Special COVID-19 Terms
Given the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19, if you decide to cancel your tour we completely understand. The health and wellbeing of our customers and staff is our number one priority.
If your tour date is booked inside our cancellation period, where our cancellation fees would normally apply, in this instance, we’re happy to offer a 100% travel credit with Snow Leopard Tours Pty Ltd, valid for travel until 31 April 2023.
Your contract with Snow Leopard Tours Pty Ltd (ABN 87 744 799 601) (Hereafter referred to as the Company) is subject to the terms and conditions below. By booking a trip with us you are deemed to have agreed to these Booking Conditions (which constitutes the entire agreement between you and us) and your booking will be accepted by us on this basis. The services to be provided are those referred to in your booking confirmation invoice.
Customised tours may be subject to alternative cancellation terms, which will be communicated to clients at the time of booking.
Booking Conditions
Please take the time to read and understand the conditions of booking set out below prior to booking a trip with us. We strongly recommend that you also read the Essential Trip Information relating to your trip prior to booking to ensure that you understand the itinerary, style, and physical demands of the trip you are undertaking.
1. Tour Booking
Once you have confirmed your booking, we will proceed to confirm the booking by providing a tour contract with the terms and conditions for signing. Please check that your passport is valid at least within six months of your return from your travels. Also confirm all names are the same as the relevant passport, and that travel dates provided are correct. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of the correct visas, permits and certificates for your trip; please refer to your trip notes for more information. We are not responsible if you are refused entry into a country because problems with your passport, visa, or other travel documentation.
2. Reservation, Deposit & Form of Payment
Deposit and completed reservation form should be returned to us once you confirm your tours. A non-refundable deposit is USD400 or equivalent in AUD per person and can only be paid by bank transfer, cash, credit card or via Trasnfer Wise.
For our customised private tours, Snow Leopard Tours Pty Ltd reserves the right to request additional deposit payment if required by airlines and suppliers. This will be communicated at the time of booking.
Amount and Currency
Prices quoted on our website are in USD. At the time of booking you may request to pay in an alternative major currency of your choice including Australian Dollar. As such, the exact amount will be subject to the exchange rate at the time your transaction is processed, which we will inform you of prior to payment.
3. Final Payment
Final payment must be received by the Company 30 days prior to departure date. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in automatic cancellation of reservation and forfeiture of deposit. If reservation is made within 30 days of departure, full payment must be made immediately upon confirmation. The Company accepts bank transfer, cash, credit card and via Transfer Wise.
4. Cancellation & Refund
Once reservation is confirmed, the deposit paid is non-refundable. A full refund less deposit paid will be issued for any cancellation 60 days before departure. All cancellation requests must be made in writing. Penalty for cancellations within 60 days of departure will be assessed as follows:
59-42 days………………….. 25% of the tour cost
41-28 days………………….. 50% of the tour cost
21 days or less……………. 100% of the tour cost
We may cancel a trip at any time prior to departure if, due to terrorism, natural disasters, political instability or other external events that render the trip inoperable in accordance with the planned itinerary. If we cancel your trip, you can transfer amounts paid to an alternate departure date or receive a full refund. In circumstances where the cancellation is due to external events outside our reasonable control refunds will be less any unrecoverable costs. We are not responsible for any incidental expenses that you may have incurred as a result of your booking including but not limited to visas, vaccinations, travel insurance excess or non-refundable flights.
5. Currency Fluctuation
All prices are based on foreign exchange rates at the time of publication. Prices may change in the event of increased land or air costs that are beyond the Company’s control. The Company reserves the right to alter the price of any tour. Any price increase will normally be notified 60 days prior to departure.
6. Unused Services
Regardless of the reason, unused services during the tour including transportation, hotel accommodation, meals and sightseeing are neither refundable nor exchangeable.
7. Date change and Transfer of booking
Change of departure date after confirmation is not permitted. Transfer of booking to another person may be accepted, subject to an administration fee of $50 USD per person, provided the air tickets have not been issued.
8. Tour Price Includes:
· Hotel accommodations and surcharges
· Domestic air and ground transportation
· Airport transfers upon arrival and exit except Land Only
· Sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
· Cultural shows and admission charges
· Daily meals as specified (B Breakfast- L- Lunch- D- Dinner)
· English-speaking or other language speaking guides
· If you desire to take an extension of tour, please feel free to contact us a customized itinerary.
· Trekking Staff and Equipment’s
· LOI and permits (Letter of invitations for visa support)
Excludes:
· Visa fees
· International Airfare taxes
· Gratuities to local guides, drivers, and tour leader wherever applicable
· Expenses of a personal nature, such as laundry service
· Any item or service not specifically listed in the itinerary as included
· Force Majeure – Some things that are beyond the reasonable control of even the most careful planning may occur before or during your tour experience. Such events include, but are not limited to, war, threat of war, riot, social disturbances or strife, technical or maintenance problems with transport, machinery or equipment, power failure, natural disaster, adverse weather conditions, closure of airports, closure of roads, changes of schedules or operational decisions of transport providers. Compensation will not be payable by Snow Leopard Tours under occurrence of such unforeseeable or unusual conditions.
9. International Flights
We do not provide air ticket sales or services for travel to and from the point of departure of our tour services, and we are not held responsible for any costs incurred due to flight delays or cancellation. If you would like us to refer you to a travel agent to assist you in arranging this portion of your travels, we are happy to do so upon request.
10. Health and Fitness requirements
The Company is unable to accommodate participants with physical or mental disability who require special attention. Our trips involve frequent and overland border crossing, strenuous walking and stair climbing. A reasonable level of fitness is required of all clients. A client who is deemed unreasonably impeding the progress of the tour due to physical disability will be removed from the tour at the client’s expense. Anyone over the age of 75 is required to submit a completed form for the Company to assess their ability to travel.
11. Travel Insurance
The Company strongly recommends that all travellers to produce proof of purchase of a comprehensive travel insurance package protecting you before, during, and after your trip. Such a policy must provide protection against personal accident, medical expenses, emergency evacuation, emergency repatriation, and personal liability. We also recommend trip interruption insurance in the event of a change or cancellation of flight, and insurance against loss of baggage. Clients should confirm with the insurance provider that the countries and area’s you visit are covered under the policy. The policy provider company name, policy name and details, policy number, and next to kin emergency contact numbers must be submitted to Snow Leopard Tours Pty Ltd no later than 15 days prior to commencement of travel.
12. Baggage
During the tour each client is limited to one piece of checked luggage, which according to the Central Asian and other countries air carriers must weigh no more than 20kg (44 lbs). One carry-on weighing no more than 5kg is allowed. The client must be able to lift and comfortably transport their own luggage as porter service may not be available at all hotels, airports, train stations, and on overland trip at border crossings.
13. Responsible Behaviour
The client agrees to abide by the authority of the tour leader or our local agents. Conduct or behaviour causing danger, distress or annoyance to the group will be acted on. Any expenses incurred as a result of the client’s removal will be the client’s responsibility.
14. Responsibilities of the company
The Company acts only as agent for its suppliers and contractors providing transportation, accommodation, and other related travel services. The Company assumes no responsibility or liability for any injury, death, damage, loss, accident with any services resulting directly or indirectly from acts of God, strikes, government regulations, thefts, failure of any means, discrepancies or changes over which it has no control. The Company applies all reasonable checks and measures in utmost good faith to ensure that details in the itinerary are carried out exactly as specified. However, changes, including, but not limited to, substitution of hotels of equal or similar quality and air carriers, may be made out of necessity.
Clients must be aware that there may be different living standards and practices outside of their home country including but not limited to provision of utilities such as water, electricity, accommodation, food preparations and services of all kinds. Under no circumstances shall the Company be responsible for any inconvenience, loss, damage or injury resulting from these conditions. The passenger contract issued together with the air ticket by the air carrier shall constitute the sole contract between the airline and the passenger; the Company shall not be responsible for any delays, substitutions of equipment or any act of omission whatsoever by the carrier, its agent, servants and employees.
15. Rights of the company
The Company reserves the right to decline, accept or retain any person as a tour member at any time. The Company reserves the right to take photographs during the operation of any tour or part thereof, and to use the resulting photographs for promotional purposes. By booking with the Company, the client agrees to allow their image to be used in such photographs; clients who prefer that their image not be used are asked to identify themselves on the reservation form.
16. Complaint & Claim against the company
The contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of Victoria, Australia. Should the unlikely situation arise that a Customer has a complaint about any aspect of a tour, the complaint should be reported immediately to the local Tour Guide (where possible), or to the management of the supplier (eg: hotel, tour operator, etc), in order to be given the opportunity to immediately rectify the problem.
If a satisfactory outcome is not forthcoming all complaints must be in writing and received by Snow Leopard Tours, providing full details of the problem and those previously contacted in the resolution process. Snow Leopard Tours no guarantee of material or financial compensation in any instance.
Reservation with the Company confirms that the client has read, understood, and agreed to each and all of the above terms and conditions.
