Wellness on Tour Policy

Travel and Health

Illness while traveling is as old as travel itself. Our guide teams have managed health situations on tour for decades — long before COVID-19. We want you to start healthy, stay that way, and look out for your fellow travelers if something does come up. That’s what this policy is about.

Travel involves health risk. So does staying home. We trust our travelers to assess that tradeoff for themselves. What we ask in return is that you take responsibility for your own health and for the wellbeing of the group.

Before You Go

• Focus on your health in the weeks before departure. Start healthy.
• Consult your physician if you have any condition that could be affected by physical activity, altitude, heat, or travel stress.
• Make sure your travel insurance covers medical expenses and emergency evacuation. Some tours require minimum coverage — check your tour page.
• Complete your Medical Disclosure Form honestly. Our guides use it to plan for the group’s safety. Undisclosed conditions that affect the group may result in exclusion from activities or the tour.

On Tour

• Pace yourself. Travel is stimulating and can mask fatigue. You do not have to participate in every walk or activity. Our guides would rather you rest and rejoin the group than push through and end up unwell.
• Stay hydrated and get enough sleep, especially on long travel days.
• If you feel unwell, tell your guide early. Our teams manage health situations better when they know what’s happening.
• If you are symptomatic — fever, cough, sore throat, gastrointestinal symptoms, or anything that might be contagious — distance yourself from the group, wear a medical-grade mask (KN95 or N95), and notify your guide.
• If your guide asks you to wear a mask or limit contact with other travelers due to illness symptoms, that is a condition of continued participation in group activities. Refusal to follow a guide’s reasonable health instruction may result in exclusion from activities or, in serious cases, the tour.

How Our Guides Handle Illness on Tour

Our guides are trained in first aid and emergency response. When a traveler becomes ill, our guides will:

• Make sure you are comfortable and monitored;
• Contact local medical services if the situation warrants it;
• Take reasonable steps to limit transmission to other group members;
• Adjust activities or logistics where necessary to accommodate your recovery.

Our guides do not diagnose illness. If you have symptoms, we treat them the same way regardless of cause: rest, separation from the group where possible, masking, and medical attention if needed. We do not require travelers to test for specific illnesses as a routine matter, though local health authorities in some destinations may require testing.

Local Health and Entry Requirements

Travelers are required to comply with all health, safety, and entry requirements imposed by local authorities — including vaccination requirements, testing, masking, or other health measures in effect at the time of travel.

WAI will advise on known requirements in tour materials, but requirements change and vary by nationality. Each traveler is responsible for confirming and meeting current entry requirements before departure. Failure to comply may result in denial of entry, exclusion from activities, or removal from the tour.

Tour-Specific Wellness Policies

Some destinations — particularly remote or expedition-based tours — carry additional wellness requirements due to limited medical access or supplier regulations. These are noted on each tour’s page under “Before You Book.” Please read them before registering.

This Wellness Policy is part of WAI’s overall participant framework. Travelers’ obligations regarding health disclosure, conduct, and compliance with guide instructions are also set out in WAI’s General Terms and Conditions, particularly Sections 7 and 12. In the event of any inconsistency, the General Terms and Conditions govern.

Questions?

Contact us at fun@walkingadventures.com or 360.260.9393, Monday–Friday 7–10am Pacific.

Walking Adventures International, Inc.  |  522 W Riverside Ave, Suite 7220, Spokane, WA 99201