Arranging any form of travel and tours, no matter how organised things seem, naturally gives rise to various queries, and concerns, so we’re here to put your mind at ease. For example, Is it ok to travel alone? Which trip is right for me? If I am a beginner at Yoga is that ok? What is the right travel insurance? How much extra money do I need, etc. Explore these FAQs about yoga related events.
Our Yoga Tours are a combination of Yoga Retreat and travelling/ sightseeing. I.e., A Yoga Tour travels around from town to town. Yoga retreats tend to stay in one location only. So, you not only get to retreat, reset and do yoga, but you also get to explore the wonderful country you are visiting. This saves the problem of people wondering what to do and see probably by themselves after a Yoga Retreat has finished. Normally you are left on your own with Yoga Tours its all worked out for you.
Yes possible. However, you firstly need to become a member of The Yoga Dept. Our tours are designed where the Yoga Teachers travel with their students and friends. See the Members Page
Although you won’t be reimbursed for any portion of the trip unused, you can opt to sign off the trip if you need to leave a day or so earlier. However, we do not allow people to join the tour later.
You sure can. However, that needs to be arranged at your own planning and expense
This is the beauty of the Yoga Tour styles of travel: many of our travellers join because they are travelling solo and want to meet and share experiences with like-minded people.
As a solo traveller, you will be paired up with another passenger of the same gender as per your passport information. If you’re not comfortable sharing a room with someone of the same gender, you also have the choice to pay for a single supplement (available on the majority of our trips).
Please note any medical conditions or disabilities on your booking form. The Yoga Department is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. We ask that you carefully consider whether you are physically and mentally able to complete the itinerary you have chosen, recognising that on many trips you will be required to do some walking of steps and stairs. Where we can, we will make reasonable adjustments to the operation of our trips to facilitate the requirements of disabled travellers – such as booking ground floor accommodation. Many travellers with disabilities have been able to enjoy our trips by travelling with a friend or companion who can assist with specific needs.
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. Please let us know at the time of booking of any food requirements or allergies. Also being Yoga Tours most of the meals provided on our tours are vegetarian.
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.
The vast majority of our small group adventures are guaranteed to depart if otherwise stated. Our tours will only run with a minimum of 12 people. Otherwise it shall be postponed to another tour or departure date. If you have paid a deposit and the tour is cancelled, you will receive a refund. See our Booking Terms & conditions.
Before you depart FAQ
Travel insurance is compulsory for all our travellers and should be taken out at the time of booking. You must provide proof of your travel insurance before you depart your country
Please CLICK here for assistance with visas information through our partner visa Services company. Otherwise please contact the relevant local embassy, to organise your visa/s.
The safety of our passengers, leaders and operators is a major priority for The Yoga Department. With this in mind, we monitor world events very closely and we make operational decisions based on informed advice from a number of sources, in particular the level of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) travel advisory. If this advisory is at Level 4 ‘Do Not Travel’ then The Yoga Department will either cancel the tour or reroute the itinerary to avoid the areas concerned.
While we take all the precautions, we can 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.
We add most inclusions as possible into the trip cost such as most meals, transport and accommodation. This means you are able to limit your spending once you leave home. See Whats Included on your Tour Itinerary
We included the essential tipping on the price of tour. Ie. Most tour companies expect a tip for guides and drivers. For these large group tips, we cover for the group. However we do not cover personal tipping. E.g. if you order food or drinks to your room, you may like to leave a tip for the hotel staff member.
Availability of refrigeration cannot be guaranteed. As a general rule, many of our city hotels provide access to small fridges; however, outside of this, you cannot rely on access to refrigeration. Please include on your booking form, that you are needed to travel with medication that requires refrigeration.
Medical and vaccination requirements differ between nations and as we are not medical practitioners, we unfortunately cannot advise on this issue. Please see your local GP or travel doctor for details and advice about current vaccination requirements. Please also read our COVID Safety Terms
Our leaders are trained to deal with these situations, and we will endeavour to get you help as quickly as possible. If you must leave the trip early due to illness, our local offices will help you find appropriate medical care and ensure someone at home is aware of the situation. We will do whatever we can to get you either back to your country or to continue the journey. We do have a group policy if one member is sick, we are unable to halt the tour itinerary. But you will not be left along if the group continues the journey without you. Your travel insurance, which is compulsory on all our trips, should cover any costs incurred if illness occurs.
See the Trip Notes of each tour, which includes information on money. Please refer to this for an idea on your budget. It is a good idea to travel with a credit card with a set pin number. Having a couple of options will assure that you are covered if one doesn’t work.
For a full list of what to take on your adventure see our trip notes per tour
Most starting point hotels can store your excess luggage for you; however, this is at your own risk and arrangement. 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).
It’s important that you always travel with your current passport, visas, travel insurance and your COVID digital certificate with printed copies incase.
On Your Trip FAQ
Hotels
All our Yoga tours are in quality mid-range hotels (meaning a mix of 3* to 4* ratings). The hotels we use are at the discretion of the Yoga Department to book and choose for our tours.
Check-in times can vary from hotel to hotel and region to region. Generally, they are between midday and 2pm. If you do arrive earlier, you’ll be able to store your luggage with the hotel and head out to explore for a couple of hours. We do not cater for early or late check-in/checkout
As stated in the tour itineraries, all group transfers /arrivals on The Yoga Department tours are included in our itineraries. If you arrive earlier than the group flight. You can either wait at the airport for the group to arrive or you can make your own way to the starting hotel at your own cost and arrangements. If you arrive after the group, you will need to notify us before your arrival and make your own way to the starting hotel via a local taxi. Most airports have approved local taxis.
This information can be found in your Trip notes per tour
If you know in advance that you will be arriving late, please email us your new travel details. We will notify your tour leader, who will leave instructions with the hotel reception as to where to meet your group that night or the following morning. If you are late due to unforeseen circumstances or flight delays, please contact us via text with all your changed travel details. Your Tour Leader will provide a contact number for all our tours. The number is provided on you’re the Tour Trip notes. The Yoga Department cannot reimburse you for any portion of the trip unused, but this can often be claimed on your travel insurance. If the group has already left the starting city you will have to make your own way to catch up to the group. This will need to be liaised with local tour operator and any expenses for this is to be paid direct to the tour leader in the country. The Yoga Department does not take any payments for such delays.
Tour Activities FAQ
Absolutely. If there are included or optional activities that you don’t wish to participate in, you can do your own thing instead. Please note that if you choose to opt out of an included activity, no reimbursement can be made by us. We do encourage for everyone to do as much as they can as per the itinerary.
The Yoga Department has treks that are relatively easy but require some decent level of fitness. E.g. being able to walk non-stop for at least 4 hours.
Yes you will. Please read your tour itinerary that’s states some of the free time available. Also, your tour leader will offer options on what you can do. timeframes permit.
Our FAQ page aims to address common queries and provide clear, concise answers for a better understanding.
For further queries you can directly contact us!
