Frequently Asked Questions

We’d love to! Guided touring means that you will join with fellow travellers to explore and experience a destination all in the company of an experienced and knowledgeable tour director. We book all hotels, transport, airline tickets and attractions, saving you hours of painstaking research. We also have the expertise to plan out days that will maximize your time and overall travel experience. You and your fellow travellers will be accompanied by a Mile Zero Tours’ tour director throughout. He or she will be on hand to provide insight about the places visited, helpful tips and assistance where needed. Both your tour director and local guides will provide detailed commentary to help you become more than a tourist, and go from just seeing the place to truly understanding it. With intimate groups of 32 passengers or less, you will get to know your fellow travellers and build friendships that may last long beyond the tours end.  

We are a new company, incorporated in 2014. Although new, we bring over 18 years of industry experience. We are local, and our customers are our neighbours.  We know word of mouth will drive our company’s future so we are focused on building a standing relationship with our community. Our goal is to provide the best guided travel experience possible for our guests and hope that they will in turn tell their friends. For added security, we are fully registered and licensed with Consumer Protection BC as a travel agent/ travel wholesaler. This means that you can be confident that your investment in travel made to Mile Zero Tours is protected. We are required by provincial legislation to hold all deposits in a trust account and as a registered travel agent our guests are protected by the Travel Assurance Fund.   

We are aiming for quality tours. We choose historic hotels, quality restaurants and luxurious chartered vehicles. Our tour pricing is comparable with other tour operators offering a similar calibre experience. When considering the inclusions of each tour, you will find that our tours offer an exceptional value. This is one of the advantages of travelling in a group as we are able to negotiate discounts with hotels, restaurants and airlines that the individual traveller would not.   

Our goal is to provide the best guided tour experience. We don’t claim to be the cheapest nor do we want to be. It is important to read all the details before selecting and comparing tours. What is included and what is optional. Optional generally means you pay more. Where are the hotels? Are they downtown so you can explore the city on foot in the evening or out in the suburbs? What surcharges and miscellaneous taxes have not been included? Do you have to get yourself to Vancouver, Seattle or just your front door? Once everything is compared equally we are confident that you will find Mile Zero Tours provides great value with our open and all inclusive pricing.   

Ok then how about this. On most tours we can offer a discount of up to $250 per person on the first 10 seats sold and a smaller discount on the next 10. We can also offer an additional $50 off per person if you choose to pay by cheque.   

Our prices listed include just about everything: flights, hotels, many meals, gratuities for wait staff at included meals, tour director, tour driver, home pick-up in Greater Victoria, Nanaimo and/or Vancouver all attractions as listed in the itinerary, ground transport, local fees, all taxes, luggage handling at hotels, services of a tour director and lots more.  

That's a better question.  Gratuities: for step-on guides and hotel housekeepers. 

We can arrange a complimentary pick-up and drop-off for you at the beginning and end of your tour from anywhere with a 35km driving distance of Victoria International Airport. Complimentary home pick up is also offered on many tours from the Nanaimo area and in Greater Vancouver.  We can also arrange transport outside that area but this will involve additional cost.   

You can bring one large suitcase that weights no more than 50 lbs and a smaller carry-on bag. We have included luggage handling for one suitcase per person at each hotel but you may still need to pay a fee if you are checking luggage at the airport. For great travel gear and tips on what to pack, we suggest checking out our neighbour, Robinson's Outdoor Store.  

We book deluxe and first class hotels whenever available. This generally means 3 ½ to 4 star properties, however it is important to keep in mind that in some destinations the facilities available are limited. Usually our first goal when selecting a hotel is the location. We want to find a good central location that makes exploring the area as easy as possible.   

Maybe. If someone else has made a similar request we can put you in contact with each other and you can decide if you would like to share a room on tour. We would need to know this before the final payment is made. You should also keep in mind that once on tour it will be very expensive and potentially impossible to change back to a private room if you or your roommate should decide things are not working out.   

In most cases yes. However, we recommend minimizing the use as much as possible as these facilities have a limited capacity. We plan the tours to allow for frequent stops and opportunities to visit public facilities.   

For travel within Canada you will be required to have a valid government issued photo ID such as a driver’s license. Any international or US bound tours require valid passports.  

Almost all our included meals offer several choices and in most cases the restaurants used on our tours are easily able to accommodate dietary requests. However if you are concerned please let us know when you book your tour and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.  

Well no, but I don't think your 3 year old will have that much fun. Otherwise our tours are open to folks of any age.   

Most activities on tour are not too strenuous and those that are can usually be opted out of however you will need to be able to walk moderate distances and climb stairs.  

No, the tour director is responsible for the overall operation of the tour and the enjoyment of all guests and is not able to provide ongoing assistance in such matters to individual guests. Guests who will need ongoing assistance, such as pushing a wheelchair, must be accompanied by someone who is willing and able to provide this assistance.  

All your included meals also include a gratuity for the wait staff, so there is no need to tip at included meals. Nor do you need to tip the hotel bellmen who will deliver your luggage as this is also included. Gratuities have not been included for: hotel housekeeping staff and local guides. These gratuities are at your own discretion but we have developed a guideline which is included in the terms of travel section.   

This will depend on the destination and many other factors, but usually we have 24 to 26 travellers on any given trip. We feel this is a comfortable size group that is not too big. Our tours have a maximum capacity of 32 and a may require a minimum of 12.   

You can reserve a spot on any tour by clicking the book now link on the itinerary and filling in the form. We will contact you via your chosen method to confirm within 48 hours. You can also call us directly at (250) 590 0811. Assuming the booking deadline (60 days before on most tours) has not been reached, we will hold a spot for you for 3 days after which a deposit will be required.   

Of course! If you have ten or more that are interested, please let us know as there are some special offers we can do.  

Please refer to the tour policies attached to the tour itinerary as this will vary by tour but the general cancellation policy is as follows:

•       More than 3 Months prior to departure Full Refund less $50.00
•       More than 2 months prior to departure Full Refund less $150.00
•       Less than 2 months prior to departure Refer to the tour policies 

While we understand that unforeseen events occur and would love to be able to provide full refunds at any time the reality is that once a reservation has been confirmed services have been bought and paid for and a full refund is not possible. We strongly recommend the purchase of travel cancellation insurance.  

Give us a call (250) 590-0811 toll free 1-844-590-0811 or email info@milezerotours.com and we will be happy to help. Please also read the terms of travel before booking as it has all the details.