Luxury Gold, curated by Insight Vacations, is launching its first truly Worldwide programme in 2017, adding 15 new itineraries, nine new countries, two new continents and an exciting voluntourism extension for the first time ever.

Building on the success of its first year of operation, Luxury Gold's 2017 Worldwide portfolio will now feature 38 expertly crafted escorted journeys delivering five-star elegance and incredible private VIP experiences across Europe, North and South America, India, Southeast Asia and Australasia. The 15 new luxury itineraries include trips to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands, all for the first time.

All itineraries in Australia and New Zealand will travel in small groups with a maximum of 20, in Southeast Asia with a maximum 26, and selected departures in Europe will operate with a maximum of 24 guests, for those customers looking for a more intimate experience.

Guests will stay in properties renowned for their exceptional quality, style, location and service including the Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor in Cambodia, The Langham in Sydney, The Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, the Capri Palace Hotel & Spa in Italy, The Milestone Hotel in London, and the Belmond Copacabana Palace in Brazil.

Other hallmarks of a Luxury Gold holiday include immersive and exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences such as a fascinating meet and greet with the choreographer at La Nouvelle Eve, one of Paris' top cabaret shows, or an out of hours visit to Venice's magnificent Doges Palace with an art historian, long after the crowds have gone home. Coupled with epicurean dining in the finest restaurants and the services of a 24/7 Travelling Concierge who will look after every tiny detail and every guest's needs, Luxury Gold is the perfectly curated trip for the discerning, fun loving and culturally curious traveller.

New itineraries for 2017 include:

• Inspiring IndoChina (from £6,825 per person, twin share, land plus flights), an 18-day journey that links three of Luxury Gold's new itineraries to create the ultimate combination of Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Highlights include a fresh perspective of Angkor Wat, led by a renowned scholar; meeting a former Cambodian soldier who fought the Khmer Rouge; a private visit to the UNESCO site of the Imperial City of Hue before it opens to the public; and a traditional water puppet performance.

• The 13-day Inspiring Australia (from £4,965 per person, twin share, land plus flights), which journeys through Queensland, the Northern Territory and New South Wales, taking in all of the big hitters in style. Highlights include snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, sunset canapés at Uluru, a bushwalk in the Blue Mountains and a cruise across Sydney Harbour on a genuine America's Cup yacht.

• The Long White Cloud (from £6,845 per person, land plus flights), which combines the new Southern Drift and Endless Shores journeys to create a 22-day itinerary that spans the whole of New Zealand: the Bay of Islands, North Island, South Island and Stewart Island. Local experts bring the stunning natural history and geology of New Zealand to life, and guests have an opportunity to learn all about Maori culture.

• The French Connection (from £3,725 per person, twin share, land plus flights), a 12-day trip connecting England, Guernsey, Jersey and France. This unique journey takes guests through Thomas Hardy's Dorset; the fascinating war history of Plymouth, the 1588 Spanish Armada, and the German occupation of the Channel Islands before culminating in the Loire Valley and Paris. On this trip guests will enjoy local gastronomic delights, plus the finest accommodation, with stays at three boutique properties from sister brand Red Carnation Hotels (www.redcarnation.com) included. The French Connection combines perfectly with Uniworld's luxury Paris and Normandy river cruise to create The Elegance of England and France.

• Quito and the Galapagos Islands (from £4,675 per person, twin share), a seven-day trip including five days cruising the Galapagos Islands. After a relaxed start, guests will enjoy a guided walk through historic Quito and travel to the 'Middle of the World' to simultaneously straddle the Northern and Southern Hemispheres before flying to the Galapagos Islands to witness the Giant Tortoise in its natural habitat, as well as blue footed boobies, reef sharks and frigates.

In response to demand, a number of mini-trips that featured in the 2016 programme have been expanded for 2017 to create dedicated and more in-depth tours such as the new Classical Sri Lanka and Nepal & Bhutan – Mountain Kingdoms.

Luxury Gold is also launching a new volunteer extension in India through partners ME to WE, allowing guests the opportunity to spend time in a community in rural Rajasthan. Here they will work on building projects and learn about sustainable agriculture practices, traditional crafts and daily life in the hills and farmland of India through the personal stories of the men and women living there. Accommodation is in the Araveli Cottages and Tented Camp and the itinerary allows for a sunrise yoga session and a nature walk through the hills of the Aravalli mountain range. This new extension supports Luxury Gold's commitment to sustaining the environments and cultures in which it operates, through the TreadRight Foundation (www.treadright.org), a joint initiative between TTC's (The Travel Corporation) family of brands.

To celebrate the launch of its new Worldwide programme, Luxury Gold is offering Early Payment Discounts of up to 10% - equating to savings of up to £1,268 per couple – on holidays booked and paid for before 27 January 2017^, plus an additional 5% Club Bon Voyage discount for past guests. Terms and conditions* apply.

John Boulding, Global CEO of Luxury Gold, commented:

“To travel with Luxury Gold is to travel beyond the ordinary. From the breathtaking five-star accommodation, to the personal attention of our travelling concierges and the truly immersive, VIP behind-the-scenes access that you won't get with any other tour operator, we have thought of every last detail.

“Following a successful first year of operation, we're excited to be replicating the luxury of our trips in North America and Europe by rolling out the programme to Southeast Asia, Australasia and further in to South America. Our Luxury Gold trip in Peru, our first in South America, has received a Net Promoter Score of 98% this year, which is phenomenal and we're confident that the new programme will equally impress.”

For more information, please visit us at www.luxurygoldvacations.com or call 0800 533 5620. Join in the conversation on social media at www.facebook.com/InsightVacations and www.twitter.com/InsightVacation, using the hashtag #LuxuryGoldMoments.

*Terms and Conditions: Early Payment Discount savings apply only to trips featuring the 'Early Payment Discount' in the brochure price panel. Applies to the land-only portion of the holiday. For discounts to apply, trips must be paid in full by the designated date and not less than 45 days before the tour departs. Discounts may be reduced or withdrawn as demand for selected tour increases. This saving may be combined with other discounts, where applicable.

^For US and Canadian itineraries, Early Payment Discount applies to trips that are paid in full before 25 November 2016.

Early Booking Discount is reduced to 7.5% for trips paid for in full before 31 March 2017 (27 January 2017 for US and Canadian itineraries), and to 5% for trips paid in full before 12 May 2017 (28 April for US and Canadian itineraries).

About Luxury Gold:

Luxury Gold elevates travel beyond the ordinary, with Traveling Concierges opening doors around the world to places and people most wouldn't dream possible. Luxury Gold takes care of everything while guests relax and enjoy Exclusive VIP Experiences, epicurean dining, authentic regional cuisine and hand-picked deluxe accommodations. Smaller group touring styles are expertly crafted to suit all preferences and are sure to craft an astonishing journey of wonder, adventure and new learning.