Common
Questions

For most expeditions, we recommend booking 4–6 months in advance. Peak-season departures (Patagonia November–March, Iceland June–August) fill 8–12 months ahead. Contact us early — if a specific date is sold out, we can often arrange an additional departure.

Eight clients maximum per certified lead guide. This is not a marketing claim — it is a safety and quality requirement built into every expedition. Smaller groups move faster, the guide can attend to everyone, and the wilderness remains undisturbed by crowds.

Pricing varies by expedition and is listed on each journey page. Typically included: OVERLAND guide for all days, accommodation (teahouses or tents depending on destination), all meals from arrival dinner through departure breakfast, internal transport, park fees, and emergency communication equipment. International flights are not included.

Cancellations 90+ days before departure: full refund minus 10% deposit. 60–89 days: 50% refund. 30–59 days: 25% refund. Under 30 days: no refund. We strongly recommend expedition travel insurance, which can cover cancellation for medical reasons.

Fitness requirements are listed on each expedition as "moderate," "challenging," or "extreme." Moderate means comfortable with 6–8 hours of hiking per day with a loaded daypack. Challenging means sustained effort over multiple days in variable conditions. Extreme means high-altitude experience and serious physical conditioning. We're honest in these ratings — please read them carefully.

You'll receive a detailed 12-week training protocol when you book. In general: long aerobic base (hiking with a loaded pack is the best preparation for hiking with a loaded pack), strength work for your legs and core, and altitude pre-acclimatization for Himalayan expeditions. We send the specific protocol for your destination at booking.

Yes. Solo travelers can book any of our group departures. You'll be placed with others from around the world who are on the same journey. Many of our most memorable groups have formed this way.

Every expedition carries emergency satellite communication (PLB and/or inReach). Our guides hold wilderness medicine certifications. For mountain expeditions, we carry supplemental oxygen and a high-altitude medical kit. We have evacuation protocols and relationships with medical facilities at or near every destination.

OVERLAND guides are specialists, not generalists. Elena Vásquez has guided Patagonia for 15 years. Rajan Thapa was born in Namche Bazaar. Marcus Osei holds a wildlife biology degree from Nairobi. Ingrid Storm has crossed Greenland on skis twice. We do not hire generalist travel guides — we hire people who have spent their careers in the specific terrain you're visiting.

Weather is part of the expedition — our guides are trained to adapt, re-route, and make the most of conditions. In the event of a serious safety-related delay or route change, we communicate clearly and provide alternatives. We do not charge for weather-related itinerary changes.

Yes. We provide a detailed gear list for your specific expedition at booking. Your sleeping bag must meet the temperature rating we specify — we don't recommend cutting corners here. For Himalayan expeditions, we require a bag rated to -20°C. For Patagonia, -10°C minimum.

We provide group camping equipment on wilderness expeditions (tents, cooking gear, water filtration), plus technical equipment where required (crampons and ice axes for glacier crossings, zodiac transport for river navigation, etc.). Personal sleeping bags, sleeping mats, and daypack are always your responsibility.