Terms and Conditions

RESERVATIONS & PAYMENTS

Reservations must be made by completing our online Registration Form on our website www.sacredearthjourneys.ca.

DEPOSIT

All trips require a $500.00 deposit.

The deposit will confirm your reservation until 70 days prior to trip departure, at which time the balance of the trip is due. If the balance is not paid in full by the due date, we will regard the booking as cancelled.

Preferred method of payment is by cheque or bank draft made out to Sacred Earth Journeys Ltd. Alternatively, you may pay by Visa credit card for U.S. Dollar amounts, and Visa or MasterCard for Canadian Dollar amounts. There is a 3% in-house admin fee for credit card payments.

Registrations will be accepted after the final payment is due (70 days prior to departure), but they are on request and subject to availability at the time of booking. In the case of late bookings, full payment will be required upon registration. Payments made less than 30 days before departure must be made with certified cheque, money order, or credit card.

UPON REGISTRATION

After submitting the online Registration Form you will receive immediate confirmation that it was submitted successfully, and you will receive a copy for your records by email. We will be in touch with you to confirm receipt of your registration within 48 hours, and your registration will be considered confirmed once we have received your deposit.  Upon receipt of deposit we will email you the Pre Departure information package that will include visa/passport requirements, insurance information, health information, recommended reading list, clothing suggestions, and other travel tips. Your final Hotel & Operator Contact List will be emailed to you approx. 10 days to 2 weeks prior to departure (note: this is not applicable to all programs).

GROUP SIZE AND TRIP COSTS

The advertised cost for each tour is based on an established minimum level of participation. Should the group for any tour fall below this number, each traveller may be assessed a surcharge dependent upon the number of persons travelling (usually between USD $100 and USD $300 per person). We make every effort to keep the surcharge as small as possible. If assessed a surcharge, you will be notified of the amount at least two weeks before the departure date. Payment is due upon notification.

or

In the event that we do not have the minimum number of participants we reserve the right to:

  1. add a 10% small group surcharge or,
  2. cancel the tour. In either case, you will be notified as soon as possible. In the event of a tour cancellation, you will receive a full refund or you may transfer to another trip.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS

The single supplement is for those who would like to secure a private room throughout the tour, at the indicated additional price. If you are not travelling with anyone you know and would like to share a room, please indicate your preference for a roommate on the Registration Form. We will be happy to work to find you a suitable roommate. Registration for the tour will be held open until two weeks before the departure date in order to try to match everyone with a roommate. If by that date we have not been able to match you with a suitable roommate, you will be responsible to pay for the single supplement. An early registration will facilitate this process.

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

All payments are non-refundable and we strongly suggest you purchase Cancellation Insurance to protect your investment.

Note: Should the trip fail to achieve minimum participation, Sacred Earth Journeys reserves the right to cancel the tour and refund any deposits received. Sacred Earth Journeys will offer participants the opportunity to apply these funds to a similar revised tour program offered by their suppliers within 12 months of tour cancellation.

REVISIONS AND/OR CHANGES

There will be no charge for an initial revision. There will be a charge of CDN$45/USD$30 for each additional revision. This charge is over and above any charges imposed by airlines, hotels, and/or ground operators.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

We strongly recommend purchasing Travel Insurance (Cancellation and Medical Insurance) to protect against cancellation fees and additional travel expenses that may incur before, after, or during the trip.

For Canadians, we offer an all-inclusive travel insurance through TIC (Travel Insurance Coordinators), which includes trip cancellation, medical, and other coverage. Cancellation and Medical Insurance can also be purchased separately. Contact us for prices & policy details.

For Americans, we offer Travel Insurance Select through Travel Insurance Services at this link.

For citizens of other countries we offer two medical plans (not cancellation) through Travel Insurance Services at these links: Travel to the USA, Travel to other countries.

Please note: A Travel Insurance Waiver Form must be signed if you do not wish to purchase insurance through us.

TOUR COSTS

Tour costs and what they include are listed on the itinerary for each tour. Unless indicated otherwise on the tour itinerary, the tour fee includes: accommodations in double occupancy, meals as indicated (any foods or beverages not included in the program and purchased by you will be at additional cost. Tour price includes only foods and beverages that are provided to the entire group), all transportation during the tour, sightseeing as specified in the itinerary, entrance fees for parks and other areas, and services of a tour leader. The tour operator reserves the right to substitute hotels of similar category. Tour costs are based on group rates and no refunds will be given for unutilized services.

Items not included in our costs:

  • Visa and passport charges
  • Departure taxes
  • Gratuities (some tours require gratuities be pre-paid)
  • Extra meals not included in itinerary
  • Items of a personal nature (i.e. laundry, drinks, telephone calls, personal clothing)
  • Emergency evacuation
  • Personal travel insurance
  • Any item that is not specified as being included

DOCUMENTS

A valid passport must be held by each passenger travelling internationally. Some countries require that your passport is valid for 6 months from your return date. Visas are required for entry into some countries. Please check with your local Embassy or Consulate of the country being visited, to learn about Visa requirements for your Nationality. Obtaining Visas is at the passenger's own expense.

TOUR DATES, DELAYS, AND ROUTE CHANGES

Since schedules are determined up to a year-and-a-half in advance, changes in dates may have to be made. It is also possible that route changes, delays, or postponements may become necessary. This could happen due to inclement weather, political restrictions, or any other cause. In this event, you will have no right to a refund and Sacred Earth Journeys and its suppliers will have no obligation in respect to such changes, except as follows: 

If the land content of a tour is delayed, we will arrange, at no additional expense to you, accommodation for you for the duration of the delay.

If the scheduled place of departure, of the land content of the tour, is changed, we will arrange, at your expense, substitute means of transportation from the original point of departure to the rescheduled point of departure.

If the scheduled duration of the land content of the tour is shortened more than 24 hours, we will make a refund based on the number of complete days by which the trip was shortened.

Sacred Earth Journeys and its suppliers reserves the right to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case any payment you have made to Sacred Earth Journeys will be refunded in full. You will not be entitled to make any further claims for compensation or damages, for any loss, consequential damage, expenses, loss of time, or inconvenience which may result from such cancellation.

IMPORTANT NOTE

The information contained in this site is correct to the best of the organizer's knowledge, but the organizer accepts no liability for any inaccuracies therein.

The organizers reserve the right to alter any itinerary or service at any time without penalty to the organizer. Any additional expense or cancellation costs shall be borne by the customer.

The organizers reserve the right to withdraw or refuse any service to any customer at the discretion of the organizers. Payment of deposit is taken as acknowledgment of and agreement to the above items.

SPECIAL NOTE

Sacred Earth Journeys is a registered & licensed Travel Agent in British Columbia (B.C. Reg 28465). The travel industry in British Columbia is regulated by the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act and the Travel Industry Regulations.

I have read and agree to the Booking Conditions, and General Information outlined above, and the Release Waiver and Acknowledgment [link to document] which together form the agreement between me and Sacred Earth Journeys.