Terms & Conditions.

Effective date: October 1, 2026

Our contract

Sawa Tours Limited HK (“Sawa Tours”, “we”, “us”, “our”) owns and runs the brand sawatours.org, a platform that pools travelers into shared departures operated by licensed, verified Egyptian tour operators.

Sawa coordinates the group, the payment and the “GoAhead” confirmation; the operator named on each departure delivers the tour. By making a booking with Sawa Tours you confirm that you have read and agreed to the entire Booking Agreement (these Booking Conditions) between you and Sawa Tours. The services provided will be those referred to in your booking confirmation.

Validity

Dates, itineraries and prices are valid from October 1, 2026 and may be updated from time to time. The terms applicable to your booking are those in force on the date your booking is confirmed.

Reserving a seat and the GoAhead

Reserving a seat on a forming departure is free. We may place a temporary authorisation hold to verify your payment card, but no money is captured while the departure is still forming. A departure is confirmed only when it reaches its minimum group size — a minimum of four travelers, the moment we call the GoAhead. Every Sawa departure runs with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 12 travelers.

Deposits and final payment

Once a departure reaches the GoAhead and your booking is confirmed, payment becomes due. Depending on the tour, you will be required to pay a deposit — typically 20% per person for multi-day packages and 10% per person for day tours — with the balance due before departure. If your booking is confirmed within 30 days of the departure date, the full amount is payable at the time of confirmation. The specific deposit and balance-due date for your trip are shown before you book and on your booking confirmation. If the balance is not paid on or before the due date we reserve the right to cancel your booking.

Your details

In order for Sawa Tours and the operating partner to confirm your travel arrangements, you must provide all requested documentation and details when you pay the balance of the trip. This includes your full name exactly as it appears on your passport, your nationality, passport number, date of birth, passport issue and expiry dates, and any pre-existing medical conditions that may affect your ability to complete your travel arrangements.

Cancellation by the traveller

Before the GoAhead: you may cancel your reservation at any time at no cost, and any authorisation hold is released in full.

After the GoAhead: the cancellation policy of the operating partner — shown on every departure before you reserve — applies. We must receive written notice of cancellation for it to be effective. Where no specific operator policy applies, the following default schedule applies from the date the departure is confirmed:

• 46 days or more prior to departure — we retain the deposit.
• Between 30 and 45 days prior to departure — we retain the deposit or 50% of the total booking cost, whichever is greater.
• Less than 30 days prior to departure — we retain 100% of amounts paid in connection with the booking.

In certain cases (for example where flights or non-refundable services have already been issued) a 100% cancellation fee may apply as soon as the booking is confirmed. Please ask for full details of cancellation charges at the time of booking. If you leave a trip for any reason after it has commenced, we are not obliged to make any refund for unused services.

Cancellation by Sawa

If a departure does not reach its minimum of four travelers by its deadline, it is cancelled automatically and you pay nothing; any hold is released in full. We may also cancel a trip at any time up to 28 days before departure if, due to terrorism, natural disasters, political instability or other external events, it is not viable to operate the planned itinerary.

If we cancel your confirmed trip, you may transfer amounts paid to an alternative departure date or receive a full refund. Where the cancellation is due to external events beyond our control, refunds will be made less any unrecoverable costs. We are not responsible for incidental costs you may have incurred as a result of your booking, including visas, vaccinations, travel insurance or non-refundable flights.

Booking amendments

If you want to transfer from one trip to another, or transfer your booking to a third party, you must notify us at least 31 days prior to the proposed departure date. A fee of US$50 per person per change applies, in addition to any charges levied by hotels, ground operators or airlines. If we are notified less than 30 days prior to departure, the cancellation policy applies. Transfers to a third party are only permitted where the transferee meets all the requirements of the trip, and transfers to another departure can only be made within the current validity period. Amendments to any other arrangements will incur a US$25 administration fee per booking per change, in addition to any supplier charges. No amendments are permitted within 7 days of departure.

Inclusions / exclusions

As described on each tour. Every departure lists exactly what is included and excluded before you book.

Prices

Our trip prices are based on currency exchange rates applicable at the time of listing. We reserve the right to impose surcharges up to 31 days before departure due to changes in exchange rates, increases in airfares or other transport costs, increases in local operator costs, taxes, or if government action requires us to do so. In such instances, we will be responsible for the first 50% of the additional costs and you will be responsible for the balance.

Age & health requirements

For the vast majority of our trips the minimum age for children is 14. All travelers under 14 must be accompanied by an adult responsible for the child’s day-to-day care. For most trips there is no upper age limit; however, some trips can be physically demanding. We can provide details on mandatory health requirements, but we are not medical experts.

Passport and visas

For your protection and for easy access when necessary, you must carry your valid passport and any other travel-related documents with you at all times. Your passport must not expire within six months of the end of your trip.

Travel insurance

Travel insurance is mandatory for all Sawa travelers and should be obtained when you book. Your travel insurance must cover personal accident, death, medical expenses and emergency repatriation, with a recommended minimum coverage of US$100,000 for each category. We also strongly recommend cover for cancellation, curtailment, personal liability and loss of luggage and personal effects. You must provide proof of your travel insurance.

Flexibility

You recognise and acknowledge that this type of tour requires considerable flexibility, and you should allow for last-minute changes and alternatives. The itinerary provided for each trip is representative of the types of activities planned; the route, schedules, itineraries, amenities and transport may be subject to change without prior notice due to unexpected changes in local circumstances or events.

Change of itinerary

Sawa Tours endeavours to operate all trips as planned; however, we reserve the right to change a trip itinerary if necessary. Before departure, if there is a change we will inform you as soon as reasonably possible. A major change is one affecting at least one day of the itinerary. When a major change occurs you may choose between accepting the change, obtaining a refund of money paid on the land portion of the trip only, or accepting an offered alternative tour. After departure, we reserve the right to change an itinerary due to local circumstances or events outside our control; in such emergency circumstances, the additional cost of any necessary alterations will be your responsibility. We are not responsible for incidental expenses incurred as a result of a change of itinerary, such as non-refundable flights.

Limitation of liability

Sawa Tours contracts with a network of companies, individuals and government agencies to assist in planning and running our trips and itineraries. As an agent for these third parties, we cannot be responsible for the acts and omissions of these third parties. To the fullest extent permitted by law, liability for any loss, death, injury or damage you may suffer, directly or indirectly, in connection with or arising out of your participation in a trip, or any breach of these Booking Conditions, is excluded.

You release us and our officers, employees, agents and representatives from any liability and expressly waive any claims you may have against us arising out of or in connection with your participation in a trip. Any condition or warranty which would otherwise be implied by law is excluded. To the extent an implied warranty cannot be excluded, our liability is limited, at our absolute discretion, to (i) the provision of a similar trip of equivalent value; or (ii) a refund of the total amount received by us from you in connection with your booking. Any claim by you is excluded to the extent that it is for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profits or economic loss, however it arises, or for indirect, special, punitive or exemplary damages.

Optional activities

Any optional activities not included in the price of the trip do not form part of the trip or this contract.

Claims & complaints

If you have a complaint or concern about your trip, please inform your tour guide or our local representative so that they can attempt to rectify the matter. If satisfaction cannot be reached through these means, further complaints should be put in writing to us within 30 days of the end of your tour.

Photos & marketing

You consent that Sawa Tours may use images of you taken during your trip for advertising and promotional purposes in any medium of our choice. You grant us a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable licence to use such images for publicity and promotional purposes.

Privacy

Any personal information Sawa Tours collects about you may be used for any purpose associated with the operation of a trip or to send you marketing material relating to our events and special offers. The information may be disclosed to our agents, service providers or operating partners to enable us to operate the trip. We will otherwise treat your details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Applicable law

These Booking Conditions are governed by the laws of Hong Kong to the fullest extent allowable. Any disputes in connection with a trip or these Booking Conditions must be initiated in the courts of Hong Kong.

Registered address

Sawa Tours Limited HK
Unit 2A, 17/F Glenealy Tower, No. 1 Glenealy, Central, Hong Kong.

Contact

For any questions about these Terms and Conditions, email hello@sawatours.org or visit our contact page.