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Frequently Asked Auestions

Travel is one of those things that naturally gives rise to queries, concerns and doubts, so we’re here to put your mind at ease. Which trip is right for me? What do I do about visas? How much do I tip? Should I have banh mi or pho for lunch? For questions frequent and otherwise, this is the spot.

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Choosing a trip

Trip style

Which style of trip is right for me?
We provide a wide variety of tours and trips to cover a whole gamut of travel experiences. To find out which one has ‘You’ written all over it, visit our Tours page.

Are trips physically demanding?
Want to lie in a hammock and not move until cocktail hour? We’ve got a tour for that. Want to power up the side of a mountain at high altitude? We’ve also got a tour for that. To determine what type of tour suits you best, each of our trips comes with notes about who that tour or trip is suitable for, to let you know how physically demanding it is… or isn’t.

Travelling with children

Does Spirit Journeys Worldwide have family trips?
We do! we offer a wide range of Family Adventures around the globe. The minimum age (for Family trips) varies depending on destination, if you have any suitability queries beyond the information listed on each tours page, we can advise on minimum ages to ensure that the included activities suit each family member.

Travelling in a group

Who are Spirit Journeys travellers?
Our adventures are for travellers with a yearning to get off the beaten track. Whether you’re travelling solo, with a group of friends, or are aged 18 or 70, there is an adventure to suit your interests and comfort level. Each spiritual tour has a physical and cultural demand to help you decide if the trip is right for you. No special skills are required for most tours, just a sense of adventure and a curiosity about the world. Even on our cycling and camping adventures no previous experience is required; our tents are easy to set up, even for first-time campers.

How many people will be on my trip?
Good things come in small packages, which is why we keep our group sizes down. This means we’re small enough to remain flexible as we thread our way through communities without intimidating the locals. On most of our tours you’ll be part of an intimate group.

Travelling solo

Which style of trip is right for me?
We provide a wide variety of tours and trips to cover a whole gamut of travel experiences. To find out which one has ‘You’ written all over it, visit our Tours page.

Are trips physically demanding?
Want to lie in a hammock and not move until cocktail hour? We’ve got a tour for that. Want to power up the side of a mountain at high altitude? We’ve also got a tour for that. To determine what type of tour suits you best, each of our trips comes with notes about who that tour or trip is suitable for, to let you know how physically demanding it is… or isn’t.

Room types

Can we book a triple room?
Depending on the tour you choose, our tours are organised on a twin, triple or multishare basis. As our bookings are made well in advance, individual room requests can’t be guaranteed but a member of staff can assist with any queries regarding specific requests.

Can I book a single room?
Similar to above, rooms aren’t allocated at the time of booking but a member of staff can assist with organising a room to meet your requirements post-booking, just get in touch and speak with one of our helpful team.

Food, drink and dietary requirements

I have special dietary requirements – will they be catered for?
We will try our very hardest to accommodate all dietary requirements but in some out-of-the-way places it can be very difficult to guarantee. We will let you know if there are places on your itinerary where this is the case. Please let us know at the time of booking or as soon as possible thereafter of any food requirements or allergies and we’ll pass the information onto your leader. It is also a great idea to bring a card with your dietary requirements written in the local language for those times you are eating away from the group. Our team can advise and assist with preparing this.

What will the food be like on my trip?
Food is one of the most exciting parts of travel. There may be some familiar fare but often you’ll be confronted with the new, interesting and downright weird of the culinary world but we like to think of it as an adventure for all the senses. In addition to this, our flexible itineraries often allow you to eat with the group or branch out on your own – this means you can eat to suit any budget or desire.

Can I drink the water in the countries I visit?
In some destinations, it may not be wise to drink the local water. For more details, you can find country-specific information in our fantastic Destination Pages, which can be found in the menu bar at the top of our home page or within the footer.

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Currency information

What is the currency in my destination? How much should I take in credit cards/cash? Can I use my credit card during my trip?
Our Essential Info section within each tour will include information on ‘Spending money’. Please refer to this for an idea on budgets. Travellers’ cheques are not common practice anymore so it is a good idea to travel with a credit card and ATM card, or a bank issued ‘cash card’ specifically for travel. Having a couple of options will assure that you are covered if one doesn’t work. In certain countries it comes down to potluck if you can withdraw money. One day it’ll work, the next it won’t, but it will work for your friend… Go figure! Visa cards are more widely accepted than Mastercard, particularly in Cuba where only Visa cards are accepted.

Where do I find my trip notes?

How do I obtain Trip Notes/itinerary for full details of my trip?
Every tour has a set of notes, accessible on our website, that gives you in-depth information about all aspects of your trip. After booking, we will also send you a detailed itinerary along with notes and details for your chosen tour.

Travel insurance

Do I need travel insurance?
Travel insurance is not compulsory for our travellers but we advise you to take out an applicable policy at the time of booking.

What does my policy need to cover?
At a minimum, your travel insurance should be ‘comprehensive’, providing cover against personal accident, death, medical expenses, emergency repatriation and personal liability, with a minimum coverage of US $200,000. We also strongly recommend it covers cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. If you obtain travel insurance through us you acknowledge that you are satisfied with the level of insurance we have arranged.

Visa information

How do I find out about the visa requirements for the trip I am interested in?
While we do include information in our Essential Info section on each tour about visa requirements, we always recommend that passengers check with their local embassy as visa rules can change without warning. Embassy websites in your home country will always have information about requirements, visa costs and will provide the required forms. If you are uncomfortable with the visa process, you can visit a travel agent who can arrange these for you at a cost.

How do I organise my Visa?
Please contact the relevant local embassy, or contact our helpful team, for advise and guidance about organising your visa/s.

My application says I need a letter of invitation or other supporting documentation, do you provide these?
There are certain destinations, such as Central Asia and Iran, where you will need support documentation from Spirit Journeys in order to apply for your visa. The visa information within the Essential Info section of the applicable tour will include information about what you need to send to us on a tour-by-tour basis (scanned passports, employment letters etc.).

Safety and medical information

I am concerned about the political stability of the country through which my trip will travel.
The safety of our passengers, leaders and operators is a major priority for Spirit Journeys. With this in mind, we monitor world events very closely and make operational decisions based on informed advice from a number of sources, in particular the level of the UK Government Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade advisory.

How safe are my belongings whilst on the trip?
While we take all the precautions we can to make sure your belongings are safe, we are travelling to some exciting destinations that are sometimes home to some pretty skilled thieves. Travel insurance is a must and a lockable bag or money belt will always help too.

What is the best way to carry money?
We recommend having access to money from a variety of sources – cash, cards and travel money cards are all commonly used. Check your tour Essential Info and the relevant Destination Page on our website for more country-specific information as applicable.

What should I bring?

What type of luggage do you recommend I take?
On most tours you will be required to carry your own luggage, sometimes upstairs and on and off transport. We therefore recommend you travel with a backpack or easy to handle luggage. For a full list of what to take on your adventure see our blog where we’ve covered ‘What to Pack’ over a number of handy posts.

Can I store excess luggage at the starting point hotel?
Most starting point hotels can store your excess luggage for you; however, this is at your own risk. Often a nominal fee is charged for this service. Of course, this is only an advantage if your trip is circular (i.e. returning to the same starting point).

Do I need to bring a sleeping bag?
We only have a handful of itineraries where sleeping bags are required and these are generally trips that involve camping. When we use homestays, blankets are provided but some travellers feel more comfortable with their own sleeping bag or sleep sheet. This decision is a personal preference.

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star rating  M&M Japan Nov 2023 - Our experience with SJ travel organising our 2week bespoke trip to Japan was first class.
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