GVG Tours, LLC

08/20/2023

Want to find out more about this gorgeous sunset? Check out Gene's most recent blog post from his time in Kenya!

https://www.gvgtours.com/gvg-tours-blog

06/20/2023

Have you been keeping up with the GVG Tours blog? Gene loves to continue to share stories and pictures from his most recent trips - and it's a great way to keep up with where in the world he is. Our most recent blog post is from the Spectacular Scandinavia, go check it out!

Gene VanGalder June 20, 2023 Spectacular Scandinavia - 2023 Gene VanGalder June 20, 2023 I am traveling with a group through Scandinavia and it is truly spectacular! We started out in Copenhagen Denmark, then traveled to Stockholm Sweden, and am now in the famous fjord village of Fram. In these nort...

05/06/2023

Who has always dreamt of seeing the Emerald Isle? Check out Gene's most recent blog post highlighting some of the stops he made on his most recent trip!

https://www.gvgtours.com/gvg-tours-blog

Also, we are excited to announce that we've added three popular trips to come in 2024: Greece, Italy, and Ireland/Scotland! Please see the website for itineraries and let us know if you would be excited to join!

Gene VanGalder May 4, 2023 Ireland - 2023 Gene VanGalder May 4, 2023 I, along with 22 wonderful people just returned from a fabulous tour of the Emerald Isle. The tour started in Dublin and went all around the edge of the island, providing great views of rural areas with their 40 shades of green. We...

02/16/2023

We take a break from live travel updates with this week’s blog installation and shift instead to the tale of Gene’s troublesome tooth!

https://www.gvgtours.com/gvg-tours-blog

We are also excited to announce a new trip later this year, to the Great Smoky Mountains! Please follow this link to find out more:

https://www.gvgtours.com/thegreatsmokymountaintour

Gene VanGalder February 14, 2023 The Tooth - Part One Gene VanGalder February 14, 2023 I was at JFK Airport about to leave for Morocco when I took a bite of a sandwich and suddenly my front tooth with a cap came off. I had the cap in one hand and the sandwich in the other. I went into the bathroom t...

01/30/2023

GVG Tours has an exciting update!

Gene is starting a blog, to more regularly update everyone with stories from his travels. You can find his first post here on our website, all about Tanzania: https://www.gvgtours.com/gvg-tours-blog

Be sure to keep checking back for updates!

We are also excited to announce a new trip which we've added to the calendar for 2024 - a springtime trip to London and Paris! You can find information including a brochure on the website here: https://www.gvgtours.com/londonparis

Gene VanGalder January 28, 2023 Tanzania 2023 Gene VanGalder January 28, 2023 Welcome everyone to Gene’s blog! I will be sharing with you my travel experiences and answer a common question: Where in the World is Gene? Well, the answer this week was Tanzania! The group and I were on safari in the S...

12/04/2022

Did you see us in the paper? Thanks to the Beloit Daily News and the Janesville Gazette for featuring Gene’s travels!

BELOIT—Gene Van Galder’s energy, enthusiasm and sense of wonder is only growing after 13 years of hosting international tours.

08/30/2022

How about a safari?! We haven't posted anything in a while, so please enjoy these pictures of GVG Tours' recent trip to Kenya! We will link some videos in the comments of this post as well.

Many of these pictures come from the Maasai Mara National Reserve, located along the Tanzania border. You can see just how close Gene was to these animals in the videos of the lions and elephant. The synchronicity of the pelicans hunting for fish and the awesome strike of the eagle showcase the dramatic predator-prey relationships that shape the lives of every animal out here.


Beyond the animals, the group saw beautiful sunsets on the Serengeti and had a wonderful time riding in a hot air balloon over the landscape.


If you feel like you've missed out, not to worry! We will be visiting Tanzania for a wonderful trip in January 2023, and we will announce more African adventures in the future.

https://www.gvgtours.com/tanzania-2023-1

11/28/2021

Gene's most recent adventure saw him on safari in beautiful Kenya! As you can see from the photos, he had the opportunity to see many of Africa's most famous and beautiful animals up-close and personal. This is truly a bucket-list trip.

He is planning on returning next August, and details can be found here on our website:
https://www.gvgtours.com/kenya-signature-safari

11/18/2021

Please enjoy these pictures from a scouting trip that Gene took a few weeks ago! Boarding a train in Chicago, Gene traveled through the Rocky Mountains to sunny San Francisco.

As you can see, there were some beautiful snowy sights along the way, and Gene is happy to report that there was no trouble through Donner Pass.

11/14/2021

When it comes to trips in the autumn, you can't beat New England! The legendary fall colors and quaint colonial architecture make for a fabulous trip.

The lighthouse pictured is the Portland Head Light. Located near Portland, ME, it was commissioned by George Washington back in 1787! Construction finished in 1791, and for the first several years it was illuminated with whale oil lamps. Though the technology has advanced some since that time, this beautiful structure is still in operation today and is maintained by the US Coast Guard.

11/09/2021

Join us on our Christmas in Branson Motorcoach Trip, December 8 -11, 2021. Just 4 days left to register! It is a great way to get into the holiday spirit! Visit www.gvgtours.com to register today!

10/06/2021

Here is Iceland! Most of you who have travelled with us have spoken with Gene’s daughter Christina at one point or another - some would call her the brains of the operation. This was the first international trip Chris went on with GVG Tours, and she and Gene had a fantastic time with the group. The sights of Iceland are among the most picturesque in the world, and anyone will tell you that Led Zepplin’s “Land of the Ice and Snow” is well worth the trip.

06/16/2021

Gene had a wonderful time with his tour down in the Big Easy! New Orleans and the Bayou country were a great place to explore, and as you can see the food was part of the great experience. Being a history teacher, Gene particularly enjoyed the enormous WWII museum, and Louis Armstrong park was a nice break in the French Quarter.

Up next: our Civil War tour!

04/02/2021

Hello everyone! We have not posted in a while, so we are excited to share some photos from our recent hiking trip down in Georgia! We had a fabulous time hiking on the Appalachian Trail and enjoying the beautiful "Bavarian" town of Helen, Georgia.

Gene can't begin to describe how excited he is that travel is becoming safe again, and we have planned some exciting domestic trips coming up soon! April 19-23 sees us going on our annual Mystery Tour, an exciting adventure into the unknown that has become a favorite among GVG Tours travelers. We still have room available on this trip, so if you are interested in signing up please see the details of the trip at this link here: https://www.gvgtours.com/mystery-tour-2021

Happy Travels!

07/25/2020

GVG Tours, LLC

We hope you are all managing to stay safe and stay healthy! It's been slow for us lately in terms of going on trips - but not so much in terms of planning them! With contingency plans on our contingency plans, we are eagerly awaiting a time when we get to travel the world (safely) once again. Take a look at our trip to Austria and Germany, which has its roots in a story from the 17th century!

In 1633, the town of Oberammergau, Bavaria was stricken by the bubonic plague. Half of its residents had died, and those remaining made a pledge to God: if the rest of the town was saved from the plague, the residents and their descendants would perform a play depicting the life and death of Jesus, every ten years. Not a single villager died from the plague from that point forward, and thus the people of Oberammergau made good on their promise. Amazingly, this tradition has endured today!

The Oberammergau Passion Play is a remarkable tradition, and it's something Gene can't wait to see in person - this round of performances were supposed to take place in 2020, but have been moved to 2022. Our trip to Austria and Germany is highlighted not only by the Passion Play, but also by a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle, as well as Mozart's birthplace, Sound of Music sites, the cities of Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich, and more!

Check it out at:
https://www.gvgtours.com/oberammergau-2022

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06/22/2020

Looking for something a little closer to home? Join us on a fantastic tour of Missouri, the “Show-Me State” . We start our tour on a Van Galder Motor Coach headed for St. Louis, where we will see the Gateway Arch and surrounding sites, as well as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis and Forest Park. Then it’s on to The Church of St. Mary in Fulton before we head to Kansas City and visit the foremost WWI museum in the world. We take in BBQ and Jazz, and have a step-on guide show us around the beautiful city. The next day it’s a brief interlude for lunch in the Ozarks before we head to world famous Branson, where we see the town and a show. Afterwards is Springfield, with plenty of time for museums and shopping (Bass Pro Shop, Hurts Donuts, and the Relics Antique Mall are all popular stops)! Finally, we head for a down home feel in St. Charles and Hannibal, with classic cars, historic homes, shopping opportunities in old town, and Tom Sawyer sites. A dinner cruise on the mighty Mississippi is a great way to end the trip, before heading home through Springfield with a few last stops. This trip is a fabulous way to see everything the great state of Missouri has to offer!

06/18/2020

In the mood for an outdoor adventure? Let's hike on the Appalachian Trail! We will hike during the day, and spend the nights in a hotel. Sack lunches will be provided for lunch on the trail. Gene and his brother Kurt have both hiked the whole trail, and along with help from a friendly local guide they find the best sections for the group to hike. The AT is a great place to discover nature - and yourself - and hiking with Gene allows some good food and drink as a dinnertime reward.

https://www.gvgtours.com/appalachian-trail-hike-2021

06/14/2020

Come with us on a beautiful 16 day tour of Australia and New Zealand! When we arrive in Cairns, we will take a panoramic tour en route to our hotel, before a day on your own to explore Cairns. During our time in Cairns, we head to Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park for demonstrations on aspects of traditional local life, and visit the Outer Barrier Reef for a full day excursion featuring unbelievable colors of fish and coral through the glass bottom boat with optional snorkeling! Soon it’s on to Sydney, where we see white sand beaches, casual cafes, and local landmarks. The next day, we experience a guided tour of the world-famous Opera House. Following our time in Sydney, we will travel to Melbourne with plenty of time to explore on your own, or go on the optional excursion to Philip Island to see the ‘penguin parade’. With a full day to explore in Melbourne, we will have plenty of time to experience this cosmopolitan yet historic city full of culture, with an included ride on the Melbourne Star ferris wheel. Finally, it’s time to head to New Zealand, where we first experience the shores of Lake Wakatipu and the majestic mountains which surround it. We have in store for us a narrated cruise through the beautiful Milford Sound, another gorgeous cruise aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw, and a scenic trip to the vibrant city of Christchurch. Finally, in Christchurch we enjoy a Maori cultural performance and Hangi feast for a memorable farewell dinner. We are partnering with Mayflower for this trip, so if you have any Mayflower credit this would be a great way to use it!

https://www.gvgtours.com/australia-new-zealand-2021

06/10/2020

Tanzania - Signature Safari — GVG Tours, LLC

Have you ever yearned to see the great animals of Africa in their natural environment? GVG Tours is heading to Tanzania for a safari adventure! Join us on this breathtaking trip to see sights such as elephants and hippos in the water, thousands of migrating giraffes and wildebeests, a leopard up in a tree, a pride of lions relaxing in the sun, a herd of Cape buffalo grazing, birds of every size and color, and so much more. There are no better places on earth to see such beautiful animals than the Serengeti, Tarangire National Park, and the Ngorongoro Crater. In addition to the animals, we will have several important cultural experiences such as a visit to a Maasai village. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

https://www.gvgtours.com/tanzania-2021

Have you ever yearned to see the great animals of Africa in their natural environment? Join us on this breathtaking safari to see sights such as elephants and hippos in the water, thousands of migrating giraffes and wildebeests, a leopard up in a tree, a pride of lions relaxing in the sun, a herd of...

06/10/2020

GVG Tours, LLC

05/30/2020

29. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
For more than a decade, I have offered a Winter Get-Away to escape these Midwest winters. It started out as cruises throughout the Caribbean and then to different places- Panama, Costa Rica, Cabo San Lucas, and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. In 2021 we will be returning to Punta Cana for the third time because it has been the most popular spot. We are on a beautiful white sand beach resort, with four resort swimming pools, easy access to everything, and good food and entertainment. It is an opportunity to relax and let the world pass you by. Every afternoon, we hold a card playing opportunity for everyone. We typically play a game called “No Name”, a variant of "Oh Hell", which is easy to learn and fun to play. In the middle of a cold winter why not spend eight nights in a paradise of sun and beaches?

05/26/2020

28. Antarctica (2016)

As I prepared to go to Antarctica, I really didn’t have any idea what to expect, except for cold, ice, and snow. During the voyage across the Drake Passage, naturalists held lectures on all the wildlife- penguins, seals, whales, and birds. One amazing fact shocked me-the whales are in the South Ocean by the Antarctica Peninsula to eat krill which are about two inches in length. If you put all the krill in the oceans in one bag and all the humans on earth in a different bag, the krill bag would weigh more (and they don’t eat doughnuts)! Once we reached Antarctica, we would go down to the equipment room to put on our boots and other gear. Before leaving the boat, we step into a special sterilizing solution to prevent us from bringing a bug onto the continent. Then we get on a zodiac (rubberized raft) and are transported into the amazing “last continent” where we are awed by the landscapes of whites and blues, walk among the penguins and seals, and marvel at the silence of an undeveloped land. I guarantee that this trip will amaze you on so many levels- by the way, the temperature in March is between 20 to 30 degrees and you know that we can handle that!!

05/21/2020

27. North Seymour Island, Galapagos (2019)

North Seymour Island is one of the smaller, uninhabited islands in the Galapagos archipelago, but don't be fooled- there's plenty of life here. A hike around a small portion of the island shows you everything you need to see, from fur seals and sea lions to blue-footed bo***es to marine and land iguanas. When we went in early July, we saw the blue-footed bo***es and magnificent frigates in all stages of the nesting process- from single birds looking for mates while performing their famous dance to chicks just getting ready to leave the nest. The animals here are even so tolerant of humans that they will sit inches from the hiking trail, making for great opportunities for pictures like these.

05/18/2020

Winter Getaway - Punta Cana — GVG Tours, LLC

As we are looking back at some of our favorite trips, we also want to look forward to a time when travel is back on! Check out this relaxing trip we have planned in 2021 to the RIU Palace Bavaro resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic!

https://www.gvgtours.com/punta-cana-2021

Join us on this winter getaway to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic to lounge at the pool or on the beach at the beautiful RIU Palace Bavaro. The resort is located on the Arena Gorda Beach, one of the most paradisaical places on the entire island. This is an all-inclusive resort with all meals, drinks, snacks, minibar in your room, all accomodations, taxes, and gratuities included. The resort also offers free WiFi, 24 hour room service, two large swimming pools, a main restaurant and several themed restaurants (Fusion, Japanese, Steakhouse, Italian, “Kulinarium”), snorkeling, tennis courts, spas, fitness center, off-site optional tours, and much more!

(The picture below is from RIU's website: https://www.riu.com/en/hotel/dominican-republic/punta-cana/hotel-riu-palace-punta-cana/)

Happy travels!

All photos courtesy of RIU’s website: https://www.riu.com/en/hotel/dominican-republic/punta-cana/hotel-riu-palace-punta-cana/ #

05/17/2020

26. The Valley of the Kings: Near Luxor, Egypt (2020)

The Valley of the Kings is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. It is across the Nile from the ancient city of Thebes (now the site of modern day Luxor), which at one point stood as the capitol of Egypt. Our first view of this site was actually of the "reverse side", the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut. We were able to take a hot air balloon ride and see this impressive temple cut out of a cliff. Comprising a series of rock-cut tombs at the heart of the Theban Necropolis, the Valley of the Kings was the final resting place for the pharaohs of the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt. Perhaps the most famous of these was Tutankhamun (King Tut), whose tomb was the only one not to have been pillaged. While we were there, our guide Romani Gaballa told us of the ill-fated grave robbers who snuck into the valley at night to steal the riches meant to help the pharaohs in the afterlife. Under suspicion by the local authority, these men were rounded up and taken blindfolded into the valley. They were told that if they could not make their way out of the valley without removing the blindfold, they would be executed. Of course, once they successfully found the path that left the valley, it was all the evidence needed to prove they had been there before!

05/15/2020

25. Dubai, United Arab Emirates (2020)

Dubai is an incredible modern oasis in the heart of the desert. A hub for tourism and business, Dubai has the biggest and the best of everything. A ride through the Arabian Desert is possible in the same day as a visit to downtown Dubai, one of the most modern and impressive districts in the world. The most famous landmark here of course is the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. The next picture is of the Caesar's Palace resort, which is located near man-made palm tree shaped islands, where many world famous athletes and celebrities have vacation homes. Dubai also boasts the world's nicest hotel, the Burj Al Arab. For a mere $100,000 USD, one can stay in the hotel for a week. This package comes complete with helicopter transport between the airport and the helipad on top of the hotel, and your option of a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, or Lamborghini to take you anywhere you like in Dubai. Needless to say, GVG Tours has found more reasonable accommodations.