Emilio Hokkaido 

The following booking conditions form the basis of your contract with Emilio Hokkaido (‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’). Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. By confirming your booking, we are entitled to assume that you have had the opportunity to read and have read these booking conditions and agree to them.

These booking conditions apply to the travel arrangements which you book with us and which we agree to make, provide or perform (as applicable) as part of our contract with you. All references in these conditions to ‘travel’, ‘trip’, ‘tour’ or ‘booking’ mean such travel arrangements unless otherwise stated.

BOOKING & AVAILABILITY

All tours are offered subject to my personal availability as a local guide.

A tour request does not constitute a confirmed booking. Bookings are only confirmed once I have checked my availability, accepted the request in writing and, where applicable, received the required payment.

To request a tour, please contact me through the website or by email with your preferred date, number of guests, tour type and any relevant information. I will then confirm whether I am available and whether the requested tour can be arranged.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, full payment may be required in advance to secure the booking. Until the booking has been confirmed and payment has been received, the requested date cannot be guaranteed.

Once the booking is confirmed, I will provide the main tour details, including meeting point, start time, estimated duration and any important practical information.

Please review all booking details carefully. If anything is incorrect or incomplete, please contact me as soon as possible before the tour date.

Custom itineraries, multi-day programs, B2B projects and group arrangements may be subject to separate booking terms and payment conditions.

CUSTOM TRAVEL PLANNING, B2B PROJECTS & GROUP ARRANGEMENTS

For tailor-made itineraries, multi-day programs, corporate groups, incentive travel, B2B collaborations and other customized arrangements, specific booking conditions may apply depending on the nature, size and complexity of the project.

These projects may involve itinerary design, local coordination, guide services, transportation arrangements, restaurant bookings, accommodation support, activity reservations, venue research, communication with local suppliers and operational assistance before and during the trip.

The exact scope of services, inclusions, exclusions, payment schedule and cancellation conditions will be confirmed in writing for each project.

Deposit Payment

For custom travel planning, B2B projects and group arrangements, a deposit is normally required to confirm the booking and begin securing the necessary services.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, a minimum deposit of 10% of the total estimated project cost may be required at the time of booking. Depending on the nature of the project, additional supplier deposits may also be required for services such as private transportation, accommodation, restaurants, venues, activities or specialist guides.

Further payments may be arranged either as a single balance payment or in installments, depending on the length, complexity and total cost of the travel plan.

Unless otherwise stated, the full balance must be received at least 30 days before the scheduled start date of the services. For bookings confirmed within 30 days of travel, full payment may be required immediately or at the earliest possible convenience.

If the balance, including any agreed surcharges or additional costs, is not received by the due date, we reserve the right to treat the booking as cancelled by the client. If we do not cancel the booking immediately because the client has indicated that payment is forthcoming, cancellation charges may still apply depending on the date on which we can reasonably treat the booking as cancelled.

Deposits may be non-refundable, either in full or in part, where planning work has already been carried out, guide availability has been reserved, or supplier payments have been made on behalf of the client.

PRICE INCLUSIONS

The price quoted for any tour covers the cost of the planning, the organisation and carrying out of the tour, administration, transport and staff. You must be reasonable for the following: any vaccination fees, individual travel insurance, cost of travel to and from the start/return point of your trip including international flights, cost of passport and visas, personal equipment and personal expenses whilst on the trip and any other expenses specifically excluded on the trip description and/or invoice.

We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in quoted prices at any time before your trip is confirmed. We will advise you of any error of which we are aware and of the then applicable price at the time of booking.

Once full payment has been received, refunds in the event of cancellation will be given in accordance with our cancellation policy.

PAYMENT METHODS

Payments can be made by Paypal or credit card (via the Stripe systems).Paypal and Stripe services charge a standard fee of 3.4% of your total invoice. If you are local to Sapporo, or making the booking whilst locally, you are also welcome to pay in cash at the time of the tour.

TOUR CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

Refunds will be issued as written below, within the following cancellation timeframe.

Cancellations of tours that require transportation services made more than or 15 days before the tour, 100% fees refundable.

Cancellations of tours that require transportation services made less than 15 days before the tour, 30% fees refundable.

Cancellations of tours that don’t require transportation services made more than or 48 hours before the tour, 100% fees refundable.

Cancellations of tours that don’t require transportation services made less than or 24 hours before the tour, No fees refundable under any circumstances
If you are aware that your trip is not materialising, please call or email us to cancel as soon as possible.

If a client does not show up, we will try to reschedule the tour, subject to availability. No refund is guaranteed if rescheduling is not possible.

Shore Excursions

Shore excursions canceled due to unforeseen circumstances — such as changes in the ship’s schedule, port closures, or other situations beyond the traveler’s control — are fully refundable. If your cruise line modifies or cancels the port of call, you will receive a complete refund with no additional fees.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is essential that you have adequate and appropriate cover for your trip and the time of the tour. We recommend having adequate insurance which will cover cancellation costs from the date of booking as well as medical expenses (including evacuation and repatriation). Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on your trip. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs. If you need any support in this area, please contact us.

HEALTH

Except as disclosed to us at the time of bookings, you are taken to confirm at the time of booking that you are in good health, physically capable of undertaking all aspects of the trip, and unaware of any reason why you may be unsuited to takin part or may be likely to suffer illness or injury during the trip, taking into account its purposes. If you are unable to give this confirmation for any reason and have a medical condition or disability which may affect your travel, you must contact us before you submit your application form so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the trip for you.

If the information given in the application form or medical detail is shown to be materially incorrect or incomplete, we reserve the right to cancel your booking or terminate your participation in the trip, depending on when we become aware of the true position. In this situation cancellation charges may apply and we will not be responsible for any costs or expenses incurred as a result.

SPECIAL REQUESTS

Please advise us of any special requests, such as dietary requirements, prior to making your booking. Where possible, we will endeavor to meet any such request, but we ask that we work together to find a flexible solution in some circumstances.

TRANSFER (IN CASE OF CANCELLATION)

You may transfer your place to someone else (introduced by you) if you are prevented from travelling, providing we are notified not less than 2 days before the tour date.

MAKING CHANGES TO YOUR BOOKING

Changes to your confirmed trip can be considered depending on practicalities and availabilities, but there may be a cost associated with these changes. We do not charge an amendment fee for doing so and will only pass on any extra costs involved in providing additional or alternative services. A change of travel dates will normally be treated as a cancellation of the original booking and rebooking in which case cancellation charges will apply.

ITINERARY

The itinerary is a guide to which we will attempt to adhere, but it may be necessary to alter this at short notice as a result of circumstances or events outside our control such as adverse weather or road conditions or any of those amounting to force majeure, or due to operating conditions imposed by the owners and operators of facilities and transport. Your itinerary will, however, be the same in content as far as is reasonably possible, unless circumstances beyond our control make this impossible. Should weather conditions involve you in extra costs such as accommodation, transportation and meals, these will be borne by mutual agreement between us.

CHANGES & CANCELLATION BY US

As referred to above, we may have to make changes to and correct errors in advertised and confirmed details, and in the worst case scenario, cancel bookings, which we reserve the right to do.

Very rarely, we may be forced by ‘force majeure’ to change or terminate your tour after starting but before the scheduled end. If this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds or meet any expenses incurred as a result.

In these booking conditions, ‘force majeure’ means any event which we or any supplier of services, could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include, whether or actual threatened war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, fire and all similar event outside our control. Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensations is these circumstances, nor can we accept liability is you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expensive of any nature as a result of ‘force majeure’.

OUR LIABILITY TO YOU

We promise to make sure that the travel arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide as applicable as part of our contract with you are made, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that, subject to these booking conditions, we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer personal injury or your contracted trip arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient as a result of our own failure, our employees, or suppliers to use reasonable skills and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted travel arrangements.

Please note, it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us. In addition, we will only be responsible for what our employees and suppliers do if they were at the time acting within the course of carrying out work we had asked them to do.

We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of possessions and loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following:
1. Your act(s) and/or omission(s); or
2. The act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your trip and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; or
3. ‘Force majeure’ as defined above.

We cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract.

DELAY

We regret we are not in a position to offer you any assistance in the event of delay at your outward or homeward point of departure. Depending on the circumstances, your airline may be required to pay you compensation and/or provide you with accommodation and/or refreshments in the event of a significant delay or cancellation. However, we have no liability to make any such payments to you and you must pursue the airline concerned for any payment which may be due. Please remember that it is your responsibility to ensure you arrive at the departure location for your chosen tour, all costs associated with this are therefore your sole responsibility.

DECISIONS OF EMILIO HOKKAIDO

While the tour is in progress, all decisions are made by Emilio Hokkaido staff and you must act in accordance with all reasonable instructions you are given. The team leader, trip guide or other member of our staff may withdraw you from the trip at any time if they are of the reasonable opinion that your continued presence is prejudicing or is likely to prejudice the good order, safety or successful operation of the trip or the safety or wellbeing or any individuals participant(s) or other third party of if you break any law or regulation in Japan.

We expect all travelers to have consideration for other people. If in our reasonable opinion or in the reasonable opinion of any other person in authority, you behave in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to our staff or to any third party or damage to property, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate your trip.

You accept responsibility for any damage or loss that you directly case. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be made directly to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier or to us as soon as possible. If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. You will also be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us and all costs incurred by us (including our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions. You should ensure you have appropriate travel insurance to protect you if this situation arises.

COMPLAINTS

In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your tour whilst away, you must immediately inform your tour guide or email to Emilio López at emilio@emiliohokkaido.com. Any verbal notification must be put in writing as soon as possible. Until we know about a complaint or problem, we cannot begin to resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If you remain dissatisfied, please write to us within 14 days of the end of your trip giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint.

WEBSITE

The information contained on our website and in our other advertising material is believed correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication However, errors may occasionally occur and information may subsequently change. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen trip (including the price) with us at the time of booking.

JUDICIAL JURISDICTION

These Terms and Conditions are governed the laws of Japan. Any litigation related to the terms of this agreement is exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Sapporo Prefectural Court.

November 2025