Terms & Cancellation Policy

1. Booking and payment

• Prices are shown in US dollars (in tenge when the site is in Kazakh) and include the car, driver, fuel, toll roads, parking, national-park entrance fees and the Kaindy off-road car, as listed on each tour.
• Big Almaty Lake: the price covers the drive to the national park entrance and back. From the entrance you walk to the lake, or take the rangers' car, which costs about $100 per car and is paid on site.
• Charyn, Black Canyon, Kolsai & Kaindy: park fees and the Kaindy off-road car from the parking (2,000 ₸ return) are included. Optional, paid on site: Kaindy shuttle bus to the lake 500 ₸ (or walk), Kaindy horse riding about 8,000 ₸ (not recommended in winter), Charyn buggy along the top, and Charyn shuttle bus down to the Valley of Castles 1,000 ₸ each way (or walk).
• Cable cars and ski passes are not included: Shymbulak gondola about 12,000 ₸ per adult and 4,000 ₸ per child aged 6–14 (return to the top); Kok-Tobe cable car about 10,000 ₸ per adult and 5,000 ₸ per child aged 6–12 (return); ski passes from about 9,000 ₸. Children under 6 ride free. Your driver helps you buy tickets on the spot. Prices are set by the resorts and may change.
• Vehicles: SUV (up to 4), minivan (up to 6), minibus (up to 12) or Toyota Hiace / Mercedes Sprinter (up to 16). On shared tours the price per person depends on the vehicle: a little higher in an SUV, lower in a minibus or Hiace / Sprinter. A shared trip runs with 4 travellers (6 in a minibus, 8 in a Hiace / Sprinter).
• Private trips: you can book a whole vehicle for your family or group at one price, choose your start time, and the trip is confirmed as soon as you pay. Private trips are not shown on the shared board.
• Local residents: people who live in Kazakhstan get 30% off shared and private tours. Tick "I live in Kazakhstan" and add a photo of the front of your ID card when booking, and show the original card to your driver. Without a valid ID at pickup, the driver collects the difference. Airport transfers have no local discount.
• English-speaking driver: +$15 per person on day tours, +$25 per person on the 2-day tour, +$15 per car on airport transfers.
• Not included: meals (except dinner and breakfast on the overnight Kolsai tour), cable cars, ski passes, horse riding and personal expenses.
• You pay 100% online in advance by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. A 3% card fee is added to airport transfers and shown before you pay.
• Your booking is confirmed when payment is received. You then get a confirmation letter by email and WhatsApp with your driver's name, phone number, car and plate number.
• Please give correct details: flight number, name for the sign, number of guests, luggage and pickup address. We are not responsible for problems caused by wrong details.
• Children: on shared tours, children aged 6–11 pay half of the adult price, and children under 6 travel free. Every child takes a seat and gets a child seat on request. Airport transfers are priced per car, so children do not change the price.
• Luggage: one large suitcase and one small bag per person. Tell us about extra or oversized luggage (skis, bikes, strollers) so we send a bigger car.

2. Cancellation and changes

• Cancellation by you, 72 hours or more before the pickup time: full refund to your card, minus the bank's card fee (3%) where one was charged.
• Cancellation by you, less than 72 hours before the pickup time: no refund. The same applies if you miss the pickup, arrive too late or do not show up. This applies to airport transfers and tours.
• Date change: you may ask to move your booking once, at least 72 hours before the pickup time, if a car is available on the new date. Within 72 hours, changes are not possible.
• Flight delays: we track your flight. If it lands late, your driver comes later at no extra cost.
• Flight changed or cancelled by the airline: message us on WhatsApp as soon as you know, and we move your pickup free of charge.
• Cancellation by us: if we must cancel because of weather, road or park closures by the authorities, safety reasons, no available driver, or because nobody else joined a shared tour, you choose: another date, another tour, a private car at the private price, or a full refund.
• Route changes for safety: mountain roads, parks and cable cars can close at short notice. If a stop is closed on the day, the driver replaces it with a similar place where possible. This is not a reason for a refund.

3. Waiting time and no-show

• Airport arrivals: 60 minutes of free waiting after your flight actually lands, for passport control and bags. Your driver waits at arrivals with a sign showing your name.
• Hotel or address pickups (to the airport or for tours): 15 minutes of free waiting after the agreed pickup time. Please be ready in the lobby.
• After the free time: extra waiting is $10 per 30 minutes, paid to the driver.
• No-show at the airport: if we cannot reach you by WhatsApp or phone 2 hours after your flight lands, the driver leaves. The booking counts as used and is not refunded.
• No-show at a hotel: if you do not come out and cannot be reached 30 minutes after the pickup time (15 minutes for shared tours, because other travellers are waiting), the driver leaves. The booking is not refunded.
• Running late? Message the driver or us on WhatsApp straight away. We will try to wait or find a solution, but on shared tours we cannot keep other travellers waiting.

4. Extra fees

These are only charged if they happen, and are paid directly to the driver (cash in tenge or by transfer).

5. Safety

• Everyone wears a seat belt, in every seat, for the whole trip.
• Children: tell us the age of each child when booking. Child seats are provided free on request.
• No alcohol, smoking or vaping in the car. Drivers may refuse passengers who are drunk, aggressive or unsafe, without refund.
• Our drivers are registered with a valid driving licence, car registration and compulsory car insurance, and must drive safely and within speed limits.
• In the mountains and canyons: stay on marked paths, keep away from cliff edges and fast water, follow the driver's and park rangers' instructions, and wear suitable shoes and warm clothes. Weather changes quickly.
• Walks, hikes, horse riding, skiing and boat trips are at your own risk. Tell us about health conditions, pregnancy or limited mobility before booking.
• Border zone (Big Almaty Lake and some mountain areas): bring your original passport. Without it, entry may be refused and there is no refund.
• In an emergency call 112. For any problem during your trip, WhatsApp us at +7 705 287 2415.

6. Shared tours

• The first traveller's address is the pickup and drop-off point for everyone on that car.
• Shared tours have one fixed price per person that does not change as people join. A trip runs with at least 4 travellers (6 in a minibus, 8 in a Hiace / Sprinter).
• Other travellers see only your first name, country and, if you add one, your photo. Your email, phone and address stay private.
• If fewer than 4 travellers have joined 72 hours before the trip, you choose: a private car (pay the difference), another date, or a full refund.
• The car leaves on schedule. Please respect the times so everyone gets the full trip.

7. Our responsibility

• Travel with Rhys arranges transport and tours with checked local drivers. We are responsible for providing the service you booked.
• We are not responsible for delays or missed flights caused by late pickup requests, wrong details, heavy traffic, weather, road closures or other events outside our control. Please allow enough time for airport drop-offs.
• Please look after your own belongings. Items left in the car are kept for 7 days; contact us to collect them.
• These terms follow the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

8. Privacy

• What we collect: your name, email, WhatsApp number, pickup address, flight number and trip details.
• Why: to arrange your trip, send your confirmation and contact you about it. We do not sell your data or send advertising without your consent.
• Who sees it: only our team and the driver assigned to your trip. On shared tours, other travellers see only your first name, country and your optional photo. To remove your photo, message us.
• ID card photos (local discount only): stored privately, seen only by Travel with Rhys to check the discount, never shared with drivers or other travellers, and deleted after your trip.
• Payments: card payments are processed by the bank. We never see or store your card number.
• Drivers: driver phone numbers, plate numbers and documents are private and are only shared with paying travellers for their own trip.
• Storage: data is stored securely with our database provider and kept for up to 3 years for accounting. You can ask us to delete your data at any time by WhatsApp.

9. Contact

ИП TRAVEL WITH RHYS · Reg. KZ81UWQ06907460
Panfilov St. 256, Almaty, Kazakhstan
WhatsApp / phone: +7 705 287 2415 · Message us