Terms & Conditions

Visa Requirements

All travelers are responsible for verifying the visa requirements for the countries they intend to visit or transit through prior to departure. Passports, visas, and all other travel documents must be valid for the duration of travel and meet the entry requirements of each destination.

Heritage Tours assumes no responsibility for cancellations, delays, denied boarding, denied entry, or additional expenses resulting from visa-related issues or insufficient travel documentation.

U.S. citizens may not require a visa for certain destinations; however, requirements vary by country and may change without notice. Travelers are responsible for confirming the current entry requirements for each destination on their itinerary.

Travelers holding passports from countries other than the United States are solely responsible for verifying visa and entry requirements applicable to their nationality.

All passports must be valid for a minimum of six (6) months beyond the completion date of the tour unless otherwise specified by the destination country.

ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) Requirements

Citizens of visa-exempt countries may be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) or similar pre-travel approval prior to arrival. An ETA allows immigration authorities to conduct a computerized screening of travelers before entry.

Unless otherwise stated by the destination country, an approved ETA is generally valid for up to two (2) years or until the traveler's passport expires, whichever occurs first. If a traveler obtains a new passport or changes their name, gender, or nationality, a new ETA application may be required.

It is the traveler's responsibility to obtain all required ETAs and travel authorizations before departure.

VAT

Tourists coming to Israel are exempt from paying VAT on tourism services ONLY if the passengers' passport information (Passport Number, Nationality and Validity) is provided in full at the time of booking, or prior to their arrival in Israel. If this information is not provided, please note that we will automatically add VAT to your invoice. VAT is currently 17% of the total value of services reserved.

Every tourist who enters Israel receives a B2 slip upon exiting passport control. This slip will exempt you from paying VAT (value added tax), which is applicable to Israeli citizens. Kindly note that the B2 slip will have to be presented along with your passport at every hotel upon check-in. You should carry your slip with you for the entire duration of your trip. If you do not present your B2 slip at check-in, you may be charged with VAT by the hotel.

IMPORTANT: Please note that Israeli citizens living abroad are NOT exempt from paying VAT on services, even if they hold a second, international passport.

Deposits & Payments

All services are subject to availability and are confirmed only upon receipt of the required deposits and/or payments. Air and land arrangements are booked on a request basis and remain subject to supplier confirmation.

Individual Reservations

Air Travel: Full payment is required within 24 hours of making an airline reservation to issue tickets. While airfare reservations may be held for up to 24 hours, airline fares are not guaranteed until tickets have been issued and may change without notice.

Land Travel: A deposit of $250-$400 per person is required at the time of booking land arrangements. Full and final payment is due no later than sixty (60) days prior to departure, or by the payment deadline indicated on the invoice, whichever applies.

Group Reservations

A completed Registration Form, including the traveler's full name exactly as it appears on the passport, must be submitted along with the required nonrefundable deposit.

Receipt of a deposit and/or a signed Registration Form constitutes acceptance of and agreement to these Terms & Conditions.

If final payment is received less than 60 days prior to departure, a fee in the amount of $50.00 per person will apply.

If a group is canceled for any reason, the group deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. Individual deposit is nonrefundable and non-transferable.

Heritage Tours reserves the right to increase the required deposit amount for itineraries involving multiple destinations or suppliers.

Final payment must be received no later than sixty (60) days prior to departure unless otherwise specified. Payments received after the final payment deadline may be subject to a late payment fee of $50.00 per person.

Methods of Payment

Credit and debit card payments may be submitted through PayPal by selecting the "Make a Payment" option or by requesting a payment invoice for a specific amount.

Checks and money orders should be made payable to Heritage Tours.

Certain tours, promotional offers, cruises, or group programs may require different deposit amounts and/or payment schedules. Any such requirements will be specified at the time of booking.

Group leaders or coordinators who submit payments on behalf of group members by credit card agree to pay a credit card processing fee of 4% (or the applicable rate charged by the payment processor).

Any applicable processing fees are the responsibility of the payer and will be deducted directly from the payer (or from the group's final fundraising proceeds).

Airfare Taxes and Surcharges

For group air reservations, airport taxes, government-imposed fees, and fuel surcharges remain subject to change by the airline until tickets are issued. Any increase in taxes, fees, or fuel surcharges imposed prior to ticketing shall be the responsibility of the traveler and must be paid before ticket issuance.

Late Reservations

If a booking is made within 60 days of departure, full payment is due at time of booking. There may be a $50 late processing fee plus any applicable costs of express or overnight mail services. Personal checks will not be accepted for reservations made 30 days or less prior to departure. Money order, bank wire, certified bank check, or credit card payments will be accepted.

Late Payments

Payments received after the final payment deadline will incur a $50 late payment fee per person. If you are part of a group and your payment is not submitted by the due date, you may also incur an increase in airfare in the event that your ticket is issued separately from the group space. Travel documents will not be sent until payment is received in full. Surcharges for express or overnight mail services may apply.

Refunds, Changes, & Cancellations

• Initial deposit of $250-$400 per person (amount varies when combining multiple destinations) is non-refundable and non-transferable
• Up to 60 days prior to departure: $250-$400 penalty per person (initial deposit)
• 59 to 45 days prior to departure: $500 penalty per person
• 44 to 30 days prior to departure: $1,000 penalty per person
• 29 to 0 days to departure: 100% non-refundable

In addition to the above cancellation schedule, Air Tickets once issued are 100% non-refundable.

NOTE: If you are part of a group tour and your cancellation impacts the overall cost for the group, such as requiring a single room supplement or causing the group to fall below the minimum participant requirement, an additional cancellation fee may apply. This fee will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Travel Credits

Travel credits issued due to trip interruption/cancellation are nontransferable. Travel credits are valid for 12 months and may be extended on a case by case basis.

Credit Card Payments

Credit/debit card payments are subject to a 4% processing fee (5.5% for international credit cards) unless otherwise specified. All processing fees are subject to change by PayPal.

Refunds to credit cards can be made within 180 days from the original purchase date and are subject to a minimum 4% processing fee (depending on the card type). Refunds to international credit cards can be made within 180 days from the original purchase date and are subject to a minimum 5.5% processing fee (depending on the card type).

All credit/debit card processing fees may vary by our provider and are subject to change without notice. All credit/debit card processing fees are non-refundable regardless of when the refund is processed.

Hotel Booking

Should a client cancel his/her hotel reservation booked through Heritage Tours, the hotel's cancellation policy will apply PLUS the initial deposit of $250 per person.

Changes to Existing Reservations

No refunds will be made for any unused services including but not limited to hotels, sightseeing tours, transfers, meals, domestic and/or international flights. Should the service be cancelled or missed by the supplier, the latter's policy will apply.

Any change to a booked reservation is subject to a $50 fee when accrued up to 60 days prior to departure. If accrued within 60 days prior to departure, a cancellation penalty may apply.

* In addition to the above mentioned company policy, suppliers may apply different terms during High Season.

Rates

All rates are quoted in U.S. Dollars. When based on other currency, cost is subject to amendments in the event of changes in local currency or economic conditions.

Israel: tourists do not pay VAT (Value Added Tax) in Israel. Should that change, the applicable percentage will be added to all rates. Upon arrival in Israel, all visitors receive a B2 Slip that should be saved throughout the visit. Without the B2 slip, VAT may be charged. Israeli citizens living abroad are still required to pay VAT in Israel.

Italy: Since 2011, many cities in Italy have introduced an Overnight Accommodation Tax, such as Rome, Florence, Venice, Montecatini Terme, the Mestre area, and many others. The tax amount changes from city to city and depends on the hotel. The fee applies to everyone, even where agreements stipulate the exemption from payment of hotel bills. Please note that the tax cannot be paid to Heritage Tours and must be paid directly to the hotel.

All other destinations: local policy applies and is subject to change by local authorities.

Tour Itineraries

Guaranteed Departure tours are operated "as is." Touring programs are subject to change due to local conditions, and the sequence of the tour is subject to change. There is a strict no refund policy for unused services.

Private Tours

Programs are tailored to meet with travelers' expectations and needs. Ad hoc changes are possible, taking into consideration additional costs due to added sites and services as well as travel time. Private tour guides' working hours are 7am-7pm; over-time and over-mileage charges are applicable.

Flights

For individual bookings, airfare is not guaranteed until the ticket is issued. Tickets can only be issued once the full payment is received.

Heritage Tours is not responsible for seat assignments on flights. If you would like to reserve a specific seat or require wheelchair assistance at the airport, it is the traveler's responsibility to contact the airline directly to process and confirm the request.

It is the traveler's responsibility to check flight schedules and connecting flights as they are subject to change without notice. When booking a connecting flight, travelers must consider sufficient time for the connection. Heritage Tours is not liable for any change of schedule or missed flight connection, nor will Heritage Tours be responsible for any additional fees incurred.

Airline Clause

The airline is not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are not on board the aircraft. The passenger tickets in use by the airline, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between the Airline and the Passenger.

IMPORTANT: For security reasons and due to measures taken by the authorities, all airlines require that the passenger's name on the ticket MUST match the passenger name as it appears on the passport. Heritage Tours is not responsible for denied boarding or re-issue costs due to an incorrect name provided by the passenger or a third party acting on the passenger's behalf.

Travel Documents

Travelers will receive their Travel Documents approximately three (3) weeks prior to departure and only once full payment has been received by Heritage Tours. Documents include E-Tickets (if booked by Heritage Tours), a detailed itinerary of all booked services by Heritage Tours, contact information at the destination(s), and other useful information.

Liability

To protect yourself against cancellation charges, we highly recommend that you purchase adequate Travel Insurance. If you have credit card coverage, it is important to confirm that it covers cancellation penalties.

Heritage Tours will not assume liability for any loss, damage, delay, or for an accident of any kind that may occur due to the negligence of any company, hotel proprietor or other person responsible for the provision of services. Participants with mobility concerns must be accompanied at their own expense by their own companion. Group leaders and tour guides are not responsible for assisting with a walker/wheelchair.

Responsibility

Heritage Tours purchases AIR & LAND services (i.e. flights, transportation, hotel rooms, restaurants, etc.) from various suppliers who are not affiliated with Heritage Tours. All prices are subject to all tariffs, terms & conditions under which all airlines, transportation (coach, limousine companies, etc.), hotels, cruises, tour operators, credit card processing platforms, restaurants & other service are contracted.

Clients agree not to hold Heritage Tours responsible for any loss, injury or damage to any person, property or otherwise in connection with any accommodation, transportation or resulting from any Act of God, dangers, incident at sea, fire, breakdowns of machinery or equipment, act of governments or authorities, de jure or de facto, wars declared or not, hostilities, civil disturbances, strikes, riots, thefts, epidemics, quarantines, medical, or customs regulations, defaults, delays, cancellations, surcharges, fees, or any causes beyond the control of Heritage Tours.

Heritage Tours will not be responsible for any additional expenses or liability sustained for or incurred by a traveler as a result of any of the forgoing clauses nor for any loss or damage resulting from improperly issued visas or other documents.

Heritage Tours is licensed to sell travel insurance; all travelers are informed of such as well as given the option and are encouraged to purchase travel insurance.

Accommodations

All hotel and government taxes are included unless otherwise specified. Accommodation is based on two people sharing a room. Heritage Tours is not responsible for allocating roommates for single travelers. A Single Supplement applies for all single occupancy rooms, and it is the traveler's responsibility to find a roommate in the event that he/she is traveling alone and would like to share a double occupancy room.

Room upgrade requests are subject to additional charges and availability. Where possible, handicapped or non-smoking rooms may be requested and are subject to availability.

The right is reserved by the supplier to substitute a hotel from those listed in the brochure/website due to availability or for client comfort and/or for reasons beyond their control. Hoteliers are solely responsible for room allocation, in accommodation with the category as booked and reserved by travelers.

International standards apply for check-in (3:00pm) and check-out (11am-12pm). In Israel there are no official ratings for hotels, therefore hotel categories are displayed as an indication only.

Travel Agents

All prices are commissionable to Travel Agents unless otherwise specified. Payments are by agency check or electronic wire transfer. All credit card payments are subject to a 4% merchant fee (fee may vary by credit card).

Website Use

The content on this website is provided for informational purposes. While we strive for accuracy, Heritage Tours does not guarantee that all information is complete, current, or error-free. Destination descriptions and images are representative and may not reflect exact conditions at the time of travel.

Contact

For questions about these terms:

Heritage Tours
Email: info@heritagetours.com