If you have any questions about TourGuatemala please use the "contact us" link, or alternatively, email us on info@tourguatemala.com.

If you would like to make a booking please request a booking form by emailing us on booking@tourguatemala.com.

1. BOOKING PROCEDURES AND PAYMENTS

• Once you receive the booking form please fully complete and sign it, and then return the form along with a
• NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT of 15% of the overall price. You will then receive notification that the booking has been accepted.
• FULL PAYMENT for the tour will be due 8 WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE. If a booking is made less than 8 weeks before departure, then full payment will be required at the time of booking. Should the payment be received after the due date, the company reserves the right to cancel your holiday as though it were a cancellation by yourself, and therefore apply the cancellation charges which are set out in section 11.
• It is your responsibility to check the confirmation invoice, and advise the company of any unlikely error in the document.
• Payment can be made by credit or debit card, by certified cheque, or by a direct bank transfer. Cheques must be made payable to: TOURGUATEMALA.COM
• Flight costs for the tour are separate from the land cost, and where we are aware that an increase is imminent, we will advise you that immediate payment will enable us to issue tickets, and so avoid passing on any additional flight costs to you.
• We will not issue airline tickets until we have received PAYMENT IN FULL.
• Some of the airfares we arrange are negotiated as special arrangements with the airlines concerned, this can mean that:
  • The fare that appears on your ticket may be significantly higher than the actual fare you paid. This will need to be taken into consideration, if it is necessary to assess any refunds on unused tickets. The price paid, and not that that appears on the ticket, is the relevant price.
  • They attract higher than normal cancellation penalties. Each airline is autonomous, which means that they impose their own rules regarding tickets already issued; the cancellation penalty can be as much as 100%.
  • Certain published airfares are only guaranteed at the time of issue.

2. ALTERATIONS

• Any requests for alternations must be made in writing to TourGuatemala. Please take note of the conditions that follow:
• If you make an alteration request after you have received your confirmation invoice, you will be liable to pay for any expenses incurred, such as communication charges, and there is an amendment charge of £35 per alteration per booking. Please note the two exceptions however, which will be treated as cancellations, and incur charges as laid out in section 11:
  • If you request to change to a different tour.
  • If your request to change is made less than 8 weeks before departure.
• If you make an alteration request after the tour has started, then TourGuatemala and/or their agent will endeavour to make these changes. However, this is subject to you being responsible for: any cancellation/retention charges that may be levied from the original booking, for the cost of the new arrangements, and any cost incurred by TourGuatemala and/or their agent while trying to secure these revised arrangements. All of these costs must be paid locally.
• You may transfer your booking to another person in the case of personal illness, death or serious illness of a close family member, jury service, redundancy, or unavoidable work commitments. These transfer requests must also be made in writing at least 30 days before departure, and must include: documentary proof of the transfer (eg a doctor's certificate), full details of the person who will replace you, any outstanding balance due for the tour, and a payment of £35 to cover administration costs, plus any additional amount our suppliers may require to make these changes. It is important to note though that some suppliers, such as airline carriers, treat a name change as a cancellation, which will result in cancellation charges being levied, and will require payment for a new ticket, which will be payable by you.

3. PRICE GUARANTEE

• WE WILL GUARANTEE PRICE, except in the unlikely event there is an unusual, unforeseen price differential due to exchange rate, or unforeseen circumstances. In this case we will absorb the first 2%, but the client is then responsible for the rest. If the change happens to be more than 10%, the client will get the full refund back.

4. EXCHANGE RATE

• The prices are based on an exchange rate of: £1 = US$ 1.60
• We can make no refund for any favourable change in rates or fuel costs.

5. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Obviously before taking any trip overseas it is important to check certain personal affects and to be aware of certain issue when travelling. We strongly recommend that you check all of the following, and remember that TourGuatemala cannot be held responsible for any repercussions resulting from failure to do so:

• Most importantly, be sure that all your travel documents are in order eg. a full passport, which is valid for at least 6 months after the completion of your holiday; visas if required; vaccination certificates; currency; and travellers' cheques (US Dollars).
• The name on your airline tickets should be exactly the same as the name that appears on your passport.
• Recommended inoculations and medicines are set out in our pre-departure notes, which you will be sent to you after full payment has been received.
• If you have suffered any serious illness in the last 12 months, which has required medical assistance, it is important to obtain your doctor's permission to travel. In these circumstances, your doctor must be fully aware of the type of holiday you will be taking, its length, and the various destinations and travel arrangements involved.
• It is your responsibility to arrive in good time for boarding a plane or any other form of transport. To help you, we will give you a detailed itinerary with the exact times that you should arrive at your point of departure. Should you unfortunately miss a departure, we will do our best to find you an alternative means of transport, but the company reserves the right to charge you any costs we would incur.
• You will be travelling to a developing country, where the infrastructure is not as sophisticated as back home. As a result, sometimes problems and inconveniences arise! We would be grateful therefore, that you bear with us while we endeavour to work around them; sit back and enjoy the countless positive experiences you will encounter. If you do have any issues you wish to raise, please look at the Claims and Complaints, section 12.
• While on the tour please be mindful that you behave in such a way as to not create the risk of danger or damage to property, or that may cause distress or annoyance to others. We also expect you to apply by the rules and regulations of the country you are visiting, or the transporter with whom you are travelling. If, for any reason, at the discretion of an airline or transporter, you are prevented from travelling, or if at the discretion of the hotel management you are evicted, or end up in prison, TourGuatemala will not refund any part of the cost of your holiday. And, if any costs are incurred by TourGuatemala as a result of misconduct, you will have to compensate TourGuatemala all costs involved.

5. OUR RESPONSIBLITIES

• TourGuatemala, our agents and all suppliers involved in travel arrangements are obliged to provide services with reasonable care and skill.
• TourGuatemala accepts liability for any loss you might suffer as a result of your holiday not being as it was described to you. We also accept responsibility if you suffer death or personal injury as a direct result of the holiday arrangements not being as they were described, and of a reasonable standard. However, these acceptances of liability do not apply if TourGuatemala or our suppliers are not at fault, and the loss, death or personal injury suffered is attributable to your own acts or admissions, to the acts or admissions of a third party not involved in providing a service included in your holiday, or to unusual or unforeseeable circumstances, the consequences of which could not have been avoided or anticipated even with the exercising of all due care and attention.
• In these unfortunate circumstances, compensation due is subject to limitations. In the case of damage other than death, illness or personal injury, compensation is restricted to a reasonable amount taking into consideration such factors as interalia, the price paid for the holiday, and the extent to which the enjoyment of the holiday was said to be affected. The maximum amount of compensation that will be paid to you is the price of the holiday (excluding any insurance premium), a refund of any directly attributed expenses, and a daily sum of £72 per person. We will use the maximum sum to assess the appropriate amount due to you in the circumstances of your particular complaint.
• TourGuatemala will endeavour to offer general advice and assistance in the case of death, injury, or illness arising out of an activity that does not form part of the tour's arrangements. If you wish to take legal action concerning such misadventure, please refer first to the Legal Expenses cover on your travel insurance.

6. INSURANCE

• It is a condition of your contract with us that you have travel insurance.
• Be certain that your insurance covers personal accident, medical expenses, and repatriation expenses.
  In addition to this we recommend that coverage includes: cancellation, curtailment, loss of effects, and all other expenses, which might arise as a result of loss, damage, injury, delay or inconvenience occurring to the client.
• Medical and repatriation expenses coverage is compulsory and you must be covered for a minimum of £50,000 each. TourGuatemala has the right to refuse to carry anyone until they meet this requirement.
• You are responsible for arranging for any money transfers from your home and family, if an emergency situation arises and your medical cover is not sufficient.
• Neither TourGuatemala nor any agents are liable, in any respect, to pay for any expenses if insurance cover is insufficient.

7. FLEXIBILITY

• The client appreciates and acknowledges that the nature of this type of travel requires considerable flexibility and should allow for alternatives in case the need arises.
• The itinerary as given for the tour must therefore be taken as an indication only of what may be accomplished and not as a contractual obligation on the part of the company.
• It is understood that the route, schedules, itineraries, amenities, and mode of transport may be subject to alteration without prior notice, due to local circumstances or events. This may include sickness or mechanical breakdown, flight cancellations, strikes, events emanating from political disputes, entry or border difficulties, climate, delayed flights, and other unpredictable or unforeseeable circumstances.
• The company does not have any liability to the client for any delay that may arise.
• Where such flight delays do arise we will do our best to arrange for the air carrier to provide appropriate meals, etc.

8. ACCEPTANCE OF RISK

• Due to the nature of the holiday, each customer must be aware that they are taking a certain amount of risk. Such risks include injury, disease, loss or damage to property, discomfort, and inconvenience.

9. UNUSED SERVICES

• There will be no refund on unused services included in the original tour price such as hotel accommodation, services or transport.

10. AUTHORITY ON TOUR

• In the unlikely event of a situation occurring involving the wellbeing and safety of the group, the decision of the TourGuatemala's tour leader or representative is final.
• As mentioned above, it is obviously important to comply with the laws, rules and regulations of the country visited. If you fail to abide by this, or threaten the wellbeing or safety of the rest of the group, then TourGuatemala reserves the right to request you leave immediately without any compensation or refund.

11. CANCELLATIONS

CANCELLATIONS BY THE CLIENT:

• Must be made in writing. The date received will determine the cancellation penalty. Be sure to state the reason for your cancellation as you may be covered by your insurance policy.
  
• If a cancellation is made, a penalty will be applied as follows:
  
  • 60 days or more before departure: Deposit forfeit
    
  • Between 59-30 days before departure: 65% of tour cost
    
  • 29 days or less before departure: 100% of tour cost

CANCELLATIONS BY THE TOUR COMPANY:

• TourGuatemala endeavours never to cancel a holiday, but retains the right to do so. Your trip could be cancelled if payments are not received on time. In the unlikely event of the company having to cancel, you will be advised of this at the earliest possible opportunity, and you will have the choice of a full refund, or being able to reschudule your holiday with us.
• If the cancellation is due to low bookings, you will be advised of this at least 42 days prior to departure.
• The only case where a holiday might be cancelled 30 days prior to departure, would be due to unusual or unforeseen circumstances outside the company's control such as: actual or expected war, riots, civil strife, or terrorist activity; government action or restraint; industrial disputes; acts of God, natural or nuclear disasters; fire; the unexpected incapacity of tour leaders or hosts; bad weather; change in water levels; damage and accidents from machinery or engines; closure of airports or seaports; technical or maintenance problems to transport; or for any other reason beyond our reasonable control. Again, YOU WILL GET A FULL REFUND, OR BE ABLE TO CHOSE A DIFFERENT DATE FOR THE TOUR.

12. CLAIMS AND COMPLAINTS

• If you have a complaint against the company you must try to inform the tour leader or representative whilst on the tour, in order that the leader or representative can attempt to rectify the matter. Any further complaint must be put in writing to the company within 30 days of the end of the tour.