Terms and Conditions

What follows are the Terms and Conditions of South American Vacations.

Reservations

To make a new reservation, send us an email or call us toll free at 1-888-268-9753 from the U.S. and Canada.

Deposit and Final Payment

We accept American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Discover Card, Personal Checks and Cashier’s Checks made payable to ‘South American Vacations’, and wire transfers. Wiring instructions will be sent upon request.

Your payment is not deemed made until it is credited to our operating account. A non-refundable deposit of at least $500 per person, depending upon the destination is required for us to book your reservation.  For Galapagos Islands, Amazon River, Antarctica, and other cruises, the non-refundable deposits (and cancellation fees) vary greatly, so please call your travel counselor for the details. Final payment is due 60 days prior to your departure date.  If we do not receive final payment by this date, we reserve the right to cancel your reservation.

Cancellations and Cancellation Fees

Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to South American Vacations and are subject to the following fees per person:

Cancellation Date Cancellation Fee
More than 60 Days Prior to Departure Non-Refundable Deposit
59 to 45 Days Prior to Departure 30% of Trip Cost
44 to 30 Days Prior to Departure 60% of Trip Cost
29 Days or Less Prior to Departure 100% of Trip Cost

**For cruises (including to Galapagos, Amazon, and Antarctica), the Cancellation Fee is 100% of the Trip Cost 60 days or less prior to Departure.

We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance to cover you for trip cancellation/interruption. See the Travel Insurance paragraph below for more details.

Revision Fees

A revision fee of $25 may be charged for any revision made to a reservation. This is in addition to any airline penalties that may also apply.  A change of traveler name, tour date, or itinerary within 60 days of departure will be treated as a cancellation and will be subject to all applicable cancellation fees.

Price Guarantee

We guarantee the land portion of your tour price when we receive the initial deposit.

Visas, Passports, and Foreign Entry Requirements

It is the sole responsibility of the traveler to obtain all necessary visas and entry documents and for meeting all health and other requirements required by laws, regulations and/or requirements of the country (or countries) to be visited.  Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months or longer beyond the dates of your trip.  Foreign entry requirements for U.S. citizens are available on the internet in the Entry/Exit Requirements section of the Consular Information Sheet for each country at this link.  Non-U.S. citizens should consult with the appropriate embassies or consulates to determine the entry/exit requirements for citizens of their nationality.  All persons traveling internationally are required to have a passport.

Last minute cancellations due to incorrect entry documents will be subject to the cancellation fees shown above.

Immunizations

Under the International Health Regulations adopted by the World Health Organization, a country may require International Certificates of Vaccination against yellow fever, especially for travelers to the Amazon Region. You can obtain detailed health information from your local healthcare provider or from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Traveler’s Health section (phone: 1-800-232-4636, internet: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/).

Air Transportation

South American Vacations arranges air transportation with several different carriers from the passenger’s choice of departure cities. All airline tickets are subject to the airline Terms and Conditions in effect as of the date of issuance, and any changes made to an airline ticket after issuance are subject to penalties imposed by the carrier. The Terms and Conditions of the airline in effect as of the date of issuance of your ticket shall constitute the sole contract between the airline and the passenger. Airfares are subject to different rules and cancellation fees; some may be non-refundable. Details will be quoted at time of booking the air itinerary.

Accommodations

The accommodations that we offer have been carefully selected based on a combination of personal inspection, recommendations from our local tour operators, and feedback from our passengers. All efforts have been made to match our accommodation levels to those of international standards, but, in some locations, this is not possible.

Transfers

Transfers between airports, hotels, and sea ports are included in most of our tours. In instances where they are not included, we can quote the cost and make the arrangements for you.

Not Included in Tour and/or Excursion Prices

Costs of obtaining passports and visas; medical charges for vaccinations; excess baggage charges as imposed by airlines; local airport and/or departure taxes; travel insurance (including trip delay, cancellation, personal health, life, and baggage); gratuities to drivers, hotel staff, ship crew, and tour guides; meals and services not specified in your itinerary; and any other items of a personal nature, are not included in your tour price.

Responsibilities

South American Vacations acts only as an agent for the various independent suppliers that provide hotel accommodations, transportation, sightseeing, activities, or other services connected with this tour. Such services are subject to the terms and conditions of those suppliers. South American Vacations and its respective employees, agents, representatives, and assigns accept no liability whatsoever for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or any incident which may be caused by the negligence, defect, default of any company or person in performing these services. Responsibility is not accepted for losses, injury, damages or expenses of any kind due to sickness, weather, strikes, hostilities, wars, terrorist acts, acts of nature, local laws or other such causes. All services and accommodations are subject to the laws and regulations of the country in which they are provided. South American Vacations is not responsible for any baggage or personal effects of any individual participating in the tours/trips arranged by South American Vacations. Individual travelers are responsible for purchasing a travel insurance policy, if desired, that will cover some of the expenses associated with the loss of luggage or personal effects.

Travel Insurance

In order to protect your travel investment from unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. We are licensed to sell travel insurance by the state of Florida, and work with Allianz Travel Insurance (formerly Access America), the travel insurance brand of Allianz Global Assistance, and Travel Guard.  Visit our Travel Insurance page for more information or to get a quote.

M Square, LLC dba South American Vacations is registered with the State of Florida as a Seller of Travel Registration No. ST35056, is a member of ATTA (Adventure Travel Trade Association), IATAN (International Airlines Travel Agent Network), IGTOA (International Galapagos Tour Operators Association), and the Better Business Bureau of Southeast Florida (A+ Rating), and has been in business since 2002.

Have Questions? Call 1-888-268-9753 to Speak to An Expert.