Tauck Expands North American Offerings With Heli-Exploring Adventures
by Jessica MontevagoValley of the Ten Peaks and Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Canada. Photo: Gorgo
Tauck is bringing back its helicopter-assisted alpine explorations in the Canadian Rockies, following “exceptionally strong” preseason bookings in North America for 2017.
Tauck will offer three departures next summer for its “Bugaboos Adventure,” starting at $5,990 per person based on double occupancy. The journey starts with two nights at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in Banff National Park. On Day 3, travelers will be airlifted by helicopter to the Bugaboo Lodge high in the Purcell Mountains for a three-night stay. Again traveling by helicopter, they’ll explore various locations in the Purcells on guided daily walks in small groups. Hiking gear including boots, jackets and rain pants is available to use free-of-charge. Next, guests will be ferried by helicopter down from the mountains and transported to the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, where they’ll enjoy an afternoon of free time and an overnight stay. The price includes all lodging accommodations, helicopter and ground transportation, airport transfers, most meals and gratuities.
Tauck chairman Arthur Tauck Jr. invented helicopter-assisted hiking, or heli-hiking, in the 1970s. The seven-day “Bugaboos Adventure” was last offered in 2015 to celebrate Tauk’s 90th anniversary.
The tour operator is also adding three single-departure Tauck Events to its 2017 North America portfolio. “The Tauck Jazz Event” tour explores New Orleans’ historic neighborhoods and museums. It also includes exclusive jazz performances and a keynote address by Ken Burns, followed by a meet-and-greet reception with the filmmaker. The tour departs on March 29, from $4,890 per person, plus airfare.
In May, the five-day “Run for the Roses” event will kick off in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region, culminating with an all-inclusive VIP experience at Churchill Downs for the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby. The tour starts at $5,790 per person plus airfare.
The third Tauck Event takes guests to New York City in October. The event in Manhattan includes a four-night stay at The Plaza, plus lectures by authors, historians and other experts, an exclusive visit to the city’s Tenement Museum, a guided tour of Grand Central Terminal, a private “after-hours” gala farewell evening at Ellis Island and a keynote address by Ken Burns. The five-day “Tauck New York City Event” starts at $7,290 per person plus airfare.
Tauck has reported robust growth with its Canadian and United States tours this year as well, particularly a large spike in interest in its National Parks tours due to 2016’s National Park Service centennial celebration. The company is steadily enhancing its existing offerings in the United States and Canada, including enhancements to itineraries such as “California’s Gold Coast,” “The Best of Hawaii,” and “New Orleans and Mississippi River Plantation Country,” which now includes a two-night stay at Nottoway Plantation, a historic sugar cane plantation that is the largest antebellum mansion in the South.
