Frequently asked questions

In case of emergency, refer first to your Alta tour guide or your local guide. In the absence of a guide, you can reach our emergency service seven days a week, 24 hours a day: 1-877-213-2070.

For all travel abroad, Canadian citizens must bring a valid Canadian passport.

Canadian citizens can travel within Canada by presenting an official document from Canada:

• 1 piece of photo ID issued by the federal, provincial or territorial government with full name and date of birth or
• 2 pieces of identification issued by the federal, provincial or territorial government. Both must have last name and at least 1 must have full name and date of birth.

We suggest that you visit the government website travel.gc.ca for more information, including visas required for certain destinations.

For trips that require the issuance of a mandatory visa, Alta offers assistance to its customers. We will provide you with the necessary documents to obtain your visa as well as the procedure to follow.

For travelers who are not Canadian citizens, it is important to contact the embassy or consulate of the country visited directly in order to obtain the required entry requirements.

For more information, check with your travel agent.

Before you go on a trip, it is important to know the precautions to take and any vaccines you may need. It is also recommended that your basic vaccines be up to date, regardless of the destination. We strongly recommend that you consult a travel health clinic to ensure that you have up-to-date information on the vaccines needed for the country you are visiting.

Some countries also require proof of vaccination to enter the country and these documents are provided by the vaccination clinic.

The cancellation conditions vary according to the type of trip; these conditions will be given to you before you book your trip.

When you cancel your trip, charges may be withheld and non-refundable depending on the date of your cancellation.

See our terms and conditions for our cancellation fees.

The purchase of cancellation insurance is strongly recommended because it allows you to recover the sums lost, the reason for your cancellation must obviously be admissible for the insurer. See our insurance section on the website for more information.

For all packages, you will find information specific to your trip in your contract (section Included / Not included).

Depending on the destination, it is possible to include tips in your package, on request.

Here’s what we suggest to plan for tips (per person):

• 3 $ to 5 $ per day for the tour guide
• 2 $ to 5 $ per day for the driver
• 2 $ per day/room for housekeeping
• 1 $ to 2 $ for a local guide

Minimum of 15% at the restaurant (N.B.: when meals are included in your package, tips are included in Canada and the United States)

Most trips include meals and admissions. You have to plan for extras, such as certain admissions and additional meals, souvenirs, treats and sometimes tips.

If meals are not included in the package, here is a grid to help you estimate the pocket money needed for meals (2 meals; lunch and dinner):

DESTINATION                    ALLOCATION PER DAY*

United States                      30 $ to 50 $ USD

Canada                                 30 $ to 50 $ CAD

Europe                                  25 € to 50 €

Latin America                     20 $ to 40 $ USD

For all other destinations, please check with your travel advisor.

N.B. These amounts refer to the average prices of regular restaurants and vary according to each traveler.

Organized groups and language immersions

For language stays and organized groups, it is possible to pay by check, bank transfer or credit card. A first deposit is requested upon registration for the trip and the balance of the invoice must be paid within 60 days before departure.

Student groups

Payments are possible by credit card, bank transfer or Interac transfer through the customer area of our website. A first deposit is required upon registration and the balance is due 60 or 45 days before departure, depending on the destination.

For more details, please ask your travel advisor.

Yes. It is important to clearly indicate your food intolerances or allergies on your registration form. However, we cannot guarantee that all restaurants will be able to accommodate requests for special meals. Please note that additional fees may be charged for certain requests.

If you have a severe food allergy, we suggest discussing it with your travel counselor to make sure you can get the most out of your trip.

Approximately 1 month to 15 days before the date of your departure. All the documents necessary for the smooth running of your trip will be sent by email (or in hard copy if necessary) and will include, depending on the type of trip you have booked, your final itinerary, your accommodation and transport confirmation, your plane tickets if applicable, the contact details of your guide and / or your driver as well as any other useful information for your trip.

Yes. We strongly advise you, 24 hours before departure, to go to the website of the departure airport or to call the airport to verify the time of your flight. Airlines can change schedules without notice at any time, so it’s important to do this check.

In order to find out about the prohibitions and exemptions when you return to Canada, we invite you to consult the customs information on the Canadian government website.