What is the maximum number of participants on a trip? What if you don't reach your minimum?

Most of our tours carry a maximum of 18 participants; some tours (ie hiking tours) top out at 16. In the event that we do not achieve our minimum complement by our 90-day deadline, we may offer group members the option of paying a "small-group surcharge" as an alternative to cancellation. If all group members agree, we will confirm the trip at existing numbers; this surcharge is refundable in the event that we ultimately achieve our regular minimum. If the small group surcharge is not accepted, we will offer a refund of your deposit or a different trip of your choice.

Are your tours 'guaranteed'?

All of our tours have a minimum complement required in order to "guarantee," or confirm that it can operate. Guaranteeing a tour may also rely on confirmation of all tour arrangements on which the itinerary relies, such as limited hotel space (especially in remote locales), and/or internal flights, if applicable. While it is difficult to predict exactly when we’ll be able to guarantee a tour, our travellers generally tend to make their plans around 4-6 months prior or earlier, so it’s not unusual for us to be able to guarantee tours this far out. Though it’s rare that our tours have to come down-to-the-wire, our absolute deadline for confirmation is 90 days prior to tour start date. If we ultimately fail to achieve minimum numbers by this deadline, we will offer an alternative tour of your choice or a full refund of your deposit. For more information on our booking Terms & Conditions, please refer to our full Booking Terms & Conditions available under the "Resources" tab.

Are there any specific health requirements for your tours?

Most of our tours can be accomplished by anyone of reasonable fitness; you need to be fully-independent and enjoy busy, full days with walking tours of towns and cities and lots of moving from place to place. If you are over the age of 65 and/or booked on one of our active or high altitude trips, you will be asked to complete a simple self-assessment form in order to ensure your suitability. And, of course, if you are uncertain about your suitability for any of our tours, we encourage you to contact one of our destination specialists.

Would it be possible for me to talk to someone regarding their experience on a particular tour?

We are able to provide telephone numbers or e-mail addresses of previous participants who have taken a specific tour. All of these people have volunteered to be a reference and will be happy to talk to you about our tours. We have an extensive list of references, and we will try to find one close to your hometown. Alternatively, our well-travelled staff are able to provide you with first-hand experience. Many of our staff members have participated on our tours, and they\'ll be happy to share their experiences with you.

How do I make a reservation? How and when do I pay?

The easiest way to make a reservation is via our website; during office hours, you are also more than welcome to contact us by telephone. Most of our tours require a $500 per-person deposit (some trips require a higher deposit) to hold your space, which can be made by Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Your deposit is non-refundable once paid, unless we cancel your tour due to insufficient enrolment. Your final balance is due 90 days prior to departure. A $125 per person discount (custom tours do not qualify for this discount) will be applied to final balance payments made by means other than credit card--cheque, wire transfer, or online bill payment. Once we have received your deposit, we will confirm your space and send you a confirmation package containing important information on how to plan for your trip as well as some simple forms for you to complete and return to us. Your air tickets, final hotel list, and final tour itinerary will be sent approximately 2-3 weeks prior to departure.

Do you have a share program?

Yes! If you are single traveller and are willing to share, we will do our best to pair you with a same-gender roommate. On most of our tours, if we fail to pair you, we will absorb the single supplement fee and you will default to a single room at no extra charge. At some destinations, however, where single rooms are not significantly discounted, or not at all, we may apply a "mandatory" single in the event that we cannot find you a share partner. This is usually 50% of the usual supplement, but can be as much as 100%. If applicable, this proviso will be noted along with the dates/prices section on each tour page on this website.

I am a single who prefers my own room. What is a single supplement?

All of our tours have a single supplement for those who want to be guaranteed their own room at each location. This supplement is a reflection of the fact that most hotels around the world do not discount the regular twin-share rate for a room by 50% for only one person occupying a room. Most hotels will give a break on the price, but usually in the range of 25-30% of the twin-share rate. This difference, multiplied by each night, amounts to the single supplement. The conventional amount can also vary from country to country and some destinations are more expensive than others for single occupancy. In order to be "single friendly," the supplements we apply are not a profit centre for us and we do our best to keep them as reasonable as possible. On most tours we limit the number of singles available, not to be punitive, but rather because many hotels allow for only a limited number of singles; some smaller hotels at remote locations also have a limited number of single rooms available. Please note that most single rooms around the world are smaller than twin-share rooms and will likely have only one bed.

Do you allow smoking on your tours?

Smoking is not permitted on any transport or during sightseeing excursions. Smoking is permitted in your own room, private areas and in designated smoking sections.

I see that you don't include lunches. How does this work?

On most of our tours, we leave lunches to your own account. Most of our travellers prefer to eat lightly midday and forgo the time and expense of a pre-booked sit down group meal. This also allows for a greater flexibility overall such that we are not slaves to a set reservation time and place. This doesn't mean, however, that no provision is made for lunch. Your Tour Leader will always, of course, factor a lunch break into every day's program. This usually involves an informal stop at a place where several options may be available—you are free to find something to your own liking or, of course, forgo lunch entirely and use the time to explore or shop, etc. In some places where there might be limited choice, your Tour Leader may suggest something that is pre-arranged and paid for by each traveller directly after the meal. Now and then we'll also take a lunch box with us from the previous night's hotel, or enjoy a picnic lunch somewhere along our route. Occasionally, due to logistical considerations, your Tour Leader may substitute lunch for dinner should it better fit our schedule and activities. This will be announced by your leader while on tour.

Do you have the ability to deal with someone with special meal requirements?

In most instances we can satisfy travellers with special meal requirements. Any dietary restrictions communicated to us are noted with respect to included meals on tour; however, we cannot guarantee that dietary needs or restrictions can be accommodated. The best way to ensure a satisfactory experience is to have a word with your Tour Leader upon arrival at destination. If you have any concerns/questions pertaining to meals prior to reservation, please contact us.

Can I extend my tour either at the beginning or end? What about stopovers?

Yes, you can extend your tour either at the beginning or the end and we can book accommodation in our tour hotel. Stopovers are often permitted, depending on air routing. Stopovers usually carry a "stopover" fee levied by the airline.

Does Adventures Abroad have referral program?

If you refer a friend who has never travelled with Adventures Abroad, upon their first booking you earn a $100 per person credit toward your next tour. Make sure your friend mentions your name at time of booking so your account can be credited. These credits have no expiry.