Travel to the South With Insight Vacations

Aug 21, 2011

Insight Vacations recently announced an addition to their luxury Gold Tour offerings for 2012. According to the company, in response to requests from agents and clients for a tour of the American South, Insight will be launching Southern Elegance, which the tour operator claims includes “wonderful hotels and unique sightseeing experiences that can only be found on an Insight vacation.”

Insight’s itineraries will include historic hotels once frequented by presidents and mansions that radiate the charm of the South, as well as elegant resorts and exclusive downtown residences.

“The places your clients will stay at night will be as memorable as the sights they will see during the day,” an Insight release claims. “They can live like a Vanderbilt at the elegant Inn on Biltmore Estate, savor the good life at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel and immerse themselves in the romance of the South at Savannah’s The Mansion on Forsyth Park.”

The eight- or 11-day Southern Elegance tour visits Atlanta, Asheville, N.C., Charleston, S.C., Jekyll Island and Savannah, Ga., with an optional extension to New Orleans.

Highlights of the Southern Elegance itinerary include:

• Charleston: A historic harbor cruise, walking tour of the city, horse-drawn carriage ride and trip to Magnolia Plantation

• St. Simons Island: A tour of this exclusive island boasting white-sand beaches, moss-draped oaks and golden marshlands

• Jekyll Island: A trolley tour and afternoon tea

• Fort Pulaski: A visit to the scene of the famous Civil War battle with its lasting impact on the military’s defensive tactics

• Savannah: A city tour with a private guide and a private peach Bellini reception at the Mansion on Forsyth Park

• New Orleans: A private tour of the city’s French Quarter, Garden District and an above-ground cemetery as well as a visit to the nearby swamps and the world-famous Oak Alley Plantation

Meals on the itinerary will also be high points, including a four-course dinner at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel; a celebration dinner in New Orleans, followed by a visit to a jazz club; a private dinner at Paula Deen’s Lady & Sons restaurant with an after-dinner Madeira tasting; and a demonstration lunch at the New Orleans School of Cooking.

Prices for this new addition to the Insight Gold collection start at $2,575, land only, based on double occupancy for the eight-day tour and $3,450, land only, based on double occupancy for the 11-day tour.