PRE-TOUR COMMUNICATION
Traveling or not is your personal choice. It is, however, our responsibility to keep you fully updated if and once you choose to travel with us. As a guest booked on our trip, we will keep you posted continuously via emails, on factors driving our decisions for trips in 2023.
GUEST ARRIVAL
Out of an abundance of caution, the Tour Operator is requiring a proof of vaccination or a negative PCR or rapid antigen COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of trip start or a medical certificate confirming recovery from COVID-19 no more than 90 days or less than five days before your departure.
SMALLER GROUP SIZE & SOCIALIZATION
The Tour Operator has always been a boutique small group travel company. They strive to keep an average group size small and use multiple vans wherever possible. Also, your choice to join any group activity outside of riding, including meals or social gatherings, will be completely optional. They plan on working around your preferences.
ACCOMMODATION
The Tour Operator works only with the best partners in the hospitality business. The hotels, restaurants, and activity partners are working with them to make sure that the most up to date cleaning, sanitization, and social distancing protocols as per the CDC are being followed. They will also ensure that the standards are maintained on tour, as part of pre-tour check in with the properties.
ENHANCED LEADER & OFFICE SUPPORT
The Tour Operator office is currently on standby 24/7 for emergencies and will be available to offer support to guests and leaders alike. Please know that your trip leaders are fully vaccinated, trained in First Aid and CPR and are undergoing special training to provide support and maintain health, sanitization, and communication protocol as per CDC guidelines.
PERSONAL PROTECTION
Face mask is not required while on tour. However, the Tour Operator strongly recommends guests bring face-covering, whether they’re face masks or bandanas, especially while riding the shuttle or the van. They also have hand sanitizers available at all times.
VAN SUPPORT
Depending on the group size, the Tour Operator plans on offering multiple vans to help reduce the maximum capacity and offer ample distancing options for every guest. When appropriate, they will add shuttles to provide flexibility for guests to start and end at different times.
EQUIPMENT CLEANING AND SANITIZATION
Now more than ever, the Tour Operator is taking their cleaning standards to a whole new level. All bikes, equipment, and gears will receive a deep cleaning at the end of every single day of the tour. This includes sanitization as per CDC guidelines. Tour leaders will also clean and disinfect every exposed surface of the vans at the end of each day, with special attention to high touchpoints.
MEALS
Food and the camaraderie during meals have always been an integral part of the tour experience. This year, there will be all of that, but with flexibility and options to dine as you wish. We are limiting table sizes and giving you the option to choose what makes you comfortable. Our leaders, known for presenting one of the best picnic lunches in the industry, are well trained in food handling safety. Now they are keeping additional CDC and WHO guidelines and training in mind while preparing food.
It was challenging, insightful, educational, and filled with new experiences! The group was terrific and as I have come to expect, the guides and experiences provided by [the tour operator] were top notch!
In many ways, it exceeded expectations. The tour guides were exceptional. Their knowledge about the area made this much more than a bike trip. The other people in our group were, without exception, pleasant, positive, and flexible people. The scenery and learning about the history were outstanding.