Booking terms
The rules for deposits, refunds, insurance and forms, in plain words. If anything here and your confirmation disagree, the one that's better for you applies.
Deposit and balance
A $500 deposit a person holds a seat. It is refundable in full for 14 days after you pay it. The balance is due 60 days before departure, in one payment or in equal monthly payments on the 10th with no interest or fee. We email and text a reminder 7 days before each payment.
| 90 days or more before | Deposit moves free to another date, or is refunded less $150 |
|---|---|
| 89 to 60 days | You keep a credit for the full deposit |
| 59 to 30 days | 50% of the trip price is refunded |
| 29 days or fewer | No refund; insurance usually covers this |
If a date doesn't run
A departure is guaranteed once 4 walkers have paid a deposit. If it isn't guaranteed 75 days before it starts, we tell you that day and you choose: move to another date at no cost, or a full refund of everything you've paid within 14 days. We never cancel a guaranteed date for numbers.
What the price includes
The price shown is the whole land price: lodging, the meals listed, guides, every train and bus on the itinerary, bags moved between inns, entries, and Japan's accommodation and onsen bath taxes. Nothing is added at checkout except an optional room of your own.
Travel insurance
We ask every walker to carry travel medical and evacuation insurance, and recommend trip cancellation cover. Lantern Trails is not licensed to sell insurance and does not sell it. Our partner page compares policies from licensed providers, and we earn nothing from it.
Forms and waiver
45 days before departure, every walker signs our participation agreement and waiver in the traveler portal and adds an emergency contact and any medical needs. Walkers who haven't signed can't start the trip.
Flights
We don't sell or package airfare. Book your own flights into Kansai (KIX) for day 1 and out of KIX or Osaka Itami on day 12; we send the times that fit. Wait to book them until your date is guaranteed.
Seller of travel
Lantern Trails LLC is registered with the State of California as a seller of travel, registration No. 2147391-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. California law requires certain sellers of travel to have a trust account or bond; this business has a trust account, and your payments are held in it until we pay the inns and partners for your trip.