Book with Confidence

Greetings Fellow Traveler, We are proud to offer a flexible booking agreement and cancellation policy.

Book your future Gondwana Ecotours trip with confidence. The fine print is simple:

Trip Cancellation & Refund Policy
Gondwana Ecotours understands how disappointing it can be in the event you are forced to cancel or change your long-anticipated adventure. We, too, plan far ahead before each departure and make non-refundable payments to hotels and other suppliers to secure each guest booking. Therefore, we must strictly adhere to our cancellation and trip change policy for all guests. We strongly suggest purchasing travel insurance to protect you in the event that you have to cancel or otherwise change your plans.

The following are the terms of Gondwana’s cancellation and trip change policy:

• All cancellations processed 121 or more calendar days prior to departure will be eligible for a refund of the deposit, minus a $150 cancellation fee per person*. 
  • The $150 per person cancellation fee is waived if cancellation occurs within 30 days of the time the deposit was placed, provided it is still more than 121 or more calendar days prior to departure.
• Cancellations made 95 to 120 calendar days prior to departure are assessed a cancellation fee of 50% of the entire trip price, including extensions and extra services such as hotel nights. 
  • Should you choose credit in lieu of a refund, you will receive a 65% credit. Credit can be used towards any other Gondwana trip, provided it departs within 2 years from the canceled trip’s departure date.
• Cancellations made 94 calendar days or less prior to departure are assessed a cancellation fee of 100% of the trip price, including extensions and extra services such as hotel nights.
• All name change requests to bookings are subject to a $150 administrative fee per person. The $150 per person administrative fee is waived if the request occurs within 30 days of the time the deposit was placed, provided it is still more than 121 or more calendar days prior to departure.**

All cancellation and trip change requests must be made by email and received and acknowledged by a Gondwana Ecotours representative. 

We encourage all guests to purchase trip insurance. For your convenience, we offer a Travelex Insurance Services protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected.***

*Deposits for Rwanda: Gorillas, Chimps & National Parks Adventure are non-refundable.

*Deposits for Rwanda: Mountain Gorilla Safari are non-refundable.

*Deposits for Antarctica: Penguins & Polar Frontiers are non-refundable. The remaining tour cost is also non-refundable and non-creditable at any time.

*For the Alaska: Whales & Waterfalls Yacht Adventure only, cancellations processed after 30 days from the time the deposit was placed are not eligible for any refund of the deposit.

*Deposits for private tour departures are $1,000 USD and are non-refundable. Deposits for private Rwanda: Gorillas, Chimps & National Parks Adventure or Rwanda: Mountain Gorilla Safari departures are $1,750 USD and are non-refundable. For private Antarctica: Penguins & Polar Frontiers or Alaska: Whales & Waterfalls Yacht Adventure departures, contact us for rates.

*For private departures, 50% of the trip balance is due 9 months prior to departure and becomes non-refundable once paid. The remaining balance is due 120 days prior to departure and is non-refundable.

**Name change requests for Antarctica: Penguins & Polar Frontiers are subject to a four hundred dollar ($400) administrative fee per person and are not eligible for the fee waiver described above.

**Name change requests for Rwanda: Gorillas, Chimps & National Parks Adventure or Rwanda: Mountain Gorilla Safari are subject to the following conditions: One name change per person may be made prior to final payment for a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150). Any additional name changes, or any name changes made after final payment, will incur a one thousand seven hundred and fifty dollar ($1,750) per person fee to secure a new permit, as trekking permits are non-transferable.

**For private departures, the name change fee can be waived up until final payment (120 days). For private Rwanda: Gorillas, Chimps & National Parks Adventure or Rwanda: Mountain Gorilla Safari departures, name changes must be made no later than 60 days prior to departure.

***Our ship partner for Antarctica: Penguins & Polar Frontiers, requires all guests to purchase travel insurance that meets specific coverage limits to board. The TravelEx Ultimate Plan meets these requirements and is the only plan we have reviewed. Guests may purchase a different policy but must confirm it satisfies the outlined requirements, as we are unable to review alternative plans. If coverage does not meet the required limits and boarding is denied, refunds or credits cannot be provided.

Insurance must provide minimum $150,000 USD coverage for:

• Medical expenses
• Evacuation (including vessel-to-shore transfer)
• Emergency repatriation
• Pre-existing medical conditions
• Covid-19 related costs