Terms & Cancellation Policy

We understand that travel plans can change. Our cancellation policy is designed to be fair to our clients while also covering costs that Mesob Ethiopia Tours and our local service providers have already incurred.

1. Cancellation by the Customer
   The refund depends on when the cancellation is made and whether the services have already been paid for or reserved.
   More than 7 days before departure:
   A refund may be provided for refundable services, less any non-refundable costs, cancellation penalties, or service charges already incurred.
   3–7 days before departure:
   Up to 50% of the refundable tour amount may be refunded, subject to the cancellation conditions of the individual service providers.
   Within 72 hours of departure:
   Services that have already been booked, paid for, or reserved specifically for the traveler are generally non-refundable.
   The final refund will be calculated based on the actual costs incurred for the individual services included in the booking.
2. Domestic Flight Tickets
   Domestic flights booked through Mesob Ethiopia Tours are subject to the applicable Ethiopian Airlines fare, cancellation, and refund conditions.
   If a traveler cancels a flight, the refundable amount will be determined according to the airline’s ticket rules. Applicable airline cancellation penalties, administrative fees, or other charges will be deducted.
   In addition, the applicable Mesob Ethiopia Tours ticketing, booking, or cancellation service charge is non-refundable, as it covers the services provided in arranging and processing the ticket.
   Therefore, the final flight refund may be reduced by:
   Ethiopian Airlines cancellation/refund penalties or applicable fees.
   Mesob Ethiopia Tours’ applicable ticketing, booking, or cancellation service charge.
   If the airline cancels or significantly changes a flight, the refund or rebooking will be handled according to the applicable Ethiopian Airlines policy. Any Mesob Ethiopia Tours service charges already incurred will be treated separately.
3. Hotels & Accommodation
   Hotel payments that have already been made may be non-refundable, depending on the hotel’s cancellation policy.
   Where possible, Mesob Ethiopia Tours may negotiate with the hotel to retain the payment as future travel credit instead of losing the amount completely. Future credit is subject to the hotel’s agreement and conditions.
4. Guides, Drivers & Transportation
   Payments made to guides, drivers, and transportation providers may be non-refundable once their services have been reserved.
   Our guides, drivers, and other local partners reserve their time specifically for the traveler and may decline other bookings for those dates. Once their schedules have been blocked and payment has been made, those costs may not be recoverable.
   For this reason, these services may be partially refundable or non-refundable depending on the circumstances and the provider’s cancellation conditions.
5. Entrance Fees & Activities
   Before the tour starts:
   If the traveler cancels before the tour has started and an entrance fee or activity fee has not yet been used, the applicable entrance/activity fee will be fully refundable, where the provider allows the refund.
   After the tour has started:
   Once the tour has commenced, entrance fees and activity payments are non-refundable, even if the traveler subsequently decides not to visit a particular site or participate in an activity. This is because the payment has already been made or arranged for the tour.
6. Non-Refundable Costs
   Some costs cannot be recovered once booked or paid. These may include:
   Certain airline fees and service charges
   Hotel and accommodation payments
   Guide and driver fees
   Transportation reservations
   Permits
   Third-party services
   Other services specifically reserved for the traveler
   Where a supplier permits a future credit instead of a refund, Mesob Ethiopia Tours will make reasonable efforts to arrange this for the traveler.
7. Cancellation by Mesob Ethiopia Tours
   The safety of our travelers is our highest priority.
   If Mesob Ethiopia Tours determines that a tour cannot be operated safely because of security concerns, extreme weather, government restrictions, road conditions, or other unforeseen circumstances, we may cancel or reschedule the tour.
   In such circumstances, we will discuss the available options with the traveler, which may include rescheduling or a refund of refundable amounts, subject to any non-recoverable third-party costs.
   For security assessments, we consider information from relevant government authorities as well as trusted local sources, including our guides, drivers, hotels, local partners, and residents familiar with the current conditions in the area. We may also consider international travel advisories and other relevant information.
   Because conditions can change, security decisions are made based on the circumstances at the time of travel and, where appropriate, in consultation with the traveler.
8. Refund Categories
   Depending on the service and circumstances, costs may be classified as follows:
   Fully Refundable
   Services or entrance fees that have not been used and can be refunded by the relevant provider.
   Partially Refundable
   Services where a cancellation penalty, airline fee, administrative fee, or other charge is deducted before the remaining amount is refunded.
   Non-Refundable
   Costs that have already been paid and cannot be recovered, such as certain hotel payments, guide/driver reservations, permits, third-party services, and applicable Mesob Ethiopia Tours service charges.
   Future Credit
   Where a supplier agrees, a non-refundable payment may sometimes be retained as credit toward a future trip instead of being refunded.
   Important Notice
   The exact refund amount depends on the services included in the booking and the cancellation policies of the airlines, hotels, guides, transportation providers, and other third-party suppliers.
   Mesob Ethiopia Tours will provide the applicable refund based on the actual refundable amount after deducting non-refundable costs and applicable service or cancellation char