Terms & Conditions
Our general tour terms and conditions are listed below.
Your full tour terms and conditions will be sent to you at the time of booking. Please note some tours will have specific t&cs related to that tour.
Cancellations Fees
If you have to cancel for any reason, please contact us by phone or email as soon as possible. We do require the cancellation to be in writing. If you have taken out travel insurance, you may have grounds to make a travel insurance claim depending on your individual circumstances. Please see cancellation fees in the tables below.
Important: For most tours (excludes Rail and Cruise) - if you need to cancel, and it is prior to full payment, your deposit, less any applicable supplier fees, can be transferred towards another tour purchased within 12 months of the cancellation date. An additional $100 per person administration fee is also payable.
Domestic/Australia/Pacific Tours
Cancellation charges per person
From deposit payment up to 61 days: Loss of deposit
60 – 0 days (and after departure): 100% of tour cost (no refund).
International Long-Haul Tours
Cancellation charges per person
From deposit payment up to 91 days: Loss of deposit
90 – 0 days (and after departure): 100% of tour cost (no refund)
Australian Rail Tours
Number of days prior to tour departure
From deposit payment up to 190 days: 50% of deposit
89 - 91 days: Loss of deposit
90 - 0 days (and after departure): 100% of tour cost (no refund)
Cruise Tours
Number of days prior to tour departure
From deposit payment up to 190 days: 50% of deposit
89 - 91 days: Loss of deposit
90 - 0 days (and after departure): 100% of tour cost (no refund)
Force Majeure
You agree that Travelwise Holidays has no liability to you as a result of circumstances arising as a result of a “force majeure”. This will include war or threat of war, riots and civil strife, pandemic or epidemic events, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, weather conditions, fire, flood, drought, industrial disputes or governmental action or reasonable apprehension of the foregoing causing cancellation, forced quarantine or curtailment.
Unused services
After a tour starts, there is no refund for cancellations or voluntary unused services. This could be when an activity is cancelled due to extreme weather or a major traffic disruption, or you simply may choose not to participate in an activity on tour.
Price changes
Tour prices are shown in New Zealand dollars and are quoted per adult. Prices may change, without notice, at any time either before or after a booking. Tour prices are subject to change should there be any currency fluctuations, fuel surcharges and Government levies imposed. Travelwise Holidays reserves the right to require further payment to cover any such increases. The tour cost includes special confidential group rates as well as charges for normal booking procedures, communication costs and administration etc. The arrangements of all holidays constitute a complete package and, as such, an itemisation of costs will not be rendered.
Shared rooms
Travelwise Holidays will, to the best of our ability, try to match clients in share twin rooms where requested, but this is not a guaranteed service. We try to facilitate a match by putting solo travellers in touch with each other, to discuss and agree if they are compatible travellers. However, if this is not possible, full payment of the single supplement is required from the guests before tour documentation will be issued.
Guests travelling alone must be able to care for themselves, especially in twin-share situations, as room-mates are not expected to provide assistance. You will need to travel with a carer or companion if you require personal assistance.
Variations
Variations in services such as sightseeing and accommodation may necessitate alterations to itineraries. These will be made to the best possible advantage, and every endeavour will be made to maintain a similar standard. Travelwise Holidays reserves the right to alter or cancel any of the tour arrangements, and to cancel the tour should insufficient bookings be received.
Tour departure
The tour will operate subject to reaching a minimum number of approximately 12-15 participants.
Not included in your cost
Travelwise Holidays is not responsible for the payment of insurance, baggage and excess baggage fees, extra meals and drinks, laundry and any other items of a personal nature. Please check with the Hotel front desk when departing to ensure your incidental costs are paid. If Travelwise Holidays receives an invoice from a Hotel for your unpaid incidental costs like laundry, mini-bar, phone charges or room service, you must pay this invoice with a surcharge of $50.00 for our handling costs.
Comprehensive Travel Insurance
Travelling is exciting – but unexpected events can and do happen. As we cannot accept liability for losses arising from cancellation, medical issues, accidents, or loss of luggage and personal belongings, comprehensive travel insurance is essential for your protection.
At Travelwise Holidays, we strongly recommend arranging comprehensive travel insurance at the time you book your tour. For some of our international tours, comprehensive travel insurance is mandatory.
Insurance gives you confidence from the moment you purchase your policy until you arrive safely home. It can protect you if you need to cancel before departure and provides vital support while travelling – including cover for medical treatment, emergency assistance, travel disruptions, and lost or delayed baggage.
We are happy to provide a quote.
All Tours
If you choose to arrange your own policy, please provide us with your insurer’s name, your policy number, and the Insurer's emergency contact details before your tour’s final payment date, so we can assist you promptly if needed.
International Tours with Mandatory Comprehensive Travel Insurance
For tours where insurance is mandatory, your policy must be in place no later than the tour’s final payment date; however, we recommend you buy insurance at the time of paying your tour deposit – this ensures you have protection prior to, and throughout your journey. Your comprehensive travel insurance must include cover for:
Medical Expenses, Cancellation and Travel Disruption, Baggage & Personal Effects, Personal Accident and Personal Liability. We highly recommend unlimited Medical and Cancellation cover, in line with standard practice for international travel.
Currently, Comprehensive Travel Insurance is mandatory for our tours to Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, Europe & for most Cruises.
Special Travelling Conditions
Travelwise Holidays aims to ensure that every guest has a very enjoyable holiday. Guests needing special assistance should inform us of their needs in advance so we can address any potential difficulties. We reserve the right not to carry any guest if we believe the guest cannot manage the tour requirements and any necessary services cannot be guaranteed. We will always consult with you on this.
A reasonable level of fitness is recommended for our tours. We limit the amount of walking but there is always some walking involved. Bringing a stick or hiking pole is welcome. Our itineraries are not suitable for passengers requiring full-time wheelchair assistance and we are unable to carry mobility scooters or wheelchairs. Please refer to our Tour Activity Levels (below) as a guide.
You will need to travel with a carer or companion if you require personal assistance. Feel free to bring a family member along.
Tour Activity Levels
Understanding Our Activity Levels
To help you choose the right tour for your fitness and comfort, we’ve rated every tour with a Physical Activity Level from 1 to 3. This is a simple guide to how active each journey will be, so you can select the experience that best matches your energy and mobility.
Level 1 - Leisurely
A gentle pace with relaxed sightseeing and regular breaks. Suitable for travellers comfortable with short walks, light touring, a few stairs, and independently boarding coaches, trains and boats.
A good choice if you prefer: A slower pace, regular breaks and minimal physical demand.Level 2 - Discover
A balanced pace with more time exploring throughout the day. Suitable for travellers comfortable with longer walks, standing during sightseeing, independently boarding coaches, trains and boats, walking over some uneven surfaces.
A good choice if you prefer: Getting out and about, with a steady but manageable pace.Level 3 - Explore
A more active touring style with longer days and greater physical activity. Suitable for travellers confident walking longer distances, managing steps and varied terrain, keeping pace with busier sightseeing days, and managing variable temperatures, especially in much warmer, humid climates.
A good choice if you prefer: A fuller, more immersive experience, high levels of daily activity.
These Activity Levels are for general advice only. Please phone us for more specific guidance based on your own level of fitness and mobility, and your chosen tour. We’re happy to help!
Health & Safety on Tour
If a guest becomes ill on tour, Travelwise Holidays will do their utmost to assist the guest to arrange medical assistance and the care needed. We can assist with a guest’s insurance policy claim and, in the case of the guest needing to leave the tour, we can assist with Hotel, transport and air bookings – this would beat the guest’s expense and generally be claimable on a travel insurance policy.
We reserve the right to end the tour for any guest who becomes unwell and will base our decision on NZ Health guidelines and/or medical advice. This is to protect both the guest and the rest of the travelling group. We will assist guests to make all arrangements to be able to return home (if safe to do so and on medical advice) or to quarantine at their chosen location and return home, or to the tour, at a later time. The costs are at the guest’s expense.
Guests may be required to use a mask (if medically possible) whilst on the coach and in close quarters with other people. We also encourage good hand hygiene to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all guests.
Past Passenger Discount
A discount of $70.00 (for Australia & Pacific tours) or $100.00 (for Other International tours) per person applies for passengers who have travelled with Travelwise Holidays on a previous tour.
Responsibilities (the fine print)
In arranging and organising the tour, Travelwise Holidays is acting as Tour Organiser and is referred to as 'The Company'. The Company does not itself operate the air, sea or land transport, or conduct the hotel or other accommodation arranged for the tour. The Company, its agents and/or any company or person associated in promotion or arranging the tours do not accept responsibility for any act or omission on the part of those actually performing these services or services incidental thereto. Further, the responsibilities of the air carriers participating in the tour are limited as specified in the tickets, conditions of contract, conditions of carriage and tariffs. The Company shall be under no obligation or liability to any person as a result of any inaccuracy, misdescription or changes to any tour or its itinerary, or losses or additional expense due to delays or changes in air or any other transport services, sickness, weather, strikes, war, quarantine, Act of God or any other causes. Nor shall The Company be liable for any loss or damage to baggage or property, or for injury, illness or death, or for any damages or claims whatsoever arising from loss, negligence or delay from the act, error or negligence of any person not its direct employee or under its exclusive control. The Operators are not responsible for any criminal conduct by third parties. Bookings are only accepted on these conditions and responsibilities as outlined above. Payment of a deposit is deemed to be an acknowledgement of this understanding.