Terms & Conditions

Deposit

• A non-refundable deposit of 25% of the total tour cost is required to secure your reservation
• This deposit must be paid at the time of booking to confirm your place on the tour

Our Accommodation Guarantee

• Your booking is only fully confirmed once we have secured your accommodation along the route
• If we are unable to source suitable accommodation for your chosen dates, we refund your payment in full — whether that is your 25% deposit or, for bookings made within 6 weeks of departure, the full amount
• We never retain a deposit or balance for a booking we cannot fulfil

Balance Payment

• The remaining balance (75% of the tour cost) must be paid in full 42 days before your tour begins
• If final payment is not received by the deadline, Walking Holiday Ireland reserves the right to cancel your booking and retain the deposit

Contract

• An invoice from Walking Holiday Ireland serves as the binding contract between you and the company
• Your booking is confirmed upon receipt of the deposit payment

Cancellation Rights

• Tours may be modified or cancelled up to four weeks in advance due to:
  • Unforeseen circumstances beyond the company's control
  • Insufficient participant numbers for guided experiences

Refunds

• If Walking Holiday Ireland cancels a tour, customers receive a full refund of all payments made
• The company accepts no responsibility for related costs such as airline tickets, accommodation booked separately, or other travel arrangements

Force Majeure

• In force majeure situations (acts of nature, war, pandemics, etc.), only the tour payment itself is refunded
• No additional compensation is provided for force majeure circumstances

Modification Fees

• Any changes to your booking incur a €50 administration fee
• Additional expenses incurred by the company due to modifications will be charged to the customer
• Tour modifications cannot be made within two weeks of departure

Cancellation Penalties

Cancellation penalties are structured as follows, based on when cancellation occurs:

• More than 6 weeks before departure: Deposit only (25%) is forfeited
• 4-6 weeks before departure: 50% of the total tour cost must be paid
• 2-4 weeks before departure: 80% of the total tour cost must be paid
• Within 2 weeks of departure: 100% of the total tour cost must be paid (no refund)

Non-Transferable Bookings

• Bookings are non-transferable to other individuals or dates, except where allowed by the cancellation policy

Required Coverage

Your travel insurance must cover:

• Trip cancellation and curtailment
• Personal accident
• Illness and medical expenses, including emergency evacuation and repatriation
• Search and rescue costs, where these are charged
• Lost belongings and baggage
• Personal liability and legal costs

Proof of Insurance

• Walking Holiday Ireland may request proof of travel insurance coverage before departure
• The company does not evaluate the adequacy of policies or advise on insurance matters
• Costs of a kind that travel insurance is designed to cover — medical treatment, cancellation for personal reasons, lost belongings — are a matter for you and your insurer, unless they arise from our failure to perform the package

Package Travel Organiser

Walking Holiday Ireland is the organiser of your package holiday under the European Union (Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No. 80 of 2019), which give effect in Ireland to Directive (EU) 2015/2302. We are responsible for the proper performance of all the travel services included in your package, whether they are provided by us or by our suppliers — accommodation providers, luggage-transfer and transport operators, and guides.

What We Are Liable For

If a travel service included in your package is not performed, or is performed improperly, we will put it right where that is possible. Where it cannot be put right, or where the problem has already affected your holiday, you may be entitled to an appropriate price reduction and, where applicable, compensation under the Regulations. Tell us as soon as a problem arises so that we have the chance to fix it (see Section 11).

We are not liable where the failure or improper performance is attributable to you or to a member of your party; to a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel services, where it was unforeseeable or unavoidable; or to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances — such as severe weather, natural events, public-health measures or industrial action — whose consequences could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

Limit of Liability

As the Regulations allow, our liability to pay compensation is limited to three times the total price of your package, except for personal injury or for damage caused intentionally or through negligence. Where an international convention or EU law limits the extent to which a supplier must pay compensation (for example a carrier), our liability is limited in the same way. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any liability that cannot be limited under the law.

Your Responsibility on the Trail

Our walking holidays are self-guided. Between the services we arrange, you walk independently and are responsible for your own safety: for choosing each day's route and distance in line with your fitness and experience, for carrying suitable clothing, food, water and navigation aids, and for sensible decisions about weather, daylight and whether to continue. Our route notes, maps, GPX files and route app are there to help you navigate; they do not replace your own judgement on the day. If you are unsure about a section, ask us before you set out.

Health and Fitness

You must tell us before booking about any health condition, injury or physical limitation that could affect your ability to walk the itinerary safely, and keep us informed if anything changes before departure. By booking you confirm that you and every member of your party are fit to undertake the walking described in your itinerary.

Help If Things Go Wrong

If you are in difficulty during your holiday, call or WhatsApp us on +353 87 957 3856 at any time. We will give you appropriate assistance without undue delay: information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance, and help in making alternative arrangements. If the difficulty was caused intentionally or through your own negligence, we may charge a reasonable fee for this assistance, limited to the costs we actually incur. How to tell us about a problem during your holiday, and how to complain afterwards, is set out in Section 11.

Governing Law

• These terms and your booking are governed by Irish law
• If you live in another EU member state, you also keep the protection of any mandatory consumer-protection rules of your own country that cannot be set aside by agreement

Dispute Resolution

• We will always try to resolve any dispute directly with you first (see Section 11)
• Any dispute that cannot be resolved may be brought before the courts of Ireland
• If you are a consumer living in another EU member state, nothing in these terms prevents you from bringing a claim in the courts of your own country where the law gives you that right

Itinerary Changes

• Tour descriptions and itineraries may be modified at the company's discretion
• Customers will be notified of significant changes
• Reasonable alternatives will be provided if changes are necessary

Route Descriptions and Distances

• The daily walking distances, ascents and estimated walking times shown in your proposal, on the tour page and in your travel pack are taken from GPS route data and are approximate. The distance you actually walk may differ depending on detours, optional extensions, weather, trail conditions and the accuracy of your own device.
• Where a day offers a shorter or longer option, your proposal states which option applies to your booking. The daily distances in your proposal are the agreed basis of your holiday.
• Waymarking, trail surfaces and closures are the responsibility of the trail authorities and landowners. Where a section is closed or unsafe, we will advise an alternative.
• If a day turns out to be longer or harder than you are comfortable with, tell us on the day so that we can shorten it or arrange a transfer where possible (see section 11).

Use of Photos and Content

• Photos taken during tours may be used for marketing purposes and promotional materials
• If you do not wish your photo to be used, you must specify this in writing at the time of booking
• By not requesting restrictions, you consent to reasonable use of tour photos

What's Included

• One piece of luggage per participant, up to 15kg in weight, receives transfers along designated tour routes
• Luggage is transported between accommodations each day

Limitations

• Luggage heavier than 15kg may be refused by the luggage transport service
• Additional luggage may incur extra charges
• Luggage transfers only cover accommodations within the scheduled itinerary
• Luggage cannot be transferred to accommodations outside the scheduled tour dates or locations

Conduct Standards

• All participants must maintain appropriate conduct and respect fellow participants and staff
• Disruptive, dangerous, or inappropriate behavior is not tolerated

Termination of Participation

• Walking Holiday Ireland reserves the right to terminate participation without refund if a participant:
  • Engages in disruptive or dangerous behavior
  • Violates participant conduct standards
  • Poses a safety risk to themselves or others
  • Violates laws or regulations
• No refund will be issued if participation is terminated for behavioral reasons

Children's Discounts

Children Under 2 Years

• Receive up to 80% discount when sharing a room with parents/guardians
• Passport copy required for verification
• Child is not allocated a separate bed

Children Ages 3-12 Years

• Receive up to 20% discount on tour pricing
• €100 deposit required per child
• Child receives their own bed and standard accommodation

Discount Restrictions

• Special offers and discounts cannot be combined with other promotional offers
• Discounts apply only to base tour prices
• Discounts may not apply to luggage transfers, accommodation add-ons, or other optional services

During Your Holiday: Tell Us Straight Away

• If any part of your holiday is not as described or not as you expected — accommodation, luggage transfers, taxis, the route, the app or the travel pack — contact us immediately by phone or WhatsApp on +353 87 957 3856 or by email at info@walkingholidayireland.com. We are contactable throughout your trip.
• We can only put right what we know about. Under the Package Travel Regulations you must inform us without undue delay of any lack of conformity you notice during your holiday, and we will remedy it within a reasonable period unless that is impossible or would involve disproportionate cost.
• Please do not wait until you are home. What could have been put right on the day cannot be put right afterwards, and a failure to tell us in time will be taken into account when we assess any later claim.

After Your Holiday: How to Complain

• Any complaint about your holiday must be sent to us in writing by email to info@walkingholidayireland.com, quoting your booking reference, within 28 days of the end of your holiday.
• Messages sent only by WhatsApp, text message or social media are not treated as a formal complaint. Please use email so that nothing is missed or read too late.
• We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and give you a full written response within 14 days, or within 28 days if we need to consult accommodation or transport providers.
• Please give us the opportunity to resolve a complaint directly before raising a dispute with your bank or card issuer. Where a card payment is disputed, we will provide the bank with our full records of the booking, the services delivered and our correspondence with you.

Your Statutory Rights

• Nothing in these terms limits your rights under the Package Travel Regulations, including the right to an appropriate price reduction for any period during which your holiday was not as agreed, unless this was attributable to you.
• The complaint deadline above is there so that we can investigate while the facts are fresh; it does not shorten any longer period that the law allows you.