Welcome on a journey of discovery as we take you inside some of our favorite destinations, places and unique experiences around the world.
One hundred years ago this month, Arthur C. Tauck, Sr. sparked a quiet revolution in travel. What began with a dropped cigar box of dimes would ultimately change the way people explore the world. Today, millions of travel dreams later, we reflect on how a bold idea (and a few fortunate missteps) launched a century of Tauck journeys.
Now, as Tauck embarks on its second century, the pioneering spirit that began with the dreams of a traveling salesman continues to guide every journey and Tauck remains committed to crafting meaningful, seamless, and imaginative travel experiences for generations to come.
To all who have traveled with us over the years – thank you. This milestone wouldn’t be possible without your passion for exploration and the trust you’ve placed in us to help bring your travel dreams to life.
Here’s to the next 100 years of discovery, connection, and unforgettable journeys.
Below, please enjoy “Tauck: An American Story”, narrated and crafted by our longtime partner and awarding winning documentary filmmaker, Ken Burns.
Video Gallery
Bring the feeling of a Tauck journey to life from the comfort on our newly released video gallery! From Europe’s sun-dappled rivers to Africa’s golden plains, from joyful family adventures to intimate small ship voyages – each video invites you into the heart of what makes traveling with us so special.
See the World Through Our Eyes
It’s okay, we’re happy to share our birthday
Tauck isn’t the only one celebrating its 100th birthday, so we thought we’d highlight a few others turning the big 1-0-0 this year.
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana – New Haven, Connecticut
First on our list is another Connecticut-based, family-run company – Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana.
Frank Pepe immigrated to America as a teenager in 1909. After returning to Italy for a few years to fight in World War I, he came back to New Haven to work in a pasta factory and then in a bakery on Wooster Street. While working at the bakery, Pepe started making his version of the classic “apizza,” a style of pizza from his hometown of Naples recognized for its thin crust, characteristic charring, chewy texture and limited use of melting cheese. He eventually saved enough money to buy a wagon and continued selling the increasingly popular “apizza.” In June of 1925, Frank Pepe took over the bakery’s operation and established “Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana” on Wooster Street. The rest, as they say, is history.
You can visit Naples, hometown of Frank Pepe on our A Week In… Naples, Capri and Amalfi land journey and Rome, the Amalfi Coast & Sicily small ship cruise.
Great Gatsby – Long Island, New York
Next, we venture to Connecticut’s neighbor, New York, the setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s hit novel “The Great Gatsby.” First published in 1925, “The Great Gatsby” centers on Nick Carraway, the book’s narrator, his friendship with the mysterious millionaire and next door neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and Gatsby’s unrequited love for Daisy Buchanan.
Inspired by the Jazz Age of the 1920’s and the beauty of Long Island’s North Shore, the novel explores themes of wealth, class, love, and the American Dream and has become one of the most recognized books in the world since its publication, with the American Library Association calling it “one of the most challenged classics in U.S. literature.”
You can visit the Big Apple on our In Freedom’s Footsteps: New York to Washington DC land journey!
Delta Airlines – Macon, Georgia
Our birthday celebrations continue as we head south to Georgia to highlight Delta Air Lines. The history of Delta Air Lines began with the world’s first aerial crop-dusting operation called Huff Daland Dusters, Inc. The company was founded on March 2, 1925, in Macon, Georgia, before moving to Monroe, Louisiana in the summer of 1925. In 1928, C.E. Woolman, general manager and later Delta’s first CEO, led a group of local investors to acquire the company’s assets creating Delta Air Service, named after the Mississippi Delta region.
Passenger operations began on June 17, 1929, from Dallas, Texas, to Jackson, Mississippi, with stops at Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana. By June 1930, service had extended east to Atlanta and west to Fort Worth, Texas.
Enjoy explorations through Georgia on our Southern Charms: St. Augustine, Savannah & Charleston land journey.
The Goodyear Blimp – Akron, Ohio
Our journey finds its end as we venture westward toward Akron where the Goodyear blimp is celebrating 100 years in the sky. While Goodyear predominantly built air ships for the United States Navy in the 20th century, in 1925 they started building blimps for their own commercial flight serving as a public relations vehicle to drive brand awareness for the company and delight fans in communities across the country.
Through the years, the blimp has appeared at marquee events, from the Olympics to the first Super Bowl, been featured in famous songs, movies and television shows, generated millions of dollars for charities and communities, and even aided the U.S. Military effort during WWII.
While not quite Akron, you can visit another historical Ohio city, Cleveland, on our Cruising the Great Lakes: Toronto to Chicago/Chicago to Toronto small ship cruise.
These stories shared from the road are a testament to the endless joys of travel in some of the world’s best destinations.
Patron of the Month – Travel memories that truly last a lifetime
One of our oldest Tauck guests, Shirley Dorn, will be celebrating her 102nd birthday this August, as we continue toasting the centennial anniversary of our first Tauck trips in New England and Canada back in 1925. Like us, Shirley has spent a lifetime exploring the world, pursuing a love of travel that never gets old. I had the pleasure of speaking with her recently, taking special delight in the memories she shared about her trips around the world, including her 8+ Tauck adventures that remain as fresh and fun as they were when she experienced them, testimony to their enduring magic. “Those were the happiest years of my life,” she told me.
As we talked, it became more and more apparent that those memories have truly kept her young at heart. She began our conversation by stating that she received two Tauck brochures recently, and kindly asked that she be removed from our mailing list. The reason for her surprising request brought tears to our eyes.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am just thinking about traveling, but when I got your gorgeous, beautiful catalog, I actually cried. It depresses me that I can’t do this anymore. And I try to talk to myself and say, be so happy for what you did do. And I am, I’m very grateful to have traveled the world. I only wish I were younger so I could travel forever.”
Having been to all seven continents, she was a treasure trove of stories, happily shared and eternally cherished.
“I’ve been on about eight or nine Tauck trips. I think the first trip I took was about 25 or 26 years ago. I went alone. In fact, I’ve always traveled alone. My first trip with Tauck was to the Canadian Rockies. I flew to Seattle, and from there, the tour started in Vancouver, and it was wonderful. And then, I think about two years after that, or one year, I began taking the river boat cruises, and I thoroughly enjoyed them. My first riverboat cruise was on the Danube, and I believe the last one was Prague.”
She can’t travel on oceans she told us because of seasickness and bouts of vertigo. But she always found river cruising “delightful,” noting that she could see land from both sides of the boat, and didn’t feel any motion. She preferred booking cabins on the lower deck, finding them more affordable and always enjoyable.
“I booked my trips about a year in advance to make sure I got my desired accommodations” she added.
“My last trip was your 28 day Grand European riverboat cruise that took me across the continent. Now, many of those cities I had already been in, but I wanted to take a longer trip, and that was what I did. That was when I was 90.”
What did she like most about traveling with Tauck, we asked.
“I enjoy the personal attention. I felt very comfortable being by myself and I’ve taken other cruises and I made wonderful friendships. I never felt uncomfortable being a lone traveler. Everyone was very friendly to me, and I have to tell you that it got to the point the last cruise I took, I think, was from Prague, and we were given the option of having dinner the last night in a local restaurant or on the boat. And believe it or not, I had people asking for me.”
As a solo traveler, she told us she was not one “to cling to one couple and have them think, Oh, here she is again. No, I know enough not to make a pest to myself.” We both shared a laugh about that wise piece of advice, as she reminisced about that last cruise.
She lost her camera on that trip – and with it all the photographs she had taken along the way – she recalled. Relieved to have purchased cruise protection, she filed a claim to cover her loss, remarking that she couldn’t get over how fast the insurance company reimbursed her.
“There was a couple from Atlanta, Georgia, traveling on the ship,” she said, adding that she really hadn’t had any prior contact with them. “He was a retired doctor, and word got around that my camera was stolen. He came over to me before the trip ended and took down my name and address. After I returned home, he sent me a video of the cruise, a movie really, that looked so professional I couldn’t get over it. It started out with a marquee and the cast. It was beautiful. I also got one from a couple on one of my Tauck trips from Alaska. I didn’t have a camera so they sent me copies of their photos. The woman was native to Wisconsin, and she would come back to visit once or twice a year. She would fly to Chicago and drive to Wisconsin, and she always stopped to see me.”
The people Shirley met on her trips with us hold a special place in her memories.
“I also met people from New Zealand. I just love that. I get excited even thinking about it. To me the pleasure, aside from the sightseeing and the history, is the people who are from all over the world.”
“I’m happy, thrilled that I did what I did when I did and I’m a wonderful spokesman for Tauck. Oh, I tell everyone, if you’re going to take a trip, do it with Tauck.”
We shared how referrals like hers were an important part of the history and growth of our 100-year-old company, and were testimony to the way we feel about valued guests like her.
“Coincidentally, I was on a cruise when it was your 75th anniversary – and I still have the candy dish you gifted to us displayed in my living room,” she said. “I always book a cruise during my birthday, because I liked to travel in September or the end of August. Tauck gave me a beautiful scarf for my birthday, a gift I still cherish today. No matter when I traveled with your company, I was always treated lovely, with ‘an anything you want’ attitude.
“I never met anyone on your ships who wasn’t wonderful. Anything you needed was there for you. I should be on the payroll as marketing, because I’m always touting Tauck. But please… tell your company not to send me catalogs anymore.”
It was a small request—but it carried the weight of something much larger. We promised her we would, our heart catching in the quiet that followed. Because that moment, more than anything, captured what makes travel unforgettable: not just the places we go, but how deeply they stay with us. Long after the luggage is unpacked and the brochures stop arriving, the memories remain—vivid, cherished, and undimmed by time. They grow more luminous with each retelling, proof that the journey never really ends.
Learn more about some current events happening around the world this month.
Wands at the ready! Hogwarts is calling once again.
Fans of the beloved Harry Potter series will be thrilled to know that a brand-new television adaptation is set to premiere in 2026. Filming begins this year, with the series promising a faithful retelling of J.K. Rowling’s iconic novels. Each season will focus on a single book, offering the opportunity to explore the Wizarding World in greater depth than ever before.
The plot will follow the familiar story of Harry Potter, “The Boy Who Lived,” as he navigates his connection to the dark wizard Voldemort and discovers his place in the magical world. While the core storyline remains intact, fans can look forward to new insights, expanded character arcs, and moments from the books that never made it to the big screen.
This May, the new cast for the legendary trio was officially announced:
Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter
Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger
Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
They’ll be joined by a supporting cast that includes acclaimed actors such as John Lithgow as Professor Albus Dumbledore and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
And while we sadly don’t offer tours of Hogwarts (at least not yet!), we’re excited to share that our upcoming The Legends of Scotland family journey – debuting in 2026 (Coincidence? We think not!) – includes a visit to Edinburgh Castle, one of the real-life inspirations behind the magical world of Hogwarts. Whether you’re a Gryffindor or a Slytherin at heart, this adventure is sure to enchant the whole family.
Restoration of “Waterloo Bridge” at Thyssen Museum in Madrid
Tauck supported the restoration of André Derain’s painting “Waterloo Bridge,” completed this year! This project preserves an important piece of cultural heritage and also focuses on sustainability in various ways. To restore it, experts are doing technical studies, reinforcing the damaged edges, making sure the paint sticks properly in all areas, and cleaning off old varnish and dirt from the surface all in an effort to help support the conservation of Spanish cultural heritage.
Tour Architect Sara Kosyk recently visited Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and saw the newly restored “Waterloo Bridge”!
You can read more on the painting’s restoration here.
Happy Birthday to Tauck!
Our team here in Wilton, CT put together a special video commemorating our centennial anniversary.
Feel the beat of New Orleans
Our most recent insideTauck presentation introduces you to Rachel Funel of New Orleans & Company, as she takes us on an insider’s journey through the best of New Orleans. From Creole cuisine to the historic gems of the bustling French Quarter, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of what makes this dynamic city irresistible to travelers year-round!
Colin Treadwell – New England
This month, our resident roaming reporter Colin brings us on a nostalgic journey across New England, harkening back to our beginnings 100 years ago.
In celebration of Tauck’s 100th anniversary, we’re inviting our partners, employees – and you, our valued guests – to share your Tauck story, whatever it may be. From memorable moments on tour to small, personal connections, every story is worth telling. We want to hear from you. Click below and share your story with our one global family.
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