A beutiful view Vista from Adventure Tour
Frequently Asked Questions

Why travel with us?

Midnight Sun Adventures was founded by and continues to be run by adventurers. Which makes all the difference. When you contact Midnight Sun Adventures, you won't be conversing with a sales rep, using a written script to give you the illusion of their expertise. You'll be talking to an actual Gryphon with an intimate knowledge of the adventure you have in mind. But our exceptional quality and service extends beyond our incomparable guides and small groups: we also provide great food, excellent accommodations and impressive value.

Am I fit enough for this Adventure?

None of our adventures require that you be a world-class athlete. In fact, the average healthy adult can complete any of them. Almost all of our trips require that you be able to walk for 4-6 hours a day with a light pack. No marathon running or experience at altitude is required. If you approach the adventure as a wonderous experience, and walk slowly and steadily, taking plenty of rests, photographs, and exploration of local sights on the trail you will not only get more out of the trip but will become more fit without sore muscles and fatigue. If you have any questions regarding whether a particular tour is right for you please contact us at info@midnightsunadventures.com

What is the difference between a Guide and a Gryphon?

When searching for a guided trip the most important question you can ask is "Who is actually guiding the trip?" Midnight Sun Adventures uses local guides for all of our adventure activities, no one knows the area like someone who lives there. Our guiding philosophy is what sets us apart from other companies. On our Signature Trips our amazing local guides are supplemented with Gryphons, each a North American Guide in their own right, they are there to smooth your way at every step of the journey. They are without question the best in the business.

Let's face it, the level of support you receive makes or breaks the trip. Our Gryphons are there to make sure you have a safe and exceptionally enjoyable adventure. All of our Gryphons have extensive emergency medical and wilderness environment training, as well as being experienced in the countries we visit. On the most basic level, Gryphons also handle the logistics of securing permits, porters, and accommodations before and after arrival. That way, you can focus on the adventure ahead, and not the minor inconveniences that come with the pursuit of international adventure.

Are there Gryphons on every trip?

No. Gryphons accompany each of our Signature Trips. The trips available through our more adventures sections are run through our network of exceptional local guides. Typically these destinations are more familiar in terms of culture, and the availability of first world services, making a Gryphon redundant.

What is the food like?

Some details are more important than others. Good food is not the most important reason to travel with us, but it is up there. Midnight Sun Adventures knows that good tasty food greatly affects your enjoyment of a foreign land. With us there is no wandering around trying to figure out where to eat, or guessing at what something on a menu actually is.

Why Group Travel?

We realize some people prefer to travel alone rather than with a group of strangers. Yet, travel in the developing world can be frustratingly complex, requiring a great deal of time and patience to arrange for required essentials such as trekking and park permits, negotiating with guides and porters, securing transportation, food and accommodations.

The benefits of traveling with us is that we handle all these arrangements before you arrive, allowing you to minimize your frustration and maximize your time - to really take in your surroundings, to make the strangers you're traveling with your friends, to relax and enjoy. Additionally, contrary to what you might think, traveling with us actually allows you to get away from the maddening crowd. The popularity of do-it-yourself travel has produced an overcrowding of many of the world's more popular travel destinations. Our groups try to choose a balance between a wilderness experience in remote areas and the cultural exposure found among the local populace. Visualize falling asleep in a warm and dry mountain refuge, or the silence of open spaces in Australia's Outback.

Why pay more for Small Group Travel?

To use a tired cliche, "Bigger is not always better." Midnight Sun Adventures believes that small groups are crucial to having a successful adventure. Some companies burden their guides with oversized groups, which means personal attention is compromised for profitability. For example, the big boys in the adventure travel world, their average group size is 10 to 15 people; Backroads, or Gecko Tours average size is 18 people. Our average group size is 8 to 10.

With a Midnight Sun Adventures group, there is greater flexibility in a trip schedule, as well as highly personalized, custom service. This service, in turn, provides a better overall cultural experience and the chance to safely push yourself closer to your physical limits. Because of our small group size, you'll tend to form closer bonds with both our staff and your fellow travelers.

For these reasons, it's only natural that we operate a limited number of trips for a limited number of people (again, never more than 12 per group). Unfortunately, because our groups are small, they tend to fill up months in advance. So feel free to contact us well ahead of time!

What is Midnight Sun Adventures Cancellation Policy?

We expect many of our trips to be booked well in advance and your booking of a trip therefore excludes others. Therefore, if you cancel a trip more than one year in advance, we will give a full refund. However, the following agreement applies to other cancellations:

If you cancel a trip within the one year period but more than six months in advance, you will receive a full refund minus $500.00. If you cancel more than 60 days in advance but less than six months, you will receive a 50% refund. Any cancellation made less than 60 days in advance will result in the entire forfeit of deposit. This is in compensation for our time and costs in the changes that will have to be made.

In the unlikely event that any trip has to be cancelled by Midnight Sun Adventures, a full refund of all deposits and fees paid to MSA will be given. MSA reserves the right to cancel trips at its discretion due to political/security considerations at our intended destinations, or economic considerations; such as inadequate sign ups, late cancellations, or currency fluctuations making the trip economically unfeasible for MSA to operate. In such a case, we will notify all reserved clients and anticipate that we would also be able to give them the opportunity to continue the trip at a higher price based upon the actual number of participants or, alternatively, receive a full refund. We rarely are forced into this situation as most of our trips can operate with as few as 4 people.

What about visas?

For all of our international trips a valid passport that is good for at least 6 months after the trip departs is required. Many of the trips we run require you to obtain a visa in addition to a valid passport. While in some countries you are issued a visa upon arrival (such as Nepal, Australia, and Europe), in others (India for example) you will need to get one beforehand. Check with us on whether a visa is needed for your destination country and for the forms and process to acquire a visa. We are happy to help our clients make any necessary arrangements.

Why is travel insurance required?

This is to protect you. Most medical insurance does not cover you when you travel overseas. We often travel in remote areas and emergency evacuations can be very costly. There are a variety of emergencies and situations that may cause you to cancel your trip, in this case the fees and deposits that you have paid to us, airlines, and others, will be reimbursed. If we have to cancel your trip often your other costs will be reimbursed. We recommend several reputable travel insurance providers on our booking page.

Who goes on Midnight Sun Adventures trips?

People with a sense of adventure. People who value their vacations, who don't want to waste time being lost, or finding a decent hotel, or sleep cold or wet or hungry. The ages and backgrounds of our clients can vary dramatically, though if you care to contact us regarding a specific trip we can usually give you an idea of who to expect.

How much time is there for me to explore on my own?

Within each Signature Trip there is time built in to explore the cities we visit on your own. On the trail we try to stay together as a group, although it is easy to adjust our itineraries to meet group interests.

Does Midnight Sun Adventures do custom trips?

At this time we do not do custom trips for individuals, but we can arrange custom trips for groups. Contact us for information on minimum sizes and costs, as these will vary depending on destination and activities.