Information about our tours

Please read carefully through the following information about booking an Explore Adventure. When you book (whether by phone or online), you will be asked if you have read and understood these pages, as well as our Booking Conditions.

On your tour

Your travel companions come from a wide range of locations and backgrounds. However, because we only offer English-speaking tours, the majority will be from the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. Everyone will share your passion for adventure travel.

Group size

Group size ranges from between 10 to 24 people, depending on the type of tour, the transport and accommodation used and activities included. We rarely have groups that are smaller than six or seven people and the average is 16 people and a tour leader.

Age limits

The minimum age on all group tours is 14. A parent or adult must accompany people under the age of 18. The maximum age is usually 79 (at the time of travel) unless you are travelling with a companion who is younger than 79 years of age. Most of our travellers are aged between 25 and 55

Life on tour

Everyone who travels with us has slightly different expectations when they arrive on tour. A vital part of the Tour Leader’s role is to try to understand these individual expectations, and to run the tour in such a way that everyone gets the most out of their holiday.

Explore Tour Leaders

The Tour Leader’s main responsibility is to make sure that all members of the group are well looked after and return home having had a wonderful holiday with some fantastic memories. It is the Tour Leader’s responsibility to ensure that the tour runs smoothly and that all the logistics are in place; also to oversee the health and safety aspects of the tour. Our Tour Leaders will be as flexible as possible - within the confines of the itinerary. For example, they can arrange group meals for those that would like to eat with their travel companions. Alternatively if you would prefer to make your own plans they will offer suggestions for local restaurants. They may offer some optional excursions that are not mentioned on the Tour Trip Notes (such as a visit to a local house to try on saris). They will also try to make sure that everyone has as much free time during the tour as they wish. In order to keep the tour running effectively, Tour Leaders give regular briefings to talk about what is happening in the next few days, to remind you of timings and what you need to bring for excursions, sightseeing and activities. Often this will be reiterated on notices put up in hotel receptions or other appropriate places. Tour Leaders will also brief the group on safety and general health issues. Please note that a small number of tours are accompanied by local representatives. This will not affect the enjoyment of your holiday and will be outlined clearly in the individual Trip Notes. All Tour Leaders are carefully selected and have undergone thorough training in the UK and/or overseas – this is generally accepted to be some of the best in the industry. Tour Leaders are chosen for their travel experience, their people skills and their ability in working with groups. Itineraries Explore itineraries offer a wide variety of experiences and activities which allow you to really get to know an area and to see beyond the normal tourist facade. Whilst we automatically include the better-known sights, several excursions and activities are optional. This gives everyone enough flexibility to do his or her own thing. We also build in free time for you to explore independently - an important part of any Explore tour.

Accommodation

Wherever possible, we try to include accommodation which best reflects the local area in which we are travelling. For example, this could be the Ice hotel in Lapland, Berber village houses in Morocco, a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum or a safari lodge in Botswana.
Where we use hotels, we aim for mid-range properties, with the key requirements being cleanliness, safety, comfort and a good location. (The type of room provided and the level of facilities may vary from place to place.)
In exceptional circumstances, we may use simple hotels with more basic amenities. Several tours include camping. We provide all the necessary equipment (for example two person tents). You are likely to need your own sleeping mats and sleeping bags for these trips. You will not have to cook. Many tours are fully staffed, but on some you may be asked to help with the camp chores. Please see the individual tour Trip Notes for details.
All our accommodation is given a rating to describe standards and facilities. You can find this in the individual tour Trip Notes.

Rooming and Single room option

Most tours are based on customers sharing twin-bedded rooms. If you book as an individual, you will share a room with someone of the same sex. However, on many tours we offer the opportunity to pay a supplement to pre-book a single room. On some of these tours a single room will be provided every night, on others it will be provided on some nights, but for logistical reasons not all. Individual Trip Notes clarify this.

Meals

Most trips include breakfast, but other meals are often not included. This allows you to try the cuisine in local restaurants and also to choose what and where to eat and how much to spend. We try to keep allinclusive accommodation to a minimum. Where there is no option, such as when camping, on safari or on some boat-based tours, meals tend to be included. We try to cater for you if you have special dietary requirements but we do ask you to have realistic expectations. In some countries there is a limited choice of food and it may be difficult to cater for all special meal requirements. Please check the Trip Notes carefully before booking if you have any specific requirements.

Transport

The variety of transport used is another important aspect of any Explore Adventure. We use everything from buses, boats and trains to camels and donkeys. You may even find all these on the same tour..

Party size for Family Adventures

All our Family Adventures tours  are family group tours, with fixed departure dates, as outlined on the individual tour pages. We define a family as having a minimum of 2 people, with at least one adult over the age of 18 and one child under 18. Families who book on a tour will typically be travelling with a few (generally 3 to 5) other families who have booked on that same departure date

Age limits for Family Adventures

Due to the active nature of Family Adventures, we do have a minimum age set for each tour. This varies from 2 to 11 years, depending on the level of activity involved and overall suitability for younger children. Please check individual tour pages for specific information on this. Our dedicated Teenage departures cater for families with children aged 11 to 17 only. On certain tours the minimum age limits are strictly applied, on others there may be some flexibility. Please contact us to discuss if, for example, one sibling is below the age threshold. The maximum age is 79 unless travelling with another adult who is under the minimum age.

Parental consent for Family Adventures

Any child under the age of 16 wishing to participate in the advertised activities can do so only with full consent of their parent or guardian.

Responsibility for your children on Family Adventures

Please note that Tour Leaders are not expected to be child-minders. Parents and guardians booking on Explore Family Adventures agree to take responsibility for any children booked with them for the duration of the tour at all times.