These terms and conditions apply to Secret Hills Walking UK and European holidays only.
When we have received your booking form and deposit, we will issue you with a booking invoice, containing full details of your holiday, and detailing how much deposit or full balance you have paid- sent by e-mail. This acceptance confirmation forms the contract between us and will come into effect from the date on the communication to you.
Alteration by you
We will always do our best to accommodate any reasonable request for alterations to your holiday after the deposit is paid. If you find you wish to change dates or accommodation, contact us, then confirm your request in writing. Secret Hills Walking will not charge you for this change. However, if there are costs associated with the accommodation change, we reserve the right to discuss these with you and levy a charge according to the costs incurred.
Cancellation by you
If you wish to cancel your holiday after confirmation has been issued, it must be done in writing. The following cancellation charges will apply.
In ALL cases, an admin charge of £50 will apply to any refunds given.
- Between 29 days and 59 days – a further 50% of your deposit will be retained.
- Between 15 days and 28 days – 100% of your deposit will be retained. If you have paid the full holiday costs, we will negotiate with the hotel that the booking has been made with, and make an appropriate refund based upon their willingness to cancel the booking and their own cancellation charges. An administration and finance charge of £50 will also be made.
- Between 7 days and 14 days – 100% of your holiday fee will be retained. If you have paid the full holiday costs, we will negotiate with the hotel that the booking has been made with, and make an appropriate refund based upon their willingness to cancel the booking and their own cancellation charges. An administration and finance charge of £50 will also be made.
- Under 7- days All invoiced fees we have received will be retained.
Cancellation by us
In exceptional circumstances, beyond the control of our company, if we cancel a holiday, then we will make every effort to offer an alternative date. If this is not acceptable however, a full refund will be given.
There are occasions when we do not receive sufficient bookings – we set a minimum of four clients per advertised programme – to manage the published walks effectively. We will offer alternative dates and if these are not acceptable, all the deposits made will be fully refundable. We cannot be held responsible for cancellations due to unforeseen circumstances, such as war, civil unrest, natural disaster or any other situation that is beyond our control.
Alteration by us
We reserve the right to cancel your booking or change any of the facilities, hotels, services or prices described in our brochures or website. We will endeavour to advise you of any changes known at the time of booking. We plan the arrangements for your tour many months in advance and may occasionally have to make changes, most of which are minor.
Liability
The web site and any associated brochures or leaflets printed and shown here is to our knowledge accurate and written in good faith. Secret Hills Walking Holidays cannot take responsibility for any misunderstanding from a client not reading or understanding the information thoroughly. Secret Hills cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage to personal effects during your holiday with us, that is beyond our control. This includes loss, damage, fatal or any other injury during your holiday, except when Secret Hills Walking Holidays are proven in law either to be in breach of our contractual duty or to have been negligent.
Conduct
We reserve absolute right to refuse a client’s participation on any walk if it is considered that they are either in personal danger to themselves or may endanger others on the walks.
Leader Authority & behaviour
On an active group holiday it is necessary that you abide by the authority of the leader, who represents the company. If you commit any illegal act when on the holiday or if in the reasonable opinion of the leader your behaviour is disruptive, threatening or abusive or is causing or likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others we may terminate your travel arrangements without any liability on our part
Complaints
We take pride in the organisation of our holidays. However, any complaints should first be made to your walk leader as soon as possible. We will endeavour to find an immediate solution that is acceptable to you. If for some reason the problem is not immediately resolved to your satisfaction, then it should be put in writing and sent to the address shown on this website within fourteen days of the end of your holiday. Disputes arising from the contract between us will be governed by UK law.
Health and Fitness
Bookings are accepted on the understanding that when you reserve a holiday with us you are in good health and have an appropriate level of fitness to complete the holiday. We would ask you to inform us if you suffer from any allergies, such as asthma, or recurrent medical condition, such as epilepsy, or disability, such as limb restriction, hearing or sight restriction. Also if you have previous heart conditions, or suffer from angina. This will help your guides to effectively plan the holidays taking into consideration these facts.
Travel Arrangements & Airport Transfers
Our holidays do not include flights or other travel to the start point unless explicitly stated. You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements and ensuring you arrive in time for the start of your holiday and any scheduled services.
Where included, airport transfers are provided on a group basis and operate at set times in line with typical arrival and departure schedules. Details of these timings are shown on the webpage for each holiday.
It is your responsibility to arrange travel that allows you to meet the scheduled transfer. If your flight is delayed, cancelled, or otherwise disrupted and you miss your transfer, we are not responsible for providing an alternative transfer. In such cases, you will be required to make your own way to/from the accommodation at your own expense. We will do our best to help with arrangements using our normal transfer businesses.
On some holidays, only one transfer may be provided due to the length or logistics of the journey. It is therefore particularly important that your travel arrangements align with the scheduled transfer time.
While we will make reasonable efforts to assist you in making alternative arrangements where possible, we accept no liability for any additional costs incurred.
We are not liable for any losses, missed arrangements, or additional expenses arising from travel disruption outside our control. This includes, but is not limited to, flight delays, cancellations, strikes, weather conditions, or air traffic control restrictions.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance at the time of booking. This should include cover for travel disruption, missed departures, and any additional costs incurred as a result.
Travel Holiday Insurance
We strongly recommend that you take out holiday insurance for any UK holiday you undertake with us. This helps you to recover costs that a cancellation by you at short notice may incur.
It is mandatory that you obtain Travel Insurance for all our European holidays. We will need to receive notification of the policy number/company issuing the policy and its date of expiry.
In case of unusual events beyond the control of Secret Hills Walking Holidays in Europe
We will endeavour to ensure that you are returned to the UK, should there be the occasion that a climatic event prevent your holiday being competed. Those events include floods, wild fires, volcano eruptions and other major events – we will be guided by the advice of the UK government on the safety of each client in the area where the holiday takes place.
As you have reserved your own flight, then costs of returning to the UK, when UK government advises will be the responsibility of your flight provider. We will assist by giving advice and help in any emergency out of Secret Hills Walking Holidays control.