Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
If you opt to travel on a private basis, your group will be the sole travel group present unless otherwise stated in the itinerary as a shared basis. For group tours, the passengers will be chosen by the company or 9 Star Tours
On your dream holiday, you will get to meet individuals from diverse backgrounds, including professionals like doctors, teachers, artists, politicians, and businessmen, as well as people of different religions, regions, and languages. We guarantee that you will make new friends.
If you would like to extend your stay, please let us know at the time of your booking. Additional charges will be applied. We regret to inform you that no changes can be made during the tour.
It is not advisable to take tours as it may prevent you from fully experiencing your dream destinations. At Nine Star Tours, we offer an extensive range of travel products that are customized to meet your requirements. Our team of travel consultants will provide you with top-notch advice on the same.
While the itinerary and date of the tour will remain unchanged, we reserve the right to adjust the routing or date of the tour in cases of force majeure for your safety.
Yes, it is possible to modify your booking or travel plan. There may be certain charges associated with these modifications, including canceling an existing booking and making new arrangements. Travel consultants at our offices are available to help with these changes.
If you need to cancel a tour, there will be charges applied. Your travel consultant will inform you about these charges when you book, or you can refer to the 9 Star Tours cancellation charges and terms and conditions for more information.
In most cases, we operate all tours that we launch, but there are some instances where the total number of bookings falls below our prescribed minimum operating capacity. In these cases, we provide customers with options and accommodate or merge tours with other available tours. Customers may also choose our customized packages in these situations, but some services like group games, activities, meals, and tour leaders may not be provided.
We are pleased to inform you that we do offer the Leave Travel Certificate upon your request at the time of booking the tour. This certificate will be issued to you shortly after your advance payment or confirmation
You may have to stay back while the group moves on, and additional services will be charged. We can offer assistance, subject to availability and at a cost. Our personnel will attend to your requirements, including filing a complaint or FIR at the nearest police station and obtaining a Landing Certificate from the Indian Embassy at your destination or re-issuing your visa with other necessary formalities.
An e-ticket is an electronic document that replaces paper tickets and offers benefits such as Forex and visa formalities. It can be sent to your email.
If you are visiting from out of town and have booked a domestic tour, you may request an e-ticket to be issued upon arrival at the airport. In such circumstances, please refrain from changing your ticket at the airport, as any changes may affect the entire group
Tour Price and Discounts
Our Tour prices include all travel arrangements, accommodations, meals, sightseeing, entrance fees, visa fees, airport taxes, Tour Leader services, and other miscellaneous expenses. Each destination has a unique set of inclusions, so please refer to the tour inclusion section on the respective tour itinerary page on our website for more information.
The Indian tour price typically includes accommodation, meals, sightseeing, and entrance charges; however, it does not cover travel tickets. We also have airport-to-airport tours, which are all-inclusive tours by air. To learn more about tour inclusions, please refer to the relevant tour itinerary page on our website.
If you book a group of more than 8 guests on the same day, you are eligible for a group discount.
Guests who are younger than two years old are considered infants, while guests who are between two and 12 years old are classified as children. These categories help us provide the best possible experience for each guest based on their unique needs.
To ensure that each guest has the optimal experience based on their individual requirements, airlines offer variable airfares for infants and children based on their age group. Infants are charged at 10% of the adult airfare, while children are charged at 75% of the adult fare, or sometimes at the same rate. Furthermore, coach seats are available for children over the age of two throughout their entire tour.
Our tour expenses are incurred in two currencies. Your air tickets, visa, documentation, some of the land arrangements, and other expenses are in Indian currency, while your land arrangements such as hotel bookings, meals, coaches, sightseeing, and entrance tickets are in foreign currency.
On Tour
The modes of transportation available during your tour will vary depending on the itinerary you choose. Typically, transportation options include flights, coach buses, trains, cruises, speed boats, cable cars, and more. For further details, please refer to the tour itinerary page on our website.
Night journeys may be available for flights, depending on the destination, costing, and flight availability
Our product range encompasses a variety of paces, ranging from leisurely to medium to fast. The majority of our tours are medium to fast-paced, as we strive to cover as many must-see sights as possible, without offering optional sight-seeing.
In general, walking is required at various sightseeing locations, amusement parks, and sometimes even at airports. However, travelers will be informed in a timely manner by the Tour Leader.
Unless otherwise specified by the Tour Leader for World Tour, we typically adhere to a schedule of waking up at 6 AM, having breakfast at 7 AM, and departing at 8 AM. For Indian tours, the schedule is typically waking up at 7 AM, having breakfast at 8 AM, and departing at 9 AM. However, the schedule may be subject to change depending on the situation.
Yes, you will receive a wake-up call through the hotel’s automated system. However, it is recommended that you also set alarms on your mobile device to ensure that you do not miss any scheduled activities.
Punctuality is of the utmost importance when traveling in a group. We implore you to adhere to the instructions provided by your Tour Leader to ensure that you do not miss any part of the tour. Please note that should you miss any part of the tour, the tour company will not be held liable and no refunds will be provided.
The guest requiring special assistance must be accompanied by a qualified companion, as the Tour Leader is unable to provide individual assistance due to the need to manage the entire group.
Yes, it is permissible to bring your own wheelchair and travel to most of the sightseeing locations. However, a qualified companion must accompany guests who are traveling on a wheelchair.
It is widely accepted that tap water in most countries is safe and readily available. However, if this is not the case, Nine Star Tours will provide information on their website regarding the availability of safe drinking water.
Our group tour itineraries are carefully designed to ensure that you can see as many places as possible during your trip. As a result, free time is limited and only provided when you return to the hotel. If you wish to skip any sightseeing, please inform the tour leader. However, please note that no refunds will be given for any services that you have not used at your own discretion.
Your relatives are most welcome to join us on our tour. To ensure eligibility and access to our services, please provide us with advance notice at the time of booking and make the necessary payment as required under our policy.
Accordion
Our Tour Leader shall provide information regarding shopping areas on the tour. However, the Tour Leader cannot recommend or promote any particular shop or area.
You are allowed to use credit cards that are accepted internationally for shopping and personal expenses. We advise that you check with your bank before making any transactions. Please be aware that we cannot be held responsible for any loss, fraud, damage, or cheating that may occur in these situations.
During your tour, you may wish to remain in contact with loved ones using a local calling card or SIM card. Please note that we cannot be held liable for any charges imposed by international authorities, nor can we be held responsible for lost mobile devices.
If you become sick while on your tour, please notify your Tour Leader immediately. The Tour Leader will help you arrange for medical attention, including a doctor on call. However, you will be responsible for all expenses. We highly recommend that you obtain sufficient insurance for yourself and your family prior to traveling.
It is advisable to bring sufficient medication with you on your tour. We recommend distributing your medication evenly among your luggage to ensure that you have some with you in case of baggage delay or loss. Please note that medication can be obtained during the tour, but a prescription from a doctor is required.
Travel Arrangements
If you would like to upgrade your class of travel or airline, it is indeed possible, subject to availability and an additional cost. Please let us know your preference at the time of booking.
Yes, it is possible to make a request for a window seat, seat with more leg space, or an aisle seat at the airport check-in counter. The airline will provide the preferred seat option, subject to availability and an additional cost. Please inform us of your preference during the booking process.
Yes, airlines have provisions for wheelchairs, but availability is limited. Please inform us at the time of booking if you require a wheelchair. Certain airlines may also charge for this service.
Nine Star Tours extends an offer to their guests: they may join and leave the tour at the first and last destinations for a special price. This offer is applicable to all tours offered by the company.
Currently, most destinations allow 20-35 kg for checked baggage and 6-7 kg for hand luggage per ticket, although this varies by airline. For travel to the US, the Piece Concept applies, allowing two bags with a maximum weight of 23 kg each for Economy Class. For internal flights, guests must pay for a second check-in bag, as there is no free baggage allowance. Additionally, baggage cannot be locked due to security reasons. Tour leaders will provide instructions. Hand luggage of 7 kg is allowed for all flights.
When it comes to group check-ins, the majority of airlines prefer to use the airport check-in counter.
Domestic / Indian Tours
For Indian tours, the tour price does not include air or railway tickets. If you choose to travel by rail, you will need to book the tickets yourself. We will book your air travel for you. We also offer Air to Air tours where the tour price includes the cost of round-trip airfare.
If one books their own railway or air tickets, it is mandatory to share the ticket details with the travel consultant.
Nine Star Tours will provide assistance with one-way tickets for regular tours. However, guests must obtain round trip tickets for Air to Air packages as the tour price includes the fare for these tickets.
Currently, airlines have varying policies with regard to baggage allowances. Most airlines allow 15 kilograms of checked baggage and 5 kilograms of hand baggage per ticket, with additional allowance for one personal item such as a laptop or ladies’ purse. However, for security reasons, Jammu and Srinagar flights have restrictions on hand baggage, which must be checked in with the rest of the baggage. Only laptops or digital cameras are allowed inside the aircraft.
All tourists traveling by air or rail for Indian tours must carry formal photographic identification. This includes a driving license, election ID card, PAN card, passport, and for students, their school or college ID card. Additionally, some sightseeing places in India require identification, with the exception of PAN cards, which are not accepted. Please refer to our tour itinerary page for more information
Meals and Beverages
As per the itinerary requirements for the tour, a preset menu is provided. Vegetarian cuisine is served, along with a non-vegetarian dish. Breakfast is continental, and meals consist of Indian cuisine with occasional additions of fast/local food.
Special meals like Jain meal (without onion and garlic), fasting meal (subject to availability), and baby meal (with tin milk, plain dal, and rice only during meals as per the itinerary) can be arranged upon prior intimation. We suggest carrying sufficient baby food for any in-between requirements. Please let us know in advance if you would like any of these meals.
When it comes to our World/International Tours, we usually enjoy meals at Indian restaurants as it offers a diverse ambiance and is quite comfortable. On certain occasions, we may also provide packed meals depending on the itinerary.
Guests are able to enjoy tea or coffee during breakfast and at various sightseeing locations, as outlined in our itinerary under the section for Extra Toppings. Additionally, Nine Star Tours provides instant tea and coffee sachets for guests to make their own beverages in their rooms.
Document
Yes, a valid passport is mandatory for any kind of international travel.
It is mandatory to have a valid passport for any international travel. If you are an Indian national without a passport, you can apply for one online at www.passportindia.gov.in. Please note that Nine Star Tours does not provide assistance with this process.
It is important to ensure that the name on your passport is used when booking the tour, as all subsequent travel arrangements are made based on this information. The passport is the only valid document for verification when traveling abroad.
A VISA is a document issued by a country’s high commission or consulate that allows you to visit that country. In some cases, a personal interview may be required. Nine Star Tours can help you with the VISA application process, and the price of this service is included in the tour package.
The decision to grant or deny a VISA lies solely with the respective Consulate/ Embassy. We are here to assist you in filing your VISA application. However, please note that we cannot guarantee or assure you a VISA as the same is beyond our control.
If your travel plans are canceled due to visa rejection, you can obtain a refund after deducting the visa application fees and cancellation charges, if any.
It is recommended that one acquire sufficient overseas travel insurance coverage to safeguard against any potential risks, such as damage, loss, accident, or injury during the trip. For tours of Europe and Dubai, insurance is included in the tour price for those aged up to 59 years for the duration of the tour. For guests over 59 years of age, the difference in insurance premium will need to be paid, if applicable.
The visa and insurance included in the tour price are only valid for the duration of the tour. If you choose to extend your holiday, we will process your visa and insurance accordingly, but you will need to pay any additional fees.
Tour Leaders
Nine Star Tours takes pride in providing tour leaders who will offer assistance throughout the tour. However, please note that the tour leader is not responsible for any personal belongings or baggage.
On tour, the Tour Leader will give instructions or communicate in Hindi and English as the preferred languages.
For our World Tours, we provide one Tour Leader for the entire group. For our Indian Tours, one Tour Leader with one or two Tour Assistants are assigned depending on the size of the group.
Booking payment
In order to book a World Tour, it is required that you possess a passport with a validity of at least six months subsequent to the scheduled departure date of the tour, as well as a sufficient number of blank pages for visa purposes. Additionally, a registration fee will be required, which will vary depending on the price of the tour. For Indian Tours, you will need to provide identification proof and pay a registration fee.
By paying the full tour price 60 days prior to departure, you can enjoy a discount. While it is not a requirement, you can pay a registration fee to book and pay the balance payment later.
It is possible for non-resident Indians to book any of the Indian tours offered by Nine Star Tours. We have separate prices in USD for NRI tours. Kindly refer to the Tour Price section of the respective tour itinerary page on our website.
Your son or daughter residing abroad can sponsor your tour through Telegraphic Wire transfer in USD, Euro, and AUD currency. However, you or your son or daughter will have to bear any transaction charges levied by the bank. Click here for additional information
Foreign Exchange
This text discusses the topic of carrying currencies while traveling. The author expresses that USD and EURO are universally accepted and easily exchangeable. It is recommended that you carry the local currency of the visiting country worth $50 for miscellaneous expenses and in case of emergencies. Three different options have been created to make the text more formal.
The Basic Travel Quota per financial year for private visits is set at USD 10000 per person and USD 25000 for business visits, as per the RBI circular.
If you plan to travel, it is advisable to use international credit cards or travelers cheques instead of carrying cash, as they are safer and more convenient. When traveling, it is safer and more convenient to use international credit cards or travelers cheques instead of carrying cash.