fbpx
Menu
  • Terms & Conditions

TERMS & CONDITIONS (updated 10.21.2022)
Read this agreement carefully before booking a trip with us. It is a legally binding contract.

Please understand that we reserve the right to update these policies without prior notice. Our goal is to keep our guests informed and safe, and our policies fair and sustainable.

Standard Terms & Conditions:

The following policies apply. Fees may be applied per person according to the Cancellation Fee Schedule below, based on the date we receive your written notification, not when you send it or notify us by phone.

These terms and conditions constitute the entire understanding and agreement between you, the trip participant (“Participant”), and Boundless Journeys (“Boundless Journeys,” “we,” or “us”) with respect to any and all bookings, tours or transactions made with Boundless Journeys. By submitting a booking form, paying a deposit, or signing this agreement for yourself or a minor under your custody, care or control (“Minor”) you accept all of the terms in this agreement and direct us to perform services on your and any Minor’s behalf.

These booking terms and conditions incorporate by reference our liability waiver, which each traveler is required to sign, and any additional terms and conditions contained in the Trip Planner for your specific trip. In case of conflict between these booking terms and conditions and any terms and conditions in the Trip Planner, the terms and conditions in the Trip Planner control.

RESERVATIONS: A deposit is required at the time of reservation. A reservation is not accepted and there is no contract between us until we confirm your reservation in writing. Upon receipt of your deposit, we will email you a confirmation letter, Trip Planner, and information regarding trip insurance.

The trip descriptions that appear on our website and in our brochures and other marketing material are for informational purposes and the specific trip you book may have variations in the itinerary and pricing. The specific inclusions/exclusions in your trip are detailed in the Trip Planner for your specific tour and/or on your itinerary.

If a reservation is not fully paid by the final payment due date, we reserve the right to treat the reservation as cancelled and subject to the cancellation terms explained below.

Last Minute Bookings: If you wish to reserve after the final payment date (typically within 90 days of a trip’s departure date), full payment for the trip will be due immediately if the booking is accepted.

Custom Tours: The price for custom tours includes a custom tour planning fee of $250 for 10 hours of your tour planner’s time. This fee, payable at the end of the initial custom tour consultation, is non-refundable and will be deducted from the final balance of the custom tour. For longer, more complex trips, or subsequent changes made to the preliminary itinerary at the traveler’s request, an additional custom tour planning fee may be charged separately from the final balance of the trip.

DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS.  Payments are due as follows:

Scheduled Group Departures:
At booking: Deposit of $500 USD per person, plus internal airfare (if applicable).
90 days prior to Scheduled Group departure: Balance due.

Custom Tours:
Custom Tour planning fee: $250 USD paid after initial consultation (will be deducted from final balance).
Initial group deposit: $500 USD to proceed with confirmation of Custom Tour dates.
Within two weeks of confirmation: $500 USD per person, plus internal airfare (if applicable).
120 days prior to Custom Tour departure: Balance due.

Group size pricing adjustments: The custom tour price is based on the number of participants in your group and the agreed upon itinerary. If your group size decreases in size prior to departure, we reserve the right to adjust the price accordingly.

Exceptions: Payment schedules for some safaris, custom trips, and certain special events vary from the above schedule. These exceptions are noted in the detailed trip itineraries.

All payments may be made by check or credit card. Prices are in US dollars, and all payments must be made in US dollars. If you pay by check, your reservation will be considered provisional until the check has cleared the bank. Returned checks will incur a returned check fee.

CANCELLATIONS BY YOU AND REFUNDS: To cancel your booking, you must call us immediately and then promptly send notification in writing to us and your travel agent (if applicable) by email, fax or mail. When providing notice to us, call our office at 1-800-941-8010 and then send written notice to us by email at [email protected], or mail at Boundless Journeys, 998 South Main St., Stowe, VT 05672. Cancellation fees will be applied per person according to the following schedule, based on the date we receive your written notification, not when you send it or notify us by phone:

Standard cancellation fee schedule for Scheduled Group Departures**

  • Minimum fee is $100 per person
  • 90 to 61 days prior to departure: 25% of the trip price
  • 60 to 46 days prior to departure: 50% of the trip price
  • 45-0 days prior to departure: 100% of the trip price

Standard cancellation fee schedule for Custom Tours**

  • Deposit is nonrefundable
  • 120 to 91 days prior to departure: 25% of the trip price
  • 90 to 61 days prior to departure: 50% of the trip price
  • 60-0 days prior to departure: 100% of the trip price

**Note: Cancellation and transfer schedules for cruises, safaris, custom trips, and certain special events and private trips are often stricter. These exceptions are clearly indicated in the cancellation policies for each of these trips. Internal airfare purchased on your behalf by Boundless Journeys is subject to the airline’s cancellation policies.

***Non-refundable deposits: If we make special arrangements for you that require payment of non-refundable deposits to suppliers, we may subtract any such deposit from any refund due to you.

No refunds will be provided for any unused portion of a tour once the tour begins, including if you leave a tour for any reason, miss the tour’s departure date, or have to be removed from a tour. There are no exceptions to this cancellation and refund policy, including for reasons related to weather, civil strife, personal, family or medical emergencies or any other circumstances beyond our control. For this reason, we highly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: Accommodations are based on double occupancy. A single supplement is paid by participants who specifically request single accommodations, subject to availability.

Single Supplement for Scheduled Group Departures. If you reserve at least 120 days prior to departure, you may be eligible for a reduced or free single supplement. This is generally limited to the first one or two solo travelers to reserve, and the reduction is outlined in the pricing for each trip. Free or reduced single supplements are not combinable with other offers or promotions.

If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will try to match you with a roommate of the same gender. If you reserve at least 120 days ahead and request a roommate but one is not available, you will receive a $500 reduction from the standard single supplement (unless otherwise noted in the detailed itinerary for your specific trip).

Single Supplement for Custom Tours. Custom Tour prices are generally based on two or more participants; therefore, single supplements for “solo” Custom Tours will vary and are available upon request.

TRANSFERS: You may transfer to another scheduled trip that is within the same calendar year without penalty by notifying us of your wish to transfer more than 120 days prior to the original trip’s scheduled departure. After that time our normal cancellation fees apply.

CHANGES BY YOU: If you request to change your tour dates or alter your itinerary after we confirm your booking, we will do our best to accommodate your request. If we can make such changes, a change fee may be applied. (There are no change fees for transfers described in the preceding paragraph.) The type and scope of change dictates the amount of the change fee and such fees can be substantial. Our outside suppliers, including hotels, often impose additional fees or penalties for changes and cancellations.

PRICE ADJUSTMENTS: Quoted trip prices are set far in advance of departure based on our projections of fuel, exchange rates, inflation, tariffs, government fees, airfares and other costs using available information. The price at booking is guaranteed under normal conditions. In the rare event that current costs create an unsustainable financial situation if we were to fully absorb the increases, we reserve the right to pass on these unexpected costs to you in whole or in part. We will give you advance written notice of any price increase and the reason for it. If we do so and your trip price increases by more than 10% of the original tour cost excluding any insurance premiums, you may cancel the booking within 10 days of receipt of notice of the surcharge and obtain a full refund, less any non-refundable deposits to our suppliers. We will work with our suppliers to try and obtain any non-refundable deposits so that we can give you a full refund. However, we cannot guarantee such a result.

A NOTE REGARDING ISSUED CREDIT: If your trip was postponed and you have scheduled a new journey, or not yet decided on your future travel, you have received a travel credit. Boundless Journeys credits have no cash value, can be used towards the costs of a Boundless Journeys trip only, and are subject to our payment, transfer, postponement, and cancellation policies (Terms & Conditions). Your credit will be applied toward your new trip, and a cost difference may apply. If the new cost is lower, you will receive a credit for the difference. If the new cost is higher, the difference will be collected from you according to our payment terms.

ALTERATIONS OR CANCELLATION BY YOU AFTER COMMENCEMENT OF TRAVEL:  We will forward any alteration that you request after your tour has commenced to our independent suppliers. We will work with them to try and accommodate reasonable requests but cannot guarantee that any changes will be possible after your tour has commenced. Changes after departure can create severe complications. In the event you request a change, you will be liable for any cancellation charges and change fees that may be imposed for the booking of revised arrangements and for all costs associated with the arrangements themselves.

CANCELLATIONS OR CHANGES BY US AND FLEXIBILITY:  We reserve the right to cancel, alter or modify any tour without prior notice for any reason, including but not limited to for the safety and/or comfort of clients and for circumstances of Force Majeure, which is defined in this agreement below. This includes the right to replace or substitute guides and accommodations in the tour materials, modify the order in which places are to visited, and make other changes in the itinerary. You acknowledge that the amenities, accommodations, transportation, route, schedule, and itinerary may change without prior notice due to local circumstances or events, which may include mechanical breakdown, flight cancellations, illness, strikes, political disputes, weather, border crossing problems, and other unforeseeable factors. If, prior to departure, we make a significant change because of a problem with a supplier (e.g., bankruptcy), we will, as soon as reasonably possible, notify you of available alternatives.

If we must cancel due to insufficient tour enrollment, all trip members will be notified a minimum of 60 days before the trip departs and will receive a full refund of payments made to Boundless Journeys.

Any changes may require a supplemental payment from you or result in a partial or full refund. This refund will constitute full settlement of claims you may have arising out of our cancellation. Unless doing so would create an unstable financial situation for us, we will refund any deposits already paid in the event of a cancellation due to Force Majeure less any non-refundable deposits paid to our third party suppliers. We will work with our suppliers to try and obtain any non-refundable deposits so that we can give you a full refund. We cannot guarantee such a result, though.

CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION FOR POST-BOOKING CHARGE:  You authorize Boundless Journeys to charge your credit card number for any change fees, price increases, or supplemental payments that you incur post-booking. If you prefer a different payment method, you must notify us in writing at the time of booking.

DENIAL OF PARTICIPATION:  Boundless Journeys reserves the right to deny participation in the tour to any traveler that Boundless Journeys, in its sole discretion, judges to be incapable of meeting the rigors and requirements of the tour activities, or whose actions or deportment it judges unsuitable for group travel. During the tour, Boundless Journeys has the right in its sole discretion to remove anyone who it determines to detract from others’ enjoyment of the tour. The decision of the local guide or local supplier is final on all matters that may threaten the safety or interfere with the well-being of others.

RESPONSIBILITY:  Certain services reserved by Boundless Journeys, including but not limited to transportation, accommodations, restaurants, sightseeing and activities may be purchased from various independent suppliers not affiliated with Boundless Journeys (referred to as “Third Party Supplier(s)” or “Supplier(s)”). Boundless Journeys takes reasonable care in selecting competent, reliable and qualified suppliers based on information that is reasonably available to us. That said, we act only as an intermediary for these Third Party Suppliers and do not and cannot control the quality of their services. You acknowledge that you are aware and clearly understand that these Third Party Suppliers are independent contractors, are not managed by Boundless Journeys, and are not agents or employees of Boundless Journeys. In the event of an injury, damage to property, delay or any other loss, compensation must be sought from the Third Party Suppliers, not from Boundless Journeys. You understand further that each of these Third Party Suppliers is subject to the laws of the state or country in which the service is provided. The liability of Third Party Suppliers may be limited by their tariffs, conditions of carriage, tickets and vouchers, and international conventions and agreements.

FORCE MAJEURE:  Boundless Journeys will not be deemed in breach of this agreement or otherwise liable to you, by reason of delay in performance or nonperformance of any of its obligations under this agreement to the extent that any such delay or nonperformance is due to any Force Majeure. “Force Majeure” means any circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including without limitation acts of nature, terrorist activities, insurrection, explosion, flood, tempest, forceful wind, fire or accident, war or threat of war declared or undeclared, sabotage, civil disturbance, labor strikes, requisition, sickness, quarantine, government intervention, weather conditions, and unforeseen circumstances. If we and any of our Suppliers are affected by Force Majeure, we and our Suppliers shall be entitled to, and may in our sole discretion, vary or cancel any itinerary or arrangement in relation to the tour, and choose to offer future travel credits or no refunds of money paid. Regarding civil unrest, once we have investigated the prevailing situation, as we deem fit, it shall remain in our sole and absolute discretion whether to proceed with the tour.

TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE:  We highly recommend that you purchase comprehensive Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance from a company of your choosing. Comprehensive travel insurance should cover trip interruption and cancellation, baggage, medical, accident/life, evacuation, repatriation and other expenses that might arise as a result of loss, damage, injury, delay or inconvenience occurring to you. The purchase of this insurance is not required in order to purchase a trip from us.

PRE-DEPARTURE DOCUMENTATION:  It is important that you carefully read all trip-related documents that you receive from us as soon as you receive them. It is your responsibility to contact us if any information is incorrect. We cannot accept any liability if you do not notify us of any inaccuracies within 45 days of your receipt of those documents. This agreement, our release and waiver of liability and assumption of risk and indemnity agreement, and, if required, a medical statement or certification must be signed and submitted by you in order to travel with us. If we do not receive these signed documents from you prior to departure, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you and impose the cancellation fees described in this agreement.

PASSPORT AND VISAS:  You are responsible for ensuring that all necessary travel documents are valid and effective and in your possession for the entire tour. Passports are required for all citizens traveling abroad and should be valid for at least 6 months after your date of return. Other required documents may include visas, permits, and vaccination certificates. You assume complete and full responsibility for checking and verifying any and all travel documents and entry requirements. You are also solely responsible for any adverse consequences resulting from incomplete or defective documentation. While we may provide information or advice on matters such as visas, vaccinations, climate, clothing, baggage, and special equipment as a courtesy to you, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions as to the information provided.

HEALTH AND MEDICAL:  Our tours are physically active, with varying levels of demands and fitness requirements depending on the specific itinerary. You represent that neither you nor the Child (if applicable) do not have any condition, physical or mental, that would create a hazard for you or other participants or affect other people’s enjoyment of the tour. You understand that you are solely responsible for determining your emotional and medical suitability for the tour and will consult with your, or the Child’s, physician and/or a travel medicine expert, regarding medical and health safety precautions appropriate for the Tour. You represent and warrant that you have answered fully and truthfully the questions posed to you on the guest questionnaire regarding your and/or the Child’s, medical history and condition, and will notify Boundless Journeys immediately if those answers require amendment or supplementation.

Note that we are not a medical authority. If you have a physical condition, dietary restrictions, or other conditions (pre-existing medical) that will require special attention during the tour, you must inform us in writing when the booking is made. We may require a medical certificate if you have a special condition.

We assume no responsibility for any medical care provided to you. You agree to assume all costs of medical care and related transportation that are provided to you during the tour.

ISSUES OR QUESTIONS DURING THE TOUR:  If you have any issues or questions during your tour, promptly notify us or your tour leader so that we/your tour leader can attempt to address them. You must submit any unresolved concerns in writing to Boundless Journeys within 30 days of the tour’s end date.

IMAGES RELEASE:  You grant us and our Suppliers a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, re-use, distribute, display, create derivate works of, and reproduce any images, photos, or videos that you provide to us (whether directly or through a photo sharing service) in any medium, including but not limited to print, electronic media, or Internet, free of charge and without your right to inspection, for any purpose, including to promote and publicize our travel products and services worldwide.

You also acknowledge and agree that we or other parties, including but not limited to our Suppliers and other participants, may during your trip take or create images, photos, sound recordings and videos in any format that contain or feature you or the Child (collectively, “Images”). These images may contain your or the Child’s name, likeness, identity, photographic image, videographic image or oral or recorded statements. You agree that we and our Suppliers may use these Images for any purpose, including to promote and publicize our travel products and services, and grant us a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable license to use such images with your prior inspection.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION.  In the unlikely event a dispute arising out of, in connection with, or relating to this agreement and/or the transactions and relationships among the parties contemplated by this agreement, you agree that the dispute shall be submitted to a neutral third party mediator in Vermont, with both parties dividing equally the costs of such mediator. If the dispute cannot be resolved through mediation, then (a) the dispute shall be filed and resolved exclusively by binding arbitration through the American Arbitration Association in Vermont; (b) the dispute will be governed by Vermont law; and (c) any arbitration award shall be binding and judgment upon the arbitrator’s award may be entered or enforced in any court of competent jurisdiction.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF ARBITRATION.  You understand that our agreement contains an agreement to arbitrate. You understand that after signing our agreement, you will not be able to bring a lawsuit concerning any dispute that may arise which is governed by the arbitration agreement, unless it involves question of constitution or civil rights. Instead, you have agreed to submit all claims and disputes within the scope of this agreement to an impartial arbitrator or arbitrators in accordance with the arbitration procedures set forth in this agreement.

LIMITATION OF REMEDIES.  You agree that the sole remedy for any default by Boundless Journeys arising under this agreement shall be the return of the paid tour cost, to the extent consistent with applicable law. To the maximum extent permitted under applicable law, Boundless Journeys shall not be liable for any special, consequential, indirect, incidental or other damages arising out of or in any way connected to this agreement, including lost profits, whether such damages arise in contract, negligence, tort, under statute, in equity, at law, or otherwise, even if Boundless Journeys has been advised of the possibility of such damages. You expressly waive any right you may have to recover such damages.

SEVERABILITY AND SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.  If any provision of this agreement shall be unenforceable or invalid under any applicable law, such unenforceability or invalidity shall not render the agreement unenforceable or invalid as a whole. Such unenforceable provision will be replaced with one that is valid and enforceable and which achieves, to the extent possible, the original objectives and intent of the original provision. This agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon Boundless Journeys and the Participant and their respective heirs, legal and personal representatives, successors and assigns.

MERGER.  This agreement is the final, complete and exclusive statement of the parties’ agreement on the matters contained in this agreement. It supersedes all previous negotiations and agreements.

Boundless Journeys reserves the right to update and/or alter these terms and conditions at any time. It is your responsibility to be familiar with these terms and conditions.

Questions?

Our dedicated team of travel experts are here to help.

1-800-941-8010

Travel + Leisure World's Best Award

Top 5 World's Best Tour Operators
Multi-year Recipient

National Geographic Traveler

50 Tours Of A Lifetime
Multi-year Recipient

National Geographic Adventure Magazine

Best Adventure Travel Company Winner

ATTA member since 2006