Frequently Asked Questions
Tour Info
Our rates are per person based on the tour and additions you choose, NOT per vehicle or group. Please refer to our VancouverWineTour.ca portal to reserve a similar private tour.
We believe that the conversational seating of the limousines and limo buses, and the comfort of the executive class sedans, SUV’s, vans and buses, are essential variables in stimulating interaction among guests in a functional environment and improving the overall tour experience. An essential part of our green and sustainability efforts includes moving towards a zero emission fleet by 2025.
Each tour description states the inclusions/ exclusions. We will not “surprise” you with hidden/ camouflaged charges, and we tend to offer meaningful and balanced all-inclusive experiences. We do not charge gratuities for our guides, chauffeurs, or on behalf of our partner wineries or restaurants, as we strongly believe that you should be the sole judge of quality and offer them at your discretion, together with any invaluable expressions of recognition.
Unlike the private tours we offer, most tours will have a clearly specified pick up location Downtown Vancouver. Exceptions might include Downtown and Airport Area Hotels, and the Sommelier Tour.
The wineries suggest and minimum 40 minutes for tasting and 60 min when a tour or appetizers are included. However, smaller groups might take slightly less time for the tastings. Weather permitting, most wineries provide attractive spots to enjoy an additional glass of wine, appetizer or pre-packed snack. Believe the tours are best enjoyed at a relaxed pace.
All tours are available year-round; timeline and itinerary variations are possible and will be clearly displayed and communicated to our booked and prospective guests. Summer/ Winter hours and Monday to Wednesday closures are in effect at some wineries but most tasting rooms are open between 11 and 5 or 6PM. Some holidays such as Christmas Day may not be available.
The consumption of alcohol in (ANY) motor vehicle, is strictly against the law in BC, regardless of age. *Section 44(1) Liquor Control Act of BC*. Your driver would be delighted to store your purchases in the vehicles locked luggage compartment until the end of your trip.
All wineries/vineyards are consistent in enforcing policies that restrict and reject groups including guests that are showing signs of heavy intoxication, who are obnoxious, belligerent, or disruptive towards the other guests, personnel and general operations. Out of respect for your fellow traveller, please KNOW AND MANAGE YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE ON THE TOUR. We do everything on our end to ensure your day goes smoothly, and monitor that everyone in your group is able to adhere to our and the wineries/vineyards safety and decorum requirements. We will assist anyone with securing a safe form of transportation to leave the tour at any moment deemed necessary (at their expense and with no refunds offered).
Preparation
We strongly recommend early reservation for weekend tours. The limited supply and ever-increasing popularity of the tours are compounded by the relatively small size of the tasting rooms at the wineries. Please call us with any last minute request, as our on-line cut-off reservation time is 24 hours in advance.
The Fraser Valley mild climate seldom affects the comfort on the tour. There will be minimal weather variations across the area we travel in, and we will supply umbrellas for those surprise raindrops. Casual-considerate and comfortable are the general guidelines for the dress code in the tasting rooms, vineyards and cellars.
While there are no legal or policy restrictions on the age of tour participants, please advise in advance on the need for a child seat, and please take note of the limited child geared facilities or menu options at the wineries. Some limo buses might not be equipped with seatbelts.
Typically payment is made by credit card and will be processed on line through the Stripe platform. Exceptions could be made for last minute reservations and while on the tour.
Policies
In most cases, you can cancel your booking for a full refund up to one day before your activity. However, please check the “Terms and Conditions” section of your confirmation for the detailed cancellation policy for your specific activity. Cancelling the booking with a full or partial refund option will not be available if your tour/activity is designated ‘All Sales are Final,’ (as these reservations are non-changeable). If your booking is not ‘All Sales Final and the option is not available, please contact us for the best alternative.
Some tours require good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
All our private tours require a minimum number of travelers. You will be notified of the impending cancellation by 1PM the day before your tour’s scheduled date. At that time you’ll be offered the option to cover a portion of the difference to the price level corresponding to the minimum number of participants, or a different date/experience, or a full refund.
Note: the typical minimum number of participants for our tours is 3.
While we strive to make every trip perfect, sometimes things don’t go to plan. Requesting a refund is easy!
Locate the booking in question and select ‘Request a Refund.’
Most refund requests are processed within 48 hours, but the process can take up to 7 days.
If your refund request is approved, it may take 5-7 business days from the date the refund is processed to appear on your statement, depending on your financial institution.
If the ‘Request a Refund’ option is not available for any reason, please contact us.
Some tours require you to reconfirm your attendance at least 24 before your tour.
Please Contact us for any last minute questions about your tour.
Confirmation is typically received instantly, subject to availability. An email is sent within 24 hours with either confirmation or notice that the tour has become unavailable for your requested time/date.
A Tour may be unavailable due to a few different reasons, including being sold out and unexpected/unforeseen issues (minimum bookings was not met, closures of locations visited, weather or roads used during the Tour.) We apologize for any inconvenience.
Any booking that is NOT confirmed will generally be cancelled and refunded immediately.
NOTE: Sometimes there are alternative options that are still available; In these cases, your reservation will NOT be cancelled and you will receive an email with your options. If you receive one of these emails, be sure to reply as soon as possible with your preference so we can assist you right away.
The consumption of alcohol in (ANY) motor vehicle, is strictly against the law in BC, regardless of age. *Section 44(1) Liquor Control Act of BC*. Your driver would be delighted to store your purchases in the vehicles locked luggage compartment until the end of your trip.
Due to tasting rooms’ size and personnel limitations, our groups will generally be capped at 20. Larger groups might travel on separate vehicles and their itineraries will be tailored to meet such space constraints.
To see if a tour is accessible or not, please contact us.
Typically the tours on VancouverWineTours.com are offered “as is”. We are generally unable to make any changes to itineraries listed.
We also offer private tours. This means that your group will be the only participants along with your guide. Private tours may occasionally offer more flexibility around the pace and itinerary.
While travel insurance is not required, we highly recommend that you purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy prior to departure to protect your travel purchases. At this time, VancouverWineTours does not offer travel insurance; however, our products and the ones purchased at the places businesses we visit can be covered under various independent insurance programs.
If you do purchase travel insurance, please review your policy carefully for specific terms and conditions.
Most of our products and credit towards their purchase may be acquired as Gift Certificates with an open usage day (pending availability). However, we do have experiences that require the credit card holder and one guest name to be the same (for occasional security purposes). In these cases, the lead guest/representative needs to book themselves.
In this instance, you will be notified at the time of the booking.
How my contact information is used
When making a reservation, you are asked to provide your phone number, and email address. This information is shared with the back office tour operator/ guide but not with any of the entities you’ll visit.
We strongly recommend providing a phone number that you will be able to answer while you’re traveling.
Though your phone number has been given to the Tour Provider, you may still need to contact us to reconfirm your tour!
The lead passenger will need their Photo ID. For security purposes, you will need to have an ID that matches the name you used when you booked your tour.
Please update the travellers names if the name(s) on your reservation are incorrect.
All our tours and activities offer Downtown Vancouver hotel pickup. It will appear in the Inclusions on the tour/activity page.
NEW reservations: Please include your hotel details at the time of booking. We will provide information on the exact location and time of the pick up should you call to reconfirm your booking.
EXISTING reservations: If you need to update an existing booking, please contact us by phone or email. The tour adviser will be able to confirm the exact pickup time and location process and changes.
If you haven’t selected a hotel yet, just indicate TBC and provide us with the info when it becomes available.
Note: Due to various reasons, some hotels might not be eligible for pickup, on temporary or permanent basis. We will suggest the most convenient available alternative spot for your pick up