Terms & Conditions
Terms and Conditions: Although every effort is made, Sightseeing Tours Australia shall not be liable for any illness, injury, damages, loss, delay or failure to join the tour that may occur due to factors beyond our control including Force Majeure. We highly recommend all passengers have travel insurance coverage. Sightseeing Tours Australia retains the right to alter routes, itineraries, fares, inclusions, and days of operation or even cancel tours if unforeseen circumstances occur. Other accredited tour operators may be used on some tours.
Flexibility Assurance: Special change of date conditions apply to tours covered by our 48-hour Flexibility Assurance as indicated on relevant tour pages. If the tour you book is protected by our ’48 hour Flexibility Assurance’, a change of travel date is permitted for any reason up to 48 hours before the date of travel. Change of travel date is permitted more than once. Travel must occur within 12 months of the original travel date. Failure to travel within 12 months from your original booking date will result in a full fare loss. The difference of any fare increases applicable after the original reservation date will need to be paid by the customer before travel. Once the date has been changed, the cancellation policy will apply to the original booking date. Change of date less than 48 hours before departure will be subject to our regular change of date policy. Tours not covered by the flexibility assurance are subject to our regular change of date policy.
Open Dated Ticket: In limited cases, Open Dated tickets may be offered. Open Dated tickets are valid for one year from the original booking date and are not refundable. Any price difference due to fare increases will need to be paid at the time of rebooking. Once an open dated ticket has been accepted by the customer, the cancellation policy will apply to the original travel date. If the tour you have booked ceases to operate then a voucher for our Australian products will be provided.
Vaccination Requirements: The Vaccination requirements for customers could vary from state to state. These government rules are subject to change, so if you are not vaccinated please check with us before you travel.
Cancellation Policy:
This cancellation policy relates to emails which are received by phone / email during our open office hours. Requests received between the hours of 6pm and 7am will apply to the next business day.
One Day Tours: Cancellation or change of date outside of 7 days of departure will result in a 25% cancellation fee. Cancellation or change of date between 7 days and 48 hours of departure will result in a 50% cancellation fee. Failure to board, change of date or cancellation with less than 48 hours of departure will result in full fare forfeiture.
Multi-day tours: For tours of two or more days, cancellation or change of date outside of 14 days of departure will result in a 50% cancellation fee. Failure to board, cancellation or change of date 14 days (or less) before departure will result in full fare forfeiture.
Overland Package Tours: Overland package tours are subject to the Multi-day Cancellation Policy. If one component of an overland tour package is cancelled or not available, alternative travel arrangements will be made for the passenger. Subsequent tour legs that are not cancelled will continue to be subject to the relevant terms and conditions and cannot be cancelled or changed by the passenger without incurring the associated charges. Accommodation and meals are provided as indicated and are not included between tours.
Special cancellation terms apply to the tours listed below:
Great Barrier Reef Tours: Due to the nature of Great Barrier Reef tours, the following cancellation policy will apply to all our Great Barrier Reef Day Tours and Liveaboard Tours:
25% cancellation fee 30 days or more prior to departure
50% cancellation fee 29 – 15 days prior to departure
100% cancellation fee 14 days prior to departure
Pre-paid diving packages on Liveaboard tours will not be refunded if unused or cancelled within 48 hours of departure, including when the passenger has not been cleared to dive due to medical reasons.
3 Day Whitsundays Sailing Adventure: Cancellation or change of date over 21 days before travel will result in a 50% cancellation fee. Cancellation or change of date 21 days or under will result in a 100% cancellation fee.
Hunter Valley Tours: Due to the nature of tours to the Hunter Valley and the bookings that are made with Third Party Operators (ie Wineries, Restaurants, Tastings etc) the following terms will apply to any cancellations:
For bookings of 4 people or less: 25% cancellation fee if you provide more than 7 days’ notice
For bookings of 4 people or less: 100% cancellation fee if you provide 7 or less days’ notice
For bookings of 5 or more people: 25% cancellation fee if you provide more than 30 days’ notice
For bookings of 5 or more people: 100% cancellation fee if you provide 30 or less days’ notice
Kangaroo Island Tours: Due to the nature of tours to Kangaroo Island which include a Ferry Pass the following terms will apply to any cancellations:
Cancellations under 48 hours will result in a 100% cancellation fee
Cancellations between 48 hours and 7 days will result in an 80% cancellation fee
Cancellations between 7 days and 30 days will result in a 50% cancellation fee
Cancellations over 30 days will result in a 25 cancellation fee
Sightseeing Tours Australia will not be held responsible for passengers failing to familiarise themselves with the booking terms and conditions. Refunds are not provided for wet or changing weather conditions.
Accommodation Upgrade Policy: Sightseeing Tours Australia will make every attempt to confirm requests for accommodation upgrades, however, accommodation upgrades cannot always be guaranteed. When an upgrade is not available, you will be booked into the dormitory accommodation included in the tour price and refunded the upgrade amount only. Sightseeing Tours Australia will not refund your entire booking amount and will still expect to carry you on tour. If your booking is subject to you being guaranteed this accommodation upgrade, then please ensure you call our office in advance of your tour to check if it is available.
Extended Tour Travel Insurance Policy: Sightseeing Tours Australia highly recommends all passengers have travel insurance for the duration of the tour. You may need to provide proof of your travel insurance on the first day of your extended trip (tours of four or more days). You might not be able to join the trip without it. If you fail to produce the relevant insurance proof and you are not permitted to travel, we will not be liable for any fares forfeited for your tour.
Change of Date Policy: For tours that are not covered by our Flexibility Assurance, Sightseeing Tours Australia will try to honour change of date requests that are made with at least 5 days’ notice. This is not possible for all tours and is always subject to availability. Change of date requests that are made with less than 5 days’ notice will not usually be accepted. Change of date requests may be subject to an adjustment fee that falls in line with the cancellation fee structure. Once the date has been changed, the cancellation policy will apply to the original booking date.
Child Policy: Children are permitted on most tours, however, due to the nature and length of tours, it may not always be recommended. Please check with our reservations team for recommendations before booking. Child rates are available on most tours. Please check the relevant tour page for child age ranges. Due to limited luggage restrictions on buses, pushers and prams are not permitted on some tours. Please ensure you check with our reservations staff before you bring them along to the tour. Passengers who show up with these items on tours that do not allow them may be refused boarding without a refund. Infants (under 2 years of age) are permitted on some of our tours however child restraints are not provided. Please ensure you discuss your infant with our reservations team before booking.
Luggage Policy: Luggage for day tours: There are no luggage storage facilities on most day tours, please do not bring your luggage with you. Luggage may be stored with your accommodation provider for the day. Any inappropriate luggage presented on the departure day (including strollers) may result in refusal to board. Luggage for multi day tours: Maximum of 20kg per person unless otherwise indicated on the Tour Page.
Pick up and Drop off Services: Sightseeing Tours Australia may offer pickup and drop off services for certain tours. Each tour will have its own list of pickup / drop off locations, which can be viewed in a link on each page. Please note it is the customer’s responsibility to be waiting at your selected pickup location (accommodation provider) at least 5 minutes before departure. Failure to wait out the front of your selected location may result in the tour guide being unable to locate you, causing failure to load. Please do not wait inside accommodation venues as the driver will not be able to find you. Sightseeing Tours Australia cannot be held responsible for passengers who fail to load.
It is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure that the tour details on their confirmation are correct and the contact details they have provided are up to date. It may be necessary for Sightseeing Tours Australia to contact passengers regarding the tour prior to the departure date. We recommend providing an Australian mobile number and checking your email regularly prior to your tour.
Meals: Tours do not include meals or drinks unless otherwise stipulated, however, stops will be made during the day where refreshments can be purchased on the day.
Travel Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers are available in Australian Dollars and can be used to purchase any Sightseeing Tours Australia tour products. Gift vouchers are valid for 36 months from the date of issue. Gift vouchers are non-refundable or redeemable for cash. If the full balance of the voucher is not redeemed in one transaction, the balance will remain on the gift voucher with the same expiry date and cannot be exchanged for cash. Any cost exceeding the Gift Voucher value, when redeemed, will need to be paid by another payment method. You are responsible for the use and security of your Gift Voucher. Sightseeing Tours Australia will not reimburse or replace any gift vouchers that have been lost, stolen or misused.
Communication Policy: We may use the information you provide including your name, phone number and email address to contact you with booking information, product updates and promotional information. All marketing communications will provide you with an opportunity to opt out of further communications.