TERMS & CONDITIONS

I fully understand that my failure to abide by all rules and regulations governing my conduct on this trip may result in my removal from the trip and return home at my expense without refund of any money paid or benefits which would have been received. I am fully aware of the rules of conduct for my group which govern the trip and I agree to abide by them.  I also agree to abide by any other rules which WorldKind, suppliers, sponsors, or otherwise specified, may require. WorldKind reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any tour departure.

PRICE GUARANTEE

The price for the tour you’ve booked is locked in and guaranteed when we receive your deposit (Note: WorldKind tour package prices do not include airfare and are subject to change without notice if you have not locked in your price by paying a deposit). We do reserve the right to re-invoice you in case an error is made in calculating your price. We cannot be responsible for typographical errors, misprints, and misquotes.

PACKAGE PRICES AND INCLUSIONS

WorldKind is proud to offer many extra experiences that you will not find on every tour, and we try to include as much as possible. The detailed itinerary with specific inclusions is provided on WorldKind’s website for our "Join-in" programs or provided to you in writing for requested group proposals. The complete list of items included in each part of the tours and the complete pricing may be found on your trip’s page or in your program proposal. We endeavor to handpick centrally located hotels that we hope you will enjoy. Hotels and reservation dates are also listed on your program’s trip page and are incorporated in this agreement by reference. Prices are in U.S. dollars and are based on operating costs, fuel prices, taxes, fees, and projected exchange rates at the time of contracting with suppliers. Package prices do not include any fees, gratuities, or service charges other than those listed in the tour itinerary.

PRICE EXCLUSIONS

Tour package prices do not include any items other than those listed in the tour itinerary, such as visas, passport fees, trip insurance, incidental charges (snacks, laundry, phone calls, pay-tv movies, etc.), beverages, meals not stated in your tour itinerary, and items of a personal nature. Gratuities for your host(s), motorcoach driver, hotel housekeepers, or other staff are not included unless otherwise specified on your tour’s page. Transportation to and from the airport is not included if you choose to arrive early or stay past the end of the contracted tour.

ITINERARIES SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR CANCELLATION

Travel is often full of surprises and requires flexibility. WorldKind continually strives to improve travel itineraries. If such improvements can be made, we reserve the right to vary itineraries and to substitute hotels. If unforeseen circumstances beyond our control make changes necessary, we will make every effort to substitute hotels and venues of similar standard and location whenever possible, but uncompleted portions of the tour itinerary caused by circumstances beyond our control are not cause for any refunds.

If WorldKind cancels a "Join-in" tour you have booked because of under-enrollment in the tour, we will refund to individuals the entire amount paid to WorldKind, please allow thirty (30 days) for refunds to be processed. After your canceled tour has been refunded, WorldKind and its representatives have no other obligations to members on canceled trips. We strongly advise you to purchase travel insurance to cover any additional costs or fees related to the cancellation of airline tickets or other travel reservations not made by WorldKind since we are not responsible for any additional costs or fees.

If WorldKind is forced to cancel a tour because of events beyond our control (e.g., country border closures because of a spike in COVID-19), the standard cancellation policies and reimbursements rates apply as listed in the "Cancellation & Refund" section of these Terms and Agreements. WorldKind begins planning your tour months, and sometimes even years, in advance and puts in a significant amount of time and effort to design world-class, educational travel programs. Because of the time and expenses involved in planning, preparing, and pre-paying for portions of your tour on your behalf, we have already incurred substantial non-recoverable costs and expenses. The pandemic has hit the tourism and hospitality sectors particularly hard, and if we want to keep people employed who are needed to make travel possible, that means that they need to be paid fairly and equitably for the work that they have already done on our behalf. Past certain dates and regardless of the reason for cancellation, WorldKind is unable to recoup certain costs and expenses, and that is why we have our "Cancellation & Refund" policies. That is why WorldKind strongly encourages participants to secure their own Travel Insurance with a "Cancel For Any Reason" policy that covers COVID-19 cancellations and can help you recoup any portions of your tour that may not be recoverable under WorldKind's "Cancellation & Refund" policy past certain dates. 

RESERVATIONS & PAYMENTS

To confirm your reservation on a WorldKind "Join-in" tour open to the public, you must agree to these Terms and Conditions and provide a per-person deposit. Upon confirmation of reservation, the balance of payment will be due on the date specified on your tour’s page on the website. For reservations made after the final payment date, full payment is due immediately; a deposit or full payment may be taken if you are placed on a waitlist. All checks and money orders should be made payable to WorldKind. We also accept credit and debit card payments through our website. WorldKind may cancel reservations if full payment is not received by the due date, and your deposit will not be refunded past the final payment due date.

For private group tours that you've contracted WorldKind to plan on your behalf, we require a non-refundable group deposit. The group deposit will be applied to the balance owed once the group meets the guaranteed minimum number agreed upon in our contract. The deposit is non-refundable if you cancel the tour or if the group does not meet the guaranteed minimum number, in which case the group deposit will be considered an excess payment in addition to the full group payment. This non-refundable group deposit is used to cover staff costs for the work already expended on your behalf. 

RETURNED PAYMENTS

If a payment made to WorldKind is returned unpaid for any reason (e.g., your check “bounces”), we will assess a $35 returned-item fee per occurrence. The fee(s) will be added to the applicable tour balance and must be paid in full prior to your tour departure.

CANCELLATION & REFUND

All refunds will be processed according to the manner in which you paid. Unless stated otherwise in these terms and conditions, please allow thirty (30) days for refunds to be processed. If full payment is not received by the due date, the reservation may be released. To avoid or reduce cancellation fees, we recommend the purchase of travel insurance.

All cancellations and refund requests must be made in writing to info@worldkindlearning.com. Your cancellation date will be the date we receive your notice. No verbal refund requests will be honored. Other than any non-refundable deposits, amounts paid to WorldKind are refundable until 100 days prior to your tour. After that point, refunds of final payment will be honored as follows:

• 99-75 days prior to departure: 75%
• 74-50 days prior to departure: 50%
• 49-25 days prior to departure: 25%
• 24-15 days prior to departure: 15%
• 14 days & after prior to departure: No refund

Cancellation penalties and fees imposed by our suppliers may be additional and, if imposed, will be deducted from the above refunds, if any. No refunds will be made after the commencement of your tour, whether for early termination, voluntary absence from the tour, or for any unused services. Your decision not to travel due to State Department warnings, fear of travel, illness, or any other reason, will be deemed a cancellation. If a flight or other delay for any reason causes you to miss services, no refunds will be given.

Please see our Limits on Responsibility elsewhere in these pages. Please allow 30 days for the administration of refunds. Comprehensive travel insurance (including trip delay, trip cancellation, trip interruption, and baggage) and health, accident and medical evacuation insurance are strongly recommended.

REVISIONS & CHANGES

WorldKind will make every effort to operate the tour as advertised; however, WorldKind reserves the right to alter or curtail the itinerary or substitute as deemed necessary.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodation classification is based on a combination of factors including price, location and quality. In remote areas accommodation may be provided on the best available basis. Sometimes these hotels have no (or inadequate) air conditioning, slow (or no) Wi-FI, and may not offer en-suite accommodation (i.e., they may only have shared hall bathrooms). If such is the case, we will endeavor to prepare you and let you know ahead of time. Links to all hotels should be provided on your tour’s page so that you can learn about the amenities provided (or not provided). Again, WorldKind reserves the right to change accommodations if and when it becomes necessary. If unforeseen circumstances beyond our control make changes necessary, we will make every effort to substitute hotels and venues of similar standard and location whenever possible.

ROOM ASSIGNMENTS

If you are a solo traveler, you may request to share a room with another tour participant. We will do our best to meet your room requests made at the time of booking; however, these are requests, not guarantees. If you wish to guarantee a single, private room, there are a limited number of these available, and we will let you know immediately if we’re able to meet your request, and you will pay the requested single room supplement(s) when you settle your tour balance. However, please note that a single supplement does not guarantee a nicer room, just a private one.

PASSPORTS, VISAS, ENTRY, & VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS

All tour participants must be in possession of a passport valid for six months from their date of arrival in any foreign country. It is the sole responsibility of the tour participant to secure a valid passport with sufficient blank pages for immigration and visa stamps. We recommend that your passport has six months validity and at least 3 blank pages. Non-U.S. citizens should consult the consulate of the host country regarding the documentation required.

It is the responsibility of the traveler to obtain any necessary visas for entry into any countries included in the tour program.

It is the responsibility of the traveler to provide WorldKind with the correct spelling of their full name as it appears on their government-issued identification documents. Any person who cannot prove that he or she is the person designated on the reservation will not be allowed to board transportation vehicles.

All participants are responsible for meeting the current entry requirements of the country(ies) to which they are traveling. Failure to do so will void any refunds you may have been entitled to from WorldKind should you be denied entry to the country or to any establishment within the country because of your vaccination status. Also, because we will be traveling in close proximity to one another as a group and want to keep each other as healthy as possible, WorldKind STRONGLY requests all tour participants to be fully vaccinated and boosted more than 14 days prior to their departure  Should you choose not to do so, you travel at your own risk and also may be opening yourself up to liability should you spread COVID to other group members. Please be kind and consider that your choices impact the health of other group members and of our partners in host countries.

BAGGAGE

You (or your traveling companion) are responsible for carrying or rolling and lifting all baggage. Our tour guides are not responsible for providing assistance with luggage. All baggage is transported at owner’s own risk. Please check directly with the airline for specific baggage allowances. Since we often travel in smaller buses, we are limited on baggage space. WorldKind arrangements and tour costs are based on the baggage allowance of one suitcase, one carry-on bag, and one personal item per traveler. If you anticipate that your luggage will exceed this amount, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can make separate arrangements. All money, valuables and travel documents should be packed in a carry-on bag for which you are responsible at all times. WorldKind cannot be responsible for loss or damage to baggage. Travel Insurance is strongly recommended.

CHILDREN TRAVELING

Our programs are geared toward adults. On occasion, we do permit children over 12, accompanied by an adult, to join our WorldKind Journeys. Children 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. WorldKind does not provide childcare. The adult accompanying the child assumes full responsibility for their care. Any portions of the program during which a child cannot or chooses not to participate will not be cause for any refund.

For private group programs, we realize that sometimes leaders, such as university professors, may bring their children when permitted to do so by their own institutions. Federal Air Regulations require that any child over the age of 24 months must occupy a separate seat. A birth certificate is required to validate the age of all infants under age two.

ACTIVITY LEVEL

Some of the hotels we use do have stairs and may not have elevators. Please consult your tour’s page for specific details about each of the hotels to determine whether or not they are able to provide you with the accommodations you need before signing up for your tour.

Most transportation is by a comfortable, private bus, but you will need to be able to climb on and off the bus (or bring an appropriate assistant who can help you). Most days the activity level will largely be getting on and off the bus repeatedly, with standing and walking around sights of interest. Some older sites will have uneven surfaces or portions that can only be visited via stairs, but upstairs portions are always optional.

There are days where it is possible to walk considerable distances. Please consult your specific tour’s page for more information about the amount of walking included in your tour. Typically, we expect participants to be able to walk two miles when necessary. You may be surprised how many steps you may take just in a museum visit.

TRAVELERS NEEDING SPECIAL ASSISTANCE

Persons needing special assistance and attention must share their accommodation needs with WorldKind at the time the reservation is made. WorldKind will make all reasonable efforts to accommodate the special needs for our travel guests. Such participants; however, should be aware that the Americans with Disabilities Act is inapplicable outside of the United States and the facilities outside the United States may be limited. We require that persons requiring assistance be accompanied by a companion who is capable of and totally responsible for providing the assistance. Neither WorldKind nor its partners, nor its suppliers, may physically lift or assist clients into transportation vehicles. If a traveler thinks he or she may need assistance during a trip, please call WorldKind to determine what assistance might be reasonably given. Any guest that uses oxygen must work with the airline directly to obtain approval.

MEDICAL COSTS & INSURANCE

WorldKind strongly recommends that, before traveling, you review your health and other insurance to ensure you have coverage appropriate to meet your needs, and those of your family and dependents, in case of any personal injury or loss of property. We also recommend consulting with your doctor six to eight weeks prior to your trip for advice on travel medications and recommended prophylaxis and vaccinations. Travelers are responsible for verifying all health conditions at each travel destination. Furthermore, WorldKind strongly recommends the purchase of comprehensive travel insurance and medical evacuation coverage. Any questions about what travel insurance does or does not cover should be addressed directly to the travel insurance company. Travel insurance, medical evacuation and hospitalization costs are not included in the tour price.

SMOKING POLICY

No smoking or vaping is allowed on the bus, in the hotel, in restaurants, or where other tour members are present.

PHOTOGRAPHY ON TOUR

WorldKind may, at times, use photographs taken by your Travel Director or fellow travelers for promotional purposes. Unless explicitly stated in writing to us, your participation in WorldKind programs signifies your willingness to be photographed and to have your likeness used for promotional purporses. If you prefer that your likeness not be used, please tell your Travel Director and a WorldKind representative in writing.

SUPPLIERS’ LIABILITIES

WorldKind makes arrangements with hotels, bus rental companies, and other independent parties to provide you with travel services you purchase. These services are subject to the conditions imposed by these suppliers, and their liability may be limited by their tariffs, conditions of carriage, and international agreements.

BINDING RELEASE, WAIVER OF LIABILITY, AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK

I understand that WorldKind is not the supplier of the travel services I have requested. I have been advised that the suppliers whose names appear in the information provided to me in the tour package, or otherwise specified, are those who are actually responsible for providing the travel services I have purchased. I consent to and request the use of those suppliers and agree not to hold WorldKind responsible should any of these suppliers: 1) fail to provide the travel services I have purchased; 2) fail to comply with any applicable law; or 3) engage in any negligent act or omission that causes me any sort of injury, damage, delay or inconvenience.

LIMITS ON RESPONSIBILITY

Neither WorldKind, its affiliated entities and its and their employees, shareholders, officers, directors, successors, agents, and assigns, own or operate any person or entity which is to or does provide goods or services for these trips. You agree to be bound by the conditions of carriage for all transportation providers. WorldKind does not maintain control or operate the personnel, equipment, or operations of these suppliers it uses and as such WorldKind assumes no responsibility for and cannot be held liable for any personal injury, death, property damage or other loss, accident, delay, inconvenience, or irregularity which may be occasioned by reason of (1) any wrongful, negligent, willful or unauthorized acts or omissions on the part of any of the suppliers or other employees or agents, (2) any defect in or failure of any vehicle, equipment, or instrument owned, operated or otherwise used by any of these suppliers, or (3) any wrongful, willful or negligent act or omission on the part of any other party. Without limiting the foregoing, WorldKind accepts no responsibility for any risk or resulting injury, criminal activity, weather or other acts of God, accidents, disease, epidemics or the threat thereof, illness, the provision of inappropriate or no medical attention or access to appropriate medical attention, the demands of indoor or outdoor activities, strikes, political or civil unrest, overbooking, structural or other defective conditions in hotels or other lodging facilities, acts of terrorism or the threat thereof, insurrection or revolt, or any other event beyond its direct control.

Both the U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control publish and update important country-specific information for travelers. We strongly recommend that you review them. They can presently be found at: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html and https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices.

WorldKind in its sole discretion reserves the right to decline to accept any participant as a member of these trips. WorldKind reserves the right in its sole discretion to terminate the tour any participant who does not abide by its rules, terms and conditions, and policies and/or whose conduct is deemed to be such as to endanger the participant, the success of the program, or the welfare of other participants, staff members and/or third parties. In the event of such termination, the participant will be sent home at the expense of the participant and his or her parent or guardian. The manner and means of transporting the participant home shall be the responsibility of the client. In the event of such termination, there will be no refund whatsoever. The participant is personally liable to WorldKind for any damages caused by improper conduct.

WorldKind may cancel any trip because of insufficient enrollment or for any other reason.

No refunds will be made for features in the trip not utilized. The cost of replacing lost or stolen tickets is the responsibility of the passenger. If a flight or transfer by motor coach or train is missed, whether by weather or other conditions beyond WorldKind’s reasonable commercial control, each participant is responsible to make his or her own arrangements and to pay all charges associated therewith. Participant’s retention of tickets, reservations, or bookings after issuance shall constitute consent to the above. Hotel accommodations are subject to all terms and conditions of the respective suppliers (hotel chains, etc.) regarding travel. These suppliers may limit or exclude the accrual of reward program points.

Participants hereby release WorldKind, its staff and management, from any liability and/or responsibility for possible damage done by the participant to the Hotel, or any other facility used during the tour, including: buses; vehicles, the various attractions, facilities, and/or performance facilities. You agree to accept full responsibility for damage, if such is incurred, which rests entirely with the participant to settle any claims, resulting from said damage, directly with the claimant.

ARBITRATION

Any dispute concerning any literature concerning the tour or the tour itself shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§1-16, either according to the then existing Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) or pursuant to the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules & Procedures of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (JAMS).  Such proceedings will be governed by substantive (but not procedural) Pennsylvania Law and will take place in Dauphin County.  The arbitrator and not any federal, state, or local court or agency shall have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, conscionability, or formation of this contract, including but not limited to any claim that all or any part of this contract is void or voidable.  By agreeing to this Agreement, you (and we) are waiving our right to a trial by jury.