Choose A Tour — #1 In Value
Latin America Tours
Mexico Tours
U.S.A. Tours
Canada Tours
Choose A Tour — #1 In Value
Latin America Tours
Mexico Tours
U.S.A. Tours
Canada Tours
Included meals for each tour are listed at the end of each day. Meals are shown by B (breakfast), L (lunch) and D (dinner). Full, buffet, or deluxe continental breakfasts are included everywhere. Free bottled water is provided on the motorcoach. Alcoholic beverages are not included unless specified.
Virtually everything! Hotels, most meals, all of the activities described in the itinerary, airport departure transfers, gratuities to hotel porters and restaurant staff. Caravan’s professional Tour Directors and local guides will be with you every step of the way, ensuring a worry free vacation. They are fluent in English, experienced and fun, ensuring a worry-free vacation.
Prices do not include air travel, country entry or departure fees, airport porters, visas, phone calls, valet, laundry, all items of a personal nature, extra food and beverages not on the regular menu, and tips to the Caravan Tour Director, driver, and local guides.
Usually, you find a mix of different age adult travelers on a Caravan Tour. Children age five (5) and older are welcome, and children usually join tours offered during Christmas holidays, summer vacation and spring break vacation.
A well-paced and unhurried itinerary is our goal, after all, you are on vacation! Touring days begin and end at reasonable hours and include frequent stops. While the occasional early morning departure is necessary, we do our best to ensure a leisurely vacation.
Group sizes will vary depending on the reserved rooms at the hotels and the capacity of the boats and motorcoaches used. Usually, group sizes range from 30 to 44 passengers.
Caravan has been offering fully guided tours worldwide under the same family ownership and management since 1952. Caravan understands and truly cares about your great expectations.
The farther in advance that you book, the more likely it is that your preferred tour will be open. Late bookings are welcome if the space is still available.
Families are always welcome on any of our tours, but we do not have any programs specifically for or limited to families. Families can make specific requests for connecting, adjacent, triple or quad rooms, when available. Children must be at least 5 years old.
Caravan accepts payment (in U.S. funds only) via MasterCard, Visa, or Discover.
Caravan Travel Protection offers peace of mind if you cancel for any reason whatsoever prior to the departure of the tour. The travel protection plan also includes air, baggage, evacuation, medical, and quarantine coverage. The cost is $129.
Children age five (5) and older are welcome on tour when accompanied by an adult. Usually, children travel during the school vacation months of June, July and August, and also during spring and winter school breaks.
If you are travelling with children under 18 years old without both parents or legal guardians, carry a notarized letter of authorization signed by the missing parent(s) or guardian(s). A notarized birth certificate showing only one parent, a parent’s death certificate, or a court order of child custody may also be permissible. Failure to have proper documentation could result in denial of boarding by the airline, due to international child protection laws.
Caravan provides unlimited bottled water on the motorcoach. Clients are welcome to take bottled water with them to their rooms or with meals (no need to take more than you need in the moment, your Tour Director & Driver will ensure an adequate supply for the whole tour). Purified water may be offered in some locations, however Caravan cannot guarantee the safety or rigorousness of the purification process. Please limit yourself to bottled water. Caravan recommends using bottled water to brush your teeth, avoiding ice in your drinks, and avoiding street food vendors. Caravan has chosen the restaurants and menus carefully in Mexico. Most meals will not include an appetizer of soup or salad because of food safety concerns.
We hope you find this information useful in planning your adventure. It can be helpful to be prepared in advance for some differences in the travel experience outside of the United States. You may find, especially in smaller communities, that plumbing, heating, ventilation, utility and telecommunication infrastructures are not as reliable as we have come to expect back home. This can mean hot water is not always available or that air conditioning may not work as efficiently as we would like. Our vendors are continually working to upgrade facilities but they themselves are often limited by local conservation initiatives and the existing public infrastructure. You may also see a difference in attitudes toward maintenance of public and private spaces. Please be alert to your surroundings. You may find that sidewalk potholes are not filled in or roped off, or that slippery surfaces have no warnings posted. Beaches and hotel pools are rarely patrolled by lifeguards, so please exercise caution and personally supervise your children. Differences in climate and land use often translate to different staple foods and flavors. Even familiar foods may taste different as a result of varied farming and grazing practices. Please be cautious around any animals and birds, domestic or exotic. They have become accustomed to human company but may still bite or scratch if approached. It is also not unusual to have insects or lizards visit your room, especially in park or beach areas. If you have any concerns, please let us know. We want your vacation to be a memorable adventure in the best possible way!
Please note that the sale of alcohol may be restricted in most bars and restaurants over the Easter period and other religious holidays.
Caravan can make no determination of your physical, mental or emotional fitness to travel nor guarantee your successful ability to manage a tour. If in doubt please consult your Doctor. While every tour is different in landscape and activities, all tours include some walking every day. All tours include travel by motorcoach, participants should expect to climb on and off the motorcoach several times a day. The average temperature, humidity level and altitude should also be taken into account when considering whether a Caravan Tour is right for you.
A practical suggestion before you leave home: make a list of all your credit cards, passport and airline confirmation numbers, or take a photo with your smart phone.
Many hotels require a credit card upon check in to secure incidentals, minibar or restaurant charges. If you make any telephone calls from your hotel room or incur any extra room charges (i.e. drinks or in-room movie charges), please be sure to pay the hotel for your incidental charges before you leave. Caravan will forward any unpaid incidental invoices.
Before leaving any hotel or motorcoach, please check that you have not left any personal belongings behind. Hotels and motor coach companies have a very high lost & found volume and items are often discarded quite quickly. If located, international customs and shipping charges often exceed $100 for even a small item. If your item is found, please allow several days before the item is prepared for shipping. Lost cash is not covered by most insurance plans and many insurance plans cap coverage for expensive items such as jewelry and electronics. Most travel insurance plans offer secondary coverage, directing travelers first to claim on homeowners or renters insurance policies.
When sending letters or postcards, the most reliable method is to mail the item yourself. If you would like the hotel to assist you, we suggest that you purchase the postage from the front desk and affix it to the mail yourself.
While Caravan coach drivers are renowned for their friendliness, for your safety and the safety of your fellow travelers, please refrain from conversing with your coach driver while he/she is driving, so their full attention can be on the road ahead. The motorcoach restroom is provided for your comfort, and should always be unlocked and available, although it is recommended just for emergencies and necessity. We understand that everyone’s needs are different. For your safety, please try to avoid using the restroom while the motorcoach is moving unless necessary. The coach driver may need to make a sudden stop or navigate a curve without any warning. While the bus is moving, it can be hazardous to walk down the aisle of the bus or to use the bathroom. Please be extremely careful if you must do so. Please note that if you move about the motorcoach or use the restroom while the motorcoach is moving, you do so at your own risk. While the motorcoach is parked, restrooms outside of the motorcoach are recommended, if comfortably available.
While Caravan will make every effort to communicate specific dietary requests to the hotels and restaurants on tour, we cannot guarantee these requests will be honored. Most of the meals provided in Latin America are buffet style, which we have found allows for maximum flexibility for our tour members. Your Caravan Tour Director will be happy to talk with the various kitchens to determine how (and with what ingredients) dishes have been cooked, but please keep in mind that variety may be limited, especially in remote areas, including for vegetarian requests. For tour members concerned about cross-contamination for vegetarian, Kosher or gluten free diets or for passengers with food allergies or sensitivities, Caravan cannot guarantee food will be prepared free from certain ingredients (i.e. nuts, animal fats, wheat, dairy etc.). For most destinations, meals typical to the region will be served. Included meals are usually local or continental and are never Indian or other specialty Asian cuisine. In certain countries and regions it may be difficult to find Indian or vegetarian meals.
Should you plan to use a tape recorder, video recorder, camcorder, cell phone or other recording device while on tour, please be sure to ask the permission of any guides or your Tour Director before recording. You may find that some guides object to having their comments recorded, or they may be guiding you through a place which forbids recorders to be used. So, please, always ask first.
Caravan does not recommend having mail sent to you on tour as delivery is unreliable and mail often fails to arrive. Caravan has sent you a hotel address list which includes the hotel telephone number for your friends and family. In addition, all hotels have internet access for a fee. In an emergency, if a caller cannot reach a Caravan guest at a hotel, please contact Caravan directly at 1-800-227-2826. If the office is closed, you will have an opportunity to speak with an emergency operator who can connect you with a Caravan staff member on duty. Caravan will do its best to assist in relaying an emergency message. We also ask callers to continue to try to reach their traveler independently.
Caravan does not recommend or endorse any options that are not already included in your tour price. Please be advised that any additional options you purchase, you do so at your own risk, and they may not be covered by travel insurance.
As shown on the General Information page of the Caravan brochure, a limited number of single rooms are available on all tours at the single room charge shown on individual itinerary pages. Single travellers should expect to have a “seat companion” on the motorcoach.
We suggest you bring a good flashlight (or a smart phone with a flashlight app) and keep it by your bedside at night.
Another “before you leave” reminder: If you regularly take medicine, be sure that you bring along an adequate supply to last the whole trip. Please keep a second supply of essential medication in your carry-on bag or in your purse as insurance if your baggage is misplaced or delayed. If you wear glasses, a second pair, or a prescription from your eye doctor, is recommended for emergencies. If you use needles or other sharp disposable instruments, please be sure to bring along a sharps disposal container. If you do not have one, please ask your tour director if your hotel can supply one. Please do exercise special care when disposing of these items. Smaller items such as blood lancets can easily be lost and can injure housekeeping staff. A mandatory Yellow Fever vaccination may be required if you have recently visited an affected country. Please call your airline or the consulate in question if in doubt. At the time of printing, the USA and Canada are not on any affected list. Caravan does not have any doctors on staff and cannot give medical advice, so please consult your doctor at your earliest opportunity if you have any concerns. All travelers, especially those with blood sugar related conditions, may wish to take along a small supply of snacks. Very occasionally the tour might experience a delay, causing the next mealtime to be delayed. Please be sure to let your Tour Director know if you have any medical condition that may require special attention. The information you give your Tour Director will be treated confidentially.
To ensure fair and equitable seating for all members of the tour, seating is usually rotated once or twice a day in a clockwise direction. Your Tour Director will advise you of their procedure. We regret we cannot fulfill any requests for a front seat for passengers, even when medically recommended. Please contact Caravan as soon as possible if you have any special needs, to discuss other options. Single travellers should expect to have a “seat companion” on the motorcoach (i.e. there will probably be another tour member seated next to you). Larger groups of travellers may be temporarily separated as the group rotates around the coach. We recommend that families or groups who want to stay together in the seat rotation either sit in front of or behind each other, and not across the aisle from each other. Please note that Caravan reserves the two seats on the motorcoach behind the driver for the tour director.
All handling of one piece of luggage, per person, is included in your tour cost. Most airlines limit luggage to 60 linear inches (width plus depth plus length) and 50 pounds in weight. A second piece of luggage may be stored under the coach, but an additional $30 per piece service charge will be collected by your Tour Director to cover the handling of this extra luggage. A day bag (i.e. a backpack, camera bag or tote bag) may be personally carried on board the motorcoach in addition to a purse or handbag. Each tour member is personally responsible for handling his or her individual day bag at all times. If a tour member cannot personally handle his or her day bag without assistance, it will be stored under the bus and the additional luggage fee will be charged. For the comfort and safety of all tour members, wheeled bags are not acceptable as a carry-on day bag, and will be stored under the coach and counted as additional luggage. Unlike an airplane, the motorcoach does not have sufficient room to store this type of luggage in the passenger area.
Triple rooms offer two double or queen beds. Cots and rollaways are not available and local fire code regulations often limit the number of beds in a room.
Not all travel illnesses are transmitted through food and water, there are various highly contagious strains of “stomach flu” that are easily transmitted by person-to-person contact. The viruses and bacteria can survive on a hard surface for several days and once an outbreak is underway, it is very difficult to extinguish. Health authorities are agreed that the best way to avoid getting sick is to pay close attention to hand washing. Frequent cleansing, beyond one’s usual regimen, can help minimize exposure to sickness that might otherwise spoil your tour. Please take along a good supply of moist towelettes and/or hand sanitizer for times when soap and water hand-washing facilities are not available. Some travelers have found products such as Immodium or Peaceful Mountain’s Stomach Rescue to be very helpful for stomach problems. Caravan makes every effort to minimize the possibility of tour members becoming sick during their tour, but we cannot offer any refunds to clients who become sick during a tour (except where provided by our Caravan Travel Protection). We recommend that you bring a small first aid kit—medications may be hard to find when you need them most for headaches, stomach upsets, diarrhea, insect bites, motion sickness and sunburn. It’s wise to pack plenty of wet wipes and hand sanitizer. Mosquitos are prevalent in the region and we recommend you bring a supply of mosquito repellent. Don’t forget a good supply of disposable plastic grocery bags, which are very handy for personal trash disposal and temporary storage of wet clothes or swim wear.
If you need assistance with any personal care; including walking or wheelchair pushing, you must bring a companion to assist you. Caravan’s driver, tour directors and tour members cannot offer this assistance. Caravan’s tour directors must take care of a large group of other tour members and cannot offer any special supervision or monitoring of clients. Companions to travelers with cognitive difficulties should keep in mind that multi-day itineraries with rapidly changing environments can increase anxiety and distress. We recommend you review the itinerary with a doctor prior to travel.
Your tour director may add considerable commentary during your time on the motorcoach. If you prefer quiet time, you might want to pack a comfortable pair of ear plugs or headphones and a restful eye mask. Please be mindful of others when talking with your companions while the tour director is speaking. Even low volume conversations can make it hard for others to hear the commentary.
Mosquitoes and “no-see-ums” are sometimes present at dusk and in the evenings. While the majority of bites are mere annoyances, certain insects can transmit illness. Lightweight long sleeve pants and shirts can help prevent bites, but the most effective defense is insect repellant. There are a variety of effective repellants available for purchase. Traditional repellants use DEET as the effective ingredient. Other more “natural” repellants include mixtures of essential oils like lemon grass, citronella or oregano. Oil based repellants are often available at health food stores or grocery stores. Out of courtesy to your fellow passengers, please refrain from applying insect repellent until you have disembarked from the motorcoach.
Purchasing travel insurance can save you tens of thousand of dollars should the unexpected happen. Please keep in mind that most medical travel policies, including Caravan Travel Protection, offer secondary medical coverage. In other words, the insurance will reimburse you for costs not covered by your primary medical insurance policy. In most cases, this does mean you will have to pay the hospital or doctor directly for your medical treatment and submit your claim for reimbursement on your return. Coverage for injuries or illness on tour generally requires a doctor visit while on tour as well. If you elect not to purchase a travel insurance plan (either from Caravan or an independent policy), please verify your existing medical coverage as many policies (including Medicare) do not include coverage for treatment outside the USA. If you need to cancel all or part of your reservation, please notify Caravan as soon as possible at 800-227-2826 or 312-321-9800 outside the US & Canada. You must cancel any flight arrangements directly with your airline. Any additional travel arrangements must also be cancelled with the providers directly. Any claim under Caravan Travel Protection for flight costs should be directed to the insurance company, RoamRight at 866-892-2382 or (outside the US & Canada) 201-537-9871. Please note, Caravan Travel Protection does not cover an upgrade to a single room in the event a roommate cancels.
As a courtesy to your fellow tour members, please restrict cell phone conversations to emergency use only while you are on the motorcoach. Please also remember to turn off your ringers; cell phone conversations and ringers are intrusive and can spoil other passengers' enjoyment of the tour. Outside the USA, using your USA-based cell phone can often result in very high roaming charges for voice and data. Most companies will allow you to add a temporary international data and/or voice plan to cover calls made from abroad. Please contact your service provider directly for information regarding cell phone reception areas, calling costs and international plans.
Tips to the Tour Director, Driver and hotel maids are not included. We do not include these tips in the price of the tour as we realize, in an unsupervised work environment, tips provide a strong incentive for exceptional service. Most tour members compute these tips by allowing a certain amount per day based on the service they have received. For example, US $8 to US $15 per traveler per day for the Tour Director and US $7 to US $12 per traveler per day for the Driver, if you feel that service has been superior, you may wish to leave a more generous tip. These tips should be handed directly to the Tour Director and Driver on an individual basis. As tips are a personal matter, we request that no group collections be made. Personal checks are difficult for Tour Directors and Drivers to deposit - cash is best! Tips to water craft personnel, waiters, porters and bellmen are also included in the tour price. Tips to airport porters on flights not arranged by Caravan are at your own discretion.
To enter Mexico, U.S. citizens must have a current U.S. passport valid for six months after your date of entry. A valid passport is a passport that is not about to expire, has empty pages with room for entry/exit stamps, and is free from excess rips or wear & tear. Travellers with a history of criminal convictions should check with the Mexican Consulate as some countries restrict entry to travellers with past criminal records. Non U.S. citizens, please check passport and visa requirements.
Mexico's official currency is the Peso. Credit cards are widely accepted and ATMs are prevalent in most cities if you would like to have local currency. Caravan recommends carrying a small amount of both US Dollars (new, unmarked bills) in small denominations and Mexican Pesos. Travelers Cheques are rarely accepted as payment and are not recommended. The exchange rate, as of Nov 01, 2024 is approximately 17-20 MXN Pesos to one USD.
At the start of the tour, your Tour Director will distribute luggage tags to help with the handling of your luggage by your Driver and hotel bell staff. Please place the Caravan luggage tag on your main piece of luggage, which will be stored in the baggage compartment of the motorcoach. Please do not place the tag on your day bag carry-on.
An unexpected hospital stay or emergency evacuation can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Please verify your medical coverage before leaving home, because many health insurance policies (including Medicare) do not cover policy holders for treatment outside the USA. Non-USA residents may also find they have no medical coverage when touring in the USA. Short term travel medical coverage policies can be purchased from a number of sources prior to departure, including Caravan (see Caravan’s $129 Travel Protection). Most forms of travel insurance offer secondary coverage, meaning you pay the provider directly and seek reimbursement on your return home. Some travel insurance plans have exclusions on pre-existing conditions. Some plans restrict cancellation coverage to specified medical conditions. And some charge more based on age or destination. Read your description of coverage carefully!
Caravan provides unlimited bottled water on the motorcoach. Clients are welcome to take bottled water with them to their rooms or with meals (no need to take more than you need in the moment, your Tour Director & Driver will ensure an adequate supply for the whole tour). Purified water may be offered in some locations, however Caravan cannot guarantee the safety or rigorousness of the purification process. Please limit yourself to bottled water. Caravan recommends using bottled water to brush your teeth, avoiding ice in your drinks, and avoiding street food vendors.
The Copper Canyon consists of a series of canyons with a combined size seven times greater than America’s Grand Canyon. The Chihuahua-Pacifico Railway, a marvel of engineering, took over 90 years to construct. It traverses the Copper Canyon while connecting Mexico’s central desert with the Pacific Ocean. The train is operated by Ferrocarril Mexicano. The same Copper Canyon rail route is used by passenger and freight trains alike. In the rare event of a train stoppage, Caravan will make alternative arrangements. Changes or delays in the published train schedule can also affect meal times. Caravan has chartered a private car for your train ride. For your safety, all of the seats in your train car are exclusively reserved for Caravan. For your comfort, your train car is air-conditioned and has more seats than there are Caravan travelers. For your enjoyment, your Copper Canyon train ride is scheduled in the daytime, providing the best lighting for views and photography.
The sun in Central America can be quite strong, especially if you are not used to a tropical environment. To protect yourself from sunburn, heatstroke or sun poisoning; consider wearing sunglasses, a wide brimmed hat and loose clothing while out in the sun. Use a generous application of sunscreen to protect from UVA & UVB rays, and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
We ask your kind cooperation in sending us your feedback after your tour ends. A few days after your tour ends, you will receive a questionnaire via email. If you prefer, you may also e-mail us at surveys@caravan.com or or write to us at Caravan Tours, Inc., 303 E Main St, Chicago, IL 60010. The information gleaned from these has been most helpful in maintaining the quality of our offerings to the traveling public. While we sometimes share comments with the Tour Directors, we always do so anonymously. Please include your full name(s) and either your tour number or your tour name and departure date.