Terms and conditions

The Terms and Conditions displayed below are a very important part of the booking procedure. Here you will find everything you need to know about our tour policies.

PRICES

Prices for tours and transfer in Wanna Ride are valid for tours, starting january 1st until December 31st of every year. Rates are quoted in US Dollars inclusive of taxes and are correct at time of publication. Prices may be subject to change at the discretion of Wanna Ride.

BOOKING POLICY

Customers can book their tours straight through our Booking Forms, which can be found in every tour page of our website. After choosing the tour, just click on the BOOK NOW button, displayed on the upper right side of each tour page. Customers will need to fill out the form and then pay the required deposit. The booking forms may vary a little from tour to tour, but all of them will have the basic information request, such as: CUSTOMER’S NAME, TOUR, TOUR DATE, PICK UP ADDRESS, NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS and DEPARTING TIME. According to the tour, details like weight, height and a few other things will have to be provided, specially for sports such as: HANG GLIDING, PARAGLIDING, PARACHUTING and SCUBA DIVING. After the payment is made, customers can print their tickets or simply take them on their cellphones and show them to the guide in charge of the tour.

Please note that some tours may not be automatically available for booking, so customers will need to send us a request for availability via contact page, located on the top of our home page, next to our phone number. We always charge a deposit , and the remainder is paid in cash at the start of the tour. To request availability for a tour, simply fill out the contact form with your name and e-mail address. On the comment box, give us basic information like the intended tour, the date and the number of participants. After you receive our confirmation, just go to the tour page and fill out the booking form. You will be asked to read and agree with our terms and conditions before you check out and pay the deposit. Do not miss any required information, otherwise the booking form will not go through. After the payment is registered, booking procedure is complete and customer will receive a payment receipt via e-mail.

Most tours require at least 02 people in order to take place, but you have the option of purchasing a single ticket. If that happens, please contact us no later than 24 hours before the tour date, to check if other seats have been taken. In case no one else joins your tour, we can issue a full refund, OR, if customers consider doing a private tour, he or she may purchase a second ticket and do the tour alone with our guide. In case no contact is made, we can try to contact customers to let them know the tour is cancelled.

In case the customer switches hotels or changes the original pick up address in Rio, he or she must send us an e-mail with the new address through our contact page, or contact us by phone. In case of tour date changes, see the tour date changes policy below.

PAYMENT POLICY

Seat availability is guaranteed upon payment of deposit though the website.

Accepted Payment Methods: Rio Adventures accepts major credit cards via Paypal, and electronic bank transfer ( if made between brazilian banks only). If you wish to make an electronic bank transfer, please request our bank account info via e-mail. When customers check out from our booking software, they are taken to a Paypal environment, outside our website.

International bank wiring is accepted in some rare cases, but usually a transaction fee is applied.

Customers may choose to pay in full . For that, we also use Paypal or bank transfer. For full payments via Paypal there is a 7% surcharge.

Payments though Paypal have to be made with the use of a credit , debit card ( for brazilian customers) or e-checks. In case of payments with e-checks, please note that this type of payment takes at least 5 days to clear, so if your tour is scheduled for the next 4 days, customers will have to use a credit card instead .

Balance is always paid in cash at the start of the tour. Groups with over 12 people ( same group) will be kindly asked to bring all the balance in an envelope, to avoid confusion and delays during the departure.

For helicopter tours , balance can be paid with a credit card but this option has a 10% surcharge

In case there is a travel agent involved, payments are still made via Paypal preferably, but in this case, we require 50% upfront then 50% until a day before the activity, via Paypal, or, in cash, at the start of the tour. We do not accept payments after the tour date, specially from foreign travel agents.

LIABILITY

Rio Adventures claims no responsibility for any loss, damage, accident, injury, sickness or schedule change due to weather, strike or any other cause beyond Rio Adventures’s control. We will make every effort to safeguard our customers and their personal property , but cannot be held responsible for personal events beyond the tour operators control, or to damage sustained by tourists including those occurring outside the touring program.Rio Adventures acts in good faith, and cannot be held responsible for any agent, hotel, coach operator, tour guide or any other person’s or company’s acts, defaults or delays. We therefore advise all customers to have comprehensive travel insurance to meet all contingencies.

Rio Adventures reserves the right to alter routes, itineraries or departure times, without prior notice, should the necessity arise.

Our goal is to provide excellent customer service and in order to do so we maintain strict quality monitoring. If, for any reason, you are dissatisfied with your tour package, we want to hear about it. We recommend you contact us as soon as any incident arises. If you are unable to do so at the time, you must advise Rio Adventures via e-mail within 48 hours after the event. If you fail to do so, this may jeopardize your right to compensation. In case customers are still travelling, we can extend the contact to our office for up to 5 consecutive days after the event, as long as customers can prove that they were still travelling ( ex: plane tickets, hotel reservations)

All information in the website is subject to change. Rio Adventures reserves the right to alter/change/correct mistakes that may possibly appear in the website or published price lists.

Rio Adventures also assumes no responsibility for any act of negligence or omission whatsoever, by any company whose services are used as part of packages provided.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellation made by Rio Adventures

Rio de Janeiro has a very heavy and unpredictable traffic condition as well as sudden weather changes and because of that, Rio Adventures reserves the right to alter the route or itinerary of any of its sightseeing tours and arrange alternative routes to those advertised if necessary. The main tourist spots of the sightseeing tours will be preserved, but the route we use to access these spots may be changed according to our needs. All the sightseeing tours will happen with rain or in cloudy days, unless it is a bad storm with high speed winds, that can offer risks to our groups and staff.

If a decision needs to be made, in terms of changing the itinerary due to unforeseen circumstances, like forest fires, floods, breakdowns, traffic jams, heavy rain, thunder storms or anything else that cannot be foreseen at this time, it will all be left to the discretion of the tour guide in charge.

If a sightseeing tour or an adventure tour needs to be cancelled right in the middle of it, due to sudden weather changes that can put our customers at risk, we will then take customers back to their address in Rio. If customers can reschedule the tour, a 10% fee will be charged, to cover our expenses in that particular day that the tour is being canceled. In case customers cannot reschedule the tour, we reserve the right to retain the deposit already paid.

If the tour needs to be cancelled by Rio Adventures right before it starts, for any possible reason, a full refund will be given to customers through Paypal, credit card , bank transfer or in cash (if deposit was made in cash). The group may also choose another alternative date for the tour. In this case, the deposit previously paid will be held, and the remaining balance will be paid in cash on the date the tour is rescheduled for.

Cancellation made by customers

Sightseeing Tours and most of the sports and outdoor activities in Rio , operate rain or shine , or even on cloudy conditions . Customers cannot cancel a tour based on their own assumption that the weather represents a risk, or simply because they wish to do a tour on a sunny day, and still expect a refund . Also, for sightseeing tours, we cannot guarantee visibility, especially in places like Corcovado and Sugar Loaf. If customers cancel the trip right before it starts or less than a week prior tot the tour date, we reserve the right to retain the deposit paid previously. In a event of illness or any other type of problem or emergency that may prevent the customer from participating in the tour, the same rules will be applied and no refund will be given, if the attempt of cancelling the trip happens one week or less prior to the tour date.

In case its a private sightseeing tour and the weather does not provide enough visibility to see the view from places like Sugar Loaf and Corcovado, we can open an exception and reschedule the tour, as long as customers pay a fee of 10% to do it another day. This procedure can only be made in private tours with small groups, as our costs with guides and vehicles are smaller.

When it comes to hang gliding and paragliding, sudden changes on the wind condition may happen. In case the wind conditions become poor when the customer is already at the ramp, the pilot has to wait for 60 minutes, until the wind improves. If the customer decides to cancel the attempt of flying before 60 minutes, we have the right to charge for the flight. After 60 minutes the pilot can abort the flight and customer will not be obligated to pay for the flight. A refund will be issued via Paypal for the deposit paid previously. If a customer hires transportation, the service has to be paid for, even if flights do not happen.

In case the customer decides to cancel the flight right at the ramp , before the jump, he or she will still have to pay the full amount. In case the customer cancels the flight before going up to the ramp with the pilot, he or she will loose the deposit and will not be eligible for a refund.

The same thing happens with the Ramp Usage Fee. In case the flight is cancelled due to sudden wind changes, the ramp usage fee charged by the Hang Gliding club, will not be refunded. Rio Adventures has no control over that fee, as well as the policy used by the Hang Gliding club, when it comes to refunds. Customers can reschedule the flights and use the pass another day, but the club will not issue a refund for that fee. The insurance is included in the ramp usage fee, so once the customer is registered with the club, the information goes straight to the insurance company, so even if flights do not happen, the Insurance still has to be paid by the club.

In case the hang gliding ramp is very busy, delays can happen. In special seasons and holidays like Carnival, World Cup, Olympics, New Years and any other big event the city maybe hosting, the ramp may experience heavy traffic of people waiting to fly . We have cases when customers have waited for more than 6 hours and still were not able to fly in the end. If the customer decides not to wait anymore , he or she will have their deposit refunded.

These cases of long waiting are rare but can happen and there is nothing we can do, as people from all over the city sometimes arrive at the same time, which can make the place extremely crowded.

Rio Adventures cannot be held responsible if such event happens. The departure time displayed on the ticket does not guarantee that the flight will take place.

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REFUND POLICY:

Rio Adventures offers full and partial refunds in the following cases:

1- Customers request refund for any reason, within the acceptable time listed below, under the Notice of Cancelation section.

2 – Tour cannot happen, due to weather issues or natural disasters ( storms, heavy rain, high speed wind, floods, mud or rock slides, fall of trees, etc), noted a day before, or even on the tour date, before the tour starts ( sudden weather changes).

3 – Tour cannot happen, due to a logistic problem ( mechanical failure with our vehicles during pick up), sudden illness that may prevent the tour guide from guiding the tour , or any other similar event that may prevent us from operating the tour.

4 – Some kind of accident during a tour, or any issues or discomfort that customers may feel during the trip, that can justify the request as a compensation for the problem caused. In this particular case, customers MUST REPORT IT to our office no later than 48 hours after the event, via e-mail only. If it is proved , after we analize the case, that an issue with safety or any discomfort were caused by a member of our staff, a refund will be issued. Whether in these cases, a full or a partial refund will be issued, it will depend on the circumstances and how our office staff will judge the case.

Refunds are paid within 15 days via paypal, once the request is aproved by us.

No refunds will be given in the event of any delay, either during pick up or drop off , (as well as meeting time at specific locations for tours where transportation is not included), caused by traffic jams or mechanical failure, as long as it is not over 60 minutes.

Notice of cancellation – Valid for Groups or Individual Customers

More than four weeks prior to tour date: full refund
Less than four weeks prior to tour date: 75% refund
Less than three weeks prior to tour date: 50% refund
Less than two weeks prior to tour date: 25% refund
Less than one week prior to tour date: no refund

* Refunds are paid within 15 days after the request is made.

* Refunds are related to the amount paid as deposit and not with the full price of the tour

BOOKING CHANGES POLICY

In case the customer needs to change the pick up address or increase the number of participants, he or she must be make the request by e-mail. There is no fee charged for these requests.

Discounts are given based on a group size, so in case the number of customers is reduced for whatever reason, remainder may be subjected to a raise, according to the price related to the new group size, displayed in our website

All requests for date changes to a booking must be made by e-mail from the person who submitted the booking originally.

A fee of 20% the tour price will be charged for date changes requested in less than 07 days prior to tour date.

However, the administration fee will be waived if changes are requested in more than 07 days prior to tour date.

DISCOUNT POLICY

Children Discount

Children between 7-11 years get a 50% discount on sightseeing tours only. Children up to 6 years of age, do not pay for sightseeing tours, as long as they do not occupy seats, and sit on parents lap. There are no discounts for adventure tours, except for hiking trips.

Children 12 years or older pay full adult fare in any activity that they may be eligible to participate.

We reserve the right to have at least two adults paying the full price , in order to issue discounts and free passes for children

Tickets to attractions are not included. Discount policy regarding children may vary from one tour spot to another. We have no responsibility over the amount of discount given to children by the administration of places such as Corcovado, Sugar Loaf, as well as museums and any other odd tour spot.

Combo Discount

Any minimum group of 2 or 3 people ( according to the trip), who request a combo tour, a combo adventure in Rio or a customized combo tour in Rio will get at least a discount on the regular tour price. The discount varies and gets higher according to the group size. A combo tour is a mixing of one sightseeing tour and one adventure tour or 2 adventure tours or 2 sightseeing tours or sometimes 3 activities combined.

In case of sudden weather changes, that may prevent any of the 2 activities from happening, the group will have the option of rescheduling the pending activity, but in this case, a maximum discount of 10% will be applied to the activity provided at that time. The pending activity that will be rescheduled, will go back to its regular price. The group has the right not to reschedule the second activity, not provided at that time.

Group Discount

Group Discounts can be applied to a group of 03 or more people, ( except for hang gliding, paragliding and skydiving) and each tour has a different rate for discount. According to the group size, discounts can be higher or lower. Unlike other adventure tour operators in Rio, during high season or special events in Rio ( except for hang gliding and paragliding), we normally do not increase our prices, therefore, we will not offer discounts to groups during these special seasons

Some combo tours will have a fixed combo price and some other will have both combo discounts and group discounts applied.

BEHAVIOR

Rio Adventures may refuse to carry a person whose behavior is detrimental to the enjoyment of the group. By travelling with Rio Adventures, you agree to accept the authority of the guides and accept their decisions. Our staff are entitled to a safe working environment and our passengers to a great holiday. Any threats to safety, being physical or verbal, or inappropriate behavior may result in removal from the tour. If a guide requires a passenger to leave the vehicle, no refunds will be given and that passenger will be responsible for his/her own travel costs and arrangements from that point.

MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM CAPACITY

Each tour has a minimum and a maximum passenger capacity. Please check that at the time of booking. Some activities are considered collective activities, when there is a guide or an instructor taking care of a group of people. Examples: a group of hikers with one guide, a a group of people in a rafting boat with one guide, or a group of people on a tree canopy course with one instructor. Some activities are called solo activities because it can only hold one person per guide, instructor or pilot. Examples: one person climbing with the Sugar Loaf with one instructor.

If a customer books a tour that requires at least 2 people, this booking will be considered a pre-reservation, and he or she will have to check if other people have joined the tour, no later than 24 hs before schedule. In case no one has joined it, the customer will have the option of paying extra for a private tour, or request a refund for the deposit paid.

Most of our tours and adventure sports require a minimum number of 2 passengers to operate at a regular rate. Solo travelers can join an upcoming tour. Just check our upcoming activities page for future tours.

ABOUT TOUR CONFIRMATION, SCHEDULES AND DELAYS

Some sports we provide require confirmation , since they depend on weather and wind conditions. If you book hang gliding, paragliding , you need to call the office usually from 7:30 am to 8:30 am to check the conditions first. If wind is poor for example, we can either reschedule the passenger or issue a refund via paypal, in case the passenger is not available some other time. Travelers cannot show up at the hang gliding and paragliding club without checking the wind report with us first. In case they do show up there, they will have to wait for our staff to arrive.

The vouchers ( tickets) issued online after payment is made, always have a departure time displayed on the top. For activities that dont offer transportation, departure time means meeting time. For sightseeing tours, the departure time is the average time the vehicle will arrive at the hotel or address in Rio. Depending on the neighborhood, the window can be of 01 hour. Pick ups usually start in the south area ( copacabana in general), and the vehicle collects customers towards the south area, including ipanema and until Leblon. So if your ticket says 9 am, that is a standard time that considers Copacabana as a point of start. Pick ups in ipanema and Leblon for example, will happen around 01 hour later.

COVERED AREAS FOR PICK UPS

If customers are staying within the covered areas, the pick up is guaranteed when the tour includes it.

List of covered areas: Downtown Rio, Gloria, Catete, Santa Teresa, Cosme Velho, Laranjeiras, Botafogo, Flamengo, Humaita, Lagoa, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Horto, Gavea, São Conrado, Barra da Tijuca ( until Airton Sena avenue), Joatinga, Itanhangá.

In case customers are stying outside the covered area, they will have to meet us within the covered area. Usually the best way is to meet us near a metro station