Anthro Tours
| General FAQs
How safe are the tours?
Our team takes participant safety seriously. Our staff are all certified in First Aid and CPR, and we'll only ever visit beaches with posted lifeguards (occasionally, we may have staff who are certified lifeguards for locations that may not have regularly schedule lifeguard posts). That being said, unforeseen events can occur and the best expert on your safety is you. For that reason, we've included a global safety map below based on information from the US State Department, information on safety for LGBTQ+ travelers abroad, and safety for women abroad. Color codes are lightest in the safest countries and darkest in the least safe.
How flexible are the itineraries?
We try to stick to our itineraries as best as we are able, but some outdoor activities are dependent on weather conditions. That being said, it may be a good idea to bring clothing appropriate for snow or rain in the event that we engage in outdoor activities during light precipitation. When weather does force us to cancel an activity scheduled for a specific day, we try best to move the calendar around to do that particular activity on a different day.
What clothing should I pack for one of your adventures?
We always recommend packing as light as possible however the specific requirements for your tour will vary widely depending on where and when you are traveling.
What is included in the cost of a trip?
Travelers arrive from all over the world to begin our tours and it is not possible to include international airfare in our prices. We would be happy to help you arrange flights. Just ask for an air quote when making your booking. What is included on our tours are food costs; lodging in either hotels, hostels, or tents (on camping trips); activity fees such as museum entrance tickets; and transportation during the tour such as train tickets between cities or bus tickets from your hotel to local museums.
Is travel insurance required?
We highly recommend all of our travelers purchase travel insurance for any of our tours, but we do require any travelers visiting a foreign country on one of our trips to have proof of travel insurance. We also highly recommend booking flights with flight insurance that can cover missed flights, changes in flight departures, or canceled flights.
What documentation is needed while traveling domestically and internationally?
For those traveling internationally, some countries require their citizens have proper vaccination records before visiting or returning from countries with a history of malaria, yellow fever, and other communicable diseases. We highly recommend visiting your countries' government information pages about what vaccines you need in order to visit the countries you will be visiting during our expeditions. Your nationality may also require you to have proper travel visas to visit the countries you will be visiting and should indicate whether you will need an eVisa (an electronic visa you can obtain through that country's tourism bureau online), a visa on arrival (a type of visa you can obtain once you arrive in that country- typically at the airport you arrive through), or a visa you need to apply for in-person ahead of time. Anthro Tours is not responsible for travelers who are denied entrance into a country due to having improper visa paperwork, so make sure you understand what your unique visa requirements are based on your nationality.
What do I need to bring on an Anthro Tours expedition?
Apart from having the proper visas and vaccinations, travelers should bring money for purchasing souvenirs for their trip (we recommend roughly $30-50 per week) and spending money for any additional food purchases you may want to make during your down time (we recommend roughly $5 per day). It is also important to pack weather appropriate clothing such as rain jackets or winter coats for cold weather destinations and swimwear for tours that may include aquatic activities. Anthro Tours staff are not certified in administering or prescribing medicine, so all travelers who require medicine (such as for seasonal allergies, chronic headaches, or diabetes) should bring all necessary medication for the duration of their tour. Some locations we visit may not have pharmacies with necessary medications, so be sure to bring enough for the duration of the trip.
Once I book a trip, what information and materials will I receive?
After booking a tour with us, you will receive confirmation of your booking and the deposit paid by email. Two months before the departure date, we will follow up to take payment of the remaining balance at which time we will provide a final receive of your completed payment and a travel voucher for the tour. On the first day of the tour, staff will greet you at the airport (or train station) with informational packets about the topic of the tour and on safety procedures unique to that destination such as natural disasters that could occur during the trip and how to respond to them, the location of your country's closest embassy, and nearby hospitals to visit in case of medical emergencies.
What happens if I need to cancel my reservation?
If a guest needs to cancel their booking for any reason more than two months before the departure date, Anthro Tours will be happy to refund the traveler's deposit for the trip. If the travelers needs to cancel their tour less than two months ahead of time, but more than one month before the departure date, we will refund 50% of the total payment towards the tour. If a guest needs to cancel less than a month before the first day of a tour- or during the tour itself- the traveler agrees to receive no refund on their payment.
What happens if the tour is canceled?
Unfortunately due to the ecological and political landscape of the world, there may be instances in which we need to cancel a tour due to safety concerns. If for any reason we cancel a tour on travelers either before a tour or during, we would be happy to refund the traveler. If the tour is cancelled before the first scheduled day, we would be happy to fully refund the traveler. If we need to cancel a tour during said tour, we will refund the remaining days. We are also happy to provide credit equal to the cost of canceling a traveler's flights towards future tours so that they can receive a discount equal to the cost of their canceled flight on a future expedition. Simply send us a receipt of the flight, and we would be happy to apply that amount as a discount.
Are their luggage restrictions on tours?
Most of our tours involve lodging in either hotels or hostels, so we recommend bringing luggage that can be easily stored in hotel rooms or hostel dorms. Some tours however may include hiking or riding horses into the wilderness. For these expeditions, there may be weight limits required for travelers to adhere to for their luggage. Additionally, we may require you to carry your belongings in trustworthy backpacks. Please do not hesitate to reach out for recommendations on where to purchace outdoor adventure gear from as we would be happy to give you our suggestions.
Is tour guide gratuity included in the cost of a tour?
Gratuity is not included in the cost of our tour, and it is also not required. Any traveler is welcome- but not required- to tip their expedition leaders or provide them with small gifts as thanks for leading a successful tour. We only ask that travelers who wish to tip their expedition leaders do so based on the quality of the guide.
What are the age restrictions on your tours?
Most of our tours are open to anyone over the age of 18, but we have special trips designed for families. Each of our tours is specifically designed with a target age group in mind based on physical activity, the safety of the communities we will be visiting, and the topic of the tour. For family tours, we require all bookings to include at least one legal guardian over the age of 18 and at least one child aged 12-18.
What are the activity types and are their physical requirements for signing up for tours?
Anthro Tours follow one of three potential activity types: casual, moderate, or advanced/ Casual tours are those that will involve little to no physical activity Advanced tours are those that will include a high degree of physical activity such as surf camps or hiking trips. Moderate tours are those that fall somewhere in the middle which may include trips involving walking tours of a city or short hikes. While we do not require any physical fitness levels on any of our tours, we do highly recommend signing up for tours based on your physical abilities as we cannot guarantee your ability to participate in highly physical activities.
That being said, Anthro Tours is dedicated to providing tour options for those who may come from handicapped or mobility-limited backgrounds such as the visually impaired or wheelchair-dependent. Unfortunately not all countries in the world are handicap-accessible, so please do not hesitate to contact us ahead of time if you have unique accessibility needs and we will do our best to find options that suit your physical needs.
Are animals allowed on Anthro Tours?
While we here at Anthro Tours are friends of animals (and will never hesitate to stop whatever we are doing to pet a dog or cat), we unfortunately must adhere to local laws and customs when it comes to allowing animals on our tours. If a participant has a service animal such as a seeing-eye dog or an emotional support animal, please let us know ahead of time so that we can find suitable lodging that can accommodate such support animals.