The fine print

Policies, plainly written.

Cancellation schedules, terms, privacy, cookies, safety and the legal bits — written in plain English first, with the formal legal text tucked behind expandable panels for when you need it.

Last updated · 03 May 2026
§ 01

Cancellation — Itineraries

Multi-day trips. Counted from the trip's first day, in the timezone of departure.

In plain English

Plans change. Here's the deal: cancel 60+ days before your trip starts and you get a full refund. Between 60 and 30 days we keep half. Inside 30 days we can't refund — the bookings, guides and rooms are already locked in on your behalf.

We'd much rather move your dates than refund you. If your travel falls through, ask — we've shifted plenty of trips into the next season at no penalty.

60+ days before
Full refund of all monies paid
100%
60–30 days before
50% refund · we keep the deposit + half
50%
Under 30 days
No refund · transfer to a new date instead
0%
§ 02

Cancellation — Experiences

Single-day and half-day experiences. Counted from the experience's start time.

In plain English

Cancel 7+ days before for a full refund. 3 to 7 days out we refund half. Inside 3 days the boat, the chef and the guide are committed — no refund, but you can usually move it.

7+ days before
Full refund
100%
3–7 days before
50% refund or 100% credit toward a new date
50%
Under 3 days
No refund · date changes case-by-case
0%
§ 03

Refunds & changes

How money moves and what you can change without rebooking.

In plain English

Approved refunds land within 14 working days on the same card or bank account that paid. Smaller changes — guest names, room pairings, dietary needs, pickup time — are free up to 7 days before. Bigger changes (dates, route, group size) are quoted as a difference if there is one.

Free changes

  • Guest names and passport details (until 14 days before)
  • Dietary preferences and allergies (any time, even on the day)
  • Pickup time, room pairing, single supplements (until 7 days before)
  • Adding paid extras and upgrades (subject to availability)

Repriced changes

  • Date changes — quoted at then-current pricing for the new dates
  • Group size changes — recalculated against the relevant group tier
  • Route changes that affect supplier costs (vehicles, accommodation tier)
§ 04

Force majeure & weather

When we cancel because conditions aren't safe — or when something larger gets in the way.

In plain English

If we cancel an experience or a day of an itinerary because of weather, sea state, fire risk, strikes, or other safety reasons — we look for another date first. If we can find one, you pay nothing extra. If we genuinely can't, you get a full refund of that portion.

We don't refund for situations beyond our control that affect your ability to travel — flight delays, illness, visa problems. That's what travel insurance is for (see §08).

When we make the call

  • Sea-based experiences — if the Hellenic Coast Guard closes the port, or wind exceeds the vessel's safety rating, the experience cannot run.
  • Hiking & outdoor — Civil Protection fire-risk Level 4+ closes most forest routes by law; we substitute or reschedule.
  • Itineraries — single days are reshaped wherever possible; a full multi-day cancellation by us is rare and triggers full proportional refund.
§ 05

Booking terms

The contract you enter when you confirm a trip with us.

In plain English

Booking is confirmed when we send a written confirmation and you pay the deposit (typically 30%). Final balance is due 45 days before travel. For experiences under €500, we charge in full at booking. Pricing is per person in EUR and includes Greek VAT where applicable.

  • Quote validity — 14 days from issue, unless otherwise stated.
  • Deposit — 30% on itineraries; full payment on experiences under €500.
  • Final balance — due 45 days before travel; we send a reminder 60 days out.
  • Late bookings — within 45 days, payment is due in full at booking.
  • Inclusions — listed line by line on every itinerary; assume nothing else is included.
§ 06

Health & safety

What we do, what you do, and where the line sits.

In plain English

Every guide we use is licensed by the Greek state. Vessels are coast-guard certified. We brief you on each activity before it starts. You are responsible for telling us about medical conditions, dietary needs, mobility limitations and pregnancies before the activity — not after.

Your responsibilities

  • Disclose medical conditions, allergies and pregnancy at booking — confidentially, only to your trip designer.
  • Follow guide instructions, especially in water, on hikes and at archaeological sites.
  • Bring your prescription medication; we cannot store or administer prescription drugs.
  • Drink water, wear sun protection, and pace yourself — Greek summer is hotter than people expect.
  • Hold valid travel insurance covering medical and emergency repatriation (see §08).

Our responsibilities

  • Use only state-licensed guides, drivers, skippers and accommodation.
  • Provide written safety briefings before water-, height- or scramble-based activities.
  • Maintain commercial third-party liability insurance for our operations.
  • Cancel without hesitation if conditions are unsafe (see §04).
§ 07

Code of conduct

What we expect — from our guides, our suppliers, and our guests.

In plain English

We host travellers from very different backgrounds in often quiet, traditional places. Be curious and respectful — ask before you photograph people, dress modestly at monasteries, don't take stones from archaeological sites, tip when service is good. We reserve the right to end a trip without refund for guests who endanger or harass others.

  • Treat guides, drivers, hosts and fellow travellers with respect — full stop.
  • Photography of people, especially in monastic communities and small villages, requires permission.
  • Cover shoulders and knees inside churches and monasteries; some require head coverings (provided on site).
  • Removing artefacts, stones, ceramic shards or marine life from protected sites is illegal under Greek law.
  • Drugs are not tolerated on any activity, full stop. Alcohol is fine on most activities, but not water-based ones.
§ 08

Insurance & liability

What we carry, what you must carry, and what's not covered either way.

In plain English

We carry full commercial third-party liability insurance for our operations — covering injury or damage caused by our negligence. You must carry your own travel insurance covering medical treatment, emergency repatriation, trip cancellation and personal effects. We require evidence of this for any itinerary involving water sports, climbing, or remote terrain.

Your travel insurance must cover

  • Emergency medical treatment and hospitalisation in Greece
  • Emergency air or sea repatriation
  • Trip cancellation, curtailment and missed connection
  • Personal effects — phones, cameras, luggage
  • The specific activities booked (some policies exclude sailing, climbing, motorbiking)
§ 09

Privacy policy

How we collect, use and protect your personal data — under EU GDPR and Greek Law 4624/2019.

In plain English

We collect what we need to plan your trip and nothing else. We don't sell your data. We share it only with the suppliers running your trip (hotels, guides, drivers) and the providers of our website analytics. You can ask us at any time for a copy, a correction, or a full deletion — write to privacy@exploregreece.travel.

What we collect

  • Booking data — name, email, phone, billing address, passport number (for ferries/flights only), traveller names and ages.
  • Trip data — dietary needs, mobility info, accommodation preferences, swim ability where relevant — only what you tell us.
  • Payment data — handled directly by Stripe; we never see your full card number.
  • Website data — analytics about pages viewed (cookie-based, see §10), IP address, device.

Why we use it (lawful basis)

  • Contract — to plan, deliver and bill your trip (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).
  • Legal obligation — to keep tax records for the period required by Greek law (Art. 6(1)(c)).
  • Legitimate interest — to improve our website and respond to enquiries (Art. 6(1)(f)).
  • Consent — for newsletters and non-essential cookies (Art. 6(1)(a)) — opt-in, revocable.

Your rights

  • Access — request a copy of all data we hold about you.
  • Rectification — correct anything inaccurate.
  • Erasure — request deletion (subject to tax-record obligations).
  • Portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format.
  • Objection — to processing based on legitimate interest.
  • Lodge a complaint with the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (dpa.gr).
§ 10

Cookies

In plain English

We use a small number of cookies. Strictly necessary ones make the site work — you can't refuse those. Analytics cookies (Google) tell us which pages people read so we can improve them. Marketing cookies (Meta, Google Ads) help us show this site to people who'd actually want it. You can accept or reject the second two when you first visit, or change your mind any time via the banner.

Strictly necessary
Explore Greece
Session — keeps your form input, currency choice, and consent state. Deleted when the tab closes or after 30 days.
Yes
Analytics
Google Analytics 4
Anonymised page views, traffic sources, device/browser. Retained 14 months. IP anonymisation enabled.
Opt-in
Marketing
Meta Pixel, Google Ads
Conversion tracking, audience building for retargeting on Instagram, Facebook and Google Search. Retained up to 13 months.
Opt-in

Refusing cookies

§ 11

Accessibility

What we aim for online and on the ground — and where we still fall short.

In plain English

Online, we target WCAG 2.1 Level AA. On the ground, Greece is honest about its terrain: many of the places we go are not wheelchair-accessible because they are mountains, monasteries, and 14th-century stone villages. We will tell you straight, in writing, what each itinerary needs from you physically — and we'll help you find the parts that work.

Web

  • Keyboard-navigable nav, semantic HTML, alt text on images.
  • Colour contrast tested against WCAG AA at 4.5:1 (text) and 3:1 (large text and UI).
  • Reflow at 320px wide; respects user font-size and reduced-motion preferences.
  • Found a barrier? Email hello@exploregreece.travel — we'll fix it.

On the ground

  • Each itinerary lists daily walking distances, terrain type, and stair counts at accommodation.
  • We arrange step-free transfers and lift-equipped vehicles on request.
  • Several of our partner hotels are fully accessible — ask and we'll route you to those.
  • Some sites — Mystras, Monemvasia, mountain monasteries — are inherently inaccessible. We won't pretend otherwise.
§ 12

Imprint

Trade name
Explore Greece
Registered office
Par. Giannitson 4 — Mpouloukou 26, 24134 Kalamata, Greece
GNTO licence (MHTE)
1249E60000050901
GEMI registration
12791444500
Regulator
Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO / EOT)
Online dispute
EU ODR Platform

Stuck on a clause? Just ask.

Policies are necessary, but they shouldn’t be where your trip starts and ends. Anything unclear, anything missing, anything you’d want negotiated — we’d rather you write us than wonder.

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