WanderTours General FAQs
You absolutely can!
Popular ways to pay for your trip:
We can send payment reminders for you to pay using a credit card via PayPal (you do not need an account as you can log in as a guest).
Let us know if you’d like to receive a monthly invoice (your tour costs divided by the number of months prior to final payment due date).
Contact your bank about automatically mailing checks to us each month.
We can send payment reminders for you to pay via Venmo, check or wire transfer.
Whether or not you receive a partial refund depends on how far in advance of the tour you cancel. Our refund policy is covered in our Booking Terms and Conditions and is also outlined on the Registration form that you’ll receive within 24 hours of booking. Refunds will be sent by check within two weeks of our receiving written notification of your cancellation (email notification is fine). If Beth is traveling when you cancel, it may take longer than two weeks to get your refund check out to you. She’ll mail it as soon as she can upon returning to the U.S.!
Many expenses are covered on our tours with the exception of international airfare, some meals, souvenirs and drinks. Each tour explicitly outlines what is and isn’t included.
Depending on the destination, your WanderTours leader will be either Beth or one of our other qualified wonderful guides. On occasion we offer tours, such as a photography trip, that is led by a guide with specialized knowledge in a particular area of interest.
What sets us apart from other tour companies is that not only do our tours include local English-speaking guides who are knowledgeable about that country’s sights, history, religion and culture but we include a WanderTours trip leader who helps bridge the gap between you and the local culture.
WanderTour participants are interested in joining a small group so as to have a safe environment in which to travel while meeting like-minded travelers without having to do all the research and logistical work to create a full and meaningful trip for themselves.
The women-only tours attract a wide range of travelers – from twenty-somethings to sixty-somethings (and beyond!). We’ve had mother/daughter duos, small groups of friends and, of course, many solo travelers.
The co-ed tours to Bhutan and Papua New Guinea usually include solo travelers, friends and, on occasion, couples.
Whether you’re single, divorced, widowed or have a partner or spouse who doesn’t like to travel – we welcome you!
WanderTours are open to travelers from around the world. In addition to the U.S., past participants have come from many countries including the U.K., Australia, Canada and Switzerland.
If you have a specific interest at a given destination, we do our best to accommodate this. For example, we might be able to arrange special cooking classes, massages or meetings with experts in your field of interest. Sometimes there is an additional cost for this but you’ll always know in advance.
Hotel costs are based on double occupancy.
When we determine per person costs on a tour, we split the cost of the hotel in half and then add in the other costs – food, transportation, activities, entrance fees, guides, etc. Therefore, each person’s tour cost is calculated based on half of that double occupancy rate.
When a person requests a single room, the other half of the double occupancy must be paid by someone. And if not a second tour participant, then by the person who has requested the single room.
You will be receive a packet of info (in PDF) with emergency contact info, hotel details and flight info for the group a week or two prior to the tour start date.
We are a boutique tour company that specializes in just a handful of destinations. We run small group tours in order to have less of an impact on the communities we visit and so that we’re able to meet the needs of each participant.
WanderTours are created to dive deep into a culture. All tours include special elements that you won’t find from most other tour companies. Examples include: private musical performances from world-renowned artists in Varanasi, India; hands-on cooking classes in Bhutan; homestays in tribal villages in Vietnam; a private meeting with a Vietnamese war correspondent in Saigon; and dinners with local families at many destinations.
Participants are “introduced” to each other in advance via a special newsletter so that everyone can get to know each other prior to landing at your destination. We have found that this brings a level of comfort and familiarity to the group from Day 1.
We strive to make participants as comfortable with the process and as excited about the destination as we are – from your initial inquiry and registration through the last day of the tour. If you have special needs, we do our best to accommodate your requests.