Specific to Himachal Pradesh — must know
Manali, Shimla, Spiti, Lahaul, Dharamshala, Kasol, Kinnaur and all of HP
- Rohtang Pass: 1,200 vehicles/day cap (NGT order), Tuesday closure, INR 600 permit. Apply at rohtangpermits.hp.gov.in. No vehicles older than 10 years.
- Spiti via Atal Tunnel needs Himachal e-Aagman registration (eaagman.hp.gov.in).
- Foreigners need a Protected Area Permit for upper Kinnaur and Spiti — minimum group of 2 through a registered tour operator.
- Rohtang, Kunzum La, Baralacha La typically snow-closed Nov-May. Spiti circuit then runs only via Kinnaur entry.
- Manali/Kullu/Shimla/Dharamshala have strong taxi unions — outside vehicles are blocked at union points. We only use union-compliant transport.
- High altitude (Spiti 3,500-4,800 m): risk of mountain sickness. Acclimatize before Kunzum/Rohtang.
- Dalai Lama audiences in McLeodganj are never guaranteed — they are at the Office of His Holiness's discretion.
How booking works
Once you pay the booking advance and we send you a confirmation voucher, your booking is locked in. The advance is non-refundable. Balance is due 15 days before departure for domestic trips and 30 days before for international trips. If the balance is not paid on time, we may cancel your booking and you lose the advance.
If you cancel — domestic trips
60+ days before travel: only the booking advance is forfeited. 59-30 days: 25% of trip cost. 29-15 days: 50%. 14-8 days: 75%. 7 days or less / no-show: 100%.
If you cancel — international trips
90+ days before travel: advance + airline/visa/TCS forfeited. 89-60 days: 25% of trip cost. 59-30 days: 50%. 29-15 days: 75%. 14 days or less / no-show: 100%.
Non-refundable items, always
Air tickets on non-refundable fares, train tickets after chart preparation, peak-season hotel blocks, cruise deposits, visa fees, ETA fees, helicopter sectors, pilgrimage permits, GST and TCS already paid to the government, and payment gateway charges are forfeited in full regardless of when you cancel.
Force Majeure (events beyond our control)
If your trip is hit by weather, landslide, flood, snow, road closure, government advisory, security incident, strike, pandemic, helicopter cancellation, permit cap exhaustion, or any similar event, we will refund whatever we actually recover from hotels, airlines and operators — minus our genuine out-of-pocket costs. We cannot guarantee a full refund in these situations and we are not liable for missed connections or loss of enjoyment.
AC in hill / mountain areas
On hill routes (Char Dham, Manali-Spiti, Munnar, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Northeast, Kashmir, etc.) AC may be switched off on steep climbs to prevent engine overheating, or may not be allowed by local taxi unions, or may carry an extra surcharge of INR 500-1,500 per day. Please don't deduct or dispute payment on this ground.
Extra charges we may pass on
If government fees, fuel prices, GST, TCS, permit fees, e-pass costs or supplier rates go up after we send your quote, we reserve the right to charge you the difference. You agree to pay it before the trip starts.
Your responsibility
Passport, visa, ETA, government registrations, RFID cards, ID proofs, vaccinations, fitness for adventure activities, and truthful medical disclosure are all on you. We help, but we don't guarantee any visa or government approval. Travel insurance is strongly recommended for domestic trips and mandatory for international trips.
Third parties (airlines, hotels, operators)
We book with airlines, hotels, transport operators, dive schools, helicopter operators and government portals on your behalf. Their own terms apply to their service. We are not liable for their delays, cancellations, schedule changes, baggage issues, room downgrades or accidents — but we will help you raise the complaint.
Our liability is limited
If something goes wrong because of us, our total liability is capped at the amount you actually paid us for that trip. We are not liable for indirect losses like loss of enjoyment, business loss or missed future plans.
Unfair customer practice
We reserve the right to cancel your booking, eject you from the tour and blacklist you (without refund) if you raise a fraudulent chargeback after services are delivered, post false reviews to extort refunds, abuse our staff or drivers, damage hotel property, violate local law (especially drug law), or misrepresent yourself in documents.
Complaints
Raise any issue immediately with the tour manager while we can still fix it. Written complaints must reach info@earthlygroup.in within 15 days of trip completion. We will respond within 21 working days.
Governing law
These terms are governed by Indian law. Any dispute will be resolved by arbitration in Dehradun (Indian Arbitration & Conciliation Act 1996) and the courts at Dehradun, Uttarakhand have exclusive jurisdiction.
