Tour
Planning
Guide
Hooded Oriole © Greg Lasley
Book with confidence! Know what to expect before registering for any of our tours. We have outlined our booking process in the next 10 steps:
1. Explore our tours to find your next birding adventure
Explore our available tours to find the tour that interests you.
2. When you are ready to book, confirm availability and tour dates
You can check the availability on each tour's page on our website or contact us. Upon request, we can add you to a waitlist if the tour is sold out and keep you posted if spots open up, or if a new departure becomes available.
3. Complete a reservation and release form(s) and pay a deposit
A completed reservation form along with a release form and a non-refundable deposit are required to secure your reservation. Your reservation is not confirmed until we confirm space availability and tour dates, receive a completed registration and release form(s), and receive your deposit. No deposit is required for submitting a reservation. We will invoice you according to your preferred payment method. We will hold your reservation for up to 14 days without a deposit. However, the space will be released to other clients if we do not receive a deposit in that time frame. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance right after making a deposit. Some travel policies must be purchased within 24 hours of paying for your deposit.
4. Receive email confirming your reservation
You will receive an email confirming your reservation once we receive your completed reservation and release form(s) and you have paid your deposit. This email will also include: a pre-tour information package, a pre-tour survey, and the tour itinerary.
5. Receive tour confirmation email and final invoice
You will receive an email confirming the tour as soon as the tour's minimum number of participants has been met. The standard period for invoicing for a tour balance is right after a tour confirms or 2 months (60 days) prior to a tour’s start date, whichever comes first. Unless indicated otherwise, payment is due upon invoice receipt. We reserve the right to cancel your reservation if we do not receive full payment as scheduled.
6. Book your flights and make any other travel arrangements
You can book your flights to/from the tour destination after receiving the tour confirmation email. We highly recommend purchasing flexible, refundable flights if you decide to book your flights before you receive our tour confirmation notice.
7. Receive email with final tour details
A few weeks before your tour, you will receive a final information package email including a participant list, changes to itinerary (if any), and any other relevant information before your tour departure. This email will also include information on how to get from the airport to the hotel and where to meet your tour guide(s) for the welcome dinner and first day orientation session. We will also provide you with a detailed list of the lodging locations during the tour to share with family and friends.
8. Enjoy the tour!
Focus on enjoying the birds, nature and culture of your tour destination.
9. Share your feedback by completing a post-tour survey
A final tour summary will be emailed after the tour has concluded and as soon as the tour leader provides a trip report. You will also receive a post-tour survey. Feedback is essential to us! It will help us provide exceptional birding experiences to future participants.