We enjoyed a 21 day guided tour throughout South Africa and Victoria Falls. The guides were... read more
We enjoyed a 21 day guided tour throughout South Africa and Victoria Falls. The guides were... read more
Our tour to Egypt was everything we hoped for and more, the tour was well planned out and... read more
I loved traveling with Approch tours. South Africa & Victoria Falls . The itinerary was very good
. Both our homeland gurus (Beth) and Tour guru (Duve) were amazing.
KLM cancelled outright our very 1st flight from TO. To Amsterdam.
They wanted to push us back 3 days. Beth and Approach set us up in a private bar area bought us diner and a drink while they hatched a new plan.
We flew out next morning via another airline after a comfortable nights stay all arranged by Approach and Beth.
The entire journey was well arranged with some add ones being thrown in during the journey. All good
i recommend them and will travel again with them again for sure !
They also helped us put through our insurance claim for the lost 1 st day !
Went on the 20 day South African trip in October 2023. The trip itself was wonderful. However, our outbound flight from Toronto to Amsterdam was cancelled and we had basically zero communications from Approach for the full day as to what they were doing to resolve the issue. The travel Guru, Beth was outstanding but “the office” seemed to keep her in the dark for the full day as well. We ended up leaving Toronto the following day, arriving in Cape Town a day late and missed out on our first day of activities in Cape Town. Our “local guide” Dube, was wonderful and when weather was uncooperative, he re arranged schedules to suit.
When we returned home, we tried for four weeks to get information from Approach as to how to file a “Trip Interruption” claim via the insurance policy we had purchased through them as a part of our trip cost. We e-mailed and phoned regularly with no response or return calls.. Finally, after resorting to Social Media, contacting our Travel Guru and contacting various Travel Company Associations, we finally received the information we needed. It looks like “After we get your money” communications is not Approach Tours’ Strong Suit.
Hello Carl,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We’re so happy to hear that the trip itself was wonderful and that your Group Guru, Beth, was so outstanding. We’ll be sure to pass that message along to her! We are also very happy to hear that Dube was an amazing national guide for your group. We’ll be happy to let him know as well.
Your Group Guru is there from the beginning of your journey to the end. Part of their role is to be the liaison between your group and our head office so we can ensure your tour goes as smoothly as possible. It’s true that your group’s flight from Toronto to Amsterdam was unexpectedly cancelled. While Beth was communicating with you and the rest of your group, our head office was working hard to arrange 30 international flights and pass the information along to Beth in a timely manner. It’s great to hear that your Group Guru was so on the ball with communicating to your group about your new flights.
We are sorry to hear that our post-tour communication did not meet your expectations. We strive to make the travel experience as seamless as possible and understand that waiting on instructions to submit your insurance claim can be a frustrating experience. We will continue to improve our processes to minimize the delay if this situation ever arises again. On December 4th, 2023 we received an email from your wife, Lynda, asking for documentation to complete a claim with Manulife insurance. That same day, our operations team replied with an email containing all the documents needed to submit a claim, including step-by-step instructions on how to submit it. By late January, we received confirmation that you had been reimbursed by Manulife. We are happy that your claim was submitted successfully and that you received reimbursement for the flight cancellation.
Thank you once again for taking the time to share your experience. We value your feedback and if there is anything else you would like to discuss or if you have any further suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service team at 1-866-351-9545 or info@approachtours.com
We went on the first Approach Tours trip to Egypt and it was a trip of a lifetime. The all-inclusive nature of the trip drew us in. We were picked up and home and dropped off and everything, except souvenirs, was covered in our trip cost. The itinerary and Egyptian guide leading us were outstanding. One never got hungry and the menu choices were excellent and of good variety. Eating dinner in a rooftop restaurant where you can see the Pyramids of Giza in the distance was unforgettable. THIS is the retiree tour you want to go on!
Approach Tours, Vietnam trip Oct. 26 to Nov 13th 2023
Where can I start?
Let’s start with the front office of Approach Tours
Absolutely the worst customer service imaginable, no call backs, no email's back, and not just me but our entire group had the same gripe about this company.
They were quick to get hold of you to take your 500.00 non refundable deposits. Then ZIP, nada, nothing not a peep from them.
I have an email string with 8- 10 emails not answered and 10 phone calls not returned, even right up to the day before we left.
Oh I am lying I did get a call the Monday before the Thursday departure saying they needed a new Visa photo,,,WHAT???? Seriously?
Shoppers drugs and 60 bucks later (again, since they had my original one April 24 of this year) and I send off, hoping to get it approved before I left. Got an email back Wednesday late day saying it was approved? Why should I have spent another 60.00 on a new visa when they had my first one? I asked, and guess what, NO reply, guess I will never find out.
So I get my flight itinerary on Monday October 23rd...WHAT???? I live in Vancouver BC and was told that I would be flying east to either Japan, Seoul or Hong Kong then to Hanoi to meet the group,,, well I was floored,,, I had to fly 9 1/2 hours to Amsterdam, 4 hours wait at YVR , 5 hour layover in Amsterdam,,, then 12 hours to Bangkok Thailand to meet the group then 2 hour wait there and 2 hours to Hanoi from there. INSANE.....3/4 of the way around the world for a total of 34 hours including waits, and we lost a day in Hanoi because we arrived late in the evening.
There are 26 very pissed off people of which are all going to write reviews, not that Approach gives a dam but it needs to get out there so people can make their own decision whether or not to use Approach Tours for any travel whatsoever. We all could have made a decision to not accept their airfare but book our own if we had known a couple or 3 months in advance, but with 4 days notice, no choice, very poor on Approach's part.
Now the trip:
Hotels I have to say were pretty good, great amenities and full breakfast included which is a huge plus. Good Bus's to be dragged around in
The trip was lead by our Guru Caroline and it was her fist gig with Approach as a trip Guru. The local guides, well, you get what you pay for, they were great really, and they did as good a job as they could.
The whole trip is too rich in history for me, everyone has different likes of course, and temple after temple OMG, standing around for 90 minutes at a time was difficult for some people on the trip and boring as hell for me. Just not my thing thats all.
There was hardly any free time to explore on your own, unless you opted out of the days plan,,, you never got any time to yourself really. I decided to take some anyway and explore the cities, having learned some Vietnamese for the previous 4 months it made things really fun to interact with locals.
The food: where to start, this will draw criticism from some of the group but hey, it’s a free country here and I am allowed to speak my mind
Group set menus,,,and don't get me wrong I get it that it would not be possible for 26 different orders at a restaurant,,,so you get meals that will be cheap to prepare and serve to a group. Nearly the same menu over and over with a couple of different things thrown in daily. It reminds me of lunch counter food.
So here I am in Vietnam one of the world’s best cuisines and I'm eating line food, that came to an end on the 4th dinner for me. I decided to opt out of Woodward’s food counter food and go out to where the locals eat, which was an amazing experience, Great Vietnamese meals, something that I will remember forever and I am a home chef too, so it was always a fun experience to go out on my own or my new Buddy " Joe" from this trip. We did a few nights out eating together and have stories to tell for sure.
Some others who felt the same way started to venture out on their own as well, discovering the Vietnamese cuisines of each of the cities. The night market food venders and street food was amazing, something you have to experience when you travel to this wonderful country. Interact with the locals, learn some language before you go, you will see your effort tenfold by the smiles you will receive. Something you will never experience in a group tour. I have made some cool new Vietnamese friends that I hope to go back and visit with, and share some amazing food and good times.
There were some very interesting and fun parts of the tour, the Chu Chi Tunnels, Ha Long Bay, although it was far from a cruise and VERY crowded but something you need to see along with the cave, the drive from Hue to Hoi An was very cool, and the floating market and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. All of this you could have done on your own easily, but a tour makes it easier with entrance fees and airfare etc etc.
The tour is sold as 19 days, which is not right, the tour is actually 16 days, the other 3 are spent travelling to and from, with the worst airfare you can imagine.
All in all, on a scale of 1 to 10 I would say the trip was a 6 out of 10 for me,,, not my cup of tea but I made the best of it,,, next time I will do things VERY differently,,, I have always been an avid traveler on my own or with my spouse, never having done a tour like this and this will be my last I think....although I am told that Wheel and Anchor and Gate 1 Travel are worth a look.
Our trip guru Caroline was amazing for her first gig with Approach, she had to deal with lots of fustrated and angry people and Approach I am sure will thow her under the bus, she is a very cool lady,,and I have been summined to cook for her when I visit Quebec next, hahaha,,,,I supported her in anyway I could to help on this trip.
Would I use Approach Tours again, NEVER, just read some of the reviews this should help you make up your mind, not all is as it seems with them and best of luck with making actual contact with anyone live at that office. I am sure there are some trips that went well for some, well good for them, but for me, not so much
I will post this review on as many sites as I can and make sure my friends and family know as well
Adios Approach Tours
Hello Gene,
Thank you for taking the time to voice your concerns and share your experience about your recent Vietnam & Angkor Wat tour.
From reading your review, it seems like you enjoyed many aspects of the tour including: the hotels, local guides, your Group Guru, many activities on the itinerary, and the coach buses as well. It’s great to hear that you enjoyed these aspects of your tour, and we will be sure to pass along your kind words to Caroline!
Regarding your concerns about communication, it’s strange to hear that you heard “nada” from us when we have record of over 14 different email threads and multiple phone calls where we answered your questions about flights, home pick-up vouchers, vaccinations, and more. These exchanges occurred between April 2023 and when your tour departed on October 26th _ meaning we were in contact with you for 7 months leading up to your tour. The reason you may have some unanswered emails and calls is because we received several identical emails from you. In this instance, our Sales & Traveller Champions only addressed your most recent emails for the sake of clarity.
Saying that we contacted you about needing a new visa picture on the Monday before your tour is incorrect. You were contacted over two weeks before your tour on Wednesday, October 11th. We had received an alert from the Vietnamese government website that your visa photo had been rejected, so we reached out to you asking for a new one. The reason your original photo was rejected is unknown. From our experience, the process of applying for a Vietnamese visa can be fickle, which is why we take on this responsibility for our travellers.
Saying that you received your flight itinerary on Monday October 23rd is also incorrect. Your tour documents were sent to you via your Traveller Hub on Tuesday October 17th. Our standard practice is to send tour documents (airline tickets + pick up vouchers) 2 to 3 weeks before your departure date. In this instance they were sent 9 days instead of 14 days in advance, so we do apologize for that delay.
Due to the airline unexpectedly changing their flight schedule, we had to adapt and book new flights with a different airline that matched your itinerary dates. It was an unfortunate situation which did cause your travel time to be longer than expected. Thankfully, no activity on tour was missed. We adapted your itinerary in what we found to be the most seamless way possible so you could experience everything on tour without feeling rushed. If ever you wanted more free time on tour, you were always welcome to skip an activity and rejoin the group whenever you wanted.
We believe food is a big part of the experience, and it’s important that we offer filling meals that effortlessly blend local flavours and familiar tastes from home. This is why we include many culinary experiences in your itinerary like a cooking class and a street food tour. Most of our lunches and dinners are served as pre-fixed, two and three-course meals. With one option for your main course, you may find over the extent of a tour, you encounter a couple of lunches or dinners that — while fresh and prepared to local customs — don’t exactly suit your taste. We will investigate your concerns and work closely with our partners to address any issues with the quality and variety of the food offered.
Group tours are a unique form of travelling. They are meant for travellers who want a curated experience. Our hotels are selected based on past traveller feedback, the activities are hand selected, and the menus have been pre-set to offer you a taste of local customs. Applying for a visa is handled, a Group Guru is by your side for the entire journey to ensure smooth sailing, and like you said in your review " a tour makes it easier with entrance fees and airfare”. Our radically all-inclusive approach allows travellers to spend less time planning and more time immersed in the journey. We are sorry to hear that our approach wasn’t a preferred match for how you like to travel. However, we’re glad that you we’re still able to experience some wonderful moment on tour. In your review, you describe an amazing experience of you practicing Vietnamese with locals as you wander off the beaten path to find a restaurant. This sounds like an incredible travel experience, Gene!
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us and we wish you luck with your future travels!
Should you have any more concerns we can be reached at 1-866-351-9545 or info@approachtours.com
Vietnam/Cambodia tour
DO NOT use Approach tours if communication is important to you.
Do NOT use Approach tours if getting to your destination in a reasonable time is important to you.
We took Approach tours Package to Vietnam and Cambodia.
Instead of being routed going west from Toronto, Approach Tours sent us East through Europe. Our travel time going was 35 hours with long layovers and our travel time coming home was 43 hours for the same reason. This routing caused us to miss our first day and night in Hanoi.
We did not get our flight information until 9 days before scheduled departure.
Had we known this was the route that they chose, we would NEVER Have booked the trip with this company. Their brochure stated we would fly Cathay Pacific. When we called to confirm, we were told we will be flying Korean Air instead. This was not the case. We understand Approach tours has the right to change flights at their discretion, however receiving flight information 9 days before did not give us time to make other arrangements.
There was inadequate customer service from head office. Communication was extremely poor, as we had to leave many messages without any callbacks.
KLM cancelled our flight the day before we were to leave and we could NOT get in touch with anyone from Approach tours. Fortunately we had the contact of our guru and she was able to contact Approach tours on our behalf and provide us with the new flight information.
The actual tour in Vietnam and Cambodia was excellent. The guides were good, as was the food. Our guru, Caroline was excellent as she went above, and beyond to make sure that everyone’s needs were met.
We wish we could say the same for Approach tours.
Hi Lynda,
Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent Vietnam & Angkor Wat tour with our company. We appreciate your candid comments as they help us identify areas for improvement.
Firstly, we are very glad to hear that the tour itself was excellent, that the Guru and guides were so knowledgeable and helpful, and that the food was amazing. We put a lot of thought and consideration into our tours, so it’s great to hear that you had an excellent experience abroad.
One area where we did not meet your expectations was communication about your flights. Our standard is to send tour documents (airline tickets + pick up vouchers) 2 to 3 weeks before your departure date. There was a delay in confirming flight details, but once they were confirmed, we immediately sent you your documents. In this instance they were sent later than usual, and we do apologize for that delay.
As you mentioned, your flights were originally with Korean Air. Due to the airline unexpectedly changing their flight schedule, we had to adapt and book new flights with a different airline that matched your itinerary dates. It was an unfortunate situation which did cause your travel time to be longer than expected. Thankfully, no activity on tour was missed. We adapted your itinerary in what we found to be the most seamless way possible so you could experience everything on tour without feeling rushed.
We are one of the rare tour companies to provide three layers of service on tour. While our Group Gurus escort you from Canada and back home, our Tour Guides and Local Guides are there for that priceless local touch. Your Group Guru reaches out with a pre-tour phone call and is there to assist you with any tour-related concerns until you return back home. When your flight with KLM was cancelled, our head office was in liaison with your Guru, Caroline, to get you booked on another flight. Unforeseen circumstances such as this are why we provide a Group Guru on tour. We are glad to hear that Caroline fulfilled her role and communicated the new flights we arranged for you.
We value your feedback and if there is anything else you would like to discuss or if you have any further suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service team at 1-866-351-9545 or info@approachtours.com
I loved this tour. Our guides Rasha and Francesca were absolutely fantastic and made our trip. Francesca’s knowledge was mind boggling. Our local guides were so fantastic. We saw so much on our trip but it never felt rushed. The hotels were mediocre compared to North American standards and could be better and the food needs an upgrade. Too many small plates instead of one good plate we did not have any risotto or plates of spaghetti and very little pizza which i expected. The wine tours were spectacular. Our farewell dinner was pretty sad foodwise but so much fun dancing and singing. Rasha was a spectacular guru looking after us constantly like a little mother hen absolutely the best
Hello Marlene,
Thank you for sharing your experience on your recent Signature Italy Tour with us. We’re so glad to hear that you had an amazing time on tour and we’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to Rasha and Francesca!
Thank you for your feedback about food and accommodations. All of our accommodations are selected based on our travellers' feedback, so your concerns will be taken into consideration as we review and reassess our hotel choices for future tours. Rest assured, we will also work closely with our partners to address any issues with the quality and variety of the food offered.
We’re also happy to hear that you found the wine tours spectacular! It was a pleasure having you and Bob on this tour as well as on our Colours of Morocco tour. We hope to welcome you back on another adventure again soon. 😊