Intro

Gate of Nations is a limited liability company, incorporated under the laws of Germany, with registration number 201900000438, located in Stuttgart,Baden-Württemberg, Germany. 

This Website is provided to supply and organize generic and/or customized traveling experiences and assist customers in gathering travel information, related services, making reservations or otherwise transacting business with other travel suppliers.

These Terms and Conditions (hereinafter referred to as “Terms”, “Terms and Conditions”) is a legally binding agreement between you and Gate of Nations (hereinafter referred to as “we”, “us”, “our”).

Use of Our services constitutes acceptance of the Terms and Conditions and compliance with these Terms. These Terms apply to all visitors, users and others who use the Our services (hereinafter referred to as “The User”). If you make a booking on behalf of others, you guarantee that you have the authority to accept these Terms on their behalf.

Use of the website

As a condition of your use of this Website, you warrant that:

  • you are at least 18 years of age
  • you possess the legal authority to create a binding legal obligation
  • you will use this Website in accordance with these Terms of Use
  • you will only use this Website to make legitimate reservations for you or for another person for whom you are legally authorized to act
  • you will inform such other persons about the Terms of Use that apply to the reservations you have made on their behalf, including all rules and restrictions applicable thereto
  • all information supplied by you on this Website is true, accurate, current and complete

We retain the right at our sole discretion to deny access to anyone to this Website and the services we offer, at any time and for any reason, including, but not limited to, for violation of these Terms and Conditions. 

Prohibited activities

The content and information on this Website (including, but not limited to, price and availability of travel services) as well as the infrastructure used to provide such content and information, is proprietary to us or our suppliers and providers. While you may make limited copies of your travel itinerary (and related documents) for travel or service reservations booked through this Website, you agree not to otherwise modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer, or sell or re-sell any information, software, products, or services obtained from or through this Website. Additionally, you agree not to:

  • use this Website or its contents for any commercial purpose
  • make any speculative, false, or fraudulent reservation or any reservation in anticipation of demand
  • access, monitor or copy any content or information of this Website using any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means or any manual process for any purpose without our express written permission
  • violate the restrictions in any robot exclusion headers on this Website or bypass or circumvent other measures employed to prevent or limit access to this Website
  • take any action that imposes, or may impose, in our discretion, an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on our infrastructure
  • deep-link to any portion of this Website (including, without limitation, the purchase path for any travel services) for any purpose without our express written permission
  • “Frame”, “mirror” or otherwise incorporate any part of this Website into any other website without our prior written authorization

If your booking or account shows signs of fraud, abuse or suspicious activity, Gate of Nations may cancel any travel or service reservations associated with your name, email address or account, and close any associated Gate of Nations accounts. If you have conducted any fraudulent activity, Gate of Nations reserves the right to take any necessary legal action and you may be liable for monetary losses to Gate of Nations, including litigation costs and damages. To contest the cancellation of a booking or freezing or closure of an account, please contact [email protected]

Additional terms and conditions will apply to your reservation and purchase of travel-related goods and services that you select. Please read these additional terms and conditions carefully. In particular, if you have purchased an airfare, please ensure you read the full terms and conditions of carriage issued by the Supplier, which can be found on the Supplier’s website. You agree to abide by the terms and conditions of purchase imposed by any supplier with whom you elect to deal, including, but not limited to, payment of all amounts when due and compliance with the supplier’s rules and restrictions regarding availability and use of fares, products, or services.

Bank and credit card fees

Some banks and credit card companies impose fees for international transactions. This means the amount listed on your credit or bank card statement may be in your local currency and therefore a different figure than the figure shown on the billing summary page for a reservation booked on the Website. The currency exchange rate and the foreign transaction fee is determined solely by your bank on the day that they process the transaction. If you have any questions about these fees or the exchange rate applied to your booking, please contact your bank.

Traveling to Iran

You are responsible for ensuring that you meet the Islamic Republic of Iran’s entry requirements and that your travel documents, such as passports and visas (transit, business, tourist, and otherwise), are in order and any other Iran entry requirements are met and you would be following internal rules and regulations of the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning dress codes, currency exchange, special religious occasions, etc. We urge customers to review travel prohibitions, warnings, announcements, and advisories issued by the relevant governments before booking travel to Iran. We accept no liability if you are refused entry onto a flight or into Iran due to your failure to carry the correct and adequate passport, visa, or other travel documents required by any airline, authority, or the country.

liability disclaimer

In no event shall Gate of Nations will be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special or consequential damages arising out of, or in any way connected with, your access to, display of, or use of this Website or with the delay or inability to access, display or use this Website (including, but not limited to, your reliance upon opinions appearing on this Website; any computer viruses, information, software, linked sites, products and services obtained through this Website; or otherwise arising out of the access to, display of, or use of this Website) whether based on a theory of negligence, contract, tort, strict liability, consumer protection statutes, or otherwise, and even if Gate of Nations has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Indemnification

You agree to defend and indemnify Gate of Nations and any of their officers, directors, employees and agents from and against any claims, causes of action, demands, recoveries, losses, damages, fines, penalties or other costs or expenses of any kind or nature including but not limited to reasonable legal and accounting fees, brought by third parties as a result of:

  • your breach of these Terms or the documents referenced herein
  • your violation of any law or the rights of a third party
  • or your use of this Website

Reviews, comments, photos, and other submissions

We appreciate hearing from you. Please be aware that by submitting content to this Website by electronic mail, postings on this Website or otherwise, including any hotel reviews, photos, videos, questions, comments, suggestions, ideas or the like contained in any submissions (collectively, “Submissions”), you grant Gate of Nations, a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, transferable, irrevocable and fully sub-licensable right to (a) use, reproduce, modify, adapt, translate, distribute, publish, create derivative works from and publicly display and perform such Submissions throughout the world in any media, now known or hereafter devised; and (b) use the name that you submit in connection with such Submission.

You acknowledge that the Gate of Nations may choose to provide attribution of your comments or reviews (for example, listing your name and hometown on a hotel review that you submit) at our discretion and that such submissions may be shared with our supplier partners. You further grant the Gate of Nations the right to pursue at law any person or entity that violates your or the Gate of Nations’ rights in the Submissions by a breach of these Terms. You acknowledge and agree that Submissions are non-confidential and non-proprietary. You expressly waive any and all “moral rights” (including rights of attribution or integrity) that may subsist in your Submissions and agree that you have no objection to the publication, use, modification, deletion or exploitation of your Submissions by us.

We take no responsibility and assume no liability for any Submissions posted or submitted by you. We have no obligation to post your comments; we reserve the right in our absolute discretion to determine which comments are published on the Website. If you do not agree to these Terms and Conditions, please do not provide us with any Submissions. You are fully responsible for the content of your Submissions, (specifically including, but not limited to, reviews posted to this Website). You are prohibited from posting or transmitting to or from this Website: (i) any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, or other material or content that would violate rights of publicity and/or privacy or that would violate any law; (ii) any commercial material or content (including, but not limited to, solicitation of funds, advertising, or marketing of any goods or services); and (iii) any material or content that infringes, misappropriates or violates any copyright, trademark, patent right or other proprietary right of any third party.

You shall be solely liable for any damages resulting from any violation of the foregoing restrictions, or any other harm resulting from your posting of content to this Website. You acknowledge that Gate of Nations may exercise its rights (e.g. use, publish, delete) to any content you submit without notice to you. If you submit more than one review for the same hotel, flight or bus, only your most recent submission is eligible for use.

The booking contract

A booking is confirmed and these Terms shall apply when Gate of Nations, or an authorized agent acting on Gate of Nations’ behalf, have received the applicable deposit from the Client and the Client has received written confirmation from Gate of Nations of such booking. The Client confirming the booking must be no less than 18 years of age and agrees to provide full, complete and accurate information as requested by Gate of Nations to confirm such booking. Any Client confirming a booking on any Products with more than one Client named and booked on such booking, represents and warrants to Gate of Nations that: i) they have all requisite consents and authority to make such booking on behalf of all other Clients named on the booking, and have communicated all necessary information to the other Clients in order for them to give free and fully informed authorization to do so; ii) the information that they are providing regarding all clients is complete and accurate, and they have obtained all necessary consents and permissions to share such information with Gate of Nations for the purposes of completing the booking; and iii) they will inform all other named Clients on the relevant booking of the applicability of these Terms to the booking and the Clients’ relationship with Gate of Nations.

Special Requirements

Gate of Nations will endeavor to accommodate the special requests of Clients, including (without limitation) dietary and accommodation requests, but such requests do not form part of these Terms or the contract between Client and Gate of Nations, and Gate of Nations is not liable for any failure to accommodate or fulfill such requests.

Prices, Surcharges, and Taxes

Due to the nature of travel, the prices of the resources on which it depends and the published price of any Product is subject to change at any time, before booking confirmation. Tours are priced and advertised exclusive of applicable sales taxes. After a Confirmation Invoice has been issued by gate of Nations to the Client, Gate of Nations reserves the right to impose surcharges on any Product(s), but only for reasons arising from increases in transportation costs, fuel costs, dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airport charges, local operator costs, currency and exchange fluctuations, increases in taxes, or government action which impacts the price of the applicable Product(s), but only where the increase in question is greater than 2% of the original price paid for the Product (excluding add-ons, insurance, and taxes). Gate of Nations shall provide notice to the affected Client as soon as reasonably possible upon learning of the necessity to impose a surcharge in accordance with this section.

Validity

All dates, itineraries, and prices are indicative only and the price quoted at the time of Booking shall be the applicable price, subject to surcharges that may be levied in accordance with these Terms. Changes, revisions, or other amendments may be made to the particulars contained in any Gate of Nations brochure or on the Gate of Nations’ website before a contract is concluded, and such changes, revisions or amendments shall be incorporated herein as of the date of such amendment.

The Client acknowledges that due to the changing nature of travel, they are responsible for keeping up to date on the details of their travel on the Gate of Nations’ website, including, but not limited to checking the website at least 72 hours prior to departure to ensure the Client has the most current Trip Details for the relevant Product tour as minor changes may have been made since the confirmation of booking.

Deposits and Payments

Your reservation is confirmed upon our receipt of the requested deposit which is based on the package you select.

  • Final payment — Final payment is due in our office 35 days prior to departure.
  • Late bookings — Late bookings are accepted up to the day of departure if permitted subject only to space availability.
  • Electronic Documents — Documents will normally be issued 15 days after the final payment and will be sent to you by email.

Prices Guarantee – Gate of Nations guarantees prices upon receipt of full payment. We, therefore, recommend you to pay in full as soon as possible to guarantee the price. Prior to our receipt of full payment, prices may be increased without notice. Gate of Nations also reserves the right to increase prices due to errors or misprints and also major price increases in air tickets, accommodation, and other services.

Visa Services

The typical wait time for your visa application to arrive is typically 4 to 10 working days.

Thursdays and Fridays are weekend days and do not count towards the wait time of the visa.

Visa applications take longer in the month of March due to the Iranian new year, Nowruz.

The Visa Application Fee is:

Used as a processing fee by Gate of Nations, which in turn provides travelers with an Iran Tourist Visa authorization code, not the Iran Tourist Visa itself. Travelers need to pick up their Iran Tourist Visa in the Iranian embassy or consulate written on your online visa application, or at the VOA (Visa on Arrival) counter of IKIA airport in Tehran.

Non-refundable, non-transferable and, in the case of a rejection, Gate of Nations will not be responsible for any decision made by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Citizens of the US, UK & Canada require a more intensive and costly visa process and will be charged accordingly.

Cancellations and Return Policy

If you wish to cancel your tour, you must notify the Gate of Nations in writing. Once Gate of Nations receives your notice, the cancellation will take effect subject to the following:

  • If cancellation takes place more than 60 days prior to your departure date, 90% deposit will be forfeited.
  • If cancellation takes place between 60 and 30 days prior to your departure date, 50% of the tour price will be forfeited.
  • If cancellation takes place less than 30 days prior to your departure date,100% of the tour price will be forfeited.

The cancellation fee will be returned only to the account of the person who has purchased any service. 

Cancellation due to number of bookings 

Gate of Nations reserves the right to cancel any tour prior to departure in the event that

there are too few people booked on a tour in which case you will be given a full refund of the tour price paid by you. You will not be entitled to claim any additional amounts or seek any compensation for any injury, loss, expense or damage (either direct or consequential) or for any loss of time or inconvenience which may result from such cancellation (including but not limited to visa, passport and vaccination charges, or departure, gear purchases, airport and airline taxes).

Cancellation Upon Late Arrival

Bookings made using promotional codes or offers are not subject to a cash refund, regardless of notice. We can negotiable an equivalent exchange, not including any additional incurred costs.

If you show up more than 1 hour late for your tour or activity without coordinating with us or your local guide, your tour will be canceled and cannot be rescheduled.

We are not responsible for uncontrollable circumstances and do not make exceptions for last-minute cancellations. If you feel like a true emergency caused cancellations in your plans, please contact our customer support department.

Late payments, incorrect bank information, invalid debit or credit card details, expired credit/debit cards or insufficient funds will result in automatic cancellations

Obvious errors and mistakes (including misprints) in the terms and conditions, cancellations policy or other fine print of any of Gate of Nations’ products and services are not binding.

The cancellation fee will be returned only to the account of the person who has purchased any service. 

Cancellations regarding accommodations:

Accommodations may include hotels, hostels, ecolodges, guest houses, homestays, camps and any other conditions in which the traveler is provided with a place to sleep and spend the night.

Hotel cancellation policies depend on the individual hotel for the particular night or nights the traveler chose to occupy the hotel room.

Prices of individual cancellation policies depend on the travel season and demand.

Special offers including discounts and promotions often carry special restrictions and conditions, specifically regarding cancellations and refunds. Please check the room and rate details thoroughly prior to making your reservation.

Health & Fitness Requirements

You must be in good health and physical condition. For some of our tours, you will be required to submit a medical questionnaire completed by you or your doctor as proof that you are fit enough to participate in the tour. 

Gate of Nations reserves the right in its absolute discretion to refuse a participant the right to participate in a tour on medical or fitness grounds.

Medical Disclosure

You declare and warrant that

  • you are in good health and mental and physical fitness at the time of booking this tour;
  • you have disclosed to Gate of Nations every matter concerning your health and mental

and physical fitness of which you are aware, or ought reasonably to be expected to know,

that is relevant to Gate of Nations’ decision to permit you to go on a tour;

  • immediately upon any adverse change in your health or fitness that may be likely to

affect Gate of Nations’ decision to permit you to go on the adventure tour, you will

notify Gate of Nations in writing of any such change;

  • Gate of Nations is permitted to disclose medical information to our consultant doctor.
  • Gate of Nations’ consultant doctor may exclude you from a tour if he/she deems

it necessary. You acknowledge that the obligation to disclose under this condition

continues from the time of booking the tour through to departure and extends for the

duration of the tour.

  • you have taken out a travel insurance policy that adequately covers you for medical

eventualities and or pre-existing medical conditions

If you fail to comply with the duty of disclosure in this condition and if Gate of Nations would not have permitted you to undertake the tour, or continue participation of the tour,

had you made full disclosure under this condition, Gate of Nations will not be liable,

except to the minimum extent required by law, for personal injury, death or property

damage or loss incurred by you.

Tour Guides

Gate of Nations reserves the right to cancel any tour prior to departure. In this condition, ‘tour leader’ includes both the nominated tour leader and any other nominated person given at any time the task of leading or supervising any aspect of the tour.

Gate of Nations’ tour leaders take their responsibilities seriously and if for any reason a tour leader believes, in his or her absolute discretion, that you should not participate in the tour, before your departure, even if you pass your medical, he/she may exclude you from the tour. In this event, the health and fitness requirement clause of these Terms, you will be offered the option of taking another tour considered suitable for you or a full refund. If for any reason during a tour the nominated tour leader considers you should not participate further due to you committing an illegal act, or in the opinion of the nominated tour leader, your behavior is causing or is likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others, or your fitness or health is inadequate, he or she may direct you not to continue and you must follow the nominated tour leader’s instructions. In this case, you will not be entitled to any refund.

Travel insurance may compensate you depending on the circumstances.

Gate of Nations reserves the right to change, at any time, the tour leader of any tour. If that happens, Gate of Nations will try to ensure that the alternative tour leader has expertise commensurate with that of the tour leader. Any such change by Gate of Nations will not give rise to any right on your part to cancel the tour or claim any expenses, loss or damage which may be suffered.

 Assumption of risk for the adventure travel

You acknowledge and agree that:

  • by the very nature of adventure travel and trekking holidays, they are more challenging and demanding with a commensurately higher level of risk compared with conventional

holidays, and involve potential exposure to injury and possibly death;

  • in the countries and regions in which adventure travel is undertaken, standards

of accommodation, transport, health care, hygiene, safety and service provision

generally, are often not as high as those standards in your country of residence and may

require flexibility and patience on your part;

  • operational control of the tour may be in the hands of a third party and that your right

of action regarding any shortcomings of that third party’s performance is against the

third party and not against Gate of Nations;

  • the additional dangers and risks associated with adventure travel may include difficult

and dangerous terrain; high altitude; extremes of weather, including sudden and unexpected

changes; political instability; remoteness from normal medical services and from

communications; and evacuation difficulties in the event of illness or injury;

  • the enjoyment and excitement of adventure travel is derived in part from the inherent

dangers and risks associated with adventure travel and that those inherent dangers and

risks are a reason why you wish to undertake the adventure tour, and

  • you have submitted your booking for the tour after giving due consideration of relevant

travel information including, without limitation, any relevant information or advice

given by the government of your home country and that it is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with that information or advice, for the above reasons you therefore accept the inherent and increased dangers and risks associated with the proposed adventure tour and the accompanying risk of injury, death or property damage or loss.

Large cash transactions

In the case that Gate of Nations receives a large sum of cash (more than €10,000) from a user, Gate of Nations will take the following steps:

  • Ask the user to identify and verify the source of the cash by providing Gate of Nations with a bank statement showing the withdrawal of the cash
  • Gate of Nations Legal Compliance Team will assess the veracity of the bank statement (making all reasonable inquiries to ensure its authenticity); and
  • Report any suspicious transactions to relevant authorities.

Release and discharge from all claims

To the extent permitted by law, by accepting the additional inherent dangers and risks associated with the tour, you release, waive and discharge all Gate of Nations representatives from all claims, actions or losses for personal injury or death, property damage, loss of services, loss of profits, consequential, exemplary, indirect or punitive damages or otherwise which may arise

  • out of or occur during your travel in connection with the tour or any activities conducted

in conjunction with the tour unless caused by the reckless conduct of Gate of Nations

representatives, or

  • in connection with any optional activities which you may undertake during the course of your tour but which do not comprise part of your tour itinerary and you accept that any assistance given to you by Gate of Nations’ representatives in arranging such optional activities will not render the Gate of Nations’ representatives liable to you in any way.

Force Majeure

If Gate of Nations is prevented (directly or indirectly) from performing any of its

obligations under this agreement because of act of God, strikes, trade disputes, fire,

breakdowns, interruption of transport, government or political action, acts of war or

terrorism, acts or omissions of a third party or for any other cause whatsoever outside

Gate of Nations’ reasonable control, Gate of Nations will be under no liability

whatsoever to you and may, at its option, by written notice to you either cancel the tour or take any other action.

Severance of conditions

If any part of a condition is illegal, unenforceable or invalid, it is to be treated as removed from the conditions, however, the remainder of the conditions are not altered.

Jurisdiction

This agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties will be construed and take

effect in accordance with and be governed by the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.