Terms & Conditions:

Before you want to book a tour with us, please go through the following terms and conditions and essential travel information mentioned in this website to understand us (Great Indian Journey) better.

1) Your Contract with Great Indian Journey.
(a) If you book only one component of a holiday with Great Indian Journey (e.g. either a hotel, car rental or flight tickets), Great Indian Journey acts only as a booking agent for the supplier concerned and accepts no liability for the provision of the service involved.

(b) If you book with a travel agent and your booking with that agent includes, but is not limited to, Great Indian Journey arrangements, your contract is with your travel agent and not with Great Indian Journey. Great Indian Journey is simply a supplier to your travel agent.

(c) In all your other cases contract will be with Great Indian Journey.

2) Payment and Confirmation
Great Indian Journey accepts no responsibility for the progress of booking the services in case of non-compliance conditions of payment.

(a) Non Refundable Booking deposit of $ 200 per person or 10% of your total holiday cost (whichever is the greater, adjustable towards the final tour price) along with names as per Passport. (Valid for 6 months from the date of Travel) Full payment must be received 21 days prior to departure.

For bookings (less than 2 months prior to departure), the payment must be made as soon as the booking is confirmed.

If the final payment is not received on time, Great Indian Journey will treat the booking as cancelled by you and will levy the cancellation charges set out in below cancellation policy.

(b) On our receipt of your completed booking form and the applicable payment, Great Indian Journey will issue a confirmation invoice, and it is at this stage that a binding contract comes into existence between you and Great Indian Journey. Please note, though, that if you book a tailor-made itinerary or an extension to a brochure tour your accommodation, flights etc. will only be requested by Great Indian Journey once your booking form together with a deposit has been received. Your confirmation invoice, in this instance, will indicate your requested package cost and you will be advised of any accommodation, flights etc. which are still on request and not confirmed at the time the confirmation invoice is issued.

(c) Great Indian Journey will try to obtain final confirmation of all your holiday components as soon as possible. In some cases, though, you may need to be patient. If a particular flight, hotel or similar cannot be confirmed you will be offered an alternative or, failing that, a refund.

(d) It is your responsibility to check the confirmation invoice carefully and do let Great Indian Journey or your travel agent know immediately in the event of any error.

(e) Great Indian Journey has included in the relevant prices all government taxes which do not have to be paid locally. Those that have to be paid by you locally are extra and for your account (such as international airport departure tax).

3) Special Requests
Where special requests for flight seats, room allocation, diet considerations etc. are required Great Indian Journey must be made aware of them in writing at the time of booking. Whilst every effort will be made to ensure that these requests are fulfilled, they cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore, Great Indian Journey will not be held liable for claims for consequential loss where written advice of special needs and requirements has not been received in writing at the time of booking. Where special requests for flight seats are passed on by Great Indian Journey to an airline, the confirmation of seat numbers is at the discretion of the airline.

4) Your Travel Agent
(a) Any travel agent through which you make a booking will act to relay information from you to us and vice versa. Great Indian Journey is not responsible for any failure by your travel agent to do this properly, or in good time, nor for any advice given to you by your travel agent which did not originate from Great Indian Journey.

(b) Any money you pay to your travel agent for your Great Indian Journey booking will be held by the agent on our behalf until it is paid to us.

5) Insurance
You should obtain travel Insurance policies before departure to India.
Great Indian Journey cannot be held responsible for the purchase of inadequate insurance policy.

6) Alteration By You
(a) If you wish to make any amendments to your holiday after the confirmation invoice has been issued, you must inform Great Indian Journey in writing and we will do our best to implement your request. In the event that we are able to do so, communication charges and other expenses will be payable by you together with an applicable amendment fee per alteration per booking. However, if you i) change to a different tour or destination, or ii) change your booking less than 8 weeks before departure, this will be treated as a cancellation and a new booking and you will be liable for the cancellation charges as per the below mentioned cancellation policy.

(b) If you wish to change any aspect of your tour after it has commenced, Great Indain Journey and/or their agents will do their best to make the changes you have asked for, subject to you being responsible for any cancellation/retention charges that may be levied for the arrangements originally booked, for the cost of your new arrangements and for any costs incurred by Great Indian Journey and/or their agents in attempting to secure or securing any revised arrangements. All such charges and costs are payable locally.

(c) If you wish to transfer your booking to another person, you may do so provided the reason for the transfer is personal illness, the death or serious illness of a close family member, jury service, redundancy or unavoidable work commitments. Requests for a transfer must be made in writing at least 30 days prior to departure and must be accompanied by documentary proof of the reason for the transfer (e.g. a doctor's certificate), full details of the person who will replace you, any outstanding balance due for the tour, a payment of $ 50 to cover our administration costs plus such amount as our suppliers will require to effect the change. Please note that, in some cases suppliers such as airlines treat name changes as a cancellation, levying cancellation charges and requiring payment for a new ticket. These charges will be payable by you.

7) Alterations Made To The Scheduled Programme
(a) The holiday arrangements featured in our brochure are booked and planned many months in advance and changes may be necessary. Great Indian Journey reserves the right to alter any of the prices, facilities or services described in its brochure at any time before making a contract with you. Any such changes will be notified to you at the time you make your booking.

(b) Great Indian Journey also reserve the right to make changes to any of your holiday arrangements after a confirmation invoice has been issued. Such changes will normally be minor, but may be material - i.e. a change of scheduled departure time by more than 12 hours, a change of airport except between airports serving the same city/resort, a change to a lower standard of accommodation, a change of resort or a radical change of itinerary.

(c) If there is a material change Great Indian Journey will try to inform you or your travel agent as soon as practicable and will offer you the choice of alternative arrangements or a refund of all amounts paid. In addition, unless the material change is caused by 'force majeure' or ‘Low booking’, Great Indian Journey will not be entitled to refund the booking advance received.

Force majeure includes war, threat of war, riot, civil disobedience or strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, acts of God, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, level of water, technical or maintenance problems with transport and changes of schedules or operational decisions of transport providers, closure of airports or any unforeseeable or unavoidable event beyond the control of Great Indian Journey or its suppliers. Low bookings is where an insufficient number of people book a tour for its operation to be financially viable. All group holidays in the Great Indian Journey’s brochure require a minimum number of bookings before they will operate.

(d) A minor change is any change which does not come within the definition of a material change set out in paragraph 7(b) above. Although Great Indian Journey will try to notify you of minor changes, it is not obliged to do so, nor is it obliged to offer you the opportunity to change your booking, receive a refund or receive compensation. Minor changes include (but are not limited to) the following and Great Indian Journey is permitted where necessary to arrange the same:

(1) Changes to the scheduled destinations but not all of them:

(2) Changes in the scheduled date and hour of arrival or departure provided that, where necessary, hotel accommodation and reasonable sustenance during any delay is provided to you at no additional charge;

(3) Substitute a named Lecturer and or Leader for another knowledgeable expert in the same field.

(e) If, after you depart, it becomes apparent that a significant proportion of the arrangements you have booked cannot be provided, Great Indian Journey will make suitable alternative arrangements at no extra cost to you and will, where appropriate and provided the change in your arrangements has not been caused by force majeure (see 7(c)), compensate you for the difference in value between the arrangements you should have received and the alternative arrangements made. In particular, because Great Indian Journey neither owns, manages nor controls the accommodation / transportation that it uses, it is possible that Great Indian Journey may be advised that your reserved accommodation is not available when you arrive at your destination. In this event Great Indian Journey will endeavour to secure accommodation of at least the same standard in that destination. If only accommodation of a lower standard is available, Great Indian Journey will refund the difference between the prices of the accommodation booked and that received, and will pay $ 50 per person for any inconvenience caused. The amount will be paid on your return from holiday.

8) Cancellation by You :
Should you wish to cancel your tour you must notify Great Indian Journey in writing. Such notification will only be deemed to have been given on receipt of your letter, since we can only act on receipt. The following cancellation charges will apply:

Days before departure notification received Amount of cancellation charges as a % of total tour cost
Greater than 56 days Deposit
56-29 days 40%
28-15 days 60%
14-8 days 75%
7-4 days 90%
3 to day of departure or later 100%

No allowance or refund can be made for meals, rooms, excursions etc., included in the price of your tour but not taken, nor can any refund be made for lost, mislaid or destroyed travel tickets or vouchers.

9) Cancellation By Us :
If cancellation by Great Indian Journey, though it tries never to cancel a client's holiday, but must reserve the right to do so. In particular, Great Indian Journey will cancel your holiday if you fail to make any payment by the due date. If Great Indian Journey cancels your holiday for any other reason it will inform you or your travel agent as soon as practicable and you will have the option of choosing an alternative holiday of a comparable standard, if available, or receiving a prompt refund of all monies paid to Great Indian Journey for your holiday. In addition, unless the cancellation has been caused by force majeure or low bookings (defined in clause 7 above), Great Indian Journey will pay you the compensation amounts set out in the table in clause 7(c). If cancellation is because of low bookings you will be notified at least 42 days before departure. The only circumstance in which a holiday will be cancelled less than 30 days before departure is where it is cancelled by reason of force majeure.

10) Prices
Prices are based upon the rates of exchange quoted in the Financial Times world value of the US Dollar. For all exchange rates not mentioned, the rate of exchange of the US dollar applies. Prices are subject to variation if there are increases due to transportation costs, including the cost of fuel, dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports or airports, or the exchange rates applied to the particular package. Any increase in the tour price will be notified to you at least eight weeks prior to departure. Great Indian Journey will in any event absorb such part of the surcharge as is equivalent to 2% of the holiday price. If surcharges exceed 10% of the original holiday price you may exercise the option to cancel your holiday arrangements. If you settle the final balance of the holiday price by the due date (see clause 2 above) we will absorb any price increases after that due date. In return for this commitment, we are unable to make any refund or reduce any other costs should the value of the US Dollar increase against the currencies used. Occasionally our holiday prices are discounted for a limited period for promotional purposes. Discounts cannot be applied retrospectively to reduce the price of a confirmed booking.

11) Your Responsibilities
You have certain responsibilities with regard to your holiday booking, and these responsibilities are set out below. Great Indian Journey will not be liable for any loss, damage, illness, discomfort or costs of whatever kind which you may sustain as a result of failing to discharge the responsibilities described in this clause:-

(a) Visas: Great Indian Journey will not be held the responsibility to obtain the visas from your respective countries. You may contact the local Emassy or high commissioner offices for any changes to visa requirements, which occur before your confirmation invoice is issued, but please note that further changes could take place before you travel. Guest should check with their nearest consulate or embassy for visa requirements. All clients must obtain all necessary visas and relevant documentation prior to departure.

(b) Passports: A full passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of your holiday) is required for travel. Please see our Travellers Advice section for full details, or seek the advice of our travel consultants.

(c) Health: Great Indian Journey reserves the right, where appropriate, to ask you to provide written certification of your medical fitness prior to departure. It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain all recommended inoculations, take all recommended medication and follow all medical advice in relation to your holiday.

(d) Documents: It is your responsibility to ensure that passports, visas, vaccination certificates and all other necessary documents are in order and, where appropriate, in your possession. It is also your responsibility to arrange adequate insurance cover for your tour (see clause 5 above) and to take relevant details of the policy with you.

(e) Transportation: It is your responsibility to ensure that you arrive in good time to board all flights or other methods of transportation. To assist you, we will notify you of the times by which you should arrive at all points of departure. If you miss a flight or other transportation we will try to arrange alternative transportation, but reserve the right to recover from you any costs we incur in making such arrangements.

(f ) Behaviour: You must not behave in a way which may cause distress or annoyance to others or which may create the risk of danger or damage to property. If you are subject to arrest, or are prevented from travelling at the discretion of an airline or other transport providers, or if you are evicted from a hotel at the discretion of the hotel management, Great Indian Journey will not refund any portion of the cost of your holiday and, if Great Indian Journey incurs any expense as a result of your behaviour, you will be obliged to compensate Great Indian Journey for that expense.

12) Our Responsibilities
(a) Our obligations, and those of any suppliers providing any service or facility involved in any travel arrangements you book with us, are to provide services and facilities with reasonable care and skill.

(b) Great Indian Journey accepts liability for any loss you may suffer if any part of the holiday arrangements you book with us is not as described and not of a reasonable standard. We also accept liability if you suffer death or personal injury as a direct result of the holiday arrangements failing to be as described and of a reasonable standard. However, these acceptances of liability do not apply if there has been no fault on our part nor on the part of our suppliers and the loss, death or personal injury suffered is attributable to your own acts or omissions, to the acts or omissions of a third party not involved in providing the services which make up your holiday, or to unusual or unforeseeable circumstances whose consequences could not have been avoided or anticipated even exercising all due care. They are also conditional upon you assigning to us any rights you may have against any other person whose acts or omissions have given rise to our liability.

(c) The amount of compensation due to you is subject to the following limitations. First, in the case of damage other than death, illness or personal injury, compensation is restricted to a reasonable amount having regard to such factors as, interalia, the price paid for the holiday and the extent to which the enjoyment of your holiday can be said to have been affected. The maximum amount of compensation which we will pay you in any circumstance will be a refund of your holiday cost (excluding any insurance premium), a refund of any directly attributable expenses, and a daily sum of $50 per person. We will use the maximum sum to assess the appropriate sum due to you in the circumstances of your particular complaint. Any sum received by you from suppliers, such as from airlines due to Denied Boarding Regulations 1992 (in this case sums paid by the airline constitute the full amount of your entitlement to compensation for all matters flowing from the airlines actions) will be deducted from any sum paid to you as compensation by us. Second, in all cases, liability and compensation are limited in accordance with the provisions of all international conventions which concern transportation and accommodation, namely the Warsaw Convention 1929 (including as amended by the Hague Protocol 1955), the Berne Convention 1961, the Athens Convention 1974, the Geneva Convention 1973 and the Paris Convention 1962. Copies of these Conventions are available on request - please allow 28 days for delivery.

(d) If you suffer death, injury or illness during your holiday arising out of an activity which does not form part of the inclusive arrangements you have booked with us we will offer general advice and assistance where appropriate. If you wish to take legal action concerning such misadventure, please refer first to the Legal Expenses cover on your travel insurance. If your policy does not provide cover, we will, in our discretion and provided you request it within 90 days, give you general assistance in pursuing any claim you may have against a third party.

13) Transportation
Air, rail, road and other departure times are supplied by the carriers. They are subject to, interalia, air traffic control restrictions, weather conditions, the need for constant maintenance and the ability of passengers to check in on time. There is no guarantee that departures will take place at the times shown either in this brochure or on your tickets. The timings are estimates only. Great Indian Journey does not have any liability to you for any delays which may arise. Further, your dealings with all carriers are subject to the conditions of carriage of the carrier, some of which may limit or exclude liability. Where we are in a position to do so, we will give you information before you book concerning the airline on which you will fly, your airport of destination and the type of aircraft on which you will travel. However, if any of these details change subsequently, and you choose to cancel as a result, our normal cancellation charges will apply. Any arrangements in the event of a delay will be at the sole discretion of the airline or other carrier involved.

14) Complaints and Problems
If you have a complaint about any of the services or facilities provided in connection with your holiday arrangements booked with Great Indian Journey, you must tell the relevant supplier and also tell Great Indian Journey’s local representative or agent on site immediately. Alternatively, you should use the Great Indian Journey emergency contact telephone number with which you will be supplied before your departure. That number will put you in contact with one of our employees who will take all reasonable steps to help you. It is only if you do this that Great Indian Journey have the opportunity to put matters right on the spot. If you fail to do this, any right to compensation, which you may have, will be extinguished or reduced. Baggage is deemed to have been delivered undamaged to you unless Great Indian Journey receives written notice in the case of apparent damage, immediately upon arrival or re-delivery.

15) Tour Inclusions and Exclusions
(a) What Your Price Includes :
1. Economy class on international/domestic flights where shown.
2. Standard class on rail, road and other transportation as described in our brochure.
3. In flight meals and/or refreshments according to flight timings.
4. 44lbs or 20kg luggage allowance or any lower or higher amount specified on your air tickets.
5. Transfers between the appropriate overseas airports/stations/ports and your hotels as specified in your itinerary and unless otherwise stated.
6. Twin sharing accommodation with private bath or shower and toilet in each room, where available.
7. Meals as described in the itinerary or price grid, as applicable.
8. Services of our local representatives / tour managers as applicable.
9. Excursions and tours where specifically detailed.
10. Or specifically mentioned in a inclusion column with your tour price.

(b) What Your Price Excludes:
1. Travel insurance.
2. The cost of personal items such as laundry, drinks with meals or otherwise, incidentals etc.
3. Airport security charges if levied by any airport to cover the cost of security arrangements.
4. Airport departure taxes payable locally.
5. Optional excursions.
6. Cost of visas, passports.
7. Transport between your home and airport / port / station.
8. Gratuities for service provided on a personal basis.
9. Meals other than those specified.
10. The single or sole supplement payable on bookings where only one person is travelling and/or where a single room is required.
11. Flight supplements.
12. Optional extras.

16) Excursions/Representatives and Agents
(a) Excursions only form part of your holiday arrangements if they are described in this brochure or purchased before departure. Game drives in wildlife reserves will be subject to the rules and regulations applicable to the particular reserve at the time of your visit and as laid down by the relevant government. Such rules and regulations are subject to change without notice and are beyond the control of Great Indian Journey.

(b) Our acceptance of liability for the acts of our representatives or agents in clause 12 above is only binding if our representatives or agents are acting with our authority and/or performing their duties as described in this brochure. This excludes for example any social contact that you may have with them.

17) Law
Your contract with Great Indian Journey and any matters arising from it shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Indian Law and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Delhi, India.