Cancellation and Refund Policy

October 1, 2026

Plans change. We know that. This policy explains what happens to your booking if yours do, in plain language, so there are no surprises. Our aim is simple: help you keep your holiday, and when that is not possible, return as much of your money as we fairly can.

In this policy, “we”, “us” and “Summer Vacation” mean Summer Vacation Tours and Safaris Partnership, a tour operator licensed by the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism. “You” means the person who makes the booking.

If you booked through a travel agent or another tour company, their terms apply to your agreement with them.

The Short Version

If You Want To What to Expect
Move your dates Free once, if you ask at least 30 days before arrival. Availability and any price difference apply.
Cancel early No cancellation fee at 45 or more days before arrival (60 or more days in peak season).
Cancel closer to arrival A fee applies on a sliding scale. The maximum is in section 4, and it is reduced by anything we recover from suppliers.
Keep the value of your booking Turn your payment into travel credit, valid for 12 months, with no cancellation fee from us (cancelling at least 30 days before arrival).
If we need to cancel Full refund or an equal alternative of your choice, with no fee.
Bad sea or weather on an excursion We reschedule it or refund that excursion.
Something serious happens Tell us straight away. We review every case and pass on every refund we recover.
HOW WE APPROACH THIS
  • We show you supplier conditions before you pay, not after.
  • We never keep money that we recover from a hotel, boat operator or other supplier. We pass it on to you.
  • Moving a booking is better than losing it, for you and for us. We will always offer a change before a cancellation.
  • A deposit of 30% of the total price confirms your booking. Your booking is confirmed when we receive the deposit and send you written confirmation.
  • The balance is due 30 days before arrival, or 45 days before arrival if your stay includes the peak season.
  • If you book within that period, the full amount is due when you book.
  • Prices are in US dollars. Fees charged by banks or payment providers are not refundable.

Peak season means arrival dates from 20 December to 10 January. Some properties apply peak conditions at other times of year. If that applies to your stay, we tell you before you pay.

This section covers packages that combine accommodation with transfers, excursions or both. Count the days from the date we receive your written notice to the date your first service starts, normally your arrival. The percentages are applied to the total price of the cancelled services.

Days Before Arrival Standard Season Peak Season
60 or more days No fee No fee
59 to 45 days No fee Up to 50%
44 to 30 days Up to 25% Up to 50%
29 to 15 days Up to 50% Up to 100%
14 to 7 days Up to 75% Up to 100%
6 days or less, or no show 100% 100%

These are maximums. If we recover money from our suppliers, we reduce your fee by that amount.

Stricter supplier conditions. Some hotels, villas, boat operators and ferries apply their own conditions, and a few are stricter than the table, especially in peak season. If that applies to you, we state it in your quote and confirmation before you pay, and those conditions apply instead.

  • Date changes: free once, if you ask at least 30 days before arrival. This depends on availability. Differences in price, season or supplier charges apply. Later changes are reviewed case by case and may be treated as a cancellation and a new booking.
  • Guest names: you can change a guest name free of charge until 7 days before arrival, if the suppliers allow it.
  • Smaller or larger group: we adjust the price for each person and each room. Changing room occupancy can change the room price.
  • Adding services such as excursions or transfers is free of any change fee.

Travel credit

If you cancel at least 30 days before arrival, you can choose travel credit instead of a refund. We do not charge our own cancellation fee on credit. Any charges that suppliers cannot return to us are taken from the credit. Credit is valid for 12 months from the date it is issued, can be used for any Summer Vacation service by the same travellers, is subject to availability and the prices at that time, and is not exchangeable for cash.

This section applies to excursions booked on their own, or added during your stay. Excursions included in a package follow section 4.

  • Cancel at least 48 hours before the start: no fee.
  • Cancel between 24 and 48 hours before the start: 50%.
  • Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or do not show up: 100%.

Sea and weather. Boat excursions depend on tides, wind and sea conditions. If we or the boat operator cancel for safety or weather, we reschedule the excursion to another day or refund it in full. If the operator is running and you choose not to go, the rules above apply. Usual seasonal rain is not a reason for refund.

Minimum numbers. If a shared excursion does not reach its minimum number, we offer another date or a full refund.

  • Cancel at least 24 hours before pickup: no fee.
  • Cancel less than 24 hours before pickup, or do not show up at the agreed place: 100%.
  • If your flight or ferry changes, send us the new details as soon as you can. We adjust your pickup free of charge where we can.
  • Ferry tickets we buy for you follow the ferry company’s own rules. We refund them only if the company refunds us.

For stays without other services, the property’s own conditions apply. They are shown in your quote before you pay. We do not add our own cancellation fee on top of the property’s charge.

If we need to cancel because a supplier closes, safety is at risk, or a minimum number is not met, you receive a full refund of the affected services, or an equal alternative of your choice, with no fee. If we make a major change, such as moving you to a lower category of hotel, we offer an alternative and refund any difference in value. We do not offer compensation beyond this, except where the law requires it.

Events beyond our control include natural disasters, severe storms, epidemics, government restrictions, civil unrest, strikes, and airport, port or ferry closures. If one of these affects your holiday, we contact our suppliers to recover refunds or credits for you, offer new dates where possible, do not charge our own fee, and pass on every amount we recover.

If a traveller or a close family member has a serious illness, injury or death, or a visa is refused, or your airline cancels your flight, contact us straight away with your supporting documents. We review each case individually and look for a fair solution, which may be travel credit, a date change or a reduced fee. We cannot promise to refund amounts that suppliers will not return to us.

Travel insurance

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance that covers trip cancellation, medical care and evacuation. Foreign visitors entering Zanzibar must also hold the mandatory inbound travel insurance sold through the official Zanzibar government portal. This is an entry requirement and is separate from trip cancellation cover. Please check exactly what each policy covers.

If you do not arrive, arrive late or leave early, we cannot refund services you did not use, because suppliers charge us for them. Please tell us as early as you can. We will try to rearrange services or recover what we can, and we pass on any refund we receive.

  • Email us at info@summervacationtours.com with your name, booking reference and what you would like to do. Your notice takes effect on the date we receive it, in East Africa Time.
  • For urgent matters within 48 hours of a service, also message or call us on WhatsApp at +255 777 335 672, and confirm by email.
  • We acknowledge each notice by email. If you do not hear from us, please contact us again.
  • Refunds go back to the person and the payment method used for the booking, in US dollars.
  • We pay refunds within 14 business days after we confirm the amount. Your bank may need extra time.
  • Bank and payment provider fees, and any currency exchange differences, are not refundable.

Groups of 6 or more rooms, or 12 or more guests, are quoted in writing. Hotels apply stricter terms to groups, so the deposit and cancellation conditions may differ from this policy. We tell you before you pay.

If something is not right, please tell us first. We want to fix it, and most issues are settled by talking. If we cannot agree, this policy and your booking are governed by the laws of Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania, and the courts of Zanzibar. Nothing in this policy limits any rights you have under applicable consumer law.

We may update this policy. The version in force on the date you booked applies to your booking. The current version is always on our website.

Contact

Email: info@summervacationtours.com

WhatsApp / Call: +255 777 335 672

Website: summervacationtours.com