Terms & 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 – Travel with Confidence

Tours marked with the Flexibility Assurance logo offer extra peace of mind, allowing you to change the date of your tour free of charge outside the stated timeframe.

To request a change, simply contact us between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Requests made outside these hours will be processed on the next business day, and eligibility will be based on the time of processing, not the time the request was submitted.

All date changes are subject to availability. Once a date has been changed, the cancellation policy will apply to the original booking date.

Change of Date Policy

Sightseeing Tours Australia will try to honour change of date requests where possible, however it is not guaranteed and is always subject to availability. 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.

Cancellation Policy

This cancellation policy relates to requests which are received by phone / email during our open office hours between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Requests made outside these hours will apply to the next business day. 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.

One Day Tours:

Cancellation outside of 7 days will receive a full refund.
Cancellation from 48 hours to 7 days will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
Cancellation with less than 48 hours, or failure to board, will result in full fare forfeiture.

Multi-Day Tours:

Cancellation outside of 30 days will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
Cancellation from 15 to 30 days will result in a 50% cancellation fee.
Cancellation 14 days or less, or failure to board, will result in full fare forfeiture.

Special Cancellation Terms

Due to the nature of some tours and included activities, special cancellation terms apply to the tours listed below:

Great Barrier Reef Tours:

1 Day Tours:

Cancellation outside of 48 hours will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
Cancellation within 48 hours, or failure to board, will result in full fare forfeiture.
For groups of 7 or more, the following policy applies;
- Cancellation outside of 14 days will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
- Cancellation from 8 to 14 days will result in a 50% cancellation fee.
- Cancellation 7 days or less, or failure to board, will result in full fare forfeiture.

Liveaboard Tours:

Cancellation outside of 7 days will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
Cancellation 7 days or less, or failure to board, will result in full fare forfeiture.

Participation in diving is contingent upon medical clearance; please notify us in advance of any medication or medical conditions to avoid disappointment. Refunds will not be available if dive options or upgrades are unused or cancelled within the cancellation policy, including when the passenger has not been cleared to dive due to medical reasons.

Hunter Valley Tours:

For bookings of 4 people or less;
- Cancellation outside of 7 days will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
- Cancellation 7 days or less, or failure to board, will result in full fare forfeiture.
For bookings of 5 or more people;
- Cancellation outside of 30 days will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
- Cancellation 30 days or less, or failure to board, will result in full fare forfeiture.

3 Day Whitsundays Sailing Adventure:

Cancellation outside of 21 days will result in a 50% cancellation fee.
Cancellation 21 days or under, or failure to board, will result in full fare forfeiture.

Kangaroo Island Tours:

Cancellations outside of 30 days will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
Cancellations from 8 days to 30 days will result in a 50% cancellation fee.
Cancellations from 48 hours to 7 days will result in an 80% cancellation fee.
Cancellations with less than 48 hours, or failure to board, will result in full fare forfeiture.

1 Day Uluru Tour from Uluru or Alice Springs:

Cancellation outside of 7 days will receive a full refund.
Cancellation from 4 to 7 days will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
Cancellation 3 days or less, or failure to board, will result in full fare forfeiture.

Thredbo Snow Tour:

Cancellation outside of 7 days will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
Cancellation 7 days or under, or failure to board, 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, we will do our best to arrange an alternate option but this is not guaranteed. 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.

Third-Party Cancellations:

On rare occasions, third-party attractions may close unexpectedly due to weather or other operational reasons. In such cases, passengers will be refunded the entry cost amount charged to Sightseeing Tours Australia. Refunds will be processed through the original payment method within 7 business days.

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.

Upgrade Policy

Sightseeing Tours Australia will make every attempt to confirm requests for upgrades, however, upgrades cannot always be guaranteed. When an upgrade is not available, you will be booked into the standard tour option 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 upgrade, then please ensure you call our office in advance of your tour to check if it is available.

Currency Conversion and Refund Policy

When you pay in a currency different from your local currency, any refund will be converted based on the exchange rate determined by your bank on the date the refund is processed. Please note that exchange rates fluctuate, so the rate at the time of refund may differ from the rate at the time of payment. As a result, the amount you receive after conversion may not match the amount you originally paid. Additionally, you may incur international transaction fees charged by your credit card provider. We are unable to refund any differences caused by currency conversion or additional transaction fees.

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.

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 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. If meals are included, please leave a note regarding any dietary requirements. For severe allergies, it is recommended to bring your own food.

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.