Deposits and Cancellations

A deposit of $500/person is required to begin your reservations and will be applied toward your final trip cost.  Your balance payment will be due 90 days before your tour starts.

For tours booked within 90 days of departure, we require a deposit of 50% of your tour price, with the balance due after your tour is confirmed.  this will be due upon confirmation of your reservations.  If final payment is not received by the due date, we reserve the right to treat your reservation as canceled.

When submitting your deposit you will also be asked to review and agree to our booking terms.  Should you have any questions about any of these terms or documents please reach out to us by email at info@alpinehikers.com or by calling our main office at +1 928-778-0345

After your deposit is received, you will be sent a welcome letter and acknowledgment that we are working on your reservations along with a due date for your remaining balance. You will also receive a digital pre-trip booklet with detailed information on the trip, directions for joining the tour, suggested clothing and equipment, and other tips to ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip.

Reserve your spot as soon as you’re ready to commit to the trip.  Space on group guided tours is limited to a maximum of 14 per tour, and even for private and self-guided tours, earlier booking makes it easier to reserve preferred hotels.

Cancellations must be received in writing (email is best), and are subject to the following per person fees:

• More than 90 days before departure – $300/person to cancel, $100/person penalty to postpone
• 61-90 days before departure – $500/person to cancel, $250/person to postpone
• 46-60 days before departure – 75% to cancel, 50% to postpone
• 0-45 days before departure – 100% of tour cost

If you’ve received a rail pass from us, we will ask you to return this unused either to us or to Rail Europe, and this will be refunded to you as well.

We do not require insurance, but with all the uncertainty in the world today, it is a very good idea. Cancelling a trip is no fun, and it’s also very expensive. Many of our clients have to cancel each year for various and unpredictable reasons. To protect yourself in the event that you have to cancel, trip cancellation and travel insurance is highly recommended. We always try to be fair to our clients who can’t come, but we do make substantial commitments that can’t always be reversed at the last minute. And of course you’ll have flights and pre and post-trip plans to account for also. So don’t forget this important part of your tour.

For US and Canadian residents, we suggest you compare Travel Guard plans and choose among Essential, Preferred or Deluxe coverage. Travel Guard has worked well for our tour members for years, and is not that expensive – generally between 4-9% of your tour cost, depending on your age, the cost of your trip, and what kind of plan you get. It’s best to buy insurance within 15 days of your initial deposit, which gives you more comprehensive coverage, and the option to buy “cancel for any reason” coverage.

If you are forced to cancel a trip, you can talk to us about rescheduling, or carrying over a portion of your tour cost to a future tour and we’ll do what we can to help. But every year we have clients who regret that they didn’t get insurance, while nobody ever regrets that they did.