As we are sure you are aware, over the course of the pandemic the hurdles that Covid-19 have thrown have created a completely unprecedented situation for the travel industry globally and, along with other travel companies, we have had to update our booking conditions and cancellation policy to adapt to the constantly evolving nature of this global pandemic. With changes to travel advice changing regularly, we may not always have clear answers to every questions. But we will always do our best to tell you clearly what we do and don’t know.

Since the beginning of this crisis, we have been doing our utmost to provide you all, our 360 family or trekkers and climbers, with the best possible travel experience! Due to the complexities with each expedition booking, 360 works on the individual cases presented, so to find the very best solution for each trekker and climber.

We believe our expeditions should be something to look forward to, not something to be concerned about! As such, the below gives an overview of how we are operating, but please do note that this is not a black and white situation and we are very flexible to make all eventualities work for you, us and our global team.

360 Covid Policy

Simply, we will let you know if there are any specific COVID rules and regulations for the country you are set to visit and travel within.

We would ask you to take reasonable precautions before and during your trip to ensure hygiene and safety measures are followed to reduce your risk of spreading illness, including COVID.

We would also recommend you be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as this gives you the most freedom to travel, and should help prevent you from being caught up in the forever changing and convoluted travel restrictions.

Of course, vaccines are very much a personal choice, and we honour and respect this, and will work alongside you to help find a solution if you are not vaccinated prior to travel.

We do advise all of our travellers that it is their own personal responsibility to be fully educated in latest Covid regulations, of their home country and the expedition destination, both at the time of booking and prior to departure with 360. Along with our standard insurance requirements for all 360 expeditions, we would also highly recommend your travel insurance covers you for COVID-19, as any costs incurred will be at your own personal expense. Of course, you should check your own personal insurance policy for the specifics, but do be aware that the majority of insurance companies will now not cover you for Covid-related claims unless you have the necessary vaccinations.

What happens if I get Covid during an expedition?

We have implemented enhanced hygiene and cleanliness safety measures on all of our expeditions, and your 360 Leader will be on hand to give you the latest local guidance and updates. Though 360 can take no responsibility for any client falling ill with Covid when away with us on an expedition, if this does happen then 360 will be on hand to go above and beyond in securing yours and the team’s safety and will help arrange all necessary logistics.

While we will do our utmost to assist in this situation, any expenses incurred will need to be covered by you and your travel insurers so, along with our standard insurance requirements for all expeditions, we would highly recommend your travel insurance covers you for COVID-19.

Must I have the Covid vaccine to travel with 360 Expeditions?

No. However, we strongly recommend you do have the vaccine, and feel that it is our duty to say as much.  If you wish to travel, it will help make your trip safer not only for yourself but for our team of trekkers and climbers and, most of all, our local teams, in countries where often the medical infrastructure is far less advanced, with limited health insurance cover.

Of course, it is worth noting that many insurance companies will only provide medical cover for Covid on the basis you are vaccinated. If you are not, many will exempt this from your cover, which adds another level of risk to your health and finances when away, so do check your insurance T&Cs thoroughly when booking.

What if I book onto an expedition that is in a country with specific Covid vaccination entry regulations – am I obliged to follow them?

If a country has an entry requirement that involves you to be fully vaccinated to enter and/or to freely travel, then it is your responsibility to comply with these requirements (and check beforehand to your required level of cover, including any booster vaccinations) in order to be able to undertake the expedition.

For any entry requirements to return to your home country, 360 will assist as we can, but any additional costs for testing requirements are at your own expense.

If you are unable to or choose not to comply with the entry requirements then you will be liable for any related costs, including but not limited to, flying out earlier to allow time for PCRs tests and/or self-isolation on arrival, additional accommodation for isolation or testing, or even the cancellation of your expedition.

Once I have booked and paid my deposit for my expedition, what are my options if I wish to cancel?

If we can operate the expedition and your decision to cancel is not based on any FCDO Covid restrictions top or tailing the trip, then we will revert to 1.51 of our Terms and Conditions.

If you need to cancel due to Covid restrictions involving self-isolation in either your destination or home country, we will offer you a postponement to another expedition. The cost to move will be 10% of the deposit, capped at £150, plus loss of flights if we have booked for you. Please note that we will do our best to get a date change on your flights or a credit note. If you are undecided as to which expedition, we will give you a credit note based on the same calculations. This credit note will be available for 2 years.

If you wish to cancel as you do not wish to comply with the entry requirements of the destination country, we will consider this a personal cancellation and will revert to our cancellation policy as per our terms and conditions.

Once I have booked and paid my final balance for my expedition, what are my options if I wish to cancel?

If we can operate the expedition and your decision to cancel is not based on FCDO Covid restrictions, then we will revert to 1.51 of our Terms and Conditions.

If you cancel due to travel restriction (e.g. red lists) preventing you from travelling to your destination or return to your home country we will offer you alternative dates for your expedition.

The cost to postpone will be 10% of the deposit, capped at £150, plus loss of flights if we have booked for you. Please note that we will do our best to get a date change on your flights or a credit note.

If you wish to change your expedition destination (for example, move from Kilimanjaro to Everest Base Camp), then we will work with you to find a solution. Being so close to departure your money is often already locked, in country, into your booked expedition and so we will need to explore this situation on a case by case basis. Where possible, we will offer a credit note for the new destination, and the amount will be dependent on how close we are to departure and thus any irretrievable costs in country.

If you wish to cancel as you do not wish to comply with the entry requirements of the destination country, we will consider this a personal cancellation and will revert to our cancellation policy as per our terms and conditions.

What if 360 cancels the expedition?

Should the trip not be able to run due to issues out with our control, including border closures or travel restrictions, we will look at all options with each individual traveller.

We will work closely with you and our local team to find the best solution for everyone, including postponement (at which we have become fairly expert at over the last 20 months!), a credit note which can be used for another trip, or a refund.  If your flights have been booked, we will do our best to get a date change a credit note or a refund on your behalf.

If I am on the expedition and there is change in the Covid regulations in-country or in my home country, what are my options?

After the expedition has begun, it will continue if it is reasonable to carry on.

If it is suspended, or you decide to return home before a deadline for enforced quarantine or any other reason, no refund or compensation will be due.  You should claim for curtailment and associated costs from your Travel Insurance Provider, which you should check provides cover for such an eventuality.

What if…

We absolutely understand the uncertainty that many people feel about COVID-19 – if and how it will affect them and their travel plans. We have had several of our climbers and trekkers ask us “What if …?”, with possible scenarios, and many of these are answered above. However, COVID-19 has raised a few questions of hypothetical situations unlike any that have occurred before! With local travel regulations changing fast, we ask for your understanding with any variations in travel situations.

What we can say with confidence is that when we have been faced with difficult situations in the past where our travellers have needed our help, we are very proud of how we have risen to these challenges. As many of our repeat trekkers can attest, we frequently go above and beyond what they would expect from a travel provider, and we have done so throughout the pandemic so far. 360 is incredibly experienced in arranging quality mountain expeditions and experiences, and we are confident in all our operations that you will be looked after and you can rely on us to do our utmost with each challenge arising from this outbreak, as we do our very best to help and support each and every one of our 360 family.

We can’t thank you all enough for the support that is equally coming our way. We are one big adventurous community, and be rest assured we are working tirelessly on the above – and we can’t wait for you to travel with us!

Last updated: 29th November 2022