Terms and Conditions

DEPOSIT:

A $400 Canadian non-refundable deposit/person is required to guarantee your place on any of our tours. Your booking is not confirmed until your tour deposit and Booking Form are received by our office. The $400 non-refundable deposit can be paid by MasterCard or VISA through our online Booking Form or by cheque or e-transfer. Early Deposits are strongly recommended as our small-group tours (usually limited to a maximum of 16 travellers) fill up quickly.

If you wish to purchase travel insurance, you should buy it at the time you pay your $400 Non -refundable tour Deposit.

 

FINAL PAYMENT:

Your Invoice for the final balance of the Land tour will be e-mailed to you 90 days prior to departure. The balance owing must be paid at least 60 days prior to the trip departure date. If a booking is made less than 60 days prior to departure, full payment is due at time of booking. Our tour prices are for final payment by cheque. Should you wish to pay the final balance by VISA or Mastercard, there is a 1.5% administration fee on the final balance amount. NOTE: for all tours departing  after December 31 2023 the administration fee will be 3%  (There is no administration fee when you pay your $400 tour deposit by VISA or Mastercard.)

 

LAND TOUR:

The land portion of the tour is defined as running from the beginning of the tour in the tour country until the time the tour ends in the tour country. Transfers from the airport to the hotel at the beginning and end of the tour are NOT included. Meals and sightseeing are included as detailed in each individual tour itinerary. Services for the Land portion of the tour are organized by Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd.

 

FLIGHTS:

We can put you in touch with our flights specialist who can book your international flights for you from your home city. Alternatively, you can book your own flights or use your accumulated Frequent Flyer points. At the time of paying your tour deposit,  please let us know which option works best for you.

All airlines require the production of a valid passport when checking in with an e-ticket. The name on your passport must match EXACTLY with the name on your e-ticket.

Please note that, if you are a frequent flyer member, you should retain your air ticket and boarding pass from each flight after you return home – in case an airline fails to add your flight points to your account. RHT cannot be held responsible for obtaining copies of your air ticket at any future date.

 

INSURANCE:

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance coverage that includes trip cancellation and interruption, emergency medical, accident, and baggage insurance. If opted for, Cancellation/Interruption Insurance should be purchased at the time you pay your  non-refundable $400/person tour Deposit and should fully protect you against being forced to cancel prior to or during travel due to unforeseen circumstances. Please review these  “insurable benefits”  in the policy manual carefully.   Many of our travellers have travel insurance through their current or former employers. If you need to purchase travel insurance, we offer an online  booking portal to purchase Manulife World Travel Insurance. Please note that the cost of trip Cancellation Insurance varies depending on age, duration and cost of the tour. All insurance policies contain limitations and exclusions. Please read the policy manual thoroughly and if you have ANY questions, please contact your insurance provider directly.

In the event of a traveller being unable to continue once your tour has started, all hospital and medical expenses are the traveller’s responsibility and you will not be entitled to any refund, either total or partial, of tour money paid to Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd.

 

PRICE CHANGES:

Since our LAND TOUR prices are published far in advance of tour departures and we usually pay for hotels and busses  in US dollars, Euros or British pounds, there can be significant changes in currency exchange rates between the time when you pay your $400 Non-refundable Deposit and when your tour runs. These fluctuations are beyond our control.  In the unlikely event of extreme changes, Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd reserves the right to increase the land tour cost by a maximum of 10% between the time when you pay your Deposit and when your tour runs. We cannot guarantee the price of your international flights, as this is determined by the airlines.

 

CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS:

If you cancel your tour you must provide notification in writing to Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd. Cancellation charges shall be levied as follows:

  • More than 60 days prior to departure – Loss of $400 deposit/per person
  • 30-60 days prior to departure – 50% of Land tour cost
  • Less than 30 days prior to departure – 100% of Land tour cost

Our refund policy does NOT include any international flight cancellation penalties. After the trip has begun, no refunds for any accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, meals or services not utilized will be made for any reason whatsoever – whether you leave the tour voluntarily or involuntarily.

 

ITINERARY CHANGES:

Weather, changing government regulations, labour strikes or other Force Majeure may necessitate changes to our planned itineraries and/or the cancellation of certain sightseeing. Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd reserves the right to change or modify the published  itinerary before or during a tour. Any identified change known prior to departure will be communicated to you by e-mail prior to tour departure.

The information contained on Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd’s website and detailed day-by-day itineraries is correct to the best of our knowledge, but we accept no liability for any inaccuracies therein. Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd reserves the right to alter any itinerary or service at any time without penalty to us.

In the event of itinerary changes or delays, whether before or after the tour has begun, you will be responsible for all associated costs and expenses including, without limitation, any additional food, lodging, transportation costs, or fees resulting from any change or delay. In no event will you be entitled to any refund or other compensation arising from itinerary changes or delays.

Should the trip be interrupted for any reason, repatriation costs and expenses relating to prepaid travel expenses will be the sole responsibility of the traveller. There will be no refund for any portion of the trip already taken.

It is the responsibility of the traveller to make sure that they have comprehensive travel insurance which covers all such changes, delays and cancellations.

 

RESPONSIBILITY:

Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd and all co-operating agencies act only in the capacity of agents in making arrangements for hotels, transportation, sightseeing, restaurants, or any other services in connection with the itineraries for the individual tour member who, by acceptance thereof, agrees that Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd and/or their agents and suppliers shall not be liable for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity, liability or expense to person or property due to act of default or action of any hotel, carrier, restaurant or person providing or rendering any of the services included in the tour. Further, Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd and/or their agents and suppliers accept no responsibility for any damage, delay, irregularity, expense or liability arising from sickness, pilferage, labour disputes, machinery breakdown, quarantine, government restraints, war, weather conditions, defect in any vehicle of transportation or for any misadventure or casualty or any other cause, nor for any additional expenses or damage due to changes in advertised schedules or services or any other cause outside of their control.

 

PASSPORTS and VISAS:

It is the traveller’s responsibility to ensure that their passport is valid for the period of time specified by the tour country. If your passport is due to expire BEFORE the date required by the tour country, please complete the tour Booking Form  with your current passport details when you sign up for the tour and send us your new passport details at least 2 months prior to departure.

All travellers’ passports must contain at least one blank page available for visa and entry/exit stamps.

Passport numbers, expiry dates and date of births are required in advance by many countries. This is why we request this information on the tour Booking Form when you join our tours.

It is also the traveller’s responsibility to ensure that they obtain any required travel documents prior to departure including, but not limited to, visas, proof of vaccination, proof of travel insurance and medical certificates signed by a physician. In the event of missing or defective documentation, or denial of a visa, RHT will not be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred.

RHT will e-mail you information as to which visas and other documents Canadian passport holders need to apply for. However, we do not have the authority to issue visas or to apply for visas on your behalf.

Passengers holding passports issued by countries other than Canada should carefully check for visa requirements.

 

PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS:

Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd. reserves the right to decline, accept or retain any person as a tour participant should such a person’s health, mental condition, physical infirmity or general deportment impede the operation of the tour or the rights, welfare or enjoyment of other tour passengers. To really enjoy our tours, you must be in reasonably good physical condition. Please note that our tours are not suitable if you require mobility assistance in the form of walking sticks or canes. Participation in all aspects of the tour is at the tour member’s own risk.

 

LUGGAGE:

Please limit your luggage to ONE shoulder bag/daypack + ONE main bag/suitcase per person. Please ensure your main suitcase does not exceed 44 lbs [20kg]. Your luggage should have wheels so that you are able to transport your own luggage for short distances. Please note that we do not include porterage as we find that most of our travellers prefer to wheel their own suitcases in and out of the hotels. It is usually quicker than using hotel porters, even where they are available.

 

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT:

Our tour prices are based on double/shared occupancy at our hotels. If you are traveling alone but wish to share with another traveler, the first available willing-to-share, same-gender roommate will be offered to you. Should no suitable roommate be available to share with you at the time we send you your final Invoice (3 months prior to departure) the Single Supplement will be included on the invoice.  If a roommate is subsequently found prior to departure, the Single Supplement will be refunded to you prior to departure. The cost of the Single Supplement for each tour is given on our detailed, day-by-day itinerary.

 

TOUR DOCUMENTS:

About 4 weeks prior to departure we will e-mail you the final documents for the tour. These will include (but not be limited to) the Hotel List, finalized detailed itinerary and a list of your fellow travellers. At the conclusion of the tour we send out a Contact List of all the tour participants so you can exchange photos or stay in touch with your fellow travelers. If you would NOT like to be  to included you on this Tour Contact List, please let us know before the end of the tour.

 

PHOTOS OF TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

Royal Heights Tours may take photographs or videos during any tour and use the resulting material for commercial or promotional purposes and on our website. By booking a tour with Royal Heights Tours, the participant agrees to allow his/her likeness to be used by Royal Heights Tours without compensation. If you prefer that your likeness not be used, please let us know in writing prior to departure of the tour and we will do our best not to include you in group photos.

 

CONSUMER PROTECTION:

The Government of British Columbia requires that any business that collects advance deposits for travel must be registered and licensed by Consumer Protection BC. Royal Heights Tours and Travel Ltd is licensed as a travel agent / travel wholesaler with Consumer Protection BC and holds license #3379.

All deposits must be held in trust until the tour departs. It is also required that all BC travel companies contribute to the Travel Assurance Fund which protects the traveller in the event of default by their travel provider.

Please confirm that you have read and understood the information above you book one of our tours via the online tour booking form

(updated Jan 27th 2022)

I loved that we saw so many wonderful, ancient sites and fabulous scenery!

H.F. – Vancouver, BC to Italy

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