Terms of Service
This document outlines the Terms of Service Guided By LLC (‘Guided By,’ ‘we,’ or ‘us,’ mailing address 217 1st Ave. S. #4474, Seattle, WA 98104) agrees to provide when Travelers (‘you’) sign up for a tour, and the agreements that Travelers and their travel companions accept in return.
Included in Each Tour
Included with the price of each Guided By tour are services including sightseeing tours by local guides, admissions to sights seen as a group; meals as listed in tour itinerary; accommodations each night of the tour including breakfasts; all transportation required for group activities from the first hotel to the last hotel of the tour (transportation for optional group activities and independent travel during the tour is not included), travel consultations and advice from our staff, guides, and vendors including suggestions, tips, and directions, and all guide, local guide, driver, and hotel tips. Prices do not include airfare to and from the tour, nor ground transportation to/from airports.
Tour Payments & Cancellation Policy
To reserve a seat on a Guided By tour Travelers pay a deposit per person, thereby agreeing to Guided By’s Terms of Service. The deposit amount is stated on each tour page. Deposit payments are refundable for 30 days after payment is made, or until 90 days before a tour begins, whichever comes first. After 30 days, deposit payments are non-refundable but may be eligible as a credit toward another Guided By tour if requested in writing to info@guided-by.com before the final payment deadline.
The final tour payment is due 90 days before departure. All tour payments are non-refundable within 90 days of tour departure. Travelers missing the final payment deadline will result in removal from the tour and forfeiture of the deposit. If you sign up for a tour within 90 days of the tour departure the full payment is required within 3 days to confirm you on the tour.
Friend Referral Discount Codes
Travelers will be given a discount code with their tour booking (not per person on a booking) to share with friends who can use it for a $100 discount on the same tour. For each booking (not per person on a booking) made with a discount code, you the referring traveler, will also receive a $100 discount off their tour price. For example, John signs up for a tour, he shares his discount code with his friends Joe and Jill, who receive $100 off their tour booking for two people, while John also receives $100 off his final tour payment.
Tour Payments
All tour payments must be made through our website via credit or debit card, or ACH transfer. Mailed checks are not accepted.
Solo Travelers and Single Accommodations
Single accommodations can be requested by paying a single supplement fee, as listed on each tour page.
Travel Insurance
Guided By encourages all tour travelers to purchase separate travel insurance to cover possible additional costs (airline tickets, loss of luggage, trip delay, medical evacuation, etc.) and/or trip cancellations.
Pack Light
We believe in traveling light. Each traveler is encouraged to bring one carry-on-size bag and one day bag, as there may be times when you will need to carry your own luggage. This may include walking down a cobbled street, up a few steps, and into a charming hotel. Knowing this, if you prefer to bring a larger suitcase and you’re fine with carrying it, that’s okay! For trips longer than one week, we advise travelers on convenient laundry service options.
Physical Expectations
Guided By tours are physically demanding. To enjoy the experience, you should be in good walking shape. The most active days may average 3-4 miles of walking (often over uneven surfaces), lots of standing while listening to your guide during group sightseeing, and possibly stair-climbing while carrying your own bag up to your hotel room.
Non-Smoking Tour
Smokers may smoke only outdoors and downwind from the group — never in hotel rooms or during group activities or meals.
Children on Tour
Children under age 18 must room with and be accompanied on the tour by a parent or guardian. A Child Transport waiver must be signed by parent or guardian.
Tour Itineraries Are Subject to Change
Travel is full of surprises and we need to be flexible enough to take advantage of whatever comes along so that we may provide you with the best possible tour. Uncompleted portions of the tour itinerary are not cause for refund.
Limits of Liability
Accidents can happen anywhere. However, traveling away from home can involve risks and hazards that are greater than usual. Although Guided By can use its experience and knowledge to help make your tour fun and safe, things can go wrong. You agree to assume all risks of traveling abroad, including travel on Guided By tours, however great or slight they may be. You understand that accidents, illness or other unforeseen mishaps can occur. You understand that sometimes accident or illness or inconveniences can occur in remote places where there is no ready assistance or medical care. You also understand and agree that although Guided By and all of its employees, contractors, vendors, agents, officers, and representatives (hereafter referred to as “us” and “we”) carry general liability insurance, you are not insured under our insurance if someone has a claim against you; nor do we carry liability insurance that pertains to accidents, injuries or events caused by other people. You also understand that we do not provide any medical, health or related services on our tours. You are solely responsible for your own health needs, and the needs of your spouse and family.
In return for the consideration of participating in a tour with Guided By, and in consideration of the money you have paid, and our agreements with you, you also agree to waive and release any claim you, your family members or spouse assert against us. To the fullest extent of the law, in no way will Guided By be held liable to you for claims and damages arising from the services in this agreement. We will do our best to make your travel safe, pleasurable and fun. Nevertheless, you agree that if something goes wrong, or if you have any disputes with us, currently or in the future, you waive the right to issue claims against us. As you know, part of the fun, and part of the risk, of traveling in foreign countries is that food and water and lodging and local customs can be very different from that which you are used to. Thus, your waiver of claims against us includes any disputes you may have about tour accommodation, food service or quality, transportation, sightseeing, your itinerary, or any direct or indirect service associated with Guided By.
You also agree that among the events we want to avoid, but that you could encounter, are strikes, theft, political instability, poor roads or public services or transportation, actions by police, customs, or local law officials, inclement weather, civil unrest, global pandemics, regional epidemics and diseases, animal aggression, even incidents of war, sabotage or terrorism; and you also specifically agree that you have waived, and cannot ever bring claims against us for anything or any kind of property or personal damages or injuries or even death based on or arising out of those events or situations. Because it is impossible to foresee everything that can possibly go wrong, even that which is currently unknowable, unanticipated or unforeseeable, we ask, and you agree that, as to us, you have released and waived even claims based on or arising out of that which is unknown, unanticipated or unforeseeable.
You also understand and agree that if someone should assert a claim or demand or cause of action against you for something that arises out of or relates to this Tour, you have agreed that you cannot, in turn, seek any contribution or indemnity or defense from us.
Transportation Liability
Guided By acts only as an agent for the transportation vendor with respect to transportation. Although we exercise every care possible, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, delay, loss, accident or irregularity in connection with the services of any airplane, boat, motor-coach, minibus, train, or other conveyance, public or private, used in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. We cannot accept responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in transportation services due to sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, acts of God or other causes beyond our control. All such losses and expenses will have to be borne by the passenger, as tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated.
Additionally, Guided By does not accept liability for any airline carrier’s cancellation penalty or change fee incurred by the purchase of non-refundable tickets to or from the tour.
Accommodation Liability
Guided By acts only as an agent for hotels with respect to accommodations. Although we exercise every care possible, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, or irregularity in connection with the services of any tour hotel.
Vendor Liability
Guided By acts only as an agent for vendors with respect to operating our tours. Although we exercise every care possible, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, or irregularity in connection with the services of any of our vendors, including sights, restaurants, local guides, luggage porters, or any other person or company providing a services for our tours.
Indemnification
Travelers agree to defend and hold Guided By harmless against any implied, threatened, or actual legal action, lawsuits, damages, fines, and/or settlements related to Guided By tours or travel services.
Misprints
Guided By reserves the right to amend typos and misprints in pricing and other trip information.
Tour Participation
Although we want everyone to have a good time, it sometimes happens that someone participating in a tour can misbehave or do things that are incompatible with the safety, comfort or convenience of other travelers on the tour. You agree that in those circumstances we have the exclusive right and discretion, to expel someone, or even you, from a tour at any time, without any claims or complaints by you against us. Moreover, we reserve the right to decline to accept any person as a tour traveler participating in our tours.
Personal Information
Guided By collects personal information about Travelers and their travel companions in order to smoothly and safely operate our tour. This includes, contact information, as well as credit card and payment information, passport data, health, dietary, and emergency contact information. We use third-party services for website, forms, and data management to request, collect and store personal information. Guided By is not responsible for the safety and security of such third-party services. In order to carry out our work on your behalf, we share some of this information with vendors on our tours as needed and at our discretion, and where required by law (for example, with hotels at check-in). We may communicate limited information (your name, city, or state) about you to other members of the tour group (excluding full address and medical information). You understand that Guided By may share your personal information with medical professionals, first responders, government authorities, and others we consider helpful in the event we deem to be an emergency or situation where safety is at risk. Guided By necessarily transports Traveler’s personal information to foreign countries where privacy laws may differ, and where the terms of this agreement remain. Travelers understand and agree that providing Guided By with personal information is voluntary, and that Guided By transports such information to foreign countries where privacy laws may differ, but where the terms of this agreement remain. Guided By does not share personal information with anyone not associated with the operations of its tours and travel related business.
Covid-19 and Health & Safety
Guided By takes takes seriously the health and safety of our travelers, guides, and vendors by establishing measures, rules and restrictions in order to minimize the inherent health risks associated with travel. This includes terms established in our Health & Safety policy, as well as the measures, rules, and restrictions set forth by our guides leading up to, and during, our tours. We reserve the right to update our Health & Safety policies to reasonably respond to changing public health and safety conditions. Travelers agree to abide by all terms set herein with the understanding that failure to comply is grounds for removal from a tour.
Guided By assumes no liability for travelers who contract Covid-19 or any other illness while participating on our tours. Travelers are fully responsible for their own medical care while traveling to, from, and during, our tours, as well as any associated medical costs, including but not limited to accommodations, transportation, and meals. Travelers agree to follow all local public health regulations in the countries we travel during the tour.
Refunds will not be given to travelers for time missed on our tours due to Covid-19 isolation or other health related issues. We advise Travelers to secure travel insurance to protect against such losses.
Tours Cancelled by Guided By
Although unlikely, your tour may be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances or lack of participation. If we cancel a tour you have reserved, the entire amount you have paid for the applicable tour will be refunded to you within fourteen days after the tour cancellation, as required by law. Once this occurs, Guided By has no other obligations to tour travelers on cancelled trips including any additional costs or fees related to the issuance and/or cancellation of airline tickets or other travel reservations not made by Guided By.
Force Majeure
Guided By assumes no liability for, any loss, damage, delay, or cancellation resulting in whole or in part from an Act of God or any other force majeure condition, including, without limitation: fire, volcanic eruption, hurricane, environmental pollution or contamination, inclement weather, earthquake, low or high water levels, flood, water or power shortages or failures, tropical storms or hurricanes, riots or civil commissions or disturbances, and any other acts of a similar nature, sabotage, arrests, strikes or labor disruptions, restraint of rulers or peoples, expropriations, acts of terrorism, war, insurrection, quarantine restrictions, government health advisories, epidemics, pandemics, or warnings or alerts of any kind of nature, government seizures, refusal or cancellation or suspension or delay of any government authority or any license, permit or authorization, damages to its facilities or the travel supplier and its facilities, or any other unforeseen circumstances or any other factors unforeseen by Guided By that impacts negatively on, or hampers, its ability to fulfill any of its contractual conditions. In the circumstances amounting to force majeure, we will not be required to refund any money to you, although if we can recover any monies from our suppliers, we will refund these to you without any charge by Guided By. The original non-refundable deposit will not be returned as it accounts for the work we did in planning your tour.
Dispute Resolution
Guided By LLC is registered with the State of Washington. This agreement is subject to and enforced by the laws of Washington State. Travelers agree to file any legal disputes with Guided By LLC only through federal and state courts of law located in King County, Washington State.
Changes to Services
Guided By reserves the right to update, change, edit, adjust, improve, or cancel services with our without notifying you. Guided By will not be held liable for changes to our services caused by third parties.
Updated August 22, 2024.