Group Trip Terms & Conditions
Last updated: November 2026
1. About these terms
1.1 These Group Trip Terms apply to safari trips that Gotukio arranges for a group travelling with a Group Leader. They form a contract between you and Tukio Booking Ltd, trading as Gotukio (company number 15630500, registered office 71–75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ) (“Gotukio”, “we”, “us”, “our”).
1.2 These terms apply together with our Terms & Conditions, our Privacy Policy and the Trip Details for your departure. If these Group Trip Terms conflict with our general Terms & Conditions, these Group Trip Terms apply.
1.3 Each group trip is run under one of two models. Your Booking Confirmation says which one applies.
Gotukio contracts: you book and pay Gotukio directly. Gotukio is the organiser of your trip and your contract is with us. A 3.5% booking and payment handling fee applies (clause 4.4).
Leader contracts: the Group Leader books the whole trip with Gotukio and sells places to their travellers. The Group Leader is your organiser and your contract is with them. Gotukio supplies the safari arrangements to the Group Leader. Sections marked “Leader contracts” apply between Gotukio and the Group Leader.
1.4 Please read these terms before booking. By paying a deposit, or by confirming a booking in writing, you accept them.
2. Definitions
Group Leader: the person who brings the group together and travels with it or organises it, e.g. a creator, photographer, club or community organiser. The Group Leader is not an employee or agent of Gotukio.
Traveller / you: each person booked on the trip, other than the Group Leader. In the leader-contracts model, “you” in sections 3–10 means the Group Leader.
Trip: the itinerary, accommodation, transport, park fees and activities listed in the Trip Details.
Trip Details: the trip page or proposal for your departure: itinerary, dates, inclusions, exclusions and price.
Trip Price: the price per traveller shown in the Trip Details, based on sharing a twin or double room.
Departure Date: the first day of the Trip.
Planned Group Size: the number of travellers the Group Leader plans and prices the Trip for, stated in the Trip Details. There is no minimum group size.
Booking Confirmation: our written confirmation of your booking, with its reference number.
Suppliers: the lodges, camps, ground handlers, airlines and other providers who deliver the Trip.
PTRs: the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.
3. Booking and your contract
Gotukio contracts
3.1 To book, complete our booking form for the departure (via the Group Leader’s link or directly with us) and pay the deposit in clause 5. The person who books must be 18 or over and accepts these terms for everyone named on the booking. Travellers under 18 may join only where the Trip Details say so, and must travel with a parent or guardian who is responsible for them.
3.2 Your contract with Gotukio is formed when we send your Booking Confirmation. Until then, places are not guaranteed. If we cannot confirm the Trip at the price quoted, we will offer you an alternative or a full refund.
3.3 Places are confirmed in the order deposits are received. The Group Leader may hold places for named travellers until a date we agree with them.
Leader contracts
3.4 The Group Leader books the Trip by sending us a signed booking request with the Departure Date, the number of travellers and rooms, and the deposit. The contract between Gotukio and the Group Leader is formed when we send the Booking Confirmation.
3.5 The Group Leader is the organiser of the trip for their travellers. They are responsible for their own contracts with their travellers, including the terms they give them, collecting payments, and meeting the organiser’s obligations under the PTRs, including protecting their travellers’ money.
Both models
3.6 In both models, the Group Leader is responsible for making sure we receive every traveller’s details in time: full name as on their passport, nationality, date of birth, dietary and medical needs, and flight details, by the deadline in the Booking Confirmation.
3.7 Please check your Booking Confirmation as soon as you receive it and tell us within 7 days if any details are wrong. Names must match passports; airline and park permit name changes may carry a charge.
4. Prices and what’s included
4.1 Prices are per traveller in US dollars, based on sharing a twin or double room, and include only what the Trip Details list as included. Typically this covers accommodation and the meal plan shown, a shared safari vehicle with driver-guide, park and conservation fees, listed activities and listed transfers.
4.2 Unless the Trip Details say otherwise, prices do not include: international flights, visas and entry fees, travel insurance, vaccinations, drinks not listed, tips, personal expenses, optional activities and any mandatory government insurance or levy charged at entry.
4.3 The Trip Price is set by the Group Leader. Once your booking is confirmed, it changes only as set out in clause 4.5, not because the group is smaller or larger than planned (clause 6).
4.4 Gotukio contracts: a booking and payment handling fee of 3.5% of the Trip Price is added to each booking and shown separately at booking. This fee is non-refundable.
4.5 Price changes after booking. We may increase the Trip Price after your booking is confirmed only because of changes in: (a) park, conservation or government fees and taxes; (b) fuel or other transport costs; or (c) exchange rates affecting the cost of the Trip. We will tell you the reason and how it was worked out. We will not increase the price within 20 days of departure. If the increase is more than 8% of the Trip Price, you may accept it, accept an alternative, or cancel with a full refund. If these costs go down, we will pass on the reduction, less our reasonable administration costs.
4.6 We may correct obvious errors in advertised or quoted prices before your booking is confirmed.
5. Payment
The standard payment schedule is below. Payment terms for a departure can be agreed case by case with the Group Leader, depending on their needs and the lodges chosen, and we pass on favourable supplier terms where we can. Any agreed schedule is shown in the Trip Details and Booking Confirmation and replaces the standard one.
At booking: 50% deposit. Gotukio contracts: each traveller pays Gotukio. Leader contracts: the Group Leader pays Gotukio for all places held.
30 days before departure: 50% balance. Gotukio contracts: each traveller pays Gotukio. Leader contracts: the Group Leader pays Gotukio for all places.
Bookings made within 30 days of departure: 100% at booking.
5.1 Payments are made in US dollars by card or bank transfer to the account on your invoice. Bank and card charges on your side are yours to pay.
5.2 If we do not receive the balance on time, we will remind you and allow 7 days. If it is still unpaid, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you and the cancellation charges in clause 9 apply.
5.3 Leader contracts: the Group Leader pays for all places and rooms confirmed, whether or not their own travellers have paid them. The Group Leader’s own place is invoiced with the group unless the Trip Details show it is covered.
5.4 Gotukio contracts: we pay the Group Leader’s fee after the Trip has run. The Group Leader sends us an invoice with their payment details within 14 days of the return date, and we pay it within 15 days of receiving it.
6. Group size and who carries the risk
6.1 There is no minimum group size. In both models, the Group Leader decides the group size and the Trip Price, and is responsible for filling the places.
6.2 The Group Leader tells us the number of participants. We make the bookings with Suppliers for that number, and we charge for that number.
6.3 If the number of participants changes, the Group Leader tells us straight away. We update the bookings where Suppliers allow it, and our charges change to match. The Group Leader decides who carries the difference: they can adjust the price for travellers who have not yet booked, or absorb the loss or keep the gain themselves.
6.4 Gotukio contracts: once a traveller’s booking is confirmed, their Trip Price can change only for the reasons in clause 4.5. A change in group size is not one of them, so for confirmed travellers the Group Leader absorbs any difference.
6.5 If the Group Leader cancels the Trip, our cancellation policy in clause 9 applies to all places booked. In the Gotukio-contracts model, we will offer each traveller another departure, if one is available, or a full refund of everything they paid us within 14 days, and the cancellation charges are payable by the Group Leader.
7. Rooms and sharing
7.1 Trip Prices are based on two people sharing a twin or double room. You can book a single room for the single supplement shown in the Trip Details, subject to availability.
7.2 If you are travelling alone and want to share, we will try to pair you with another traveller of the same sex. If we cannot find a roommate by the balance due date, you will be given a single room and pay the single supplement.
7.3 If your roommate cancels, you may be asked to pay the single supplement, unless we can pair you with someone else.
7.4 Some lodges have limited single, triple or family rooms. Room types are confirmed only in the Booking Confirmation.
8. Changes and transfers by travellers
8.1 If you want to change your booking after it is confirmed (for example room type, extra nights or activities), we will try to help. Changes depend on availability and you pay any extra cost of the change.
8.2 Moving to a different departure counts as a cancellation and a new booking, unless we agree otherwise.
8.3 You may transfer your place to another person who meets the Trip’s requirements, by telling us in writing at least 7 days before the Departure Date. You and the new traveller remain jointly responsible for any unpaid balance and for any extra costs of the transfer, such as airline or park permit name changes.
8.4 Leader contracts: the Group Leader may replace named travellers up to the deadline in clause 3.6 at no charge other than any supplier costs. Reducing the number of places is a cancellation under clause 9.
9. If you cancel
9.1 You may cancel at any time by telling us in writing (email is fine). Cancellation takes effect on the day we receive it.
9.2 Because we commit to lodges, vehicles and permits for the whole group well in advance, the following refunds apply, as a percentage of the Trip Price:
Trip Value Reimbursed
50%
10%
0%
0%
Days before trip start
90 days or more*
30 to 90 days
under 30 days
After trip start
*deposits are not refunded for high season bookings (June - September)
9.3 The 3.5% handling fee is non-refundable. Visa, insurance and other costs you paid to third parties are not refundable by us.
9.4 If you cancel, the price for the remaining travellers will not change. If your roommate is left alone, clause 7.3 applies to them.
9.5 You may cancel without a charge before departure if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances at or near the destination significantly affect the Trip or getting there, for example a government advice against all travel. We will refund what you paid us within 14 days.
9.6 Leader contracts: the same scale applies to each place the Group Leader cancels. If the Group Leader cancels the whole Trip, the scale applies to every place held.
9.7 We strongly recommend insurance that covers cancellation (clause 12).
10. If we change or cancel the Trip
10.1 Safari itineraries sometimes need small changes, such as a different game-drive route, a change of vehicle, or a similar-standard lodge in the same area. We may make minor changes like these at any time and will tell you as soon as we can. No compensation is due for minor changes.
10.2 If before departure we need to make a significant change, such as changing the Departure Date, removing a park or destination, or moving you to a lower-standard lodge, we will tell you promptly. You can then: (a) accept the change; (b) accept an alternative Trip of equal or higher standard, or a lower one with a refund of the price difference; or (c) cancel and receive a full refund within 14 days. Please reply within the time we give you, otherwise we will treat the change as accepted.
10.3 We may cancel the Trip because of Events Beyond Our Control (clause 16). You then receive a full refund and no compensation. If the Group Leader cancels the Trip, clause 6.5 applies.
10.4 If we cancel for any other reason, you receive a full refund and, where appropriate, compensation for losses that are a direct result of our cancellation.
10.5 If a Supplier fails during the Trip, we will arrange suitable alternatives at no extra cost where we can.
11. The Group Leader
11.1 The Group Leader brings the group together and may travel with it. The Group Leader is independent: they are not an employee, agent or guide of Gotukio, and they cannot change these terms or make promises on our behalf. On the ground, the Trip is run by our local team and licensed driver-guides.
11.2 The Group Leader agrees to:
describe the Trip accurately, using the Trip Details we provide, and not advertise inclusions, prices or dates we haven’t confirmed;
share these Group Trip Terms with their travellers before they book (Gotukio contracts), or give their travellers terms that are consistent with them (leader contracts);
tell us promptly about every booking, enquiry or change from their travellers;
tell us about any traveller’s medical, mobility or dietary needs that they know of;
follow our team’s and guides’ instructions on safety during the Trip, and help us deal with problems in the group.
11.3 Group Leader fee. The Group Leader’s earnings are set in their host agreement or calculator proposal. In the Gotukio-contracts model, the fee is included in the Trip Price and paid by us under clause 5.4, only for travellers who travel; no fee is paid for cancelled places, including from any cancellation charge. In the leader-contracts model, the Group Leader sets their own price and keeps the difference.
11.4 Group Leader’s own place. When the Trip is set up, the Group Leader chooses whether to share a room or have a single room, and whether their place is covered by the group or paid by them. The Trip Details show the choice, and its cost is reflected in the Trip Price or the Group Leader’s invoice.
11.5 If the Group Leader can’t travel, the Trip will normally go ahead with our local team. A change of Group Leader is not a significant change under clause 10.2, unless the Trip Details describe it as a specialist-led trip (for example a photography workshop) and no suitable replacement is found.
11.6 The Group Leader is responsible for any marketing, content or advice they give their audience beyond the Trip Details. They may use Gotukio’s name, logo and photos only as we provide them for the Trip.
12. Passports, visas, health and insurance
12.1 You are responsible for having a passport valid for at least 6 months after your return, with blank pages, and any visas, entry permits and vaccination certificates (such as yellow fever) needed for every country on the Trip. We will share general information for British passport holders on request, but requirements change and depend on your nationality, so please check official sources.
12.2 Some countries now charge a mandatory government travel insurance policy or levy at entry (for example mainland Tanzania). Unless the Trip Details include it, this is your cost.
12.3 You must tell us before booking about any medical condition, disability or mobility need that may affect your participation. Safaris involve long drives on rough roads, early starts, remote areas far from hospitals, and sometimes small aircraft with weight limits. We may decline a booking or require a doctor’s letter if we reasonably believe the Trip is unsuitable or unsafe for you.
12.4 Seek medical advice on vaccinations and malaria prevention at least 8 weeks before travel.
12.5 Travel insurance is a condition of booking. It must cover medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation, and we strongly recommend cancellation cover. Please send us your policy details before departure. If you travel without adequate insurance, we are not liable for losses that insurance would have covered.
12.6 Leader contracts: the Group Leader must make sure their travellers meet clauses 12.1–12.5.
13. Conduct on the Trip
13.1 Group travel works when everyone respects each other, the guides and the places visited. You must follow the instructions of your driver-guide and our local team, especially in national parks and around wildlife, and obey local laws and park rules.
13.2 If your behaviour puts anyone at risk, seriously disrupts the group, or damages property, we or our Suppliers may remove you from the Trip. You will not get a refund or compensation, and you must pay for any damage and your own onward travel.
13.3 Drones, off-road driving requests, feeding animals and buying wildlife products are not allowed unless the park rules and our team expressly permit them.
14. Our responsibility and your protection
Gotukio contracts
14.1 Your Trip is a package under the PTRs and Gotukio is the organiser. We are responsible for delivering all the services in your Booking Confirmation, whether we or our Suppliers provide them. If any service is not delivered as agreed, tell our local team or us straight away so we can fix it (clause 15).
14.2 We are not liable where the problem was caused by you, by a third party not connected with the Trip that we could not have foreseen or avoided, or by Events Beyond Our Control.
14.3 Except for death, personal injury or illness caused by our negligence, or where the law does not allow it, our liability is limited to the Trip Price paid by the affected traveller. Where an international convention limits a Supplier’s liability (for example for flights), our liability is limited in the same way.
14.4 We are not responsible for optional excursions or services you book directly with local providers, or for the Group Leader’s own services, advice or marketing beyond the Trip Details.
14.5 Flights. Any internal or light-aircraft flights in the Trip are booked through our ground-handling partners, who hold the required licences and permits. The airline’s conditions of carriage apply to the flight.
14.6 Your rights under the PTRs. Where your booking is a package (more than one travel service booked at an inclusive price), you have the rights and benefits set out in the PTRs. See our Package Travel Regulations 2018 page for a summary.
Leader contracts
14.7 Gotukio is responsible to the Group Leader for delivering the services in the Booking Confirmation, on the same basis as clauses 14.2–14.4. The Group Leader is responsible to their travellers as organiser, including any financial protection the law requires of them. The Group Leader will tell us promptly about any traveller complaint or claim relating to our services.
15. Problems and complaints
15.1 Our emergency contact is our WhatsApp number, +254 (0) 710 185874, which is shown on every Booking Confirmation. Before departure, we also set up a dedicated WhatsApp group for each Trip with the Group Leader and our team. The Group Leader can add the group’s travellers to it, or share their own emergency number with the group. If something goes wrong during the Trip, tell your driver-guide or contact us on WhatsApp straight away. Most problems can be fixed on the spot. If we don’t know about a problem, we can’t fix it, and any compensation may be reduced.
15.2 If the problem isn’t resolved during the Trip, email info@gotukio.com within 28 days of your return, with your booking reference and details. We will acknowledge it within 7 days and aim to reply in full within 28 days.
15.3 Leader contracts: travellers should raise problems with the Group Leader, who will pass them to us immediately.
16. General
16.1 Events Beyond Our Control. We are not liable, and do not pay compensation, when our obligations are affected by events beyond our or our Suppliers’ control whose consequences could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures. Examples include war, terrorism or the threat of it, civil unrest, serious health risks such as a disease outbreak, natural disasters, severe weather, government or park authority actions, strikes, fire and unavoidable technical problems with transport. Your right to cancel in clause 9.5 still applies.
16.2 Your data. We share travellers’ details with Suppliers, park authorities and, in the Gotukio-contracts model, the Group Leader, only as needed to deliver the Trip. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle personal data.
16.3 Photos. The Group Leader or our team may take photos during the Trip. We will ask for your consent before using any photo in which you can be identified for marketing.
16.4 Changes to these terms. The version of these terms in force when your booking is confirmed applies to your booking.
16.5 Law and jurisdiction. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may also bring proceedings in your local courts.
