Booking terms and conditions

1. Who you are contracting with

Serica Journeys is the trading name of Serica Journeys Pty Ltd (“Serica”, “we”, “us”), ABN 85 167 079 727, ACN 167 079 727, at Unit 402, 299 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia. We are the organiser of the Serica tour you book.

For direct bookings, these terms and the conditions supplied before booking form part of your agreement with us. For bookings through an online travel platform, the terms and product-specific conditions accepted when you book govern that order. In particular, that channel's payment, change, cancellation and refund rules take precedence over the direct-booking rules below. These website terms do not retrospectively change an existing booking or limit your statutory rights.

2. Our day tours: shared small groups and private parties

We design and manage day tours across China, setting the itinerary, price and service standard and coordinating your booking and customer support. Shared small-group tours join travellers from different bookings on a scheduled itinerary. Private tours are exclusively for your family, friends or travelling party, including larger groups by arrangement.

The individual tour specifies its duration, meeting or pick-up point, finishing arrangements, group-size limit, guiding language, inclusions and exclusions. Any minimum-number condition and the arrangements if it is not met are disclosed before booking.

Local delivery is arranged with appropriately licensed regional travel partners under our service requirements. Serica remains responsible to you for the services described in your booking.

3. Quotes, bookings and confirmation

Shared-tour prices are generally per person; private-tour prices may be per party or per person, as clearly stated in the offer. Check the travel date, number of guests, currency and total price before booking. Direct quotes are valid for 14 days unless stated otherwise.

Your booking is confirmed by a written confirmation from Serica or the platform through which you booked. It identifies the tour, date, format, inclusions and applicable conditions. General destination content is not a confirmation of availability or an included activity. Different booking channels may offer different selections from our tour range.

4. Payment

For direct bookings, unless agreed otherwise, full payment is due on confirmation by card or bank transfer to Serica Journeys Pty Ltd, using the instructions we provide. For platform bookings, pay through the platform in accordance with its checkout conditions; do not make a second payment to Serica for services already paid for through that platform.

The tour price covers the items expressly included in your booking. Exclusions and any optional activities must be disclosed before booking; personal purchases are separate.

5. Identity documents and admissions

Many Chinese sites operate capped, real-name admission linked to a passport. Where your itinerary includes such a site you must provide accurate passport details by the deadline stated in your confirmation. We cannot obtain admission without them, and admission obtained against incorrect details may be refused at the gate. Where a reservation is lost because details were provided late or incorrectly, the cost of that admission is not refundable.

6. Changes by you

For a platform booking, request changes through that platform; its booking conditions apply. For direct bookings, the following applies.

Tell us as early as you can. We will accommodate changes to dates, party size or itinerary where the ground arrangements allow it. Where a change causes an unrecoverable cost — a non-refundable admission already reserved, for example — that cost is payable by you; everything else is adjusted at cost.

7. Changes by us

Sites in China close for maintenance, weather, capacity management and state occasions, sometimes at little notice. If a significant element of your journey becomes unavailable we will tell you as soon as we know, offer a replacement of equivalent standard, and refund the difference if the replacement costs less. If no acceptable replacement is available you may cancel the affected journey and receive a full refund of it. We will never substitute an unscheduled shopping, workshop or showroom visit for a closed site.

8. Cancellation by you

Platform bookings: the cancellation deadline, time zone and refund conditions shown and accepted at the time of booking apply. Submit the request through the platform.

Direct bookings: unless different conditions were expressly agreed before booking, the following policy applies, subject to your statutory rights.

• More than 7 days before departure: full refund.
• 7 days or less: we refund everything we can still recover from the ground. In practice non-refundable admissions and confirmed vehicle hire are retained and the balance is returned. The specific amounts are set out in your confirmation.
• Non-arrival at the agreed pick-up point without contacting us: no refund.

9. Cancellation by us

We may cancel where it is unsafe or unlawful to proceed, or where an event beyond our reasonable control prevents operation. In that case you receive a full refund of the affected journey. We are not liable for your other travel costs, which is why we recommend you hold your own travel insurance.

10. Your responsibilities

You are responsible for holding a valid passport and any visa or visa-free entry eligibility required for China, for arriving at the agreed pick-up point at the agreed time, for telling us before booking about medical conditions, mobility limitations, allergies and dietary requirements that affect the journey, and for following reasonable safety instructions given by your guide.

11. Suitability, fitness and risk

Journey descriptions state walking, stairs, altitude and terrain. Some journeys reach altitudes that do not suit everyone. If you are unsure, ask before booking — we would rather change the itinerary than have you attempt something unsuitable.

12. Travel insurance

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance covering medical treatment, repatriation, cancellation and personal belongings for the whole of your time in China.

13. Liability

Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any consumer guarantee, right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law or any other law that cannot lawfully be excluded. To the extent permitted by law, our liability for a failure to comply with a consumer guarantee is limited to resupplying the services or paying the cost of resupply. We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, or for loss caused by events beyond our reasonable control.

14. Complaints

Raise problems with your guide at the time if you can — most things can be fixed on the day. If that does not resolve it, write to [email protected]. We acknowledge complaints within 5 business days and respond substantively within 20.

15. Privacy

We handle personal information in accordance with our privacy notice, which explains how passport details are used for site admissions.

16. Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of New South Wales, Australia, and the courts of New South Wales have non-exclusive jurisdiction.