If the changes in the following conditions have been clearly communicated in writing to the client before the conclusion of the contract and they are properly provided for in the program;
Any changes subsequent to the conclusion of the contract are subject to prior agreement of both the agency and the client, except as provided in the "impossibility of comply" clause.
These general conditions comply with the provisions of Decree-Law 61/2011 of May 6th, as amended by Decree-Law 199/2012 of August 24th.
The general conditions, which refer to an organized trip described in this program, along with the specific conditions provided to the client in the travel documentation at the time of booking, constitute the travel contract that binds the agency and the client.
The technical organization and sale of the activities included on this website are the responsibility of Papa-Léguas, a travel and tourism agency, with home office at Rua Manuel Assunção Mestre, nº22, 7780-199 Castro Verde, registered in the Commercial Registry Office of Lisbon with Taxpayer Identification Number 504163590. It has a share capital of €99,759.60 (ninety-nine thousand, seven hundred and fifty-nine euros and sixty cents). Papa-Léguas is also registered with the National Registry of Travel Agents and Tourism Operators (RNAVT) nº2275 and the National Registry of Tourist Animation Agents (RNAT) nº67/2014.
At the time of registration the client must deposit 30% of the service price, paying the remaining 70% up to 21 days before the service begins. If the registration takes place 21 days or less before the service begins, the total price of the service must be paid at the time of registration. Papa-Léguas, Agência de Viagens e Turismo Lda. reserves the right to cancel any booking that has not been paid for under the conditions mentioned above. Reservations are subject to the obtaining of a confirmation from suppliers for all services.
The prices of tours are presented per person and based on the occupation in a room shared by two people. The organizing agency will group clients who sign up individually for the same tour in pairs, by gender, and in chronological order of registration. Clients who are singled out must pay the respective individual supplement, when required by the service provider.
INFORMATION UNDER LAW N.º 144/2015 OF SEPTEMBER 8:
According to Law No. 144/2015 of September 8th, we inform that the customer may resort to the following Alternative Consumer Dispute Resolution Entities:
i) Customer Authority of Travel and Tourism Agencies at provedorapavt.com;
ii) Arbitration Commission of Tourism in Portugal at turismodeportugal.pt;
iii) Or any of the entities indicated in the list provided by the Directorate-General for Consumer Affairs at http://www.consumidor.pt, which we recommend consulting.
Complaints will only be considered if submitted in writing to the agency within a maximum period of 30 days after the completion of the services.
In the event of a complaint regarding non-compliance with contracted services, the customer may activate the Travel and Tourism Guarantee Fund provided for in DL 61/2011 of May 6, in its current wording, by submitting the respective complaint:
i) To the Customer Authority, as Papa-Léguas, Travel and Tourism Agency Ltd., is a member of the Customer Ombudsman for Travel and Tourism Agencies at www.provedorapavt.com. To benefit from this service, you must submit your written complaint within 20 business days after the end of the trip. Agencies are bound to comply promptly with any decisions issued by this entity.
ii) To Tourism of Portugal I.P. at www.turismodeportugal.pt within 30 days after: (i) the end of the trip; (ii) the cancellation of the trip attributable to the agency; (iii) the date of knowledge of the impossibility of its realization due to the agency; (iv) the closure of the establishment.
iii) To any of the entities listed on the website of the General Directorate for Consumer Affairs at http://www.consumidor.pt.
1) The agency is responsible for the luggage in the legal terms;
2) The Client has the obligation to complain to the service provider at the moment of subtraction, deterioration or destruction of luggage.
3) In international transport, if the luggage is damaged, the complaint must be made in writing to the carrier immediately after the damage is verified, and no later than 7 days after delivery. If the luggage is merely late in delivery, the claim must be made within 21 days from the date of delivery.
4) The presentation of such a claim will be an essential basis for Papa-Léguas, Agência de Viagens e Turismo Lda. to hold responsible the entity providing the service.
The responsibility of the agency will be limited to the maximum amount that can be demanded from the service providers, in accordance with the Montreal Convention of May 28, 1999, on International Air Transport, and the Bern Convention of 1961, on Rail Transport.
Regarding maritime transport, the liability of travel agencies, concerning their clients, for the provision of transport services or accommodation, when applicable, by maritime transport companies, in the event of damages resulting from their willful misconduct or negligence, will be limited to the following amounts:
a) € 441,436, in case of death or physical injury;
b) € 7,881, in case of total or partial loss of baggage or its damage;
c) € 31,424, in case of loss of a motor vehicle, including the baggage contained therein;
d) € 10,375, in case of loss of baggage, whether accompanied or not, contained in a motor vehicle;
e) € 1,097, for damages to baggage resulting from the damage to the motor vehicle.
Where applicable, the liability of travel agencies and tourism for the deterioration, destruction, and theft of baggage or other items in tourist accommodation establishments, while the client is staying there, is limited as follows:
a) € 1,397, in total;
b) € 449 per item;
c) The value declared by the client regarding the items deposited under the custody of the tourist accommodation establishment.
The agency's liability for non-bodily damages may be contractually limited to an amount corresponding to five times the price of the service sold.
For each reservation the following will be charged:
Reservation Expenses:
Alteration Expenses:
For each alteration (names, dates, type of apartment or room, travel, etc) : 50€ (fifty euros). Please note that the acceptance of such changes depends on the acceptance by the respective suppliers.
The client must have their personal or family documentation in good order (identity card, military documentation, authorization for minors, visas, vaccination certificates, and any other documents that may be required). The agency disclaims any responsibility for visa refusal or the client's denial of entry into a foreign country. The client is solely responsible for any costs incurred as a result of such a situation.
Travel in European Union:
Travel outside the European Union:
If the travel suppliers involved allow it, whenever a customer who is registered for a particular trip wishes to change their registration to another trip or the same trip with a different departure date, or any other changes, they must pay a fee as alteration expenses. However, if the change takes place 21 days or less before the departure date of the trip for which the customer is registered, or if the service providers do not accept the change, the customer will be subject to the expenses and charges specified under the “cancellation (termination)” section.
Once the trip has started, if a request is made to change the contracted services for reasons not related to the agency (e.g., extending the number of nights of stay, changing the flight), the prices of the touristic services may not correspond to those published on the website that prompted the contract.
The customer may transfer their registration by being replaced by another person who meets all the required conditions for the trip, provided that they inform the selling agency at least seven days in advance and such transfer is possible under the applicable air transport regulations. In the case of cruises and air travel, the prescribed period will be fifteen days in advance.
The transfer of the registration makes both the transferor and the transferee jointly responsible for the payment of the trip price and any additional charges incurred.
Whenever there are external reasons that justify it, the organizing agency may change the order of the itineraries, modify the departure times, or substitute any of the planned hotels with others of similar category and location. The agency must inform the client of such changes as soon as they become aware of them.
When the tour is dependent on a minimum number of participants the Agency reserves the right to cancel the organized tour if the number of participants reached is less than the minimum. In such cases, the Client will be informed in writing of the cancellation within 15 (fifteen) days.
The prices in the program are based on the costs of services and exchange rates in effect on the date of printing of the program, and are therefore subject to change resulting from variations in the cost of transportation or fuel, duties, taxes, fees, and exchange rate fluctuations up to 20 days prior to the date of departure.
Once the tour has begun, no refund is due for services not used by the client due to unforeseeable circumstances or for reasons attributable to the client, except for refunds by the respective suppliers. Failure to provide services foreseen in the travel program for reasons attributable to the organizing agency and if it is not possible to replace them with equivalent ones, entitles the client receive a refund for the price difference between the originally anticipated services and the services actually provided.
If, prior to the start of the journey and due to circumstances beyond the control of the organizing agency, it becomes unable to fulfill any essential service included in the travel program, the client has the right to cancel the trip and immediately receive a refund of all amounts paid, or alternatively, accept a modification and possible price variation.
If the aforementioned circumstances beyond the control of the organizing agency result in the cancellation of the trip, the client may choose to participate in another organized trip of equivalent price. If the proposed replacement organized trip is of a lower price, the client will be refunded the price difference accordingly.
The client or their companions are free to cancel the trip at any time.
i) Such cancellation implies that the client is responsible for the payment of all charges arising from the beginning of the fulfillment of the contract and their withdrawal, as well as a percentage that can go up to 15% of the price of the trip.
ii) If applicable, the client will be refunded the difference between the amount paid and the aforementioned amounts.
iii) The cancellation of travel services/organized trips whose reservation has been made using the voucher issued under Decree-Law No. 17/2020 of April 23rd is subject to a cancellation fee equal to the price of the service, in order to prevent simulated or fraudulent reservations made solely with the intention of anticipating the receipt of the voucher-entitled values.
If for reasons not attributable to the client, the agency has to cancel the organized tour before the departure date, the client can choose to:
i) Being immediately refunded all amounts paid;
ii) Optionally, choose to participate in another organized tour and be refunded for any difference in price.
The liability of the travel agency organizing the trips included in this program and arising from the assumed obligations is covered by a civil liability insurance policy with Fidelidade Insurance Company, under policy number 9257343, for an amount of 75,000€ (Seventy-five thousand euros), in accordance with the applicable legislation.
The prices mentioned in this program already include the Value Added Tax at the current rate of 23%
This program is valid from 01/01/2022 to 12/31/2022
Arrival or departure times:
Departure and arrival times are stated in the local time of the respective country of destination and according to respective airline schedules at the time of printing this program, and may therefore be subject to change.
Hotels / Apartments:
Apartments - In case the accommodation is contracted in apartments, the client is responsible for informing the number of people that will occupy the apartment. If there are more people than booked, the apartments may refuse admittance.
Hotels - The prices shown are per person and are based on double occupancy. Not all hotels have triple rooms and usually an extra bed is placed in the room, which may not be of equal quality. In rooms equipped with two beds or a double bed, the triple may consist only of those beds.
The list of hotels and apartments in the program is indicative, as is their category, which is based on local criteria and classifications that are sometimes different from those used in Portugal.
Meals:
Unless otherwise indicated, the prices shown for the Half Board and Full Board supplements do not include drinks.
On arrivals at the hotel after 7PM the first meal service will be breakfast the next day, on the last day and except for the possibility of late check-out, the last service of the hotel will be breakfast.
Check-in and check-out times:
The check-in and check-out times on the first and last day, will be defined according to the first and last service. As a rule, without binding character, the rooms can be used from 2PM on the day of arrival and should be left free by noon (12PM) on the day of departure.
In the apartments, the entry takes place generally at 5PM on the day of arrival and must be left free by 10AM on the day of departure.
Special conditions for children:
Given the conditions applied for children (destination and provider) it is recommended to always question the special conditions that may apply to the tour in question.
Insurande:
The agency offers the sale of insurance that can be purchased depending on the tour to guarantee assistance situations and cancellation expenses.
The maximum age limit, for the insurance, is 75 years-old.
See our full Data Protection and Privacy Policy here.
Documentation
The necessary documentation may vary, depending on your nationality, the country of origin and the places you will travel to. For further information, consult the relevant embassy websites or contact Papa-Léguas.
Transfers
For this trip Papa-Léguas stipulates a “group flight”. All travelers must be on a flight with an identical arrival time to the “group flight”, which can be purchased through Papa-Léguas or online.
Daily activity and transportation
This trip is classified as accessible (green color) regarding the degree of difficulty. However, daily city marches are expected that may exceed six hours of effective walking on mostly flat terrain.
Travel within the cities between the sites to be visited will be done using the public transport networks, namely train and ferry (using the JR Pass) and bus (in Kyoto) .
Luggage will always be carried by the participants, so the size of travel bags should be as small as possible.
Travelers who do not purchase flights from Papa-Léguas, and who wish to take advantage of arrival and departure transfers, must purchase flights to the same airport and for the same time as the group’s flights.
Accommodations
The individual supplement does not apply to the night in the temple and the night in the capsule hotel.
In the capsule hotel accommodation the capsule is distributed by gender. There are specific and separate floors for men and for women. The bathroom is shared and of Japanese style.
In the monastery accommodation, rooms can be double, triple or quadruple. To avoid dsicomfort, the tour leader may suggest the division of rooms by gender.
The bathroom is shared and of Japanese style. There are pre-set times for showers.
The size of a standard room in Japan is small. It is about 12 square meters. The beds follow the same trend, being equally small.
Rooms are preferably in the “non-smoking” section of the chosen accommodations, however, we cannot guarantee that all rooms will be located in this area.
Tour Leader
This is a trip of adventure and cultural discovery. The tour leader is a person with experience in the country to be visited, having a network of contacts and knowledge that facilitates interaction and a unique cultural experience. Their mission is to lead the group during the whole trip facilitating the interaction and integration of the group with the places to be visited.
The tour leader’s role should never be confused with that of a tour guide. No specific knowledge about monuments, museums, or other places of tourist interest is required of the tour leader.
If your trip includes places that, due to their historical, geological, biological or artistic complexity, need a guide, this will be hired in advance and there will be an explicit reference to his existence in the trip program.
Withdrawals
If the Client withdraws from the trip up to 91 days before the departure date and there are no services already booked and paid for, the value of the deposit already paid for will be refunded in full. If there are services already booked and paid for, the amount to be refunded will be reduced by the amounts paid to the service providers.
If the Client withdraws from the trip 90 days or less before the departure date, they will have to pay all the costs to which their sign-up and subsequent withdrawal gave rise and also an amount that may reach 15% of the trip price. The Customer may be reimbursed for the difference between the amount already paid and the above amounts.
Smokers
Smoking is forbidden on the street while in transit, and there are specific places for smokers (but difficult to find).
– Travelers over 75 years old, under consultation for evaluation of the situation.
Since 1998, the joy, enthusiasm and commitment for the art of making people happy through traveling has not dimmed. I still have the same smile on my lips and the twinkle in my eyes, when I see a happy traveler at the end of their trip.
Estamos a preparar o seu programa de viagem.
Aguarde por favor...
“Japan is a strange place”, writes Peter Carey in his book where he leads (and is led by) his son through the world of Anime and Manga and the codes of conduct of a traditional and at the same time ultra-modern Japan.
In this journey we try to celebrate a country of subtle beauty where colors, traditions, architecture, and landscapes are harmoniously and uniquely articulated.
From the calm hustle and bustle of Tokyo to the zen state of Mount Koya, from elegant Kyoto to disturbing but beautiful Hiroshima, we will visit some of the unmissable landmarks of this country, with the certainty that when we return home, we will carry in our hearts a warm and wonderful place.
Today we begin our fantastic journey to the Land of the Rising Sun. Our flight will make an intermediate stopover before landing in Tokyo the next day.
Note: If you wish to buy your own flights, they must be the same as (or earlier than) the group flights indicated by Papa-Léguas, since the tour leader will be at the airport waiting for the group and should all leave the airport together.
The trip has been tiring, but curiosity piques us and our senses are all alert and eager for new stimuli.
After collecting your luggage and clearing customs, our tour leader will be waiting to welcome you.
Some procedures will have to be done at the airport after the group's arrival, namely obtaining the Japan Rail Pass. This procedure will take some time, so the first lesson of Japan will be learned - The waiting!
In possession of all the necessary documents, we will head to our hotel. In the afternoon we will head to one of the most peculiar neighborhoods in Tokyo - Akihabara - famous for the concentration of Anime and Manga fans. We will explore the neighborhood in the afternoon and plan an early return to our hotel to regain energy and get ready for the next day.
The day starts early and for those who wish it, in a very Japanese way. Our breakfast will be extremely healthy and a challenge for the Western palate.
We'll leave the hotel heading to Ueno Park, one of the largest parks in the city, where temples, museums and even the Tokyo Zoo are concentrated.
We continue the tour towards the Asakusa district, where we will visit the most famous temple in Tokyo – Senso Ji – dedicated to the deity Kannon.
The path continues along the Sumida River to Ryogoku where we will stop to appreciate the architecture of the Sumo wrestling pavilion and, with luck, we will be able to see one or two athletes in the vicinity of the pavilion.
Lunchtime looms and we will take a train to Shibuya where we will mingle with the crowds by crossing the famous crosswalks that form the "Shibuya Crossing".
The day is coming to an end and nothing better than to enjoy that end while looking at the city skyline from the artificial island of Odaiba.
After dinner we will return to the hotel.
Early in the morning we will head for the busiest subway and train station in the world - Shinjuku.
For minutes we will be a few among the approximately three million people who pass through here daily. Our goal is the bus (or train if there is one that is direct) that will take us to Kawaguchiko, on the shores of one of the 5 lakes that surround the emblematic Mount Fuji. The trip, which will be quite scenic in its final part, will take about two hours.
Upon arrival in this welcoming town, we will walk along the shores of the lake in search of the best views of Mount Fuji. We will visit the Itchiku Kubota art museum, where we will be able to appreciate the mastery with which this "wizard" of color painted the most beautiful landscapes of Japan in impressive kimonos. In the middle of the afternoon we will return to Tokyo and the hotel.
Depending on the time of arrival your guide may suggest a walk through the Shinjuku district or if it is already late we will have the night free to relax.
The morning will be spent walking through the Nihonbashi, Ginza, and Manunouchi neighborhoods. Along the way, we will admire the architecture of the districts, allowing ourselves to be captivated by the charm of Ginza with its shops and department stores, the magnificent surroundings of the Imperial Palace, and the imposing Tokyo Forum building.
In the early afternoon, after collecting our luggage, we will begin our journey to Hiroshima. To cover the distance to our next destination, we will find a seat on the comfortable shinkansen, the famous "bullet train," which will take us from the capital to Hiroshima in just over 5 hours, covering nearly a thousand kilometers.
We will arrive in Hiroshima in the early evening. We will take a bus or taxi to the hotel.
After an invigorating breakfast, we will begin our walk towards the Peace Park.
This garden area is a memorial to the victims of the first atomic bomb dropped on the very area where we now find the park. The green garden camouflages the memories of what happened on that day in August 1945. However, the "Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum", which we will visit, will take care of reviving our memory of an event that is unrepeatable, such is the horror that it caused.
A visit to the museum and the park adjacent to it will take us a good part, if not all, of the morning. From the Peace Park we will walk to Hiroshima's central station where we will have a quick meal before heading to Miyajima.
A short train ride, followed by another ferry ride will take us to the World Heritage island.
This island is famous for its Torii which, at high tide, seems to float. However the island is much more than its torii. Miyajima is a Japanese word for a "sanctuary island''. This fact is not strange to the temples that we will find along our tour around the island.
We will visit the temple of Itsukushima, which together with the aforementioned torii make up one of the three most scenic places in Japan.
At the end of the day we will return to Hiroshima for dinner and a well deserved rest.
Today promises to be a long and fruitful day of new experiences.
Getting to Mount Koya is not easy. Actually, getting to Mount Koya is not quick. Our odyssey will begin with a bullet train ride between Hiroshima and Shin-Osaka. From there it will be a constant hopping between trains, rack-and-pinion elevators and buses until we reach the monastery that will host us for the night.
Mount Koya is a sacred place. It is the center of a faction of Buddhism known as Shingon and introduced into Japan in the year 805 by Kobo Daishi. Around the temple built by Kobo Daishi, a small temple village has grown up that began as a place of pilgrims, and today opens its doors to all visitors who wish to stay overnight in this sacred place.
Staying at a temple is a unique experience of authentic living and sharing the local way of life.
From meals, to baths, to your own room and morning prayers, everything gives you a perspective of a Japan that you thought only existed in movies.
The day will begin at sunrise. The gong played by the monk calls us to morning prayer.
The prayer and a vegetarian breakfast with flavors of adventure take us to the discovery of Okunoin. This sacred site, one of the largest, if not the largest cemetery in Japan, houses the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi. Over two kilometers long, more than two hundred thousand graves are spread out in this forested area, lending a truly mystical atmosphere to the place.
In the early afternoon we will begin our journey to Kyoto. Just as the arrival at Mount Koya involved "hopping" between trains, buses, and rack-and-pinion elevators, the departure to our next destination will have a similar procedure.
We will arrive in the ancient capital of Japan at the end of the day, in time for a short walk and a first reconnaissance of the city.
Today the day will be long, but quite rich and intensely beautiful.
After breakfast we will take a train and/or bus to our first goal of the day. The magnificent Fushimi-inari-taisha. The temple that has probably the largest concentration of toriis in Japan forming real tunnels with them.
This Shinto temple, famous for the thousands (between 20.000 and 40.000 according to the sources consulted) of red toriis, was built in honor of the Goddess Inari, the fox turned divinity of rice and crops. The toriis are spread over several paths that take us to the top of the hill, also sacred and named after the goddess Inari.
Lunch time will be around the corner and Kyoto is an ideal city to try the street food, which is usually cheap and delicious.
In the afternoon we will wander around the Silver Temple. This temple will also serve as our starting point to walk the Philosopher's Path. This walk is done along a canal and framed by trees that will change color whether we visit in spring, summer, or fall.
The end of the day will be set aside to explore Gion. This old neighborhood full of restaurants and traditional teahouses is the natural habitat of the Geishas and Maikos. We will walk through the alleys of this neighborhood trying to find one of them entering or leaving one of the teahouses.
The evening is free and we can stay in Gion or take a walk back to the hotel.
After breakfast we will head for Japan's first capital city - Nara. The trip will take about 50 minutes.
This city dates back to the year 710. Considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it grew around temples and gardens. The increase in power and influence of the Buddhist temples began to threaten the political class of the time, which dictated the change of the capital to Kyoto.
However, this architectural heritage has survived to the present day, justifying a visit to the city.
We will return to Kyoto at the end of the day for a delicious dinner and a well deserved rest.
Today we will see one of the most photographed spots in Kyoto.
We will head to Arashiyama which is famous for its bamboo grove. However there is much more to see when it comes to the natural scenery of this place. We will explore the surrounding park, trying to "get lost" in the more or less closed trails or letting ourselves be charmed by small craftwork stores.
The afternoon and evening will be completely free to buy the much desired souvenirs or to explore areas of the city where the traveler has some special interest.
The tour leader will not accompany the travelers in these activities, but will indicate the best places to go.
After breakfast we will take the bus to Kinkaku-ji - "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion". This Buddhist temple dates back to the late XIV century. In addition to the Golden Pavilion, the temple gardens are a true hymn to the garden design of the Muromachi period, considered the classic period of Japanese garden design.
From the Golden Temple we will wander to a hidden "little pearl" in the city that is the Imamya temple and garden. The walk will not take us more than 20 minutes, but with luck we will be rewarded with one or two engaged couples who choose this garden for their wedding photographs.
In the mid-afternoon we will embark for Osaka. We will arrive in time for a farewell dinner where we will remember the best moments spent in this fantastic country. The night also includes a typical experience of this country... We will sleep in a capsule hotel!
Three hours before flight departure we will arrive at the airport to begin boarding procedures for the flight that will take us home.
Note: the arrival/departure dates may vary, depending on your origin city. If you have any doubts, contact Papa-Léguas for further clarification.
