Legal

Terms & Conditions

Last updated: 7 September 2026 · Applies to sacredtrailstravel.com and all bookings made with Sacred Trails Travel

Before this goes live: Sacred Trails Travel is not yet registered at Companies House, not yet ATOL-registered, and has not yet appointed a host travel agency for financial protection. The clauses below are drafted around a travel arranger / agent model (introducing you to named third-party suppliers, rather than selling a bonded package as principal) so the business isn't representing cover it doesn't yet have. Once a host agency, ATOL arrangement, or ABTA/PTS bonding is in place — especially for any itinerary that includes flights — these terms need updating to reflect that, and a solicitor familiar with the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 should review this page before the first real booking is taken.

1. Who these terms are with

These terms apply to any enquiry, itinerary, or booking made through sacredtrailstravel.com or directly with Sacred Trails Travel (company details to be confirmed on incorporation), based on the Fylde Coast, Lancashire, United Kingdom ("we", "us", "Sacred Trails Travel"). By enquiring about or booking a journey with us, you ("you", "the traveller") agree to these terms.

2. What we do

Sacred Trails Travel designs bespoke walking pilgrimage and cultural heritage itineraries, and arranges the individual elements of your trip — accommodation, luggage transfers, local guiding, and transport connections — with named local suppliers. Unless we tell you otherwise in writing for a specific trip, we act as your booking agent, arranging these services on your behalf with suppliers who contract with you directly. We are not the "organiser" of a package holiday under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 unless we expressly confirm this for your booking.

3. Enquiries and quotations

An enquiry, quotation, or draft itinerary is not a confirmed booking and does not guarantee availability or price.
Prices quoted are estimates based on availability at the time and may change until a booking is confirmed in writing.
A booking is only confirmed once we send you written confirmation and, where applicable, receive your deposit or payment.

4. Payment

A non-refundable deposit (typically [amount/percentage to be set]) is required to confirm most bookings, with the balance due [X weeks] before departure.
Where we act as agent, your payment may be passed to the relevant supplier(s) or held via a client account or trust arrangement [to be confirmed once a host agency/bonding arrangement is appointed].
We accept payment by [payment methods to be confirmed].

5. Changes and cancellations

If you need to change or cancel

Please tell us in writing as soon as possible. Because most of your trip is made up of third-party services (accommodation, guides, transfers), cancellation charges are generally set by those suppliers and passed on to you, in addition to any fee to cover our planning time. We will always tell you the applicable cancellation terms before you book.

If we need to change or cancel your trip

Occasionally a supplier cancels or a route becomes unsafe or unavailable (for example, wildfire closures, landslides, or extreme weather). Where this happens, we will do our best to offer a suitable alternative or a full refund of amounts not already paid to third parties on your behalf.

Travel insurance

We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance, including cover for cancellation, medical expenses, and repatriation, from the time you book.

6. Your responsibilities as a traveller

Ensure your passport, visas, and any required health documentation are valid and in order for your destination.
Tell us about any medical conditions, mobility limitations, or dietary requirements that may affect your ability to complete a walking itinerary, so we can plan realistically.
Walking pilgrimage routes involve real physical exertion, variable terrain, and weather. You are responsible for arriving in a level of fitness appropriate to your chosen route, which we will discuss with you when planning your itinerary.
Follow the reasonable safety guidance of local guides and suppliers during your trip.

7. Our liability

Where we act as your booking agent, our liability is generally limited to the reasonable care we take in selecting and booking suppliers on your behalf; the suppliers themselves are responsible for the services they provide.
We are not liable for events outside our reasonable control ("force majeure"), including extreme weather, natural disasters, strikes, or government restrictions.
Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under UK law.

8. Financial protection

[This section must be completed before taking real bookings.] Where your booking constitutes a "package" under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 (for example, where we combine flights with accommodation and guiding as a single price), it will benefit from protection required by law, and we will confirm the specific arrangement (ATOL, ABTA, bonding, or trust account) in your booking confirmation. Where we act purely as your agent introducing you to suppliers who contract with you directly, this protection may instead sit with the supplier — we will make clear which applies to your specific trip.

9. Complaints

If something goes wrong during your trip, please tell your guide or local contact as soon as possible so it can be put right. For anything unresolved, email us at sacredtrailstravel@protonmail.com and we'll respond within 10 working days.

10. Data protection

We handle your personal data as set out in our Privacy Policy.

11. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any dispute will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time; the version in force at the time you book is the one that applies to your trip.

This page is a plain-English starting draft for a small UK travel business and is not a substitute for legal advice. Given the Package Travel Regulations implications noted above, we recommend a solicitor or ABTA/PTS review before the first live booking — particularly for the Kumano Kodo (Japan) and Via Francigena itineraries, where flights or multi-country logistics are more likely to trigger "package" status.