• If your tour, event or activity requires cross-border travel, in order to gain re-entry to the United States, U.S. citizens will be required to carry a valid U.S. Passport, U.S. Passport Card, SENTRI Card, or Global Entry Card. Non-U.S. citizens will be required to carry and produce proof of residency (i.e. a valid Resident Card, aka a “Green Card”) or a valid passport from your country of residence and Visa i.e. I-20 (or Visa waiver) allows for multiple entries into the United States. For more information on re-entry requirements see http://www.dhs.gov/how-do-i/cross-us-borders. Mexican immigration authorities also require that all non-resident tourists carry a valid passport document, and if necessary for travel in Mexico, a valid Visa (or Visa waiver).

• In addition to a valid passport, Mexican tourist permits, or FMMs (Forma Migratoria Multiple), are required for all non-Mexican citizens entering Baja California. If you are driving to Baja California and will be there for seven days or less, you may obtain this document for FREE at the Immigration office located at the border. A valid passport is required to obtain an FMM. For visits of eight (8) days or more, paid FMM tourist permits are required. As of September 2015, the “free zone” for FMMs (trips within the 20 kilometer border zone for less than 72 hours) is no longer valid and everyone entering Mexico should obtain an FMM. Our partner, Baja Bound can provide more information on obtaining the appropriate FMM for your tour or event. When required by Mexican border authorities, we will stop at the Mexican immigration office at the border entry point to complete the application for a free FMM tourist card – a valid Passport document is required to obtain an FMM for tourist travel to Mexico. U.S. citizens with a valid passport are not required to hold a Visa for tourist travel to Mexico.

• S. or Mexican authorities may request to see your identification at border inspection stations and checkpoints, and you and your family members should be able to produce the proper and valid travel documents and identification upon request. Should your identification or other travel documents come into question, you may be detained by U.S. or Mexican authorities. If you are detained by U.S. or Mexican authorities for any reason, you understand and agree that the other trip participants will proceed without you and you will be solely responsible for making all arrangements and paying all costs related to your transportation (and/or return home) from that point forward.

• Tours, events and activities require that all participants must be in good overall physical and mental health and have at least average mobility and strength. Participants should be able to walk unaided, for a minimum distance of one-quarter-mile (roughly 400-meters; one (1) lap around a standard track), and should be able to climb at least two flights of stairs without becoming winded or tired. Tours and workshops require participants to walk over uneven terrain (dirt and gravel paths), and up and down stairs. Tour and workshop participants should expect to enter and exit the tour vehicle unaided many times throughout the day. Accessing the rear seats of the tour vehicle requires average mobility and flexibility. We cannot guarantee which seat you will be assigned in the tour vehicle. If you have a medical or health condition that requires you to sit in front, you must notify SDBT at least 3-days before your tour’s departure date. We will do our best to accommodate special seating requests, however, actual seating assignments cannot be guaranteed. If you require the aid of a walker or cane, you must notify SDBT at least 3-days before your tour’s departure date.

• Women who are pregnant or people with serious medical concerns, such as heart conditions, back injuries, or other serious illnesses, and/or are not able to meet the above requirements, will not be able to participate.

• While in Mexico, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what they find in the United States. Mexican law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental disabilities in employment, education, air travel and other transportation, access to health care, and the provision of other services. However, the law is not effectively enforced in all areas of Mexico. Many public buildings and facilities continue to be in noncompliance with the law requiring access for persons with disabilities, as do most hotels and other tourist facilities. San Diego Baja Tours is not responsible for vendor facilities that are not in compliance with Mexico’s accessibility requirements, codes, or laws, and furthermore does not warrant that facilities visited on tour or as part of a workshop will be in compliance with such requirements, codes, or laws.

• Participants requiring special physical accommodations should contact SDBT well in advance of their tour or workshop’s start date to make arrangements for such accommodations.

• Participants must be sober at the inception of the tour/workshop. If the trip director deems that a participant is under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the inception of the tour/workshop (in his/her sole yet reasonable judgement), that participant will be dismissed and will not be allowed to participate in the tour/workshop. There will be no refunds, credits, or rescheduling allowances for dismissal due to insobriety at the start of a tour/event.

• Important Notification Requirement Regarding Food Allergies and Food Aversions: In most cases, your food will be pre-ordered and preparation may begin before we arrive to eat. If you have a particular food allergy (a food or ingredient that causes an allergic reaction) or food aversion (a food or ingredient you dislike), PLEASE INFORM SDBT of such allergy/aversion, i.e vegans/vegetarians in writing prior to your tour date (sooner the better)– in such communication, please describe in detail which foods/ingredients you should avoid, the severity of any allergic reaction you may have to these foods/ingredients (including your sensitivity to trace amounts of the allergen), the medications you carry to treat such an allergic reaction, and any protocol for treatment that should be followed in case of an allergic reaction. Early on the day of your tour, you should also inform/remind your tour guide of your food allergies or aversions.

• It is ultimately your sole responsibility to double-check with your food server, the ingredients of the foods/beverages you consume, before consuming (when in doubt, ask). All SDBT food and beverage vendors utilize kitchen facilities that may process nuts (including peanuts and tree nuts), shellfish, fish, milk, eggs, wheat/gluten, soy, honey, and citrus. Accordingly, it is impossible to guarantee that trace amounts of these ingredients would not be found in ANY dish/food served.

• We advise you to avoid any foods or ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction. You should carry any medication required/prescribed to treat an allergic reaction. San Diego Baja Tours cannot make guarantees as to the availability, quality, or effect of first aid, emergency medical response, medical treatment, or medical transport, nor to the level of training of those providing first aid, emergency medical transport, medical treatment, medical care, or similar services.

• If you have indicated a food allergy or food aversion via your Participation Agreement submission or you have conveyed/disclosed an allergic reaction concern orally or in writing ahead of the tour/workshop (a written disclosure of allergies is required for participation), we may contact you in writing and require that you answer follow-up questions before your tour/workshop in order to further clarify certain aspects of your allergy, your sensitivity to the allergen(s) specified via your submission/disclosure, the type of medication you will be carrying to treat an allergic reaction, treatment protocols, etc. If at any time we feel (in our sole, yet reasonable judgement) that your personal safety, the well-being of others in your group, and/or the continuity of your tour/workshop could be compromised due to a potential reaction to an allergen (and we feel that you are not well prepared to treat an allergic reaction), we may require you to withdraw from the culinary activity in question, or from the tour/workshop altogether. We require timely and detailed answers to all questions regarding your health and safety.

• All participants must observe and obey all posted and orally conveyed rules, guidance, and warnings, and follow any oral instructions or directions given by SDBT, its employees, representatives, volunteers, agents, contractors, vendors or associates. SDBT reserves the right to require any participant to withdraw from a trip or event (at the participant’s own expense) at any time if the trip director (SDBT tour guide, event leader, or driver) deems that the participant’s acts, conduct, or health and welfare to be detrimental to, or incompatible with, the interest, harmony, comfort, or welfare of the trip, SDBT personnel, SDBT vendor staff, or that of its other participants. In the case of withdrawal, whether required by SDBT or voluntary, withdrawing participant(s) will be responsible for all of their own arrangements and costs of return travel home, and will be responsible to pay the full cost of their confirmed tour or workshop as quoted/invoiced before the trip commenced, regardless of any unfulfilled portion of the itinerary due to withdrawal – no refunds or credits will be issued in case of voluntary trip withdrawal, nor in the case of involuntary trip withdrawal due to participant misconduct.

• As a participant in SDBT tours or activities, you play an important role in creating a positive and safe environment. By participating in SDBT tours, events, or other SDBT programs, you agree to:
  • be polite and show respect to other participants, SDBT personnel, SDBT vendor personnel, contractors, volunteers, vehicles, equipment, and facilities;
  • use only appropriate, kind, and positive language with others;
  • not engage in verbal or physical abuse of others, nor display or convey threatening behaviors; exercise reasonable caution when engaging in activities in order to avoid causing bodily harm to self, other participants, and/or personnel/staff; leave distracting, inappropriate, or prohibited items at home, including any weapons or items that may appear to look like, act like, or could be used as, weapons.
    • The consequence for not following anyone, or multiple of, the above codes of conduct is immediate trip withdrawal (see above); such trip withdrawal is to be determined by the trip director, in her/his sole, yet reasonable, discretion. No refunds or credits will be issued in the case of involuntary trip withdrawal due to participant misconduct, and the offending participant shall be responsible for all their own arrangements and costs of return travel home from the point of the trip withdrawal.

• All participants should wear comfortable closed-toed shoes. High-heel shoes are not advised. To access many vendor sites, you will be required to walk on unpaved (dirt or gravel) surfaces. Your itinerary may include tours of farms, dairy facilities, and/or commercial food, wine, or beer making facilities where closed-toed shoes are strongly recommended. Inappropriate footwear may preclude you from participating in some activities, and in such cases, there will be no refunds or credits issued for missed activities due to inappropriate footwear.

• Generally speaking, there is not a strict dress code for most restaurants, wineries, and craft breweries in Baja California. However, Mexican culture and general decorum suggests that people entering such facilities should dress respectfully. Participants should dress with comfort and function in mind. Dressing in easily-removable layers is recommended. Daytime temperatures in Baja California regularly go above 85-degrees Fahrenheit, while nighttime temperatures may dip into the 50s or 40s. Participants are encouraged to check the weather forecast the day before their tour or workshop to ensure they are dressed appropriately for the conditions.

• You and members of your group/family should bring the following items: valid passport/passport card (and if necessary, a valid entry Visa or Resident Card – aka a “Green Card”) and secondary form of photo identification, cruise ship identification (if applicable, issued by your cruise line & used to regain entry to the Port/ship), medications (if required to travel with medication, also bring your doctor’s written prescription with your name on it), sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, sweater or light coat (check weather forecast), umbrella if forecast calls for rain, cash, $20 bills or under for purchases not covered by the tour fee.
• All SDBT vendors accept U.S. dollars, and most accept U.S. credit cards. Cash exchange rates will vary, and are set by each individual vendor. Beware that your bank/credit card may charge “foreign transaction fees”. You should check with your bank/credit card before using your card abroad. When paying in U.S. dollars, change may be made in MXN Pesos at the vendor’s posted exchange rate– this is normal. Accordingly, we advise you to bring a variety of smaller bills ($1s, $5s, $10s, and $20s) to reduce the need for change.

• SDBT prohibits the carrying or transport of the following items in its tour vehicles: weapons, firearms, ammunition, knives (including pocket knives), non-prescription or illicit/illegal drugs, marijuana (including recreational and medical marijuana), drug paraphernalia, tobacco products including cigarettes or cigars, tobacco, chewing tobacco, or vaping pipes, fireworks, incendiary devices, and food, snacks, or beverages (with the exception of one (1) small bottle of water per person). Handbags and luggage are subject to search/inspection. For a more comprehensive list of prohibited items, visit http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/cbp-reqs-mexico.

• We do allow food or beverages (including but not limited to snacks, sodas, candy, fruit, seeds, nuts or gum) to be eaten or transported in our vehicles, we expect you to be conscious of cleanliness. Because we are crossing an international border, we simply cannot risk having prohibited food items or beverages in our vehicles. U.S., California and Mexican laws prohibit the transport of certain foods, food products and beverages over the International border (both directions). Our vendors also prohibit the consumption of outside food or beverage on their property. Under no circumstances will you be allowed to consume alcohol in SDBT vehicles. If you have a medical condition that requires you to consume specific foods or beverages, you should make special arrangements with us well in advance (at least 7 days) of your tour or workshop date.

• Pets are not allowed in SDBT vehicles, nor on SDBT tours or events. Unfortunately, Mexican laws regarding accessibility for service animals are not the same as in the U.S. Accordingly, some of our vendors do not allow service animals on their property and for your animal’s safety, service animals may not be left unattended in SDBT vehicles.

• Valuables:

  • We advise against bringing large sums of cash, valuable jewelry or watches, designer handbags, expensive camera equipment, computers or tablets, and other item(s) of high monetary worth. SDBT vehicles will be left unattended several times throughout your trip, and as such, we request that you not leave any items of value (including but not limited to your passport or other important travel documents) in an unattended vehicle. We suggest leaving all non-essential items from your purse or wallet at home/ in a safe at your hotel– bring just what you need for the tour or workshop. While theft is very rare in Mexico, San Diego Baja Tours is not responsible for your lost, stolen, or damaged items.

• Meeting points and pick-up locations in San Diego

Most tours and events meet on the U.S. side of the border and depart from San Ysidro, California, the Jack in the Box 721 E San Ysidro Blvd, San Ysidro, CA 92173. We can pick you up at your residence, hotel, or the designated meeting spot. 

• Meeting points and pick-up locations in Baja Norte

Pick-ups at hotels and house rentals may be available in Baja California (north of central Ensenada) for those participants that have made prior arrangements. For public tours or events, pick-ups at the Tijuana airport are not available (for private tours, inquire about Tijuana airport pick-ups before booking).

• For participants staying in a gated/secured community, your transportation will meet you at the front entry gate to the property. Please note, if you specify a pick-up location inside of a gated/secured community and we aren’t able to gain easy access to the designated meeting point on the day of the tour, we’ll be forced to continue on with the tour in order to preserve the experience for other paying participants (in this case, there are no refunds, credits, or rescheduling allowances). To avoid missing your tour/event, we strongly advise you to meet your transportation at the front entry gate to the property.

• Drop-offs in the Valle de Guadalupe: For private tours, please advise your SDBT booking agent well in advance of your luggage quantity and size. Be advised that poor road conditions (i.e. mud, standing water, road closures, etc.) may not allow us to take you all the way to your lodging destination – we will do our best to safely reach your destination, but we cannot risk getting stuck – and in such cases, you may have to arrange alternate transportation (not included with your SDBT tour fees) from the tour’s last stop in the Valle de Guadalupe to reach your lodging destination. Unless you have arranged for a private tour with return transportation, your tour will end once we have dropped you off, and from there you will be solely responsible for your return transport.

• Street addresses in Baja California are notoriously unreliable. Accordingly, we base all of our pick-ups and drop-offs in Baja California on participant-provided GPS coordinates and /or Landmarks. When requesting a pick-up or drop-off location in Baja California, it is your sole responsibility to provide SDBT with the following information: name of hotel or property (if applicable), name of street and house number, name of city or municipality, name of subdivision/neighborhood/residential area (in Spanish, “Colonia”), mailing (or ZIP) code, and exact GPS coordinates corresponding to the address provided. To find and/or verify GPS coordinates, you may find the tutorials found on this page helpful: https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Latitude-and-Longitude-from-Google-Maps. San Diego Baja Tours will not be responsible for issues related to your pick-up location that are out of our control, including, but not limited to receiving inaccurate coordinates/address/directions for the meeting point from your hotel, property manager, or landlord, your failure to appear at the designated meeting point on time for any reason, your delay or failure to appear on-time related to traffic, road conditions, or border crossing conditions, and/or refusal of entry of our tour vehicle into a gated community for your pick-up (you should plan to meet us at the front gate at the scheduled time – for personal security reasons, our guides will not leave their ID with security at the front gate of any community or hotel – if this is the requirement to enter, we will not pass the front gate and you should plan to meet your guide outside of the gate at the scheduled time).

• For safety reasons, our drivers won’t make phone calls or send texts while driving (and will not be able to answer your phone calls, texts, or emails), which is why we specify a pickup window and ask that your group be ready to depart the pre-arranged pickup/meeting point at the beginning of the pickup window.

• Once your tour or activity itinerary has been programmed (your itinerary has been communicated to you via a confirmation email), changes to your tour’s designated meeting point, pick-up location, and/or drop-off location may only be considered when a request for change is received in writing (via email) at least 72-hours before the tour’s scheduled departure time, and if the requested change is possible (no guarantee), the requested itinerary change may incur extra charges that must be paid for in advance of your tour/workshop date (for security and logistical reasons, there will be no reprogramming within 72-hours of your scheduled start time – it’s your responsibility to arrive at the scheduled meeting or pick-up location on time).

• Failure to arrive on time (at the scheduled start/meeting time) at the designated pick-up/meeting location (at the address and GPS coordinates you have provided and self-verified) will result in the cancellation of your tour due to your failure to appear as scheduled, without refund, credit, or rescheduling allowance. Plan to arrive 45 minutes EARLY at your scheduled pick-up/meeting point. If you are unsure about how to locate your scheduled meeting point, contact your SDBT representative well in advance of the scheduled start/meeting/departure time to clarify the meeting point. Out of respect for other tour and event participants, and for security reasons, SDBT staff will not wait past the scheduled meeting time printed in your itinerary to begin or continue a public tour. Rescheduling will not be allowed for tours or events canceled by your failure to appear, and there will be no credits or refunds. For your security and ours, our guides will only meet you and drop you off at the pre-arranged meeting point in your itinerary – last minute changes to the itinerary are not possible.

• You understand that you may be photographed and/or recorded while participating in SDBT activities.

• SDBT reserves the right to use any images, photographs, videos or recordings taken during your tour or workshop for future promotional purposes or for safety and security related purposes.

• By participating in SDBT activities, you waive any right to inspect or approve the use of the images or recordings or of any written copy. You also waive any right to royalties or other compensation arising from or related to the use of the images, recordings or materials.

• Our goal is your satisfaction. If there is anything we can do to make your booking, tour, or event experience more enjoyable (within reason of course, nothing illegal), please don’t hesitate to ask your booking advisor, tour guide, workshop leader, or driver. We’ll do whatever we can reasonably do to ensure that you experience a smooth booking experience, and have a great time participating in SDBT tour/workshop activities.

• Please direct any complaints or compliments to SDBT management by email.

• In the spirit of acting in good faith to resolve any/all issues you have, or may come to have, with San Diego Baja Tours, you agree to surface any dispute or displeasure you have with/about SDBT, its employees, representatives, volunteers, agents, contractors, vendors or associates, in writing with SDBT management directly and privately, and before taking any action which is intended, or would reasonably be expected, to harm SDBT or SDBT’s reputation, or which would reasonably be expected to lead to unwanted or unfavorable publicity for San Diego Baja Tours. By booking and/or paying for and/or participating in a tour or culinary event with San Diego Baja Tours, or by participating in SDBT activities, you agree to act in good faith to resolve any dispute or displeasure you have before making disparaging or negative remarks in a public forum (online or otherwise) about San Diego Baja Tours, its employees, representatives, volunteers, agents, contractors, vendors or associates, and further agree not to make any public statements that are false, untrue, do not represent the whole truth regarding the matter, or are purposefully misleading.

• If a dispute arises under this Agreement or between the parties, you agree to first try to resolve the dispute in good faith with the help of a mutually agreed-upon and certified mediator in San Diego County, California. Any costs and fees other than attorney fees associated with the mediation shall be shared equally by the parties. If it proves impossible to arrive at a mutually satisfactory solution through mediation, the parties agree to submit any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this agreement, or the breach thereof, to be settled by arbitration administered in San Diego County, California by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its Commercial Arbitration Rules, and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

• You are solely responsible for the safekeeping of your personal items while participating in San Diego Baja Tours tours, events, trips, or activities. Once your tour or workshop has left the vendor site, we will not return to recover left or lost items (no exceptions), and you should contact that vendor directly to make arrangements for the recovery and return of your item(s). We advise you to purchase third-party insurance to cover any costs related to lost, stolen, or damaged items.

• We advise against bringing large sums of cash, valuable jewelry or watches, designer handbags, expensive camera equipment, computers or tablets, and other item(s) of high monetary worth. SDBT vehicles will be left unattended several times throughout your trip, and as such, we request that you not leave any items of value (including but not limited to your passport or other important travel documents) in an unattended vehicle. We suggest leaving all non-essential items from your purse or wallet at home, and bring just what you need for the tour or workshop. San Diego Baja Tours is not responsible for your lost, stolen, or damaged items.

• As circumstances allow and only as a courtesy service, reasonable efforts will be made to assist in the recovery of your lost item(s), however, San Diego Baja Tours cannot guarantee the return of any lost item and will not be responsible for any costs related to the storage, return, replacement, or repair of your lost item(s).

• If you believe you may have left an item in your tour vehicle, please email sandiegobajatours@gmail.com to confirm whether the item was found, and provide the following information about the item(s):
  • A detailed description of the lost article (color, brand, fabric, etc.)
  • Your tour or workshop itinerary (i.e. wine tour, or craft beer tour)
  • Your tour or workshop date and the approximate time the item was lost (if known)
  • A description of where you were seated in the tour vehicle

• Lost items found in SDBT tour vehicles will be available for pick-up at our office 72-hours AFTER the end of your tour or activity, and may be claimed during regular office hours for TEN (10) DAYS from the date of your tour or workshop. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PICKING-UP YOUR LOST AND FOUND ITEM(S) AT OUR OFFICE DURING OUR NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.
  • If you do not claim your lost and found item(s) within TEN (10) days of your tour, it/they will be disposed of or donated to a local charity (no exceptions); you will not be notified of such disposal or donation, and there will be no receipt or acknowledgment provided as to the disposition of your lost and found items that were left unclaimed.
  • In some cases, according to our availability, and at our sole discretion, we may be able to ship your lost item(s). If you would like us to ship your lost item(s), you will need to pre-pay $75.00 USD for packaging and handling, AND email us with a prepaid UPS or FedEx shipping label according to the estimated weight of your item (we strongly recommend purchasing shipping insurance from the carrier for the item(s) being shipped). We will not be responsible for any damage, breakage, or loss related to the storage, handling, packaging, or shipping your lost and found item(s).

• If you believe that your item(s) may have been left or lost at a vendor site, please contact that vendor directly to inquire about your lost item (our tour and workshop confirmations contain links to our vendor websites with their contact info). Once your tour or workshop has left the vendor site, we will not return to recover left or lost items (no exceptions), and you should contact that vendor directly to make arrangements for the return of your item(s).