Culinary and City Tours - Terms and Conditions

This document will serve to establish the terms and conditions under which tour participants shall participate in tours. By making a deposit or registering for a tour, the participants or their representatives have read, understood and agreed to the terms of this document, and have been given the full opportunity to ask the staff of Culinary and City Tours questions he/she may have about such information.

Restaurant and store recommendations are made with impartial, independent assessments and tour guides are not paid or compensated by any vendors featured on the tours or web site.
Tour participants are encouraged to wear layered clothing, as weather changes quickly in the area. Comfortable shoes are strongly encouraged for the walking tours.
Culinary and City Tours discourages bringing large bags/items on the tours, as walking is a featured part of each tour. Participants must be ready to walk for the scheduled length of the tour and be at least 18 years old.
Payment for your tour can be made online with a major credit card (MasterCard, VISA, American Express, and the Discover Card) or by corporate check through arrangement. A confirmation email will be sent from Culinary and City Tours once payment has been authorized. A tour is not confirmed until a confirmation email is sent to the registrant. Your travel or tour plans may change; please keep in mind that specific refund and cancellation policies apply (see below).
Culinary and City Tours employs a no refund policy for tours. Once a purchase and confirmation are made, we reject other customers who ask to take a similar tour on your date(s) of service. Your tour can be re-scheduled to another date without penalty with a minimum of eight days (8) days advance written notice, subject to availability. Customers who must cancel their trip due to inclement weather or other circumstances are required to provide more than 48 hours written notice from the tour commencement time, but all cancellations in these cases are subject to a fifty percent (50%) cancellation fee. The balance will be available to use for another tour and the current rate for future tours would be applied. Only Culinary and City Tours credit will be assigned to your account after registration. With fewer than 48 hours or no advance written notice of cancellation or rescheduling, Culinary and City Tours reserves the right to retain full (100%) payment of the scheduled tour. Exceptions to this are tours offered during U.S. national holiday times, which need to be rescheduled a minimum of thirty (30) days in advance. Attempts to reschedule within 30 days of tour date at a national holiday time will be handled on a case-by-case basis by management and can result in full forfeiture (100%) of tour price.
Tours run in all weather, although blizzards and blackouts make touring impossible, and specific policies apply in these cases. Only in the case of blackouts will full tour credit be given for a future date (the current rate for future tours would be applied), excepting any deposit made with a vendor or restaurant. The vendor or restaurant’s refund policy would determine the outcome of any possible refund for each case. The balance would be available for use towards a later scheduled date (the current rate for future tours would be applied). Only Culinary and City Tours credit will be assigned to your account after registration. Only in the case of impending serious snowstorms that would inhibit travel or make travel dangerous from registrant’s point of origin or in the location of the scheduled tour, more than 48 hours written notice of rescheduling from time of scheduled tour commencement must be provided in order to secure use of the full deposit/ payment for a rescheduled date. If fewer than 48 hours written notice is provided in these cases, it is the policy of Culinary and City Tours to retain full (100%) payment of the scheduled tour. Management reserves the right to determine any adjustments to this policy on a case-by-case basis.
The tour participants must be responsible for all food allergies and have his/her own health and accident insurance. Culinary and City Tours will not be responsible for any medical expenses that the participant incurs. Culinary and City Tours cannot be held responsible for any injuries or medical or legal expenses incurred during the tours or as a result of activities or injuries incurred during the tours. The participants agree to bear full responsibility for any liability resulting therefrom. The participant shall release, hold harmless and indemnify Culinary and City Tours, its officers, agents and employees from any and all claims, damages, costs (including reasonable attorney fees) and liabilities arising out of the participant’s participation in tours or use of site facilities other than such as results from the gross negligence of tour guide operators, agents, or employees.
Alternative travel costs (limousines, taxis or subway/bus rides) are the sole responsibility of tour participants, unless expressly indicated in the tour description or contract.
We aim to be on time for all tour starts since often restaurants or shops hold places for tour participants at a set time or schedule. When charter and private tour customers are late for scheduled departure times, additional fares of $100 per hour (prorated at 15-minute increments) for any delay caused by customer lateness will be charged. However, we reserve the right to leave on time, particularly for mixed-group tours. Please be at the designated meeting location at the scheduled time. No refunds will be given for passengers who arrive late and cannot connect with the tour in progress. Efforts to connect with the late-comers will be made through cell phone communication, provided the tour guide is given your number. The host of the registered tour group should call 646-286-8065 to communicate information about a registrant’s late arrival, including their contact cell phone number. Once the tour commences, the tour guides are not available through cell phone communication, in respect for the other tour participants.
Tour guides are not authorized to change trip itineraries on site. Clients are encouraged to give ample notice, if possible, if they wish to change their itinerary. Tour itinerary changes will be made as available. Additional hours of service or rental can be arranged up to the time of the tour commencement, subject to availability.
Due to the nature of restaurant industry, tour itineraries are subject to change, based on restaurant and vendor availability (due to sell-out bookings, restaurant closures or management changes). Alternative locations with similar level of service, price and characteristics will be used as substitutions in these cases. Tour registrants or their representative planner will be notified as soon as information becomes available about any itinerary changes.
Additional charges from tour and restaurant upgrades requested on site or not pre-arranged in tour description will be the sole responsibility of tour participants, including any requested alcoholic beverages.
Culinary and City Tours is not responsible for personal items brought on the tours. Please be sure tour participants take all personal belongings when departing locations.
Culinary and City Tours cannot be held responsible for delays or cancellations of customer trips that result from weather, traffic, or mechanical difficulties that may occur during your trip.
Culinary and City Tours expects our customers to be respectful of the vendors, shops and restaurants featured on the tours. Any defacement or damage done to a visited site on the tour will be paid for by the tour participant that inflicted the damage to the material or property. Culinary and City Tours cannot be held responsible for payments or any legal matters that arise from these damages.
We respect your privacy and will keep your contact information and email address confidential. We reserve the right to contact you to request feedback on your tour.