COVID-19 Update

Booking Your Trip in 2022

Vaccines seemed to have turned the tide as far as travel is concerned. Much of Europe, and beyond, is now open to fully vaccinated travelers and likewise the US is opening its doors to European travelers once again. As the travel landscape continues to improve, we are encouraged, excited and optimistic about 2022.

As we move into 2022, we’ve modified our policies to reflect our optimism for 2022 yet recognize that our travel horizons are not totally clear of uncertainty.

We anticipate the virus may still be part of the landscape. Much like this past year, and really always, the safety and health of our hikers remains our number one priority, as does the health and safety of the communities and areas we travel through. As the world begins to open we will be ready with the safety policies and protocols necessary to get us back on the trail again.

Anticipation is part of the joy of traveling. Why not book your 2022 Distant Journeys adventure now?!

Despite the all the uncertainty, one thing we do know is, when we hit the trail again, it will be glorious!

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Reserving Your Guided Trip

A deposit of $500 per person along with your completed registration forms will secure your spot on a guided trip. We want everyone to be excited about their travel plans. If you decide to cancel your guided trip more than 75 days out from your trip start, we offer these options:

• Receive a refund of your deposit, less our usual $250 cancellation fee.
• Transfer your deposit as a credit to a future trip, good through 2023

Reserving Your Self - Guided Trip

Once you’ve agreed to a finalized itinerary, we ask for a non-refundable deposit of $500 per person. If you decide to cancel your self-guided trip more than 75 days (or 90 days depending on your orginal balance due date) prior to your trip start:

• A cancelation fee $250 per person will apply and the remaining $250 will be carried forward as a credit which can be used toward the final payment of a future trip, good through 2023.

Final Payments

Final payments for both our guided and self-guided trips are due 75 days prior to your trip start or as specified. Should we find it necessary to postpone your final payment due to travel restrictions or other COVID related issues, we will assess the situation and the trip 60 days prior to departure. At that time:

For Guided trips we will either:

• Cancel the trip
• Reschedule the departure to a later date in 2022, if possible.
• Wait until 45 days prior to departure to make a final determination, if there is a significantly positive trend.
• For trips canceled due to COVID related travel restrictions or issues, we will refund your deposit in full.

For Self-Guided and Private trips:

• We will contact hikers directly to discuss options.

Once a trip is confirmed and final payments requested our standard terms and conditions will go into effect.

Rebooking with Credits and Discounts

For those of you who have credits and discounts due to 2020 trip cancellations, the following will apply:

• Credits may be applied to either a guided or self-guided trip.
• Discounts received as the result of a canceled guided trip may only be applied to guided trips.
• Once you choose to use your credit as a deposit on a new or rebooked guided trip, any discounts will be applied.
• Rebooking a self-guided trip will require a new deposit. Credits will apply only to final payments.
• For cancellations, any refunds due will be issued in the form of credit
• Should you decide to cancel more than 75 days (or 90 days depending on your orginal balance due date) out from your trip start or should we find it necessary to cancel your trip due to COVID-related travel restrictions, any credits and/or discounts will be reinstated, good through 2023.

Some Things to Expect in 2022

The safety and health of our hikers remains our number one priority, as does the health and safety of the communities and areas we travel through. While the coronavirus is still with us, we'll be doing some things a little differently on our trips.

• Beginning in 2022, we will require proof of full Covid-19 vaccination for all travelers aged 12 and older.
• We will be asking hikers to commit to respecting any local or regional safety protocols or restrictions that may be in place in their trip area/s at the time of their trip. These may include wearing masks, distancing, and presenting proof of vaccination.
• Through our longstanding relationships with our hotels, inns, mountain huts, and transportation providers, we are able to work toward assuring our hikers that best practices are followed, and enhanced health and safety guidelines are being met or exceeded.
• We continue to monitor what's happening in our trip areas. As countries and areas begin to open up and will do our best to keep our hikers up to date on evolving restrictions and requirements.
• We reserve the right to update, change or otherwise modify these policies as they relate to the evolving status of COVID

Travel Insurance

As always, we urge you to protect your investment in your next adventure and cannot over emphasize the importance of purchasing travel insurance. Sites such as InsureMyTrip and SquareMouth let you compare policies and search for those that specifically address COVID related instances, such as cancellation and trip interruption coverage if you or your traveling companion contract COVID-19 during the coverage period or have to be quarantined.

As always, you are welcome to contact us with any questions or concerns, and we will endeavor to get back to you as quickly as possible.

For more information and updates, you may visit the World Health Organization , Center for Disease Control , Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center , and the U.S. State Department.