Details

Frequently Asked Questions

Please click here to go to our general FAQ, which has essential information that applies to all of our programs.

Resources to Learn & Teach about the Azores

Visit our recommended reading page to see the list of books GEEO recommends reading before your program (this is not required reading). We also have lesson plans and Pinterest boards that may be useful for you as you learn about your destination and prepare to bring lessons back to your classroom.

Terms and Conditions

It is very important for you to visit our Terms and Conditions page before signing up for this program.

Cancellation policy

All cancellations must be submitted to GEEO in written form by emailing your request for cancellation to travel@geeo.org. If you do not receive a confirmation that we have received your written cancellation request, please call us at 1-877-600-0105. Verbal cancellation requests will not be honored.

• If you cancel 60 days or more prior to departure, all your program fee payments will be refunded besides your $350 deposit which is kept on file for future use
• If you cancel between 30 and 59 days prior to departure, you will receive a 50% refund and your deposit is kept on file for future use
• If you cancel within 30 days of departure, you will receive no refund, but your deposit is kept on file for future use

Group Leader Description

All GEEO/G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of G Adventure’s group leaders, which they refer to as Chief Experience Officers (CEO). The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are traveling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues, lead your hikes, and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting – we think it’s the best of both worlds.

Fitness Level

This trip includes hiking that is suitable for most fitness levels as long as you can handle going up and down hills. You may go at your own pace on the hikes.

Single Travelers

Half of the people that travel with GEEO are traveling by themselves, so please don’t worry if you have no one who can join you on your trip. Our pricing is based on double occupancy or, in other words, two people to a room. You never have to pay for a single room unless you want one. GEEO can find you a roommate of the same gender. Most of our trips have a “My Own Room” option, also known as a “Single Supplement,” which is an extra fee that will allow you to have a room to yourself. If you want to room alone, please email travel@geeo.org. To see the price for the “My Own Room” option, please click here where you can look up your trip in the extra services spreadsheet.

Joining Instructions

Please note that day 1 is an arrival day and no activities have been planned on this day. Upon arrival to the city on day 1 (or earlier if you have booked pre-accommodation), please make your way to the joining hotel (note that check-in time will be in the afternoon). Once you arrive at the hotel, look for a note or bulletin board in the reception with a note from your tour leader. This note will give the details of your Welcome Meeting on day 1 (usually between 5 pm and 7 pm), where you will get a chance to meet your tour leader and other travelers, as well as learn more about how the tour will run. If you don’t see a note, please ask reception for details! If you are arriving later and will miss the Welcome Meeting, your tour leader will leave a note at reception for you with any information you may need, and with instructions for the next morning. The distance from Ponta Delgada Airport João Paulo II Airport to the center of Ponta Delgada is approximately 3 miles. To get from the airport to the starting hotel, you can take a shuttle bus, a taxi, or pre-arrange airport transfers. Shuttle Bus A shuttle bus runs to and from the city every 40 minutes. The route has 21 bus stops, and one can be found at the airport in front of the terminal. Bus stop 8 (Avenida Infante Dom Henrique) is a central location in Ponta Delgada, within walking distance of hotels and Igreja de São Sebastião. Travel time from Ponta Delgada Airport is 20 minutes. Tickets are available from the ANC Aerobus desk at the airport, and you can ask an employee which bus stop is closest to your accommodation. It is also possible to buy tickets from the bus driver. Seniors older than 64 will receive a discount. The bus has a capacity of 25 passengers. Prices: €4.50 one-way, €6 round-trip; seniors €3 one-way, €4 round-trip. Taxi Taxi is the quickest and most comfortable way to get to and from Ponta Delgada Airport. By car, it takes about 10 minutes to get to the center of Ponta Delgada. The price for a taxi ride from the airport to the center of Ponta Delgada is about €15 EUR.

Emergency Contacts

Should you need to contact G Adventures during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call their local G Adventures office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible. EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS G Adventures Berlin office: +44 7817 262559 If you are unable for any reason to contact the local office, please call the numbers listed below, which will connect you directly with the 24-hour Sales team, who will happily assist you. Toll-free, from calls within North America only: 1 888 800 4100 Calls from within UK: 0344 272 0000 Calls from within Germany: 0800 365 1000 Calls from within Australia: 1 300 796 618 Calls from within New Zealand: 0800 333 307 Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999 If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Packing List

Please read this article on GEEO’s blog for our staff’s suggestions on the best gear to pack for your upcoming travels. You must be prepared to carry your own bags and be comfortable carrying them up and down stairs, on and off transportation, and to hotels. As a rule, we try not to have to walk more than 15-20 minutes with your bags, which is why we recommend keeping the weight of your bags between 22-30 lb. Most travelers carry a backpack or rolling bag of small to medium size. No XXL bags please! A daypack is also essential for carrying everyday items. Space is limited on transportation, so there is a limit of one main piece of luggage per person plus a daypack per person. Health & Safety (Required!)

• N95/KN95 Face masks (At least three per week)
• Hand sanitizer
• Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)
• Quick Covid Test/Antigen Tests (At least 5, and for longer trips, 3 per week of travel)

Suggested Checklist

• Face masks,
• Hand sanitizer
• Water-repellent, wind-proof rain jacket
• Personal clothing for cool weather (lows in the 50’s, highs in the 60’s) – we recommend packing 7 days of outfits so you don’t have to do laundry
• Sturdy walking shoes or light hiking boots
• Hiking pants
• Wool socks
• Daypack
• Sunblock
• Sunglasses
• Sun hat
• Water bottle or bladder (like a Camelback)
• Watch or alarm clock
• Toiletries – Important: Some hotels do not give you soap and shampoo
• Camera
• First-aid kit, including lip salve, aspirin, bandaids, anti-histamine, Dramamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, electrolyte powder, insect repellent, extra prescription drugs you may be taking

Optional Checklist

• Hiking poles
• Swimsuit
• Travel pillow
• Money belt
• Phone/Tablet for internet – most hotels have WiFi
• Chargers for electronics as well converters/adapters, if needed
• AirTags or Tile trackers
• Packing cubes
• Earplugs
• Snacks – packing a few granola bars is a good idea; you can also buy snacks when you get there too, so don’t go crazy here
• Ziplock bags
• Reading/writing material
• Hand sanitizer/Baby wipes
• Light fleece top

Document Checklist

• Passport (with photocopies)
• Travel insurance (with photocopies)
• Airline tickets (with photocopies)
• EUR/USD cash
• Credit or debit card
• G Adventures vouchers, pre-departure information, and dossier
• Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
• GEEO Classroom action plans for your group – this is sent 10-30 days before departure

Laundry

Laundry facilities are sometimes offered by the hotels. You can also use a local laundromat, if need be.

Passports and Visas

All GEEO trips require that the participant have a valid passport.  Please see our general FAQ for information on obtaining a passport. As with all of our trips, we try to provide the most accurate information we can, but governments sometimes change visa rules. It is your responsibility to double check the information we provide below by searching here. Americans do not need a visa to travel to Portugal. Non-American participants should check with their government or nearest Portuguese embassy to find out if they need a visa.

Money Exchange

As currency exchange rates fluctuate, we ask that you refer to the following website for daily exchange rates: www.xe.com. ATMs are also widely available that distribute the local currency and this is what we recommend as your primary source of cash while traveling. Please make sure you bring at least $200 USD in cash as emergency money just in case you have trouble with the ATMs or lose your bank card. Major credit cards are accepted in most shops but they may charge a 2-4% transaction fee. Visa and MasterCard are useful for cash advances in an emergency situation. Please note that, if you are carrying U.S. Dollars, they should be in good condition (i.e., not torn, wrinkled, or marked on in any way) and printed recently.

Tipping

It is customary in Europe to leave a small tip for service providers such as waiters if you are pleased with the service (€1-2 EUR for snacks or 10% of a meal bill). Tipping is an expected – though not compulsory – component of your tour program and an expression of satisfaction with the persons who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. Also at the end of each trip, if you felt your G Adventures Tour Leader did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference. As a budgeting guideline, $35-$45 USD per person per week can be used.

Vaccinations

Check with your doctor. You must be vaccinated against COVID to travel on this trip.

Flights

We find the best prices for flights are often available 60 days before departure, but of course this varies greatly from route to route and year to year. We advise that you wait until this trip is confirmed before booking non-refundable and non-changeable flights. GEEO and G Adventures bear no responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed. Your trip begins in Ponta Delgada and ends in Angra do Heroísmo. Most flights to and from the Azores will involve transferring in Lisbon, but there are direct flights from Boston through Azores Airlines that are worth trying to route through. For your return home the nearest airport to Angra do Heroísmo is Lajes International Airport, which has the airport code TER. Please double-check our itinerary for the date by which you must arrive in Ponta Delgada. You can arrive at any time of the day you choose, however, we strongly urge you to arrive by 6:00 p.m. on Day 1 for our group meeting. You can depart from Angra do Heroísmo via Lajes International Airport any time on the final day of the trip.

Plugs and Converters

There are two components to provide external power to your device: adapters and transformers. The adapter is the plug, adapting the prongs on a standard U.S. two to three-pronged power cord to match the prongs required by the local outlets. The transformer changes the local voltage to that required by your device. Portugal uses a type F two circular prong plug. This socket also works with type C and type E plugs. Their voltage is 230 Volts. U.S. outlets are 120V. Most new devices (phones and laptops) can handle the different voltage rates, but some devices only work on the U.S. standard of 120V. Check your device to see what voltage range it handles. Most transformer blocks will have an “Input” line that defines its voltage capacity. For example, “Input: 100-240V” means that it will work on voltages from 100V to 240V. If your transformer can’t handle the different voltage, you’ll need to purchase a voltage converter. You can find world regional voltage converters power packs at various vendors.

Expectations

Before you decide on traveling with GEEO, it is important that you read all of the information about the program you are considering. Remember, our programs are quite adventurous.

• The purpose of the accommodation is to provide a safe, well-located place for you to sleep. Sometimes you will be pleasantly surprised, but do not expect luxury as we are trying to keep these trips as inexpensive as possible.
• You must be able to easily carry or roll your luggage, so do not over-pack.
• We recommend always carrying snacks with you. Meals can sometimes be far apart.
• Please make sure you understand the role of your tour leader on this trip as they are not the traditional “guide” you may be expecting. While our trips are educational, they aren’t study/lecture trips. We want you to learn through exploring, and much of your experience will be based on how active you choose to be in acquiring knowledge and interacting with locals.

Hopefully this is the kind of adventure you are interested in!

Itinerary Disclaimer

While it is our intention to adhere to the routes described on our website, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable, to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The information on our website is a general guide to the tour and region, and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.

Weather

April is an excellent time to visit the island if you want to avoid rubbing elbows with other tourists and don't mind dealing with the occasional showers and cloudy skies that come with it. Landscapes are evergreen and flowers are blooming thanks to months of rain. During this time, expect daytime highs to rest in the mid- to high 60s and lows to dip to the low to mid-40s as spring progresses. Plus, if you want the best whale watching conditions, this is the best time, as blue, sei and fin whales pass through here during this time on their yearly migrations.