Bespoke Journey Program Terms

A program is not confirmed by an inquiry, planning conversation, draft itinerary or quotation alone. It becomes confirmed when:

1. the customer accepts the final proposal in the required form;
2. the required deposit or payment has cleared; and
3. Elite Tokyo Tours issues written confirmation.

Until then, availability and quoted third-party costs may change.

The accepted proposal is the definitive record of the services included in the program. Depending on the agreed scope, these may include itinerary planning, guiding, private transport, regional coordination and selected reservations.

Anything not expressly included remains the customer's responsibility. Hotels, rail, flights, meals, admissions, gratuities, tickets and other third-party services must not be assumed to be included.

Draft itineraries may change while availability is checked. A reservation is not secured until it has been confirmed under the conditions stated by the relevant provider.

Elite Tokyo Tours combines in-house planning, guiding and driving with a vetted regional network. Depending on the itinerary, individual days may be delivered by the founder, an in-house guide or driver, or a regional guide, driver or specialist operator.

The intended delivery model will be explained before confirmation. Elite Tokyo Tours remains the central point of contact for the services within the agreed program, including when regional providers deliver part of it.

A deposit equal to 50% of the total program price is required to secure the agreed dates. Dates are not confirmed until the deposit has cleared and Elite Tokyo Tours has issued written confirmation.

The remaining balance is due 15 calendar days before the first scheduled service. If a program is confirmed fewer than 15 calendar days before its start, the full program price is due at confirmation.

Prices, payments and refunds are stated and processed in United States dollars (USD). A bank, card issuer or payment provider may apply its own currency-conversion or transaction charges.

Elite Tokyo Tours may pause planning, release unconfirmed services or treat the agreement as canceled if a payment is not received by its due date, after giving written notice and allowing three business days for the payment to be made. If the agreement is treated as canceled for non-payment, the cancellation charges in section 6 apply as of that date.

Before the program is confirmed, prices and availability may change. If a third-party price changes while a proposal is open, Elite Tokyo Tours will update the proposal before acceptance rather than commit the customer without approval.

After confirmation, customer-requested changes and newly requested services may result in additional charges. No additional discretionary service will be added without the customer's approval.

If a tax, government fee or third-party price for a confirmed service changes after confirmation for reasons outside Elite Tokyo Tours' control, the difference is passed on at cost, without added margin, with reasonable documentation on request. Exchange-rate movements after confirmation do not change the agreed USD program price. Conversion or transaction charges applied by a bank, card issuer or payment provider remain the customer's.

The customer may cancel in writing by email, through the Elite Tokyo Tours contact form, or by message to the official Elite Tokyo Tours WhatsApp account. Cancellation takes effect when it is received. All deadlines are calculated in Japan local time from the first scheduled service in the accepted proposal.

Include the lead traveler, proposal or program reference, scheduled start date and the email address used to confirm the program.

The following cancellation charges apply:

Requests to change dates, destinations, participants, rooming, transport, guiding or reserved experiences are subject to availability. Elite Tokyo Tours will explain any effect on price and timing before confirming the change.

Planning already completed may need to be repeated when the brief changes materially. Supplier change or cancellation charges may also apply.

A change is treated as cancellation of the original program and confirmation of a new one when it moves the first scheduled service by more than 30 days, changes the number of travelers by more than half, or replaces most of the program's destinations or dates. In that case section 6 applies to the original program, and any payment already made is applied to the new program after the cancellation charge and any non-recoverable third-party costs have been deducted.

Removing an unused service after the program begins does not automatically create a refund. Any recovery depends on the relevant supplier's terms and the work or service already delivered.

Third-party services remain subject to the relevant provider's booking, amendment and cancellation terms. Elite Tokyo Tours will communicate material conditions known for services within the agreed scope.

The customer and travelers must comply with those conditions. A third party's acceptance of a request is outside Elite Tokyo Tours' control until that provider confirms it.

For planning, coordination, and any guiding or driving delivered by its own team, Elite Tokyo Tours is the provider of the service. For hotels, transport, restaurants, venues, tickets, classes and other third-party services, Elite Tokyo Tours arranges the service on the customer's behalf and the service itself is provided by that third party under its own terms.

Travel in Japan can be affected by weather, natural events, transport interruption, traffic, closures, crowd conditions, illness, government action and other circumstances outside either party's control.

When a confirmed element cannot proceed, Elite Tokyo Tours will assess the program as a whole and coordinate a reasonable alternative where possible. Safety and workable travel times take priority over preserving the original sequence.

If a confirmed service cannot proceed because of circumstances outside either party's control, or because a supplier cancels, Elite Tokyo Tours will first seek a comparable replacement within the agreed budget. Any amount a supplier refunds for the canceled service is credited to the customer or applied to its replacement. Where a replacement costs more, the additional cost is agreed with the customer before it is committed and charged at cost. Third-party costs already committed that cannot be recovered remain payable. Elite Tokyo Tours' planning and coordination work for the affected days is not refunded. If a day of guiding or driving that Elite Tokyo Tours itself was to deliver cannot be delivered, that day is replaced or refunded at its agreed value, at the customer's choice.

Travelers must provide accurate flight, rail, hotel and contact information and promptly report changes. A late arrival or missed connection may affect multiple services later in the program.

Elite Tokyo Tours will coordinate changes within the agreed support scope, but replacement transport, additional guiding, new reservations and supplier penalties may carry additional costs.

The lead traveler named in the accepted proposal authorizes additional spending during the program. If the lead traveler cannot be reached, Elite Tokyo Tours may commit up to USD 500 per day on the customer's behalf where needed to keep the program running safely, and will report it as soon as contact is restored. Larger amounts require the lead traveler's approval. Such costs are charged at cost, with documentation, and invoiced after the program unless the accepted proposal states otherwise.

Each traveler is responsible for holding the passports, visas, permits and other documents required for the journey and for checking applicable entry, transit and customs rules.

Elite Tokyo Tours does not provide legal, immigration or medical advice. Information shared during planning does not replace guidance from the relevant government authority or a qualified professional.

The customer must disclose relevant mobility needs, allergies, dietary requirements, medical considerations and other practical requirements early enough for them to be assessed.

These needs can affect routing, transport, venue choice, timing and supplier availability. Elite Tokyo Tours will state what can be supported in the proposal. No venue, route, meal or experience should be assumed suitable unless confirmed.

Travelers remain responsible for personal medication, medical advice and deciding whether an activity is appropriate for them.

The customer must provide each child's age and any seating or supervision requirements. Child seats, vehicle suitability and age restrictions must be confirmed in writing.

Unless the accepted proposal expressly states otherwise, a parent or responsible adult in the party remains responsible for supervising each minor.

Travelers must follow reasonable safety instructions from Elite Tokyo Tours and the providers delivering the program. Elite Tokyo Tours may change or end a service if conduct is unlawful, abusive, disruptive or creates a material safety risk.

If a service is ended or a traveler is removed for these reasons, no refund is due for the unused portion of that service, and any resulting supplier charges remain payable. The customer is responsible for damage, cleaning, fines or additional supplier costs caused by a traveler in the party, charged at cost with documentation.

Travelers remain responsible for passports, money, phones, luggage and other personal belongings. Assistance with a lost item may be offered, but recovery cannot be guaranteed.

Each traveler should hold insurance appropriate to the value and nature of the journey. Coverage should be considered for cancellation, interruption, delay, medical treatment, emergency evacuation, personal belongings and activities included in the itinerary.

Insurance is the traveler's responsibility. Elite Tokyo Tours does not guarantee that a policy will cover a particular loss or cancellation charge.

Tell Elite Tokyo Tours promptly if a service does not match the accepted proposal or if a problem occurs during travel. Early notice gives the team the best opportunity to address the issue while the program is underway.

The contact method and escalation details for the program will be supplied before travel begins.

Any concern not raised during the program should be sent to Elite Tokyo Tours in writing within 30 days after the last scheduled service. Include the program reference, the dates and services concerned, what went wrong, any supporting receipts or photographs, and the outcome you are asking for. Elite Tokyo Tours will acknowledge the message and respond in writing.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits a right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Elite Tokyo Tours' total liability in connection with a program is limited to the amount paid to Elite Tokyo Tours for that program, and Elite Tokyo Tours is not liable for indirect or consequential losses such as missed flights, missed connections, lost bookings elsewhere or lost enjoyment. These limits do not apply to loss caused by Elite Tokyo Tours' intent or gross negligence, or to personal injury caused by its negligence. Venues, restaurants, transport operators and other independent providers are responsible for the services they deliver; Elite Tokyo Tours' responsibility for them is to exercise reasonable care in selecting and coordinating them.

The customer will reimburse Elite Tokyo Tours for costs, fines or third-party claims that result from a traveler's unlawful conduct, breach of these terms or failure to hold the documents required for the journey.

We use the information you provide to plan and deliver your program, to process payment and to communicate with you about it. We share it only with the guides, drivers, venues and other providers needed to deliver your program, and with the website, payment and messaging services we use to operate. We keep it only as long as needed for those purposes and for our legal and accounting obligations, and we do not sell it.

Because some inquiries include health, mobility, dietary, religious or family information, we collect and share only what is necessary for planning and delivery.

If these terms conflict with mandatory law, mandatory law controls. If a translated version is supplied, the English version controls.

This agreement is governed by the laws of Japan. If a question or dispute arises, please contact us first so that we can try to resolve it directly. Any dispute that cannot be resolved by discussion is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tokyo District Court as the court of first instance.

Questions and cancellation notices can be sent to:

Elite Tokyo Tours

Operated by Alpha Engine GK

Email: info@elitetokyotours.com

Further company details are available on request.