Grand Tour of Japan with China

DISCLAIMER

Conditions apply. All advertised products, offers and prices are current at the time of communication and based on existing and often limited availability. Final pricing and availability of services may vary based on market conditions and prevailing foreign exchange rates. Please confirm all relevant details with our sales staff or at sotc.in/apps before making a booking. Refer to detailed terms and conditions on the website before proceeding.

SOTC TRAVEL LIMITED - BOOKING TERMS & CONDITIONS

SOTC Travel Limited (formerly SOTC Travel Private Limited) is marketing and/or co-ordinating package tours hereinafter referred to as "Tours" under its brand name SOTC. All tours are sold subject to the following terms and conditions as well as our "How To Book Your Tour" rules. The contract between the company and the Tour Participant shall be governed by the same. No person including the employee/s and the agent/s of the company has the authority to alter, amend, modify or waive any stipulation, representation, term or condition set forth in this document. Assurance of any service or facility given by any employee or agent of the company which is contrary to what is set forth in the brochure, website, price grid and invoice shall not be binding on the company under any circumstances whatsoever. All tours are subject to prevailing laws and rules of RBI/GOI. Rights of admission to the tour are expressly reserved.

DEFINITION

You / Client / Customer / Tour Participant means the person/s in whose name and/or on whose behalf the booking is made and/or whose name is on the booking form and invoice. We / Company means SOTC Travel Limited (formerly SOTC Travel Private Limited). Infant means a person below the age of two years and a Child means a person from the age of two and below the age of twelve years. Independent Contractor means supplier of any infrastructural facility and shall include hotel managements, airlines, caterers, restaurants, places of entertainment like theme parks, museums and the like, railway, ferry, cruise, coach or any other person or organization selected by the company to render services to the Tour Participant.

-WEBSITE / BROCHURE ACCURACY

We strive to make the contents of our brochure and website as accurate as possible and print it much ahead of actual travel period. It describes services and amenities that are available under normal circumstances. However, events and circumstances beyond our control - traffic, bad weather, fairs, festivals, strikes, change of management or closure of hotels and restaurants, over-booking of hotels, re-routing or re-scheduling of flights, rail or roadways, closure of or restricted entry at a place of sightseeing - can affect availability of services and necessitate a change of routes or itineraries. It may even necessitate a stay in hotels in alternate city/ies or away from those mentioned in the brochure or website. While every effort is made to maintain our services and follow the itinerary in the brochure or website, in a few unavoidable instances we reserve the right to alter, amend, change or modify the tour package, itineraries, tour schedule, travel plan, sightseeing and the like. Where we come to know of the changes or events sufficiently in advance, we will notify you during booking or prior to departure. Otherwise our tour manager or local representative will inform you of changes on the spot and we solicit your full co-operation in accepting such circumstantial changes. We shall not entertain any grievance regarding any itinerary or service change which we are constrained to make, from the Tour Participant during or after the tour.

SCOPE OF ACTIVITY

We are a travel and holiday organiser. We do not own or control any airline, cruise line, railways, coach company, hotel or any other independent contractor or service provider in relation with services mentioned in this brochure or website. We select all ingredients and independent contractors, service providers for your holiday with due care but we cannot assume responsibility for delay, deficiency or default if any in the services of all independent contractors or service providers, their management or staff leading to any injury, death, loss or damage to property or any such eventuality which does not fall within the scope of our normal selection and inspection process whilst engaging them. We are also not responsible for delay or deficiency in services of all independent contractors or service providers that may be borne out of any act or actions of a co-traveller, co-tour participant which may result in Tour Participant not availing some or all services on the tour as per the brochure or website.

HOTEL

Hotels selected for each tour are set out in the brochure or website. As you will be outdoors most of the time sightseeing, we select hotels which are comfortable whilst keeping the cost to a client depending on the tour journey and availability. Hotels do not have air conditioner or fan due to favorable weather conditions. As hotel rooms are smaller we recommend maximum 3 persons in a room for your own comfort. Triple rooms are usually not larger than twin rooms, and the third bed is often a rollaway cot put in a twin bedded room for the night.

CHILD ACCOMMODATION (UNDER 12 YRS)

It is expressly stated and it be understood that any child below twelve years paying the special "without bed" rate will not be provided a bed in the hotel under any circumstance. In case the Tour Participant on their own makes a change in rooming while on tour, the company will not be bound to refund or pay compensation towards such change. If any such change in rooming by the Tour Participant attracts additional charge, he or she shall be bound to directly pay the same to the hotel concerned.

MEALS

Breakfast, lunch and dinner wherever provided on tour are on pre-set menus. The meal type is clearly indicated in the brochure or website. Unlike an airline, we cannot process request for special meal or specific diet. However, if Tour Participant intimates this while booking and if it is feasible we will try to provide them. We however, reserve our right to change the meal arrangement where circumstances compel us to do so. Where meal/s are missed by Tour Participant at their own will or due to late or non-arrival at announced meal timing, no compensation for such missed meal/s is claimable.

COACH / SEATING

We use air-conditioned or air-cooled luxury coaches. We find it fair to enforce daily seat rotation in the coach and hence do not allot seat numbers. On Europe tours the daily travel time by coach is roughly eight hours under normal conditions. Coaches are equipped with emergency washroom for use strictly in emergency since we provide frequent comfort stops during the journey.

style="font-size: 14px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.5px;color:#656565;margin-bottom:6px;"> BAGGAGE

Tour Participants travelling by air will be subject to the airline restrictions and/or limitation on baggage weight, size and pieces. It is currently 20 kg per person on Economy Class for all destinations except on flights to USA and Canada where a person is permitted to carry two pieces of checked-in baggage and one hand bag. All baggage and personal effects are at all times and in all circumstances the responsibility of the Tour Participant, and the company shall not be liable for their loss by airline, cruise, coach or any other carrier whilst on the tour. Tour Participants are advised to carry valuables on their person at all times. Wherever Safe Deposit Lockers are available you are advised to avail this facility in safeguarding valuables. In hotels or locations without this facility you should take all the necessary precaution in protecting your valuables. The company or any of the carriers used or its representative/s will not be responsible for loss of valuables or for making good any such loss.

TIPPING

Tipping is customary in all parts of the world for services rendered. Your tour manager or briefing sheet will guide you in this regard.

HEALTH AND INSURANCE

It shall be the duty of the Client to inform the company in case the Client has any pre-existing medical condition that may affect their ability to enjoy and pursue fully the travel itinerary and wherein the interest of the Group or any member thereof is prejudicially affected. Pace of certain tours might not be suitable to individuals. The company presumes that the Client and/or the Group or any member thereof has no physical challenge, disease or such medical or health conditions which could adversely impact their health on the tour, except which has been disclosed by the Client or Group or Family in writing at the time of booking of the tour. The company reserves the right to ask the Client to provide written certification or disclosure of medical fitness before departure. Subject to the disclosure made by the Client or Group or Family, the company in its discretion may refuse to take on tour or accept any booking of the Client if in its judgement the medical or health conditions of the Client is not fit to undergo the tour. In the event that the medical or health conditions had not been disclosed to the company in writing, the company will not be liable to provide any assistance or refunds resulting directly or indirectly due to the undisclosed medical condition.

It is highly recommended and extremely important for you to be in possession of valid Overseas Travel Insurance for the duration of your tour to secure your life, health and property as may be advised by your insurance agent to cover any eventualities associated with your overseas travel including health, accidental injury, loss, liability and the like depending on your assessment of your risk potential. Insurance if any, included in the tour price may be the standard travel care insurance policy provided by a third party insurance service provider and the scope of the cover may be limited in nature, the details of which shall be provided to you at the time of confirmation of your booking. The Tour Participants are advised to discuss their insurance needs directly with their insurance agent before proceeding on the tour and at their own cost procure any additional cover as may be advised.

All Tour Participants should hold valid travel documents viz. Passport and visas for travel. It will be the Tour Participant's responsibility to apply for visa with complete set of documents as required by the embassy or consulate within the stipulated period as advised by the company. In the event the visa application made by Tour Participant or by the company on their behalf is rejected by the consulate due to either inadequate supporting documents or for whatever reason or where the visa could not be processed due to late submission of application by the Tour Participant, the company shall not be liable for the eventuality and lead to forfeiture of booking amount paid and no claim whatsoever shall be entertained for the same. All costs, charges in respect of the said visa application shall be borne by the Tour Participant. Visa fees are non-refundable under any circumstances whatsoever.

However, due to rejection of visa or non-processing of visa application due to any circumstances, if the Tour Participant is unable to travel on the tour originally booked, they shall have the option to postpone the tour to another available date or change to any other tour. The company would not be responsible in any way in case of any clerical error regarding name, attachment of wrong photograph, duration and type of visa (single or multiple entry) occurring on passport, refusal of an entry visa and delays in grant or refusal of an entry visa. Where passport is required to be mailed for visa or POE to different cities, the company would mail them by reputed courier. In case of transmission delays or loss of passport arising out of such transmission, the company would not be responsible to compensate the Tour Participant for any consequences thereof. The position in respect of cancellation of tour by the Tour Participant due to non-availability of travel documents would not change only by virtue of the Tour Participant having lost such documents.

DECLARATION BY THE CLIENT

"You agree to unconditionally abide, adhere and comply solely at your costs and expenses to all laws, rules, notifications, Travel advisories, guidelines, directives and communications issued from time to time by all or any Governments, Authorities, Ministries, Departments, Local Bodies in India or Abroad, related to your travel to the foreign destination and/or on your return from the tour to your home destination in India or Abroad including but not limited to Covid-19 Protocols on quarantine, vaccinations etc. or in connection with any other Pandemic, epidemic, disease, condition etc., which may be communicated by all or any Governments, Authorities, Ministries, Departments, Local Bodies in India or Abroad without or with any notice at any point of time whether at the commencement of the tour, during the tour and/or on the completion of the tour, as the case may be."

AMENDMENT

After the initial booking on a particular tour and relative services, in the event of any amendment you wish to make such as change of destination, change of departure date, addition or deletion of services, change in passenger numbers or such other change you will need to make a written request and obtain an acknowledgement from our sales officer. The amendments may invite further cost which will have to be borne by you. Further such requests are accepted by us subject to availability.

HANDOVER OF DOCUMENTS

After receipt of your full and final payment, you will be delivered your docket containing Air Ticket, Travel Insurance (if availed through us), Final Invoice (Tour Confirmation Voucher) which lists services you are entitled to on the tour. You will be provided a briefing sheet containing important or emergency contact details for your use. Ensure that you are carrying the above documents and your passport with all necessary visa endorsements before leaving on your tour.

ITENERARY CHANGE

We may often operate more than one coach per departure date. For the comfort and convenience of our Tour Participants we may reverse or slightly amend the itinerary which will be advised either at the start of the tour or on tour. In the event any Tour Participant misses part or whole of the sightseeing tour or any such tour due to delay or indisposition or any other reason whatsoever on their part, they will not be entitled to claim any refund.

CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL

TOUR PRICE

The prices quoted in the brochure or website are calculated based on rates prevailing at the time of printing the brochure or website. The company reserves the right to amend before the date of departure any tour price published in the brochure or website and accordingly recover applicable surcharges to make up for foreign currency fluctuations, changes in the various cross rate of exchange, fuel costs, interest on holiday loans and the like. All such increases in price must be paid in full before departure by the Tour Participant.

REGISTRATION

Tour Participant is supplied the tour brochure or website narrating the tour details. The tour participant or their Travel agent by signing the booking form accepts the booking conditions mentioned overleaf, not only on their behalf but on the behalf of all the Tour Participants mentioned in the booking form. In cases where only a travel agent signs the booking form for and on behalf of the tour participant/s it shall be deemed to have been signed under due authority of the tour participant/s mentioned in the form. In cases where Tour Participants belong to more than one family under one form it shall be signed by head of each family. Signing of the booking form and payment receipt issued for payment made towards part consideration of the tour shall be a legally binding contract between the parties. The signing of the booking form shall mean acceptance by the Tour Participant in totality of the terms and conditions mentioned herein. The company reserves the right to decline to book any person/s as tour participant/s for any tour without assigning any reason whatsoever.

There is no contract between the company and the Tour Participant until the company has received the specified non-refundable interest free booking amount. The full payment must be received in accordance with the procedure laid down in the brochure or website in the "How to Book" section. If not paid in accordance with the payment schedule the company reserves the right to cancel the booking with consequent forfeiture of booking amount and apply the scale of cancellation charges as mentioned in the brochure or website. Any payment made to the Tour Participant's travel agent by the tour participant would not constitute payment to the company until the same is remitted to the account of the company.

FORFEITURE OF BOOKING AMOUNT

The company shall be within its rights to forfeit the non-refundable interest free booking amount paid by Tour Participant along with the completed booking form for confirmation of the seat/s on the booked tour and also to recover the scale of cancellation charges set out in the "How To Book" section of the brochure or website: a) In the event the Tour Participant either cancels the booking or fails to adhere to the tour payment schedule set-out in the documentation check list handed over to the Tour Participant after booking; b) In the event the Tour Participant's visa of any country(ies) is not granted; or c) In the event Tour Participant is unable to travel on the tour booked due to any reason whatsoever, including medical grounds. Forfeiture of booking amount will also be governed by the rules of "secure your booking amount" scheme.

REFUND

The company reserves the right to determine the quantum of refund payable in case of cancellation or amendment of a tour due to Force Majeure or Vis Majeure. Such refund would be based on various factors like the number of participants, the cancellation policies of suppliers like hoteliers, coach operators and the like, and the decision of the company on the quantum of refund shall be final and binding on the Tour Participants.

In case the company exercises its discretion to alter, amend or cancel any tour advertised in the brochure or website and the Tour Participant who has registered for such tour exercises the option to continue with the tour as altered or amended, or to accept any alternate tour which the company may offer, the company shall not be liable for any compensation, damage, additional expense or consequential loss suffered by them or to pay any amount as refund to the Tour Participant.

Even in case of a tour for which the payment was made in foreign currency if any, with or without part payment in Indian Rupees, the refund of such amount shall be made only in Indian Rupees at prevailing rate on date of refund as per existing Rules and Regulations. Refund (if any) for amendments and/or cancellation will be paid directly by cheque to Tour Participants by the company. It would take 45 days to process refund and 60 days if tickets are already issued. There shall be no refund if the Tour Participant fails to join the Group at the commencement of the Tour, or joins the Group late or leaves the Group before culmination of the tour. If the Tour Participant along with their family is compelled to discontinue the tour due to any reason such as illness, death, loss of passport, no claim shall be entertained for refund of unutilised services. There shall be no refund if the Tour Participant does not or cannot utilise any service included in cost of tour like meals, rooms, excursions and the like nor can any refund be made for lost, mislaid or destroyed travel tickets or vouchers.

CANCELLATION

As we book services in advance and are bound to honour the payment commitments to service providers, cancellation of services earmarked for a particular departure results in the company losing money depending upon the time of communication of cancellation to the supplier. Therefore any cancellation of tour booking by Tour Participant will attract cancellation charges as specified by the company. In the event of the Tour Participant cancelling a third party tour or services booked through the company, the Terms and Conditions of such other Tour Operator, including their payment schedule, cancellation, refund and the like, shall be applicable in addition to the company's cancellation rules. Tour participant should intimate in writing citing reason for cancellation. If the booking form has been signed by one or more persons for themselves and for others mentioned in the form, communication signed by such signatories would be treated as valid communication for cancellation of all such persons mentioned in the form. The computation of the period of notice of cancellation shall commence only from the time the written request reached the company at its sales outlet during office hours.

LIABILITY

Company shall under no circumstance whatsoever be liable to the Tour Participant or their co-traveller for: 1) Personal injury, sickness, accident, loss, delay, discomfort, increased expense, consequential loss and/or damage or any misadventure howsoever caused; 2) Any act, omission, default of any independent contractor or other person or be any servant or agent, employed by them who may be engaged or concerned in the provision of accommodation, refreshment, carriage facilities or service for the client or for any person travelling with them howsoever caused; 3) The temporary or permanent loss of or damage to baggage or personal effects howsoever caused. 4) Failure on the part of the airline to accommodate Tour Participant/s despite having confirmed tickets. 5) Airline not allowing Tour Participant to board due to immigration issues. 6) Loss of passport, personal documents or valuable personal effects howsoever caused during the tour.

It is hereby declared that the immunities provided under this contract shall be available to the company's Managers, including Tour Managers, Employees, Servants and Agents but not to the Independent Contractors selected by the company. We are also not responsible for delay or deficiency in services of all independent contractors or service providers that may be borne out of any act or actions of a co-traveller or co-tour participant which may result in Tour Participant not availing some or all services on the tour as per the brochure or website.

For all claims, disputes of whatsoever nature relating to the tours marketed or coordinated by SOTC Travel Limited (formerly SOTC Travel Private Limited) the courts, forums and tribunals in Mumbai alone shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

OTHER TERMS

1) There is no Contract between the Company and the Client until the company has received the initial deposit as stated in the clause regarding "payments."

2) The company has the right at any time and for any reason: a) To continue with this contract after acceptance of deposit but prior to the commencement of tour without assigning any whatsoever. In the event, the company terminates this contract, the company shall refund the amount paid by the client without payment of any interest; b) To amend, alter, vary or withdraw any tour, holiday, excursion airline, flight routing or facility or discounts or concessions it has advertised or published or to substitute an Independent Contractor of similar class if it is deemed advisable or necessary. In either case, the company shall not be liable for any damage, additional expense, or consequential loss suffered by the clients or for any compensation claims made.

3) No person other than the company, in writing, has the authority to vary, add, amplify or waive any stipulation, representation, term or condition in this brochure.

4) In the event of the company exercising its rights to amend or alter any of the services as mentioned in the itinerary, after such tour or holiday has been booked, the client shall have the right: a) To continue with the tour or holiday as amended or altered; or b) To accept any alternative tour or holiday which the company may offer. In either of the above two cases, the client shall not be entitled to, or the company shall not be liable to the client for any damage, additional expense, consequential loss suffered by them or to pay any amount as refund.

5) The company shall in no circumstances whatsoever be liable to the client for: a) Any death, personal injury, sickness, accident, loss, delay, discomfort, increased expenses, consequential loss and/or damage or any misadventure howsoever caused; b) Any act, omission, default of any Independent Contractor or other person or be any servant or agent, employed by them who may be engaged or concerned in the provision of accommodation, refreshment, carriage facilities or service for the client or for any person travelling with them howsoever caused; c) The temporary or permanent loss of or damage to baggage or personal effects howsoever caused.