TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Booking / Acceptance
Please read these Terms & Conditions carefully. By making a reservation, you have agreed to accept the Terms & Conditions herein. ChinaTour.com accepts a booking with the understanding that full payment has been collected and held by ChinaTour.com. Some of the group tours require a minimum number for a guaranteed departure date. ChinaTour.com reserves the right to cancel a tour due to insufficient numbers at least 30 days before its departure date. On confirmation of your booking, ChinaTour.com will reserve your place on your selected tours. It is your responsibility as the customer to check the accuracy of your booking and travel dates on receipt of your travel documents.

2. Deposit and final payment
Deposit:
$300 deposit per person is required when making your reservation. In the event that the deposit does not reach us within 10 days after the booking is made, we assume that you no longer wish to travel with us, and we will release any arrangements reserved for you. The booking becomes a contract at the time you make your deposit.
Air Ticket:
A payment of $900 per person is required, if your requested air tickets are to be issued by the airlines before the due date of the final payment.
Final Payment:
Final payment must be received no later than 45 days prior to your departure. If ChinaTour.com doesn't receive your final payment 45 days before departure, we reserve the right to cancel your reservation and charge cancellation fees accordingly. If the booking is made less than 45 days before departure, the full amount must be paid when booking the tour.

3. Cancellations and cancellation fees
Cancellations are very costly and usually do not occur in time for re-sale of the cancelled tour. Notification of all cancellations must be made in writing and sent to ChinaTour.com. If a written cancellation is received by ChinaTour.com more than 60 days prior to departure, half of the deposit will be forfeited. For cancellations received within 60 days prior to departure, the following per person cancellation fees apply.

Less than 60 days, but more than 45 days prior to departure: $200
44-30 days prior to departure: $400
29-15 days prior to departure: $800
within 14 days prior to departure: 100% of total charge
ChinaTour.com reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any tours. ChinaTour.com will refund to the passenger the amount we have received for the tour reservation upon such cancellation. All tour itineraries are subject to minor changes that may occur due to local arrangements.

4. Insurance
All tours participants are covered by a $30,000 accident insurance policy. There is, however, no medical insurance or cancellation insurance coverage included in the tour price. We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive insurance to cover trip cancellation, medical expenses, personal accidents, personal baggage loss, money loss, and public liability before you travel. Please consult our agents to learn about and purchase additional insurance.

5. Amendment fees
A fee of $30 per transaction may apply for any alteration or amendment to a confirmed reservation that you request. Airline penalties may also apply. A name change for a traveler requested after air tickets have been issued will be treated as a cancellation, and cancellation fees will apply.

6. Items not included in the tour price
The cost of passports, visas, unscheduled meals and interstate travel from any place to your departure city are not covered in the price of your tour. Tips, including those to your tour manager (national guide), tour driver, or local city guides and gratuities on cruise ships are not included. In addition, the cost of laundry, beverages, travel insurance, excess baggage fees, and all other items of a personal nature are not covered in the price of the tour.

7. Conditions
All tour prices are quoted in U.S. dollars and are based on tariff and rates of currency exchange in effect at the time of printing ($1 = 6.8). These rates are subject to change as deemed necessary and fair by ChinaTour.com (excluding those who pay in full).

When the total number of tour members falls below ten persons, ChinaTour.com reserves the right to cancel the tour 30 days prior to departure. Liability is limited to full refund of money received by ChinaTour.com.

All customers' passports must be valid for at least 7 months at the time of the commencement of travel for those traveling to foreign countries. If you hold a non-U.S. passport, please consult with your travel agent for similar requirements. ChinaTour.com is not responsible for the rejection of a traveler’s entry by immigration and custom officials, even if the tour participant holds a valid passport and proper visas. Tour costs cannot be refund or forwarded in these circumstances

If the services included in the tour cannot be supplied or there are changes in an itinerary for reasons beyond the control of ChinaTour.com, ChinaTour.com is not responsible for payment of any expense caused thereby; expenses will be payable by tour participants. The tour participant agrees that neither ChinaTour.com nor its affiliates shall be liable for changes of tour schedules, delay, damages, loss, robbery, fraud, violence, sickness, and injury caused by the acts of God, natural disasters, fires, governmental and local authority's orders, a political change, strikes, war, riots, quarantine, and custom regulations. Neither shall ChinaTour.com nor its affiliates be liable for damages caused by any accident beyond the responsibilities of travel agents and incurred due to a tourist’s action that violates the law.

The baggage allowance for transpacific flights is two pieces per person for checked baggage. The combined total dimensions of the bags may not exceed 106 inches (269 cm), provided neither one exceeds 62 inches (157 cm) nor 50 lb (22.7 kg). In China, baggage is limited to one piece only, not to exceed 44 lb (20 kg). Carry on baggage is limited to one piece with combined total dimension not exceeding 45 inches (114 cm). Excess baggage charges and insurance is the owner's responsibility. We strongly recommend that our clients check only one bag per person.

The tour charge for children under 11, who share a bed with 2 adults and therefore do not require a roll-away bed in the same room, is 75% of the adult fare. If a third bed in parents' room is required, the fare for a child will be 90% of the adult fare. Children 12 and over will be charged at the regular adult price.

Although ChinaTour.com will be happy to assist you with any shopping needs, ChinaTour.com is not responsible for the price or quality of any goods purchased, or services contracted for during the tour.

ChinaTour.com reserves the right to accept or reject any person as a tour participant, to expel any tour participant from the tour, to make changes in the itinerary whenever ChinaTour.com deems it necessary for the interest, the comfort, convenience, or safety of the tour participants, or to cancel a tour at any time.

All tour participants must be physically and mentally for traveling. Each participant is responsible for their own health. In the event that a tour participant has a serious illness, he or she must provide valid health documents issued by a professional doctor to prove that they are fit for travel. ChinaTour.com will not undertake any legal obligation related to participants' health conditions.

The carriers, hotels and other suppliers providing tour services are independent contractors and are not agents, employees, or servants of ChinaTour.com or its affiliates. Nor are any of them considered to be involved in joint ventures with ChinaTour.com. All certificates and travel documents for tour services issued by ChinaTour.com are subject to the terms and conditions specified by the suppliers and to the laws of the countries in which the services are supplied.

8. Responsibility
ChinaTour.com, as tour operator, acts only as an agent. All travel arrangements included in a trip are made on behalf of the participants with the express condition that neither ChinaTour.com nor its agents shall be held liable or responsible in the absence of negligence for any direct or indirect consequence, or irregularity of any kind, which may be accessional by reason of any act or omission of any person or entity, including without limitation, any act of negligence or breach of contract of any third party such as an airline, train, motor coach, private car, cruise vessel, boat, or any other conveyance, hotel, sightseeing provider, local ground handler, etc., which is to or does supply any goods or services for this trip. Participant understands that ChinaTour.com neither owns nor operates such third party suppliers and accordingly agrees to seek remedies directly from and only with those suppliers and not hold ChinaTour.com responsible for their acts, omission or commission. Without their limiting the foregoing, ChinaTour.com and its agents are not responsible for any losses or expenses due to delay or changes of schedule, overbooking of accommodations, default of any third parties, sickness, weather, strike, acts of God, acts of terrorism, force majeure, acts of governmental civil disturbances, war, quarantine, customs regulations, epidemics, criminal activity or for any other cause beyond its control. All losses or expenses attributable to such occurrences must be paid for by the participant.

ChinaTour.com accepts no responsibility for value, reliability, quality or authenticity of any goods purchased while on tour or for any mailing, freight or shipping arrangements.

ChinaTour.com reserves the right to decline to accept, or retain any person as tour participant, should such person's health, mental condition, physical infirmity or general deportment impede the operation of the tour or the rights, welfare, or enjoyment of other tour participants.

ChinaTour.com reserves the right to substitute hotels and alter the itinerary, withdraw any tour and make any desirable alteration for the convenience of the operation of tours. ChinaTour.com reserves the right to cancel the tour prior to departure for any reason. Liability for such cancellation is limited to full refund of money received by ChinaTour.com and this will constitute full settlement with the tour member.

All tour fares shown, except in China, are based on the present value of foreign currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar in effect on Jan. 01, 2010, and in current tariffs on the same date and are subject to change. In China, costs are quoted by ChinaTour.com in U.S. dollars. However, ChinaTour.com reserves the right to alter or adjust its costs. In the event that a ChinaTour.com ground operator increases the cost of any service within China, tour fares are subject to adjustment. ChinaTour.com reserves the right to cancel the tour prior to departure for any reason. In such case, a full refund of all payments made will constitute a full settlement with the participant. The ChinaTour.com ground operator has sole and exclusive control over the operation of all tours in China. The ChinaTour.com home office reserves the right to make alterations or adjustments in the itinerary as to destinations, transportation, accommodations and all other services. Neither ChinaTour.com nor any subsidiary or affiliate of ChinaTour.com shall be responsible for any such alterations made by ChinaTour.com the ground operator.

Baggage is carried at the owner’s risk, and baggage insurance is recommended. ChinaTour.com is not responsible for typographical or printing errors or omissions in this brochure. ChinaTour.com accepts no responsibility for costs that may occur as the result of a participant failing to secure adequate insurance coverage, which coverage is highly recommended. Generally, health insurance does not cover health care expenses outside the United States. ChinaTour.com is not responsible for any participant's visa or passport requirements will not make any refund of unused services, or reimbursement of any additional expenditure, if a participant is denied entry to a country for this or any other reason.

The general conditions under which you agree to utilize the services of ChinaTour.com may not be amended in any way, except in writing, by an authorized officer of ChinaTour.com By utilizing the services of ChinaTour.com you agree that the exclusive venue for all claims shall be the County of San Mateo, State of California, and such claims shall be determined according to the laws and jurisdiction of the state of California.

The issuance of tickets and vouchers shall be deemed to be consent to the above conditions and to these terms and conditions.