels of service," says Cris David, president, Insight Vacations Canada. "From our exquisite Signature Hotels to the award-winning restaurants that clients will dine in, our 'Luxury Gold' program is the perfect combination of complete luxury, relaxed pace, free time and staying at the best locations."

In celebration of the new launch, Insight Vacations highlights three of the top "Luxury Gold" itineraries for the coming 2016 season:

Trans-Canadian Grandeur
A luxury blend of transport showcasing Canada's idyllic landscapes, guests on the 16-day journey will embark on one of the most renowned long-distance trips in the world. Starting in the vibrant city of Vancouver, known for its cosmopolitan vibe set in the backdrops of the North Shore Mountains, guests drive along the renowned "Sea to Sky" highway as they set out for the chic alpine playground of Whistler. Staying at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler, a Signature Hotel, guests will be pampered by its fabulous accommodations located in Whistler's Upper Village where the evening's Signature Highlight Dinner will take place, promising a gastronomic experience made with only the best local ingredients. From there, travellers head east towards unspoiled nature, staying in three of Canada's most iconic hotels. In Lake Louise, guests stay at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise - repeatedly named on the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler "Gold List" for hospitality excellence. In Banff, guests will be pampered at The Fairmont Banff Springs for two nights - Canada's "Castle in the Rockies" providing legendary hospitality for more than 125 years. In Jasper, guests will stay at The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge that serves as the luxury base before motoring along the unforgettable Icefields Parkway and witnessing amazing scenes such as the Crowfoot Glacier and Columbia Icefield, North America's largest sub-polar ice pack. Then, travellers will experience one of the most renowned trains in the world, VIA Rail Canada's "The Canadian". Along 4,466 kilometres of breathtaking scenery, guests travel from western Canada to Toronto that offers spectacular views of the lakes in Northern Ontario, the lush boreal forest, the western Prairies, and the magnificent Rocky Mountains. Aboard this unique train, guests will settle into their private compartment with en-suite facilities, enjoying delicious meals freshly prepared by skilled chefs on board that include regional specialties and a selection of Canadian wines, and VIA Rail's impeccable service. As travellers discover the unique pleasures of rail travel by day, at night, the gentle rocking of the train will lull them to sleep.

Majesty of the Rockies & Alaskan Cruise
The 14 or 21 day "Luxury Gold" itinerary is a wondrous journey through the supreme majesty of western Canada and Alaska by road, rail and sea. Guests commence by travelling through historic towns, verdant national parks and sophisticated resorts. From exploring picturesque Victoria, with a private breakfast held in the 55 fragrant acres of Butchart Gardens, to having a "Relaxed Start" in the peaceful setting of Emerald Lake, guests will have the option to sit spellbound aboard Rocky Mountaineer's "GoldLeaf" viewing car for one of the world's most romantic train rides. In Vancouver, guests have their Celebration Dinner at La Terrazza, an award-winning restaurant at the edge of historic Yaletown known as the city's quintessential Italian fine-dining experience. For guests booked on the 21-day version of this itinerary, they board Holland America Line's ms Nieuw Amsterdam for an unforgettable Alaska Glacier Bay Inside Passage Cruise. Designed for Alaskan cruising with its air lounges, teak decks and room verandahs, the ms Nieuw Amsterdam allows for comfortable observation of the ever-changing panorama and vast wilderness of America's "last frontier". Guests will experience impeccable service and gourmet dining, with every stateroom offering a gracious retreat and luxurious living: from the soft caress of a personal bathrobe to fine chocolates on their pillow at night. As the ship slowly glides past a maze of bays, glacier-carved fjords and waterways that are protected from the open sea by islands and other landmasses, guests can enjoy onboard activities that include gourmet cooking lessons and a salon & spa. Guests make a stop at Juneau where they can let their imaginations run wild while exploring the state capitol. In the watery wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park, guests behold a landscape at its literal moment of creation. In this isolated land, the shrill noises of modern life are replaced with the deep, thunderous boom of building-sized icebergs calving into the sea from a vast river of ice.

Southern Grace
This 9-day jukebox journey takes guests from the home of country music, blues and rock 'n' roll to the multicultural melting pot of New Orleans - peppered throughout with the flavours of America's deep south. In Nashville, the home of country music, guests enjoy a "Relaxed Start" to their day before visiting country music royalty at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, housing memorabilia from stars such as Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn and Garth Brooks. After touring the historic Studio B, once the recording home of Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Eddy Arnold, and the Everly Brothers, guests embark on a Signature Experience by working with a professional sound engineer in a 30-minute, choir style recording session. Each guest will receive his or her own copy of the recording as a unique souvenir - how many people can claim they've recorded a song in the same studio where "King Elvis" created so many of his hits? Then off to Memphis, the birthplace of the blues, where guests visit the Rock 'n' Roll Museum before making a pilgrimage to Graceland - a museum dedicated to King Elvis. At Natchez Mississippi, guests will check into the Monmouth Historic Inn - an early 19th-century antebellum mansion set in 26 acres of manicured gardens. Built in 1818, the Monmouth Historic Inn is a National Historic Landmark and tells a tale of the Old South and of the New South, of transition and transformation. Guests will stay in one of the inn's elegantly appointed rooms. In the evening, guests head to the inn's beautifully appointed dining room at Restaurant 1818, where they will enjoy an elegant, five-course Southern dinner offering one of the only true remaining Antebellum dining experiences. From there, guests head to the "big easy", New Orleans, where they will join a Local Expert in the atmospheric French Quarter and explore the twisted path of one of the "Cities of the Dead" - the above ground final resting place of pirates, politicians and voodoo queens. After journeying through beautiful marshlands and swamps in search of Louisiana's famous reptilian citizens, guests recharge at New Orleans premier The Roosevelt New Orleans, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel where they will be pampered by luxurious Southern hospitality. "Luxury Gold" travellers will bask in the glow and elegant centuries-old history of the huge chandeliers in the hotel's grand lobby, while they relax in one of the 504 beautifully upscale rooms that embody the rich heritage of Southern hospitality.

For more information, please visit www.insightvacations.com, contact your Insight Specialist at 1-866-747-8120 or speak with your local sales manager.

About Insight Vacations
For more than 38 years, Insight Vacations (www.insightvacations.com) has been designing the world's finest escorted travel itineraries. As the experts in Europe, Insight offers over 100 journeys across the continent, covering more of Europe than any other operator. Insight Vacations also offers the same legendary high standards and carefully curated itineraries in North America, South America, India, Bhutan, Morocco, Egypt and Israel. 

Luxury Gold by Insight Vacations is an exclusive collection of unique journeys that elevate travel beyond the ordinary at every moment. Guests travelling with Luxury Gold stay at the finest hotels, dine on the epicurean regional cuisine at featured Michelin-starred restaurants and enjoy an unmatched collection of once-in-a-lifetime experiences and sightseeing.

All Insight itineraries are expertly designed for smaller groups with a maximum of just 40 guests. Each tour includes the services of an experienced Tour Director who acts as 'travelling concierge,' and Signature Experiences that provide a unique and revealing look into the history and culture of each destination. The authentic flavours of each country are celebrated through included Signature Dining experiences, Insight hotels are handpicked for their high quality and desirable central or scenic locations and the Insight motorcoach is specially customised to provide Business Class legroom. With the perfect balance of guided and independent exploration Insight has reimagined vacations to truly escape from the ordinary.

For more information, visit us at http://www.insightvacations.com, on social media at http://www.facebook.com/InsightVacationshttp://twitter.com/InsightVacation, and join the conversation using the hashtag #InsightMoments.

About TreadRight
Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation's family of brands, the TreadRight Foundation is a not-for-profit working to ensure the environment and communities we visit remain vibrant for generations to come. To date, TreadRight has supported more than 35 sustainable tourism projects worldwide. The Foundation's guiding principle is to encourage sustainable tourism development through conservation, leadership and support for communities. Foundation priorities are set by the Steering Committee, which includes sustainability leaders like Céline Cousteau and Costas Christ.

TreadRight's past project partners include WWF, Conservation International and The National Trust in the UK. Current initiatives include sponsoring the National Geographic Society's inaugural "World Legacy Awards," and inspiring wildlife advocates like Terri Irwin.

To learn more about our past and current work at TreadRight, please visit us at treadright.org.

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*Terms & Conditions: Applies only to trips featuring the "Early Payment Discount" in the price panel. Applies only to the Land-only portion of the holiday. For discounts to apply, trips must be paid in full by the designated date and not less than 45 days before the trip departs.

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