Travel with Confidence

When you’re ready to travel again, we're here to support you. Your safety, as well as the safety of our employees and partners, has always been our top priority, which is why we’ve put additional health and safety measures in place on all of our trips. Our Travel with Confidence policy features added health and safety procedures from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, without taking away from you having the time of your life. The policy will evolve as time goes on and as we continue to monitor local public health recommendations, but what won’t change is our commitment to keeping you safe as you explore our big, beautiful world.

Safe Travels - we have implemented health and hygiene protocols that are aligned with WTTC’s Safe Travels Protocols.

Safe Travels - we have implemented health and hygiene protocols that are aligned with WTTC’s Safe Travels Protocols . G Adventures has received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels stamp, which provides travellers with assurance that we’ve implemented health and hygiene protocols that are aligned with WTTC’s Safe Travels Protocols.

As a major contributing partner in the creation of these recommendations, G Adventures is proud to be implementing ATTA's COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines , developed in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, across all our trips.

Health & Safety Protocols

for National Geographic Journeys tours
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Travel with Confidence

for Antarctica Expedition Cruises
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Safety first, second, third, fourth...

More about the policy

Before you join us

Full Vaccinated policy and flexible booking terms

All travellers departing before March 31, 2023 must meet the requirements of our Vaccinated Tours. On Vaccinated Tours, all travellers must have received a full COVID-19 vaccination. Click here to learn more.

If you test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of departure, flexible rebooking terms will be made available so you can change to a future departure. For full details, see our Book with Confidence page.

Vaccinated Tours

All travellers and CEOs must have received a full COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose given at least 14 days prior to the first day of the tour.

If your tour starts on or after March 31, 2023 we no longer require you to be fully vaccinated, however we do still recommend that all travellers are fully vaccinated before travelling. Look for the Vaccinated Tours icon to determine if a vaccine is required for your departure. National Geographic Journeys and National Geographic Family Journeys have additional requirements, so please view the trip details online for more information. Our G Expedition tours will remain fully vaccinated for all departures.

Our Global Connection Officers

Our GCOs (the people who answer when you call us) are available to help with any questions you have prior to your trip, so you can feel confident and safe before leaving. No matter what time of day, they're there to respond to you. They'll be up to date on local regulations and restrictions and can guide you through your travel process as smoothly as possible. And if you don't feel well before travelling, our Book with Confidence policy allows you to reschedule your trip at no extra cost, which our GCOs can help you with too (terms and conditions apply). If you book flights with us and there are any changes, rest assured that the team will support you by making new arrangements on your behalf.

Be prepared before your departure

Our GCOs will do their very best to ensure you’re feeling comfortable, confident, and well-informed before you start your trip. There are, however, certain things that are the responsibility of the traveller. These include obtaining the proper entry documents for the country you’re visiting, as well as understanding the most up-to-date travel and health requirements and restrictions for all destinations relevant to your trip (which can change frequently). To help you prepare for your trip, we’ve compiled all the important pre-departure information you need to consider, plus additional travel advice to make your planning that much easier and enjoyable. And don’t forget that — in addition to your regular packing list items, like passports and local currency — you will need to pack your own face masks and hand sanitizer as well, which are recommended and may also be required as per local regulations on our trips.

Smaller groups

Our groups have always been small. This offers security, access, camaraderie, and a connection with your destination you won't get by travelling on bus tours or on your own. Our average group size is 12, ensuring our travellers can engage with each other without being squeezed together like sardines — and that was before physical distancing became a reality. Plus, if you have 8 or more friends you’d like to adventure with, you can reserve the entire trip!

Book Your Bubble with Private Travel

Take one of our existing Off-the-rack tours with as few as eight people from your Bubble or travel by yourself, with a friend, or a smaller group on your own private adventure and enjoy all the added health and safety measures of our Travel with Confidence policy. Learn more about Book Your Bubble with Private Travel.

My own room

If you’re joining one of our small group tours on your own, good on ya! If you are a solo traveller sharing a room with someone, we will do our best to ensure they will be your roommate for the entire journey to support distancing efforts. We have My Own Rooms available as an extra option for tours (pending availability), and we’ll be offering more of these at more affordable prices to make it even easier to have a bit more space. We do encourage travellers to consider purchasing My Own Room for added peace of mind (and the gloriousness of your own personal bathroom).

Pre-tour screening and flexible booking terms

Before joining one of our tours, all travellers must complete a COVID-19 Pre-Screening form, which ensures you’re feeling healthy to travel and aware of your responsibilities as a fellow traveller. As of March 31, 2023, we will no longer require travellers to be fully vaccinated to join a tour, with the exception of the G Expedition, National Geographic Journeys and National Geographic Family Journeys tours. If you are departing before March 31, 2023 look for the Vaccinated Tours icon to know if your trip requires you to be fully vaccinated. See our definition of fully vaccinated here. If you test positive within 14 days of departure, flexible rebooking terms will be made available so you can change to a future departure. For full details, see our Book with Confidence page.

When you arrive

Our Chief Experience Officers

Our CEOs are responsible for ensuring you have the time of your life while keeping you as safe as possible. Here’s how they’re ready to do that:

  • They’re trained in First Aid, CPR, and other safety protocols
  • They’re supported 24/7 by the field staff in our offices around the world who are well-equipped to handle emergencies
  • They can help you find local clinics if you're feeling sick
  • They’ll receive ongoing training to ensure they are up to date on all health and safety policies during these evolving times
  • They have extensive local knowledge to proactively help you navigate wherever you’re travelling
  • Their local knowledge allows for greater flexibility when it comes to knowing the best time to visit certain highlights to avoid crowds whenever possible and suggesting the restaurants with the strictest hygiene practices or those where you can reserve your own table or room in advance
  • They’ll wear face masks when necessary based on local guidelines and recommendations, and they will remind you of when to wear yours as well.

You & your fellow travellers

Our travellers' safety and wellbeing is our biggest concern. If you're not feeling well before your departure, we have a Book with Confidence policy that provides you with flexibility and freedom to delay leaving until you’re back to 100% healthy (terms and conditions apply). All travellers will also be required to self-screen daily for symptoms and inform the CEO should any symptoms arise. If you have a fever or any other symptoms while travelling, or are in close contact with someone who is experiencing symptoms, you will need to get tested for COVID-19. If you test positive, you will be required to have a doctor clear you or you must produce a negative COVID-19 test before rejoining us. In these instances, the CEO will enforce our Travel With Confidence policy and travellers are required to abide by the CEO’s instructions. All travellers are required to bring masks with them and wear them where locally required. We'll make every effort to have hand sanitizer available, but we recommend bringing your own. The CEO or group rep will provide information regarding where and when masks may be required to wear.

Antarctica Expedition Cruises

Since even the cold of Antarctica can’t freeze the spread of COVID-19, All passengers will be required to show proof of vaccination as part of the check in process before boarding. Please see Travel with Confidence for Antarctica Expedition Cruises for more details.

While on tour

Planes, trains, automobiles and more

Small private transport vehicles
  • Every surface in our well-kept fleet of private vehicles will get at least one daily cleaning
  • Each traveller will have a daily assigned seat
  • You will wear a mask on the vehicle if required locally
Our boats
  • Every surface will get at least one daily cleaning
  • High-traffic areas will receive more frequent cleaning
  • Hand-sanitizer or hand washing will be recommended every time you board the boat, as well as before and after meals
  • Your crew is trained in health and safety measures (including food handling) and all cooking staff will follow up-to-date advice from health authorities
Local transportation
  • If local transportation is used, precautions will be followed in adherence to local health and safety regulations to keep our travellers safe and sound.
  • Masks will be required to be worn while on board, if required as per local regulations.

Where you'll be staying safe

We’ve always carefully selected our accommodation partners for their high standards and local roots. We are working with our accommodation partners to optimize their health, safety and cleanliness procedures, as well as creating additional measures for physical distancing. Here are some of the things we’re working on to help keep you safe:

  • Daily cleaning and disinfecting of all surface areas inside your room with extra cleaning on light switches, door handles, TV remotes, and thermostats
  • No hotel staff will enter your room after it has been cleaned for the day
  • Barring an emergency and only upon request, you can also ask that no hotel staff enter your room after you’ve checked in
  • Increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting of all public restrooms and all surfaces in public areas. This might include the closure of public spaces such as gyms, bars, restaurants, and meeting rooms for periods throughout the day
  • Wherever possible, our groups will stay on the lower floors to limit elevator use
  • Hotels will implement physical distancing protocols in line with local regulations

Good (and safe) places to eat

We have always carefully selected our food service partners and worked closely with them to ensure they are meeting health, safety, and cleanliness standards with their facilities, staff training, and food preparation and delivery. Wherever possible, we will reserve separate tables or private rooms at the restaurants we visit, opt for more "al fresco" opportunities when we can (gotta love that fresh air!), and ensure breakfasts can be “grab and go” boxes, while avoiding family style or self-serve buffets for meals. We want you to feel comfortable and safe as you savour every last bite.

Activities

You’ve always had freedom and flexibility to do your own thing on our tours with optional activities and experiences. Now, you’ll still have those options with added measures to keep you healthy and safe. All equipment for activities on tour, including hiking poles, camping supplies, life jackets, snorkels, etc., will be cleaned thoroughly at least once a day and disinfected between use. When travellers are responsible for putting up their own tents on camping itineraries, you will be given the supplies required to disinfect your gear. We will also do our best to make activities and visits to highlights happen during non-peak hours, so you can have fun and feel safe no matter what you’re doing.

Before you leave

A healthy goodbye

If you’re not feeling well at the end of your tour for any reason, let your CEO know and they can help get you access to medical care and support. Because we want you to head home after a life-changing experience feeling just as good (let’s be honest, way better) than when you left. We understand that some of our travellers may be required to complete COVID-19 testing at the end of their tour to meet entry requirements on returning home. Our CEO’s will also be on hand to help answer questions and to help organize local tests where required.

Frequently Asked Questions

The safety of our travellers, as well as that of our employees and partners, has always been our top priority. Our Travel with Confidence policy was created to highlight all the measures G Adventures has developed and implemented on all of our tours in response to the increased focus on health and safety, hygiene, and physical distancing during this pandemic. Featuring health and safety procedures from the moment you arrive on tour to the moment you leave, without taking away from you having the time of your life, the policy will evolve as time goes on and as we continue to monitor local public health recommendations — but what won’t change is our commitment to keeping you safe as you explore our big, beautiful world. Our Travel with Confidence policy goes hand in hand with our Book with Confidence policy — which provides travellers with even more flexibility and freedom when it comes to booking with us by letting you cancel and rebook your tour with no added costs closer to the time of departure. While on tour, it is a requirement that travellers follow the directions of their CEO at all times to help keep their fellow group-mates safe, as well as local residents.

Yup, it will. We’re constantly monitoring local public health and safety recommendations and requirements, and we’ll continue to evolve and adapt our Travel with Confidence policy to address and adhere to these changing guidelines. Your CEO will always adhere to the most updated version of the policy, so please follow their advice at all times.

Our Travel with Confidence policy covers all of our G Adventures tours. For protocols specific to National Geographic Journeys and National Geographic Family Journeys please see here.

You bet. We’ve updated our booking terms to provide additional flexibility to our travellers. It helps you cancel and rebook your tour closer to the time of departure at no cost to you — giving you added flexibility and peace of mind. Full details can be found here.

You will not be required to test prior to travelling unless your travel plans require it (i.e. entry regulations). Should you test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of your departure, rest assured that flexible rebooking terms will be made available to you, allowing you to change to a future departure. For details, please see our Book with Confidence policy. Learn more at https://www.gadventures.com/book-with-confidence/ and https://www.gadventures.com/travel-with-confidence/.

As of July 1, 2022 until March 31, 2023, all tours will be designated as Vaccinated Tours. Vaccinated Tours require all travellers and the CEO to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, with the final dose given at least 14 days prior to the start of the tour. Tours departing on or after March 31, 2023 will no longer require travellers to be fully vaccinated, however we do recommend that travellers are fully vaccinated before travelling and it is the travellers responsibility to be aware of the local entry requirements and guidelines for the country they are visiting. Look for the Vaccinated Tours icon to see the requirements of your departure. National Geographic Journeys and National Geographic Family Journeys have additional requirements, so please view the trip details online for more information. Our G Expedition tours will remain fully vaccinated for all departures.

G Adventures may require you to demonstrate compliance with the Travel with Confidence Policy at any point prior to or during your trip. This may include presenting proof of vaccination. If you do not comply with the Travel with Confidence Policy, or do not demonstrate your compliance when requested, G Adventures may remove you from a tour immediately. Travellers removed from a tour for failure to adhere to the Travel with Confidence Policy are responsible for all costs related to their removal, including accommodations and transportation home. No refunds will be issued if you are removed from a tour because of a violation of the Travel with Confidence Policy.

Fully vaccinated tours will accept vaccines authorized or approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) or an official governmental body. For National Geographic Journeys with G Adventures tours, please check this policy page for additional information.

Our groups have always been small (usually 12 travellers), partly to encourage connections and to give you access to places larger groups can’t go, but also to provide you with plenty of personal space — and that was even before physical distancing!

Your group size will be an average of 12 awesome people from all over the world, who will be following the same guidelines as you; ensuring they don’t have COVID-19 symptoms pre-, post- or during their tour; seeing a doctor and/or getting tested if they feel sick; wearing masks where locally required; and, above all, washing their hands regularly. We appreciate that our travellers are joining us from many different countries around the world, with different rules on handling COVID-19. But, on a G Adventures tour, all our travellers are required to follow this policy and support decisions made locally by the CEO to help keep everyone safe.

Yes, please! We are recommending that all travellers bring face masks and wear them whenever physical distancing of 6ft/2m is not possible, as well as on vehicles/vessels but it is not required unless locally mandated. However, there may be local guidelines that require the wearing of masks and we will abide by those rules wherever necessary. We’ll continue to monitor this requirement and will make changes to this policy as appropriate, and as local guidelines and country rules evolve. In all cases, our travellers must follow these guidelines and the instructions of their CEO regardless of whether other people around the group are wearing masks or not — this is a requirement of participating on the tour.

As of right now, face masks are required to be worn throughout the trip whenever local guidelines require it. Your CEO will work with the group to set guidelines at the beginning of the trip and each individual traveller will be responsible for following these guidelines. Please review our Traveller Conduct Policy to ensure compliance with the policy.

We’ll do our best to provide hand sanitizer in places like our private vehicles and boats, but we ask that you please bring your own as well - to use, and use often. Thank you for doing your part!

  • We have small groups (average 12 travellers)
  • We encourage our groups to practice physical distancing of 6ft/2m wherever possible, and require travellers to wear masks when this isn’t possible
  • Our CEOs will review and advise on local health & safety and physical distancing protocols on a daily basis and as needed
  • We’ll continue to adapt and address the evolving guidelines and regulations of each particular country in which we travel, but regardless of country guidelines, the wearing of masks and the extra protocols that G Adventures has in place will remain for the safety of all travellers until further notice
  • All travellers must agree to the Traveller Conduct Policy, which requires everyone to wear masks and follow physical distancing guidelines

Travellers are required to complete an online COVID-19 Pre-Screening form before joining the tour, but at this time, we won’t be taking the temperature of travellers upon arrival. You are required to monitor your own symptoms on a daily basis. Anyone displaying symptoms will have to get clearance from a doctor, and potentially have a negative test, before they can rejoin the trip and, for the safety of the rest of the group, you must communicate with your CEO if you are experiencing any symptoms.

Our groups have always been small. Why? Because a smaller size offers security, access, camaraderie, and a connection with a destination that you just won't get by travelling on bus tours or even on your own. Our average group size is 12, ensuring that you could experience our world alongside other travellers without being squeezed together like sardines - even before physical distancing became a reality!

And, if you’d prefer, you can reserve the entire trip just for your own handpicked crew by taking advantage of our Book Your Bubble with Private Travel programprogram. We offer two awesome ways to travel with friends and family in your own bubble for even more confidence and peace of mind, while also including all of the heightened health and safety measures implemented on all of our trips:; Off-the-rack, and our Book Your Bubble Collection of select adventures that offer even more benefits and discounts.

We are constantly reviewing the safety and security of all countries in which we operate, as well as monitoring all government travel advisories on an ongoing basis. There are many factors we look at before deciding where to travel and where not to travel.

If you’re not feeling well or are displaying symptoms upon arrival on one of our tours, you’ll be required to visit a doctor, and receive a negative test for COVID-19 to get clearance to continue on the trip. Your CEO will support you and will provide help finding a clinic and throughout the process.

The health and safety of our travellers is our top, top, top priority. We’ll work with your CEO and on-the-ground teams, as well as with the local countries, to determine the procedures should this happen. We will always follow local medical and public health requirement’s advice on how to proceed. In the event that someone tests positive for COVID-19, they will not be able to continue with the tour until clearing both local and G Adventures protocols , and our local operations team will help any affected travellers make alternative arrangements. All travellers, however, are required to have travel insurance in order to cover this situation should it occur. If a traveller is deemed to be exposed to someone who has tested positive they will be required to take a covid test and provide a negative test result.

If someone does test positive for COVID-19 in the group, a decision on any additional testing for other group members will be made by the CEO as to who additionally will be required to take a COVID-19 test. The CEO will consider factors such as public health guidance, local regulations, who may have been a close contact, and the ability for the group to continue safely.

You can learn more about our specific Travel with Confidence policy for Antarctica Expedition Cruises here.

While it is not a requirement to take a COVID test before joining the tour, many countries require you to take a test before entering the country. For those countries that don’t require a test, we would still advise travellers to take a test for their own peace of mind, especially if they are travelling outside of their own country.

G Adventures reserves the right to ask travellers to take COVID tests even if COVID tests are not a requirement to gain entry to the country.

If you can’t travel prior to your trip, please speak to your travel agent or GCO for more information and options. Please remember to ensure that you have adequate travel insurance to protect you should your travel plans change.

Please contact us or your travel agent for support on the ground and for options that we can help you with. Please remember to ensure that you have adequate travel insurance to protect you should your travel plans change.

Please contact us or your travel agent for support on the ground, and for options that we can help you with. Your CEO and G Adventures 24/7 operational support will be also able to support you remotely. You should also follow local public health guidance as well. As a courtesy to other travellers, please do not join the Welcome Meeting to avoid putting anyone else at risk. Please remember to ensure that you have adequate travel insurance to protect you should your travel plans change.

Yes, all travellers are required to have travel insurance. The insurance policy must meet the minimum requirements of a minimum medical, evacuation, and repatriation coverage of $200,000. We also advise our travellers to acquire a policy with COVID-19 coverage, where available.

As of March 31, 2023 the majority of Private Groups will no longer be required to be fully vaccinated. We will review on a case by case basis for any National Geographic Journeys or National Geographic Family Journeys Tours. Our G Expedition will continue to require all travellers to be fully vaccinated. Please speak to our Private Groups team for further information.

After March 31, 2023 we will no longer require that our CEOs are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (with the final dose given at least 14 days prior to the start of the tour). However, we do recommend that all CEOs and travellers are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before travelling. They are not required to test prior to joining a group, unless they are symptomatic or are deemed to be a recent close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19. In those cases they must test negative in order to lead your tour.

Indeed they will! All CEOs and staff are required to take additional COVID-19 Health & Safety training prior to leading a trip.

Yes! It is a requirement for all travellers to conduct a daily self-screening exercise. For any travellers who are displaying any COVID-19 symptoms, they must immediately inform the CEO so we can make necessary arrangements for the traveller to be tested, and to help minimize any potential spread of COVID-19 within the group. We appreciate everyone’s support in providing honest feedback for the safety of all travellers, staff, and local residents.

We’ve always carefully selected our accommodation partners for their super-high standards and local roots. We’re working with our accommodation partners to optimize their health, safety, and cleanliness procedures, as well as creating additional measures for physical distancing. Here are some of the things we’ve put in place to help keep you safe:

  • Daily cleaning and disinfecting of all surface areas inside your room with extra cleaning on light switches, door handles, TV remotes, and thermostats
  • No hotel staff will enter your room after it has been cleaned for the day
  • Barring an emergency and only upon request, you can also ask that no hotel staff will enter your room after you’ve checked in
  • Increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting of all public restrooms and all surfaces in public areas. This might include the closure of public spaces such as gyms, bars, restaurants, and meeting rooms for periods throughout the day
  • Wherever possible, our groups will stay on the lower floors to limit elevator use
  • Accommodation partners will implement physical distancing protocols inline with local regulations

This is just the beginning of our commitments to keeping you sleeping safe and sound. We’ll continue to evolve and roll-out these and additional policies as needed.

If you are travelling on your own, you’ll be paired up with a roommate of the same gender. If you are travelling on a dorm-based tour, you will be rooming with other individuals from the group and potentially the general public. And if you do want to upgrade to your own room, we have worked to make more My Own Rooms available.

While we will no longer be requiring vaccinations for tours departing on or after March 31, 2023, we do still recommend all travellers are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 before travelling. If you are travelling on your own, you will be paired up with a roommate of the same gender. Due to privacy reasons we cannot share travellers vaccination status. If you have concerns over who you are rooming with, we have My Own Room options available for purchase.

Once you’re on your trip, you’ll be responsible for your own luggage.

If you don't feel well before travelling, our Book with Confidence policy lets you reschedule your trip at no added costs (terms and conditions apply). While on the trip itself, you’re always encouraged to speak up if you’re not feeling well, and your CEO can help you find local clinics so you can see a medical professional. In the event that someone tests positive, they will not be able to continue with the tour until clearing all protocols. Our local operations team will help any affected travellers make alternative arrangements. All travellers, however, are required to have travel insurance in order to cover this situation should it occur. If a traveller is deemed to be exposed to someone who has tested positive they may be required to take a test. A decision on any additional testing for other group members will be made by the CEO as to who additionally will be required to take a Covid test. The CEO will consider factors such as public health guidance, local regulations, who may have been a close contact, and the ability for the group to continue safely.

If this happens while you are on your holiday, please notify us without delay and we will provide as much reasonable assistance as we can. However, G Adventures will not be responsible for covering the cost of any curtailment of your tour, missed transport arrangements, additional accommodation required, or other associated costs incurred by you. Travellers must ensure they have travel insurance which covers these costs.

Public transportation has always been a big part of the G Adventure experience. So yes, there will be times where local transportation will be used, depending on the tour and the travel style. We’ll continue to take all necessary precautions and adhere to local health and safety regulations to ensure your safety. If you have any concerns, please take a look at the Tour Notes for a particular tour before making a booking to see if local transportation will be used. While using any form of transport it will be recommended that all travellers wear face masks, use hand sanitizer, and physically distance wherever possible unless locally mandated where it would be required.

Check out all of the details about transportation in the Travel with Confidence policy above.

We’ve always carefully selected our food service partners and worked closely with them to ensure they meet health, safety, and cleanliness standards when it comes to their facilities, staff training, and food preparation and delivery. Wherever we can, we’ll reserve separate tables or private rooms at the restaurants we visit, opt for more "al fresco" opportunities, and ensure breakfasts can be “grab and go” boxes, while steering clear of family style or self-serve buffets for meals.

All travellers are required to agree to the Traveller Conduct Policy. Anyone who doesn’t follow these guidelines will be removed from the trip.

We have robust Critical Incident Management processes, which have been updated for COVID-19 related issues. If you’re unable to keep travelling on the tour because someone on the trip has a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case, we encourage you to reach out to your insurance provider.

If you get home from one of our trips feeling unwell, we recommend you follow your home country’s health and safety guidelines. And if you do test positive for COVID-19, please notify us as quickly as you can.