Terms of Service

Thank you for choosing Wanderlust in Korea! We are dedicated to creating authentic, sustainable, and unforgettable outdoor and cultural experiences.

To ensure the safety of all our guests, protect the logistics of our small-group trails, and maintain a transparent relationship, we operate under the following guidelines. By booking a walking tour, hiking trek, or specialized camp with us, you agree to these Terms of Service. Please take a brief moment to review them before your journey begins.

We look forward to exploring the beautiful landscapes and rich history of Korea with you!

1. Health, Liability, and Risk Waiver

1.1 Physical Fitness & Medical Disclosures

 By booking a tour or camp, you acknowledge that our itineraries—particularly day hikes, nature treks, and equestrian activities—involve physical exertion and outdoor environments.

  • Participant Responsibility: It is your sole responsibility to ensure that you possess the appropriate level of health, stamina, and physical fitness required for the specific itinerary you have booked.
  • Medical Conditions & Allergies: For your own safety, you must inform us in writing prior to the tour start date (or verbally to your guide before setting out) of any medical conditions, severe allergies (e.g., bee stings, food allergies), mobility limitations, or dietary requirements that may affect your participation. You are responsible for bringing your own emergency medication (such as epi-pens, inhalers, or specific personal medication).
  • Right of Exclusion: We reserve the right to deny participation on-site, without a refund or liability, to any guest who appears physically incapable of safely completing the chosen route, or whose participation poses a safety risk to themselves, the group, or animals.

Nature and outdoor activities are inherently unpredictable. By participating, you explicitly acknowledge and accept that these activities carry certain unavoidable risks.

  • Walking & Hiking Risks: These include, but are not limited to, uneven terrain, loose gravel, steep inclines, slippery surfaces, sudden weather changes, temperature drops, or encounters with wildlife.
  • Equestrian & Riding Camp Risks: If your itinerary includes horseback riding or equine activities, you acknowledge that horses are large, unpredictable animals with a natural flight instinct. Risks include falls, kicks, bites, bolts, or sudden movements. Safety helmets are mandatory at all times when mounted or handling horses. Refusal to wear required safety gear will result in immediate expulsion from the activity without a refund.

You freely choose to participate in these activities with full knowledge of the risks involved.

  • Personal Risk: You agree to participate in all tours, hikes, and camps entirely at your own risk.
  • Waiver: To the maximum extent permitted by local law, [Wanderlust in Korea], its owners, guides, and independent contractors shall not be held liable for any personal injury, illness, disease, physical or psychological trauma, property damage, loss of personal items, or accidental death occurring during or as a result of the tour.
  • No Liability for Consequential Losses: We are not liable for any secondary or consequential expenses incurred by the customer as a result of a canceled or altered tour (including, but not limited to, non-refundable flights, hotel bookings, train tickets, or equipment purchases).
  • Independent Providers: We act solely as an intermediary when booking third-party services (such as local transport, stable facilities, restaurants, or workshop providers). We are not liable for the quality, safety, delays, or negligence of these independent providers.
  • Force Majeure & Trail Closures: We are not responsible for tour disruptions, alterations, or cancellations caused by factors outside our control, including acts of God, war, civil unrest, strikes, disease outbreaks, extreme weather warnings, or sudden trail/facility closures mandated by local authorities or national park services.

We do not provide medical or travel insurance. We strongly recommend (and for strenuous hiking or equestrian itineraries, require) that all guests purchase comprehensive international travel insurance prior to departure. Your policy must explicitly cover outdoor activities, mountain hiking, horse riding (if applicable), emergency medical treatment, evacuation, and trip cancellation.

2. Booking & Cancellation Policies

2.1 Booking Process & Payment Deadlines
  • Manual Booking Confirmation: All bookings are processed manually. A tour inquiry or itinerary proposal does not constitute a guaranteed spot. A booking is only officially confirmed once full payment has been received and you have received a formal confirmation email from us.
  • Standard Payment Window: Upon receiving payment instructions from us, your requested date/spots will be held temporarily for 48 hours. If payment is not received within this timeframe, the hold will be released, and the spots may be booked by other parties.
  • Short-Notice Exception: If your requested tour date is less than 4 days away at the time of inquiry, the standard 48-hour hold does not apply. In these cases, payment must be completed within 12 hours of receiving the payment instructions to secure the booking.
  • Last-Minute Requests: Due to the logistical preparation required for outdoor itineraries, manual booking requests made less than 24 hours before the scheduled start time cannot be guaranteed.

Because we keep our group sizes small to ensure a high-quality, sustainable experience, late cancellations severely impact our operations.

If you need to cancel your booking, you must notify us in writing by replying to your confirmation email or contacting us directly at [contact@wanderlustinkorea.com]. The cancellation time will be officially recorded based on the timestamp of your email.

Our refund tiers are structured as follows:

  • City & Urban Walking Tours:
    • 100% Refund: Cancellation requested more than 24 hours before the scheduled tour start time.
    • No Refund (0%): Cancellation requested less than 24 hours before the scheduled tour start time, or in the case of a no-show.
  • Day Hiking & Nature Tours:
    • 100% Refund: Cancellation requested 7 days or more before the scheduled tour start time.
    • 50% Refund: Cancellation requested between 7 days and 48 hours before the scheduled tour start time.
    • No Refund (0%): Cancellation requested less than 48 hours before the scheduled tour start time, or in the case of a no-show.
  • Customized & Private Itineraries:
    • For bespoke or private itineraries, our standard cancellation timeline applies to our guiding fees.
    • However, any third-party bookings made on your behalf (such as train/bus tickets, entrance fees, workshop bookings, or specialized transport) that incur non-refundable cancellation fees from the provider will be charged entirely at the customer’s expense and deducted from any eligible refund.

Punctuality & Late Arrivals: To respect the time of all participants, tours begin exactly at the scheduled time. If you are late and miss the group departure, it will be treated as a no-show and no refund or complimentary rescheduling will be provided.

  • Transfers: Bookings are fully transferable. If you cannot attend, you may transfer your spot to another person at no extra cost. You must notify us of the name change via email at least 2 hours before the tour starts.
  • Rescheduling: Requests to change your tour date are subject to availability. Rescheduling requests must be made at least 24 hours in advance for walking tours, and 3 days in advance for hiking tours.

Our tours operate “rain or shine” in typical weather conditions. We advise all guests to dress appropriately for the outdoors.

If we must cancel a tour due to severe safety concerns, extreme weather warnings, or unforeseen emergencies (per Section 1.4), you will be notified as soon as possible. In the event of an operator cancellation, you will receive your choice of:

  1. A full (100%) refund.
  2. An alternative tour date (subject to availability).

As bookings are processed manually, approved refunds will be issued back via the original payment method within [3 to 5] business days of the cancellation confirmation. Any international transaction or processing fees incurred during the initial payment (such as PayPal or credit card processing fees) are non-refundable.