We want every traveler to feel confident booking with us. This policy lays out exactly what happens when you need to cancel, or when we have to cancel for reasons outside our control.
1. Cancellation by You
If you cancel a confirmed booking, the following charges apply (calculated as a percentage of your total tour cost):
- More than 60 days before tour start: 30% of total cost retained (deposit), remainder refunded
- 30–60 days before: 50% retained, remainder refunded
- 15–29 days before: 75% retained, remainder refunded
- Less than 15 days before, or no-show: no refund
2. Non-Refundable Items
The following are non-refundable regardless of when you cancel:
- Gorilla trekking permits ($1500 Rwanda / $800 Uganda) — set by government, non-refundable
- Chimpanzee trekking permits
- International and domestic flights already issued in your name
- Visa fees already paid to government
- Travel insurance premiums
Where possible we will transfer permits to another date (subject to availability and government approval) for a 15% admin fee.
3. Cancellation by Us
If we cancel your tour due to force majeure (pandemic, civil unrest, natural disaster, road closure), we will offer:
- A full credit for use on a future tour within 12 months, or
- An alternative tour of equivalent value on different dates, or
- A full refund minus non-refundable items (see Section 2)
We will never leave you out of pocket for our own operational failures.
4. Refund Process
- Refund requests must be made in writing to info@itrwanda.com with your booking reference.
- Refunds are processed within 14 business days of approval.
- Refunds are returned to the original payment method whenever possible (Flutterwave, Stripe, bank transfer).
- Mobile Money (MTN, Airtel) refunds typically arrive within 1-3 business days.
- Card refunds via Stripe typically take 5-10 business days to appear on your statement.
- International bank transfers may incur fees deducted from the refund amount.
5. Date Changes
One date change is permitted free of charge when made more than 45 days before the original travel date, subject to availability. Within 45 days, a 10% admin fee applies. Permit transfers are subject to government approval.
6. Trip Interruption
If you choose to leave a tour early for personal reasons (illness not covered by insurance, change of plans), no refund is given for unused services. This is why comprehensive travel insurance is mandatory.
7. Disputes
If you disagree with our decision on a refund, please reply to our email within 14 days explaining your position. We will review and respond within 7 business days. Persistent disputes are handled through the Rwanda Consumer Protection authority or the relevant payment provider's chargeback process.
8. Contact for Refunds
Email: info@itrwanda.com
Subject line: "REFUND REQUEST – [Your Booking Reference]"
Phone: +250 788 682 146