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 and welcome you to contact us by phone or email.

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 fits 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 extra 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. 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 Hilton Head Skate Camps. See our tour booking details page. Once you travel with us once, you are automatically in our Alumni Club and eligible for various discounts each year.

What is your average participant like?The average age of our participants is 46 years. Most are between the late 20s and early 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.

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, a Zephyr souvenir, and a Pre-Departure Packet. Trekking Adventures also include most lunches but one dinner is often on your own. Most trips include instruction in the activities on that adventure. Equipment is included for some activities: mountain biking, kayaking, 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 but are included on Multisport trips

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 (except Patagonia) but are available to rent for $75 per trip.

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.

Where can I find more information about the locations? 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.