Cancellation Policies
Day Tour Cancellation Policy (applies to all day hikes and driving tours):
1-7 Clients: Programs canceled less than 72 hours prior to scheduled departure will be charged 50% of cost. Programs canceled less than 48 hours prior to scheduled departure will be charged full cost.
8-14 Clients: Programs canceled less than 1 week prior to scheduled departure will be charged 50% of cost. Group programs canceled less than 72 hours prior to scheduled departure will be charged full cost.
15+ Clients: Group programs canceled less than one month prior to scheduled departure will be charged 50% of cost. Group programs canceled less than one week prior to scheduled departure will be charged full cost.
We reserve the right to cancel a walk at any time for severe or threatening weather, or unsafe trail conditions. Although occasional rain is part of the Smoky Mountain experience, we do not charge for serious weather related cancellations. The Smokies are a temperate rainforest and we do have rain in the forecast often. We hike rain or shine, unless conditions are unsafe. Please be prepared to get wet on a rainy day! PLEASE NOTE, you will be charged the full cost even if your group size changes within the cancellation period. Please let us know if you have anything greater than a 15 passenger van, please contact us so we can help with transportation arrangements. We have the right to charge a rebooking fee for hikes rescheduled. That fee is $35.
Backpacking / Multisport / Camping Trip Cancellation Policy:
$100 per person of trip total amount is a non-refundable deposit. Due to the planning involved in backpacking trips, we require a 45 day cancellation. A refund will be provided for cancellations up to 45 days prior to arrival, less the $100 deposit. Cancellations between 44 and 30 days of your trip will be refunded half of the full trip charge. No refunds for cancellations with less than a 30 day notice, however, we will extend a 25% discount on a future trip to be taken within a one year period. If the guide cancels your trip due to hazardous weather conditions prior to starting the trip, you will be refunded the full trip price excluding the deposit. If the guide or a member of another group on the trip ends the trip early, you will be refunded a prorated portion of the cost. If we begin the trip and you or anyone in your group decides to end the trip early for any reason, there will be no refund. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to our cancellation policy. We are not responsible for medical or family emergencies. We encourage you to research travel insurance services to best meet your needs if you must cancel or interrupt your trip due to unforeseen circumstances . Trip Assure offers insurance for our overnight trips. Trip Assure provides plans with benefits to protect the cost of your travel arrangements; your belongings; and most importantly, you, in case your trip gets disrupted. Please see the following link for more information: Trip Insurance with Trip Assure **Note: This cancellation policy excludes Cascades and Canopies | Smoky Mountain Experience, Peaks to Pools | Backpacking and Paddling Multisport and Smokies Lake Paddle and Basecamp
Cascades and Canopies | Smoky Mountain Experience, Peaks to Pools | Backpacking and Paddling Multisport, Smokies Lake Paddle and Basecamp Cancellation Policy:
Due to the planning involved in these trips, we require a 60 day cancellation. A refund will be provided for cancellations up to 60 days prior to arrival. Cancellations between 59 and 30 days of your trip will be refunded half of the full trip charge. No refunds for cancellations with less than a 30 day notice. If the guide cancels your trip due to hazardous weather conditions prior to starting the trip, you will be refunded the full trip price. If the guide or a member of another group on the trip ends the trip early, you will be refunded a prorated portion of the cost. If we begin the trip and you or anyone in your group decides to end the trip early for any reason, there will be no refund. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to our cancellation policy. We are not responsible for medical or family emergencies. We encourage you to research travel insurance services to best meet your needs if you must cancel or interrupt your trip due to unforeseen circumstances. Trip Assure offers insurance for our overnight trips. Trip Assure provides plans with benefits to protect the cost of your travel arrangements; your belongings; and most importantly, you, in case your trip gets disrupted. Please see the following link for more information: Trip Insurance with Trip Assure
Step on Tour Cancellation Policy:
For driving and step on tours canceled less than two weeks prior to scheduled departure you will be charged 50% of cost. Programs canceled less than one week prior to scheduled departure will be charged full cost. All outings with A Walk in the Woods are meant to be enjoyable. Although occasional rain is part of the Smoky Mountain experience, we do not charge for serious weather related cancellations. The Smokies are a temperate rainforest and we do have rain in the forecast often. We hike rain or shine, unless conditions are unsafe. Please be prepared to get wet on a rainy day! PLEASE NOTE, you will be charged the full cost even if your group size changes within the cancellation period. Please let us know if you have anything greater than a 15 passenger van, please contact us so we can help with transportation arrangements. We have the right to charge a rebooking fee for tours rescheduled. That fee is $35.
Shuttle Cancellation Policy: 1-5 Clients:
Cancellations more than 72 hours prior to scheduled departure will receive a full refund. Shuttles for 1-5 clients canceled 72-48 hours prior to scheduled departure will receive a 50% refund. Shuttles for 1-5 clients canceled within 48 hours of scheduled departure time will not be refunded.
6+ Clients: We require a 1 week notice to cancel. Cancellations between 1 week and 72 hours will be refunded 50% of cost. Shuttles canceled within 72 hours of departure will not be refunded. Rain is part of the Smoky Mountain experience. We will only provide a refund in the event of unsafe weather related conditions. Should a severe weather event occur and you are already doing the shuttle, we will refund you for the unused segment of your shuttle.
We pride ourselves for being on time. We ask that you are on time for your shuttle. We may have other shuttles scheduled around you and will not have time to wait. For every 15 minutes your party is late, there will be an additional charge of $10. If we cannot wait any longer and need to make a 2nd trip to pick up your group, there will be an additional charge of $50.
We encourage all clients to explore trip insurance options. There are many companies out there, but we work with Trip Assure. You can find more information about them here: Trip Assure Insurance