Frequently Asked Questions

We know you will have many questions about our adventures and have tried to answer the most common ones here. However, if not we certainly would love to speak with you.

What if I don't have anyone who will sign up with me? Not a problem! 40% of our participants sign up entirely on their own and our guides are trained to make sure everyone joins in. You can pay for a single supplement to have your own room but this is always optional and we will find you a roommate of the same gender if you don't wish to pay the supplement.

Am I fit enough to go on a tour? While some of our tours are more challenging than others, most are designed to accommodate participants of all ability levels. We have multiple route options of varying distances on most days of our tours, allowing you to choose where you want to fall on the exercise-relax seasaw for that day. Because we also have a support van available to give you a lift when needed, our adventures are suitable for almost all abilities. Please see our Abililty Level page for details.

Do you offer any discounts? We do offer discounts for groups and children plus a non-participant discount at our Skate Camps. See our Booking Details page. Once you travel with us once, you are automatically in our Alumni Club and eligible for further discounts each year.

What is your average participant like? The average age of our participants is 48 years. Most are between the late 20s and 60s, although the range is about 10 to 76. The gender gap is fairly evenly split with slightly more women than men. 95% come from North America but we get travelers from other countries on about half our trips. About 40% of participants sign up alone, 40% sign up with a partner, and 20% as a family. Most importantly, however, is this: most people who join us for the first time are nervous about the "group tour" experience but our alumni rate it as one of the best parts of their vacation. You'll never know until you try.

What is your maximum and average group size? This is a key question in the outdoor tour industry. Our maximum group size on skating and biking tours is 25 participants and we believe this is a good number as it increases your chances of meeting others with whom you will have much in common, both during the activity and afterwards. It's no fun to be in a small group where you are on the only ... 60 year old, married couple, slow biker, advanced skater, etc. On our Trekking and Food, Beer, & Wine Adventures, the maximum group size is usually smaller, around 12-20 participants. Our average group size on all trips is around 16 participants.

What are your deposit and cancellation policies? Please see our Booking Details page.

What is included in the trip price? All Adventures include double occupancy lodging, dinners, breakfasts, guides, van support, local transportation, and a Pre-Departure Packet. Trekking Adventures also include most lunches but one dinner is often on your own. Wine Adventures include some wine tastings and Beer Adventures most beer tastings. Most trips include instruction in the activities on that adventure. You can even learn something from our guides about biking and hiking! Equipment is included for some activities: mountain biking, kayaking or canoeing, horseback riding, and river rafting. Inline skates are never included on our Skating Adventures since it is much better for you to bring your own skates. Bicycles are available for rent on Biking and Skating Adventures.

What's not included? Not included in the trip price is transportation to and from the trip location, beverages, lunches, desserts, and personal expenses. The Tibet, Peru, Patagonia, and South Africa tours have internal flights that are not included in the trip price but will be purchased by Zephyr and billed to you. Sleeping bags are not included on Trekking Adventures but are available to rent for $75 per trip.

What are the hotels and meals like? We stay in excellent hotels and prefer local, centrally-located inns over chain hotels or luxury retreats isolated from the local culture. We eat in nice restaurants but will pass up a tourist trap for a small cafe in an out-of-the-way street. Giving you a quality, real experience is our goal.

Can I join a Skate Camp without lodging since I live in the area? Yes. You can take $300 off the Camp Rollerblade price if you don't need lodging or breakfast. Keep in mind our Camps are successful in part because they are fun - and they are fun because our groups bond not just during instruction but during dinners and evenings.

Do you recommend travel insurance? Every year we have many people who have to cancel an adventure at the last minute, losing their trip payment and airfare. We highly recommend travel insurance. See our travel insurance page for more information.

Where and when do I meet for each adventure? Most adventures meet just after lunch on the first day, giving you time to get to the trip location that morning. Some adventures require a full first day and, on those, we meet you in the morning and provide you with suggested hotels where you can stay the night before. We will send you a Pre-Departure Packet with detailed information about your Adventure once you register, including arrival and departure information. Call or email us for exact information about a specific location.

Will you help me make my travel arrangements? You are responsible for getting to and from the trip location and this transportation is not included in the trip price. Your Pre-Departure Information will include more details and we also suggest you see our page on Making Air Reservations.

What type of equipment will I need? Please see our Equipment page for complete details.

What if the weather is bad during our trip? We plan our trips around the best weather in each location based on historical weather patterns. There are days, however, when Mother Nature just doesn't cooperate. If we can't participate in our scheduled activity due to foul weather, we usually delay it until the skies clear or, in the rare cases we have to, plan a fun alternate activity for the day. We consider it part of the adventure!

Can I purchase a gift certificate for a friend? Of course! Please visit our Gift Certificate page.

How can I apply to work for Zephyr Adventures? See our Work for Us page.

Where can I find more information about the tour locations? One of the best sources of information on our tour locations is our owner Allan Wright's blog. Just search for posts on your location of choice. For more information on a specific trip, please request a Trip Description by email. Please see our hotlinks and skating links pages or our print newsletters from the last few years.

What is your Privacy Policy? If you provide us with information via one of our online forms, we will use that information only to communicate with you. We will not sell or provide your private information to any other parties.