Options
Caravan does not recommend or endorse any options that are not already included in your tour price. Please be advised that any additional options you purchase, you do so at your own risk, and they may not be covered by travel insurance.
This tour has 48 Travel Tips.
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Sightseeing Changes
Occasionally, holidays, special events or weather conditions may require a change in your sightseeing. You will be advised of any such change if necessary. Please note that the departure times are estimates and your Tour Director will update on their actual departure time. Your Tour Director may also decide to change the order of activities.
Clothing Tips
This is a casual tour and formal wear is not necessary for any meals or events. Please keep in mind that luggage lost by the airlines can sometimes take several days to catch up with you. Please consider this when packing medication. You might also consider packing other essential items (swim wear, change of clothes, walking shoes etc.) in your carry on bag too. Please also consider taking more medication than you would need for the allotted days of the tour in case you are delayed in returning home. Caravan recommends bringing at least one sweater or light-weight jacket on all tours. Even in hot climates, the temperature may be cooler at nighttime. A sweater is also useful in an air-conditioned motorcoach. It’s also a good idea to check the weather forecast along the tour route when you are packing for your tour. Please note the temperatures can be cooler at higher altitudes, especially in the mornings and evenings. Disposable plastic grocery bags and zip-lock bags are useful for temporary storage of wet clothes or swim wear, etc. A small scissors often comes in handy when travelling.
Comfortable Shoes
The best friend you can have while sightseeing is a comfortable, sturdy pair of walking shoes. Be sure to bring your favorites with you. Please exercise special care around steps, swimming pools and docks. Non-slip shoes are recommended. Flip flops increase the likelihood of slipping and are never recommended.
Flashlight
We suggest you bring a good flashlight (or a smart phone with a flashlight app) and keep it by your bedside at night.
For Your Security
A practical suggestion before you leave home: make a list of all your credit cards, airline ticket numbers, etc., that you will be taking with you. Make two photocopies: take one with you and carry it separate from your luggage for your reference in case these items should get lost or stolen while traveling. Leave the second copy with a family member or friend at home in case of emergency. When traveling away from home, it is always a good idea to refrain from bringing expensive jewelry or watches. Please leave your valuables at home.
Lost Items
Before departing each hotel, we recommend one last look in the bathroom, closets, drawers, safe, bedding, etc. to verify that you haven’t left anything behind. Please do the same on the motorcoach and at any restaurants. Items left behind are often discarded by cleaning services and are difficult to retrieve.
Luggage
As noted in the Terms of Travel, all handling of one piece of luggage is included in your tour cost. Due to space limitations and for your own convenience, it is suggested that you bring only one piece of luggage. Most airlines limit luggage to 60 linear inches (width plus depth plus length) and 50 pounds in weight. A second piece of luggage may be stored under the coach, but an additional $30 per piece service charge will be collected by your Tour Director to cover the handling of this extra luggage. A day bag (i.e. a backpack, camera bag or tote bag) may be personally carried on board the motorcoach in addition to a purse or handbag. Each tour member is personally responsible for handling his or her individual day bag at all times. If a tour member cannot personally handle his or her day bag without assistance, it will be stored under the bus and the additional luggage fee will be charged. For the comfort and safety of all tour members, wheeled bags are not acceptable as a carry-on day bag, and shall be stored under the bus and counted as additional luggage. Unlike an airplane, the motorcoach does not have sufficient room to store this type of luggage in the passenger area.
Luggage Tags
At the start of the tour, you will be provided with luggage tags to help with the handling of your luggage by your Driver and hotel bell staff. Please place the Caravan luggage tag on your main piece of luggage, which will be stored in the baggage compartment of the motorcoach. Please do not place the tag on your day bag carry-on.
Cell Phone Use
As a courtesy to your fellow tour members, please restrict cell phone conversations to emergency use only while you are on the motorcoach. Please also remember to turn off your ringers; cell phone conversations and ringers are intrusive and can spoil other passengers' enjoyment of the tour. Outside the USA, using your USA-based cell phone can often result in very high roaming charges for voice and data. Some companies will allow you to add a temporary international data and/or voice plan to cover calls made from abroad. Please contact your service provider for information regarding cell phone reception areas, calling costs and surcharges. To reduce your data usage while out of the country you may also take the following precautions; power down your mobile phone entirely and change the settings on your phone so data is not automatically updated.
Contacting You While on Tour
Caravan does not recommend having mail sent to you on tour as delivery is unreliable and mail often fails to arrive. Caravan has sent you a hotel address list which includes the hotel telephone number for your friends and family. In addition, all hotels have internet access for a fee. In an emergency, if a caller cannot reach a Caravan guest at a hotel, please contact Caravan directly at 1-800-227-2826. If the office is closed, you will have an opportunity to speak with an emergency operator who can connect you with a Caravan staff member on duty. Caravan will do its best to assist in relaying an emergency message. We also ask callers to continue to try to reach their traveler independently.
Phone Calls
Please note that the cost of your phone calls can jump considerably for calls placed from your hotel—whether dialed direct or placed through the hotel operator—if you have the charges billed to your room. We suggest that you always check with the hotel operator as to what the extra charges will be before placing any calls. Frequently, it is more economical to use your own cell phone (in the USA), or to place a collect call or a credit card call.
Special Diets
While we are happy to take your special diet requests to exclude items from meals, please note that kitchens and restaurants cannot be guaranteed to produce meals compliant with your diet and Caravan is not responsible for any errors or oversights in these situations. While Caravan will make every effort to communicate specific dietary requests to the hotels and restaurants on tour, we cannot guarantee these requests will be honored. Please advise Caravan at the time of booking, or as early as possible of any special requests. Please keep in mind that variety may be limited, especially in remote areas. For tour members concerned about cross-contamination for vegetarian, Kosher or gluten free diets or for passengers with food allergies or sensitivities, Caravan cannot guarantee food will be prepared free from certain ingredients (i.e. nuts, animal fats, wheat, dairy etc.). For most destinations, meals typical to the region will be served. Included meals are usually local or continental and are never Indian or other specialty Asian cuisine. In certain countries and regions it may be difficult to find Indian or vegetarian meals. Please note that dining options for non-included meals can be limited in remote areas. If you have particular dietary needs you might consider bringing additional snacks.
No Smoking
Smoking is not allowed while on motorcoaches. On days where motorcoach travel is involved, frequent stops are made affording time for smoking outside of the motorcoaches. Please do not smoke near the motorcoach entrance. If you are a smoker, please request smoking rooms at the time of booking. However, please note that many hotels are now completely non-smoking. Please check with your hotel’s front desk to see if there are any designated smoking areas. It is now common for hotels to charge a considerable penalty (up to $500) for smoking in a nonsmoking room. Penalties have been charged even when the occupants smoked while leaning out of an open window or on a balcony. Caravan does not cover such penalties. Damage discovered after departure will be charged by the hotel and their collection services. Please also note that some states or municipalities may ban smoking altogether in any public spaces.
Purchased Items
When purchasing items during your tour, please request a business card from the vendor (or contact phone number and an e-mail address) so that you can directly resolve any post-purchase issues with the vendor. Caravan Tours does not recommend or endorse any shops on the tour.
Tape Recorders and Video Recorders
Should you plan to take audio or video recordings while on tour, please be sure to ask the permission of any guides first. You may find that some guides object to having their comments recorded, or they may be guiding you through a place which forbids live recordings. So, please, always ask first.
Tipping Suggestions: Tour Director and Driver
Your tour price does not include gratuities for the Tour Director and Driver. We do not include these tips in the price of the tour as we realize tips provide a strong incentive for exceptional service from independent contractor professionals. Many tour members have requested guidelines, so in response to their requests, we offer the following suggestions: Most tour members compute these tips by allowing a certain amount per day based on the service they have received. If you feel that service has been superior, you may wish to leave an appropriately more generous tip. US $5 to $10 per traveler per day for the Tour Director US $5 to $7 per traveler per day for the Driver These tips should be handed directly to the Tour Director and Driver on an individual basis. As tips are a personal matter, we request that no group collections be made.
Wake Up Calls
Please pack a reliable travel alarm (or a smart phone with an alarm feature) as a back up to hotel wake up calls.
Water
The best way to enjoy your flight and your vacation is to drink lots of water! At sea level, the human body loses about a quart of water a day through air expired from one’s lungs and through the skin. At flight levels and higher desert and mountain elevations, this loss can be up to 100% greater. This water has to be replaced. Therefore, to avoid dehydration and its symptoms, do as experienced flight crews and travelers do: drink lots of plain bottled water. Simple, and effective.
COVID Terms of Travel
Welcome to Caravan’s 71st year of operating fully guided tours. Caravan encourages you to test before your tour departure, for your own safety and for the safety of your fellow travelers. If you test positive for Covid-19 within 10 days BEFORE the start of your tour, please notify Caravan, with proof of your positive Covid-19 test results, and Caravan will waive all penalties for canceling your tour, both for you and anyone sharing your room, if they choose to cancel too. Proof of a positive Covid test must be either a clinical Covid-19 test (rapid antigen or PCR) or a physician’s note. Positive Covid-19 test results from self-administered home test kits alone will not be considered sufficient proof to quality for the waiver of penalties. If you choose to travel on a Caravan 2023 Tour, you are agreeing to all of our Terms of Travel, including these additional Terms of Travel for Covid-19 below: If you begin to experience Covid-19 like symptoms while on tour, please wear a mask while on the motorcoach and while in a group setting for the health and safety of your fellow tour members. If you are experiencing symptoms, Caravan recommends you take a rapid Covid test as soon as possible. You understand and agree that the rules on testing, vaccines, masks, and border crossings are subject to change by governments and local businesses, without prior notice. Caravan will follow whatever local rules and mandates are in effect at the time of your tour. You agree to take personal responsibility for your health and safety, and to follow the current rules of the places you visit on this tour, including safety directives from your tour director. Caravan reserves the right to remove you from the tour if you do not comply, for the safety of your fellow tour members. Caravan recommends that you wear a mask on the motor coach, both to protect yourself and to protect your fellow travelers. Caravan may decide, at any time during your tour, based on changing circumstances, that masks will be required on the motor coach. Caravan does not provide masks or rapid Covid test kits while you are on tour. Please bring your own supply of masks and test kits that can cover the length of the tour as these may be unavailable for purchase along your tour route. The CDC’s guidance on masking can be seen here: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0503-covid-19-travel.html You must comply with all local, tribal, country and local business requirements regarding mask wearing. These requirements are subject to change without advance notice. You may be required to wear a mask at some locations along your tour route. Changing Covid-19 rules and staffing issues may result in the unannounced closure of public buildings, restaurants, tourist facilities, and changes to your planned itinerary. Some restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions, buildings or facilities may require masking and/or social distancing for entry. Currently there are no mandatory vaccine requirements in the countries visited by Caravan. This could change without notice, and if so, you may have to provide proof of vaccination against Covid-19 during the tour. As of May 12, 2023, noncitizen nonimmigrant air passengers no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States. You may have to undergo Covid-19 testing or quarantine, even if you are vaccinated and asymptomatic for Covid-19. If you are experiencing any Covid-19 symptoms, you must advise your tour director right away. You are responsible for all expenses due to Covid-19, including but not limited to medical expenses, testing fees, quarantine, evacuation expenses, additional air or hotel expenses, and any and all expenses due to long-Covid and its unknown long-term effects. Please check with your insurance to see if you need to pay upfront for any Covid-19 related expenses, so that you are prepared with sufficient credit cards and/or cash, etc., if so needed. Caravan cannot pay for any of your Covid-19 related expenses either during or after your tour. While you are responsible for all Covid-19 related expenses, our experienced team at Caravan will help you with the logistics of arranging lodging and travel, if you need to quarantine at any time during your tour. Caravan does NOT have a mandatory vaccine or booster requirement, so you are aware that you may be traveling on tour with people that are neither vaccinated nor boosted. You assume all risks of the potential for exposure to Covid-19. You are aware that you can contract Covid-19 even if you are vaccinated and boosted. You are aware that older people and people with underlying health conditions, diabetes, organ transplants, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and other co-morbidities are at a greater risk for contracting severe Covid-19 and dying from Covid-19. You are aware that anyone can become ill with Covid-19 and can become seriously ill or die, at any age. You are aware that Caravan cannot eliminate the risk that you may come down with Covid-19 while traveling with Caravan, and you voluntarily assume all risks related to Covid-19 and its unknown long-term effects. Parents and guardians assume all risk from Covid-19 for children/minors traveling on a Caravan Tour. You understand that if you do not comply with any of the conditions herein, that you cannot join or continue on a Caravan Tour.
Caravan Travel Protection
Purchasing travel insurance can save you tens of thousand of dollars should the unexpected happen. Please keep in mind that most medical travel policies, including Caravan Travel Protection, offer secondary medical coverage. In other words, the insurance will reimburse you for costs not covered by your primary medical insurance policy. In most cases, this does mean you will have to pay the hospital or doctor directly for your medical treatment and submit your claim for reimbursement on your return. Coverage for injuries or illness on tour generally requires a doctor visit while on tour as well. If you elect not to purchase a travel insurance plan (either from Caravan or an independent policy), please verify your existing medical coverage as many policies (including Medicare) do not include coverage for treatment outside the USA. If you need to cancel all or part of your reservation, please call Caravan (or your Travel Agent) as soon as possible at 800-227-2826 or 312-321-9800 outside the US & Canada. You must cancel any flight arrangements directly with your airline (or Travel Agent). Any additional travel arrangements must also be cancelled with the providers directly. Any claim under Caravan Travel Protection for flight costs should be directed to the insurance company, RoamRight at 866-892-2382 or (outside the US & Canada) 201-537-9871. Please note, Caravan Travel Protection does not cover an upgrade to a single room in the event a roommate cancels. Caravan Travel Protection includes cancellation of your tour for any reason. This Plan also includes coverage for air arrangements for covered reasons (as specified in the Description of Coverage)*, $50,000 Medical Expense*; $150,000 Emergency Evacuation or Repatriation*; $2,500 Travel Delay (maximum of $200 per day)*; $1,000 Baggage & Personal Effects and $300 Baggage Delay*; 24 hour global travel assistance for medical and legal emergencies.* * Coverage is provided by RoamRight, underwritten by Arch Insurance Company. For more information please see: www.caravan.com/page/terms-of-travel A Description of Coverage which fully details the coverages, provisions, reductions, limitations, exclusions, and termination provisions is available at: https://partner.roamright.com/description-of-coverage?agencycode=caravan
Fitness to Travel
Caravan can make no determination of your physical, mental or emotional fitness to travel nor guarantee your successful ability to manage a tour. If in doubt please consult your Doctor. While every tour is different in landscape and activities, all tours include some walking every day. All tours include travel by motorcoach, participants should expect to climb on and off the motorcoach several times a day. The average temperature, humidity level and altitude should also be taken into account when considering whether a Caravan Tour is right for you.
Fitness to Travel - Able Bodied Companion
If you need assistance with any personal care; including walking or wheelchair pushing, you must bring a companion to assist you. Caravan’s driver, tour directors and tour members cannot offer this assistance. Caravan’s tour directors must take care of a large group of other tour members and cannot offer any special supervision or monitoring of clients. Companions to travelers with cognitive difficulties should keep in mind that multi-day itineraries with rapidly changing environments can increase anxiety and distress. We recommend you review the itinerary with a doctor prior to travel.
Medical Matters
Another “before you leave” reminder: If you regularly take medicine, be sure that you bring along an adequate supply to last the whole trip. Please keep essential medication and eyeglasses in your carry-on bag or purse and not in your checked baggage in the event your luggage is delayed, misplaced or damaged. If you wear glasses, a second pair, or a prescription from your eye doctor, is recommended for emergencies. Please advise Caravan if you have any medical condition which may require special attention. The information you give Caravan will be treated confidentially. All travelers, especially those with blood sugar related conditions, may wish to take along a small supply of snacks. Occasionally the tour might experience a delay, causing the next mealtime to be delayed. Some travelers have found Pedialyte, an electrolyte replacement drink available in drugstores in easy-to-carry powder packets, to be helpful when not feeling well or when traveling at higher altitudes. Travelers have also recommended Emergen-C, a vitamin drink mix available in easy-to-carry packets, with vitamin C, electrolytes, and vitamins. At higher altitudes, orange juice and fresh oranges are often helpful.
Medical Matters - Staying Well on Tour
Please remember that not all travel illnesses are transmitted through food and water; some are transmitted by person-to-person contact. Health authorities are agreed that the best way to avoid getting sick is to pay close attention to hand washing. Frequent cleansing, beyond one’s usual regimen, can help minimize exposure to sickness that might otherwise spoil your tour. Please take along a good supply of moist towelettes and/or hand sanitizer for times when soap-and- water hand-washing facilities are not available. Caravan travellers also recommend packing a travel size hand lotion. It is also a good idea to take along an over-the-counter remedy, just in case. Some travelers have found products such as Imodium or Peaceful Mountain’s Stomach Rescue to be very helpful. Whilst Caravan makes every effort to minimize the possibility of tour members becoming sick during their tour, we cannot offer any refunds to clients who become sick during a tour (except where provided by our Caravan Travel Protection). It is always wise to travel with a small first aid kit- medications may be hard to find when you need them most! We advise packing something for a headache, stomach upsets and diarrhea, insect bites and sunburn, and something for motion sickness for bus or boat. It’s wise to pack plenty of wet wipes and hand sanitizer.
Special Needs
Please notify Caravan at the time of booking if you, or anyone in your party, have any special needs that you want us to be aware of or to accommodate. For example, most hotels have only a small number of handicapped-accessible rooms. If you are flexible in your travel dates please advise Caravan. Persons needing individual assistance for walking, dining or other personal needs must be accompanied by an able companion. Please note that certain trips and features are not fully accessible. Please call Caravan if you have not advised us of any special needs, or if you have any special concerns.
Room Assignments
Room assignments are made at random by the hotel. If you have a special request, such as a preference for a king bed or two beds, please advise Caravan before the tour begins or inform your Tour Director at the beginning of the tour. Caravan is always happy to try to fulfill your special requests, although no guarantees can be made. Requests made within two weeks of your tour departure are much harder to fulfill. If possible, please make your requests at the time of booking. If you are part of a group, we will do our best to place you in rooms near each other. Sometimes space limitations and other hotel considerations can mean groups may be separated. If you have any other requests or special group needs, please advise Caravan at the time of booking, or as early as possible. Please also advise your Tour Director. We do request that any special group activities (i.e. lectures or meetings) be conducted in private.
Single Rooms
As shown on the General Information page of the Caravan brochure, a limited number of single rooms are available on all tours at the single room charge shown on individual itinerary pages. Single travellers should expect to have a “seat companion” on the motorcoach.
Triple Rooms
Triple rooms offer two double or queen beds. Cots and rollaways are not available and local fire code regulations often limit the number of beds in a room.
Motorcoach Safety and Motorcoach Restroom
While Caravan coach drivers are renowned for their friendliness, for your safety and the safety of your fellow travelers, please refrain from conversing with your coach driver while he/she is driving, so their full attention can be on the road ahead. The motorcoach restroom is provided for your comfort, and should always be unlocked and available, although it is recommended just for emergencies and necessity. We understand that everyone’s needs are different. For your safety, please try to avoid using the restroom while the motorcoach is moving unless necessary. The coach driver may need to make a sudden stop or navigate a curve without any warning. While the bus is moving, it can be hazardous to walk down the aisle of the bus or to use the bathroom. Please be extremely careful if you must do so. Please note that if you move about the motorcoach or use the restroom while the motorcoach is moving, you do so at your own risk. While the motorcoach is parked, restrooms outside of the motorcoach are recommended, if comfortably available.
Seat Rotation
To ensure fair and equitable seating for all members of the tour, seating is usually rotated once or twice a day in a clockwise direction. Your Tour Director will advise you of their procedure. We regret we cannot fulfill any requests for a front seat for passengers, even when medically recommended. Please contact Caravan as soon as possible if you have any special needs, to discuss other options. Single travellers should expect to have a “seat companion” on the motorcoach (i.e. there will probably be another tour member seated next to you). Larger groups of travellers may be temporarily separated as the group rotates around the coach. We recommend that families or groups who want to stay together in the seat rotation either sit in front of or behind each other, and not across the aisle from each other. Please note that Caravan reserves the two seats on the motorcoach behind the driver for the tour director.
Tour Commentary
Your tour director may add considerable commentary during your time on the motorcoach. If you prefer quiet time, you might want to pack a comfortable pair of ear plugs or headphones and a restful eye mask. Please be mindful of others when talking with your companions while the tour director is speaking. Even low volume conversations can make it hard for others to hear the commentary.
Hotel Incidental Charges
Many hotels require a credit card upon check in to secure incidentals, minibar or restaurant charges. If you make any telephone calls from your hotel room or incur any extra room charges (i.e. drinks or in-room movie charges), please be sure to pay the hotel for your incidental charges before you leave. Caravan will forward any unpaid hotel incidental invoices.
Shopping
Caravan believes shopping can be a vacation highlight. Caravan does not shop-steer (bring the group to a shop in return for a payment). With Caravan you will have ample time to shop plus the freedom to choose. When mailing purchases, please be sure to insure the packages, and obtain clearly written receipts from the places of purchase. Caravan does not endorse or recommend any shops. Even if Caravan passengers may have repeatedly done business over the years with specific shops, those shops cannot represent themselves as being endorsed by Caravan.
Non-U.S. Citizens Visiting the US
Before traveling to the U.S., a citizen of a foreign country must generally obtain a non-immigrant visa for temporary stay or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. The type of visa you will need is based on the purpose of your travel. For additional information visit U.S. Department of State Visa Information for Citizens of a Foreign Country (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html).
Are meals included?
Included meals for each tour are listed at the end of each day. Meals are shown by B (breakfast), L (lunch) and D (dinner). Full, buffet, or deluxe continental breakfasts are included everywhere. Free bottled water is provided on the motorcoach. Alcoholic beverages are not included unless specified.
Meals
Meals included in the land price are indicated at the beginning of each day by B (Breakfast), L (Lunch), D (Dinner). Dinner, when included, is served at your hotel except when, as indicated in the itinerary, it is at a special restaurant outside the hotel. Coffee or tea is provided at all included meals.
Children on Tour
Children age five (5) and older are welcome on tour when accompanied by an adult. Usually, children travel during the school vacation months of June, July and August, and also during spring and winter school breaks.
Family Trips
Families are always welcome on any of our tours, but we do not have any programs specifically for or limited to families. Families can make specific requests for connecting, adjacent, triple or quad rooms, when available. Children must be at least 5 years old.
My Tour Price Does Not Include
Prices do not include air travel, country entry or departure fees, airport porters, visas, phone calls, valet, laundry, all items of a personal nature, extra food and beverages not on the regular menu, and tips to the Caravan Tour Director, driver, and local guides.
My Tour Price Includes
Virtually everything! Hotels, many meals, all of the activities described in the itinerary pages, airport transfers in select cities, gratuities to hotel porters, restaurant staff and local guides. Caravan’s professional Tour Directors and local guides will be with you every step of the way, ensuring a worry free vacation.
Age of Travelers on a Caravan Tour
Usually, you find a mix of different age adult travelers on a Caravan Tour. Children age five (5) and older are welcome, and children usually join tours offered during Christmas holidays, summer vacation and spring break vacation.
Forms of Payment
Caravan accepts payment (in U.S. funds only) via MasterCard, Visa, or Discover.
Many Tours Sell Out Each Year
The farther in advance that you book, the more likely it is that your preferred tour will be open. Late bookings are welcome if the space is still available.
Fully Guided Tours Since 1952
Caravan has been offering fully guided tours worldwide under the same family ownership and management since 1952. Caravan understands and truly cares about your great expectations.
Size of Tour Group
Group sizes will vary depending on the reserved rooms at the hotels and the capacity of the boats and motorcoaches used. Usually, group sizes range from 30 to 44 passengers.
A Well-Paced Itinerary
A well-paced and unhurried itinerary is our goal, after all, you are on vacation! Touring days begin and end at reasonable hours and include frequent stops. While the occasional early morning departure is necessary, we do our best to ensure a leisurely vacation.
Caravan’s $129 Travel Protection
Caravan Travel Protection offers peace of mind if you cancel for any reason whatsoever prior to the departure of the tour. The travel protection plan also includes air, baggage, evacuation, medical, and quarantine coverage. The cost is $129.