All tours are non-refundable at time of purchase due to the structured nature of the tours.  

In cases deemed an emergency by management, a credit for a future tour may be offered in lieu of a refund for an existing tour; these are on a case-by-case basis and may require proof or documentation.

No credit will be offered to no-shows.

Due to the small nature of the company and the smaller than average tour size, we are unable to offer special rates.

In the event there are special tours, rates, or promotions, they will be listed on our website, or social media.

Due to a wide variety of logistical issues, pets are not permitted on the tours.

If you have a service animal and would like to attend one of our tours, please contact Animikii Tours and we can discuss the possibility of a custom tour, tailored to the needs of you and your service animal.

All tours will be conducted in English.  French tours may be arranged with enough prior notice and may be subject to additional fees.

Regionally all of Ontario is easily navigable speaking English, though in some areas of Northeastern Ontario (Timmins/Haileybury), Central Ontario (Sudbury) and Eastern Ontario (Ottawa) French is also widely spoken.

At Animikii Tours, we would like to provide our guests with a smoke-free environment, as such smoking is not permitted in the tour vehicle.  Additionally, to protect the environment and prevent forest fires, smoking in wilderness areas is also prohibited.  Due to the sensitive nature of those with smoke allergies and the sensitivity of the environment we ask that you do not smoke on the tour.

At Animikii Tours, we try our best to accommodate any and all food related issues.  We ask that when booking you indicate any and all food related concerns so that we may have an appropriate time frame to deal with the logistical issues in modifying provided meals accordingly.

If booking, please indicate whether it is an allergy or an intolerance; while we respect intolerances it is important to note that from a culinary standpoint, extra measures may need to be taken to deal with allergies where they are not necessary with intolerances (use of different cookware or cooking methods to avoid cross-contamination, etc.)

You will receive a follow up e-mail from Animikii Tours indicating the accommodations made with respect to your dietary restrictions.  

Due to the remote nature of many areas and the structure of the lunches, failure to indicate allergies or intolerances at the time of booking, may result in limited options on the tour for reasons beyond our control.

In keeping with the spirit of our tour company's mission statement, we try to book our lunches at local restaurants and try to steer clear from chain restaurants whenever possible.

In order to minimize logistical difficulties, we provide lunches only on our day tours. We understand that some tours are long and that lunch may be scheduled earlier or later than usual depending on the tour.

We also understand that long travel times and the activities in between may foster the desire for a snack. Our tour vehicles will be stocked with a variety of snacks and cold beverages, complimentary to our guests.  Due to local laws, alcohol will not be provided or consumed on these tours.  

We do ask that you limit these requests to actual stops on the tour, so that the tour director may exit the vehicle safely and that the tours remain on or as close to schedule as possible.  You are free to enjoy the snacks/drinks in the tour vehicle in the event you have not finished by the end of the tour stop, just hold on to the garbage until the next scheduled stop where it can be disposed of properly.

EXCEPTIONS MAY APPLY TO TOURS WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES.  Safety of all passengers comes first.

Animikii Tours cannot guarantee wildlife sightings, with exception where tours visit animal facilities.

With years of experience traveling and interpreting Northern Ontario, the possibility exists to see foxes, wolves, bears, moose, deer, wolverines, coyotes, skunks, porcupines, other land animals and a wide variety of avian and aquatic animals.  

On the day of your tour, ask the tour director for further information on animal sighting possibilities on your specific tour.

We remind all guests that animals in the wild may not be accustomed to seeing or interacting with humans, which makes them largely unpredictable.  Please exercise caution when viewing them, and always listen to the tour director.

Safety is the primary importance on all tours.  The founder of the company has an extensive background in fleet management and is meticulous to ensure safety inspections, regular routine maintenance and fluid checks as often as humanly possible.  

The Province of Ontario requires the use of seatbelts and hands-free communication devices for those driving as well, all of our tour directors are well trained and our company policy on unsafe driving practices is very strict.

Additionally, we only hire locals familiar and experienced with the unique driving conditions of Northern Ontario.  Our fleet is also insured commercially for a wide array of situations should they arise.

In the event of a mechanical failure to the vehicle that impacts the tour in any substantial way (either cancellation or lengthy delay), compensation will be provided subject to the appropriateness of the situation.

We ask that you be mindful and aware of the tour you are booking; while we absolutely welcome children on tours, some children may not find the tour as interesting and in some cases the very long travel times may not be suitable for children of a certain age.  

We unfortunately cannot offer special accommodations for small children (regular stops/diaper changing facilities, etc.) or adjustments in tour rates for children, as our itineraries are carefully planned out.

Children under the age of 18 are not permitted on tours without an accompanying adult.

Canada has six different time zones (Newfoundland, Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific)- the area we currently serve operates on Eastern Standard Time (UTC/GMT - 5 hours).  It is the same timezone as Toronto, Montreal and New York City.

The first step to determining this is determining your eligibility for entering Canada, visa or no visa you are required to meet certain criteria to enter Canada.  Failure to meet this criteria may result in you not clearing customs, detention and deportation.  To determine the basic eligibility requirements, please follow this link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/apply-who.asp

As for visa requirements, many European countries are exempt from visa requirements.  U.S. citizens are also not required to obtain a visitor visa, for a complete list on visa requiring countries, please follow this link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas-all.asp

The currency in Canada is the Canadian Dollar (CAD), due to the volatile nature of our currency trending with commodities prices, it fluctuates substantially in value and is currently on a downward spiral which bodes well for American and European travelers.  Some places may accept U.S. currency at par ($1 US =$1 CAD) though current market values have our dollar at about 71 cents U.S.  There are currency exchanges in many of the major cities and towns and some hotels may exchange small amounts of American or widely used foreign currencies.

All major credit cards are accepted in Canada (Mastercard, Visa, American Express), and debit cards featuring the "Interac" logo will also work wherever debit cards are accepted.  

Canada has two official languages; English and French.  English is the more commonly spoken language, though French is largely spoken in parts of Ontario and Quebec.  

The French spoken in Canada has drastic differences compared to European French, if you are French and have difficulty communicating with a French speaking individual in Canada, you can by all means try English, on our current tour roster we are not going to any locations where French is the only language spoken.

Canadian English spells many words in the British English style rather than American English, but there are many phrases and colloquial terms that make Canadian English different.  

All tours will be conducted in English, please try to be prepared for that as much as possible - for those without the best English skills, we will try our hardest to ensure a level of understanding that allows you to enjoy the tour as much as everyone else.

Canada has a highly variable climate, with everything from extreme cold to dangerously hot/humid depending on the location and time of year.  The area we serve in Northern Ontario is subject to long winters and short, comfortable summers.  

Canada uses the metric system officially, but has a few hybrid adjustments - the weight of a person is often read in pounds as opposed to kilograms.  We also use Celsius when reading weather, so summers in our touring region will range from 22-29 Celsius most days.

Thunder Bay is the sunniest city in Eastern Canada, which bodes well for summer time tours.

Feel free to check the forecast for Thunder Bay for the timeframe you're looking to book your tour.

Canada has strict requirements for goods entering the country, due to our close proximity, large land border and other diplomatic ties, the requirements for American goods:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/information-for-consumers/travellers/what-can-i-bring-into-canada-/eng/1389648337546/1389648516990#a1

differ from requirements for other countries:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/information-for-consumers/travellers/what-can-i-bring-into-canada-/eng/1389648337546/1389648516990#a2

Please ensure you are only bringing in what is legally permitted in Canada, failure to do so may result in detention, deportation and even criminal charges.  

Be aware that when completing a customs card for entry into Canada, if you are unsure that you have certain items - it is always better to declare that you do, a customs official will go through your belongings to determine the admissibility of those items to Canada and they will NEVER issue you a fine if you have declared goods that are actually not able to enter.  The worst that can happen in a situation where you declare such goods is that they seize the goods and they are destroyed - without fine or penalty to you.  

You are also required to declare cash equaling or in excess of $10,000 CAD.  Be mindful if you are traveling with a foreign currency, it will be calculated at current exchange rates and you may be penalized if that exceeds $10,000 CAD without having declared those funds.

Please note, though marijuana is decriminalized in Canada presently, you are not permitted to bring it, residue of it or any other drugs across the border.  The only drugs permitted to cross the border are ones to which you have a prescription in your name, and some over the counter remedies - depending on what they are, they may be seized and destroyed.  Penalties for trafficking across the border are severe, whether intent to distribute is there or not.

To determine what you may bring home with you, please consult your own country's policies regarding importation.

Business hours in Canada for offices generally mean 9 am-5 pm or some variation, but retail establishments may find themselves open before 9 am and stay open well after 5 pm, with no closure in the mid-day (unlike some European establishments).  In major cities/towns, there will be 24-hour locations open for things like gas stations, grocery stores and convenience stores.  Bank machines within branches are also accessible 24-hours.  

North Americans operate on a 12-hour clock, with AM representing morning and PM representing afternoon/evening.  

You may also use the 24-hour clock as in some places, like Quebec, it is more widely used.  Many Canadians can make the adjustment on the fly.

North America uses the same power outlets, a three-pronged (or sometimes two, if there is no grounding) outlet that differs from many European/International outlets.

The more notice you give, the more likely you will get the timeslot and date you are looking for.  With a maximum cap of 6 people per tour, spaces are limited and fill up quickly.

The Aurora Borealis (or coloquially, Northern Lights) are a phenomenon wherein extraterrestrial particles strike the magnetic field of the Earth, sending a shimmering band of colour throughout the northern portion of the planet. The colour is determined based on the depth in the atmosphere at which the particles penetrate.  Most common are green and yellow, though blue and red are also possible. 

Ontario is uniquely located at one of the southernmost reaches of the auroral band, this permits possible though rare viewings in a place like Thunder Bay, while Saskatoon which is much farther north, may not have the opportunity as frequently. 

Depending on the type of tour, it may be possible to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis.  

As with wildlife, we cannot guarantee sightings as the Aurora Borealis are even less predictable than wildlife.

Spring and fall tours (September and October in particular) stand a better chance at viewing due to fewer daytime hours than the summer.

Our Tour Directors will be equipped with Aurora Borealis forecasting knowledge to inform those on tours extending past sunset of the possibility of seeing them.

Payment is processed for your tour at the time of booking. You will recieve a payment confirmation and itinerary once the payment has gone through.

All major credit cards are accepted (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB).

Credit cards that do not match the tour attendee may require additional paperwork in order to be processed.  Please contact Animikii Tours for more information.

PayPal is also an acceptable method of payment.

Due to the nature of the tours and the many logistical arrangements that need to be made ahead of time, we cannot reserve bookings without payment, nor can we process payment at the time of the tour.

The very nature of custom tours is that they are created where none are offered that fit your needs or wants.

To arrange a custom tour or to get a quote for a custom tour, please contact Animikii Tours.

Be prepared with dates, number of people attending, and some idea of what you might like to see (wildlife, natural wonders, museums, etc.) before requesting a quote.

The logistics involved in operating tours internationally are immense, even large international tour companies have offices and affiliates that operate in each and every country they offer tours in.

Though we are in many cases and on many tours very close to the U.S. Border, we will not be crossing into the United States.

Custom tours to the United States cannot be arranged at present.

CREDIT CARDS

In Canada, Visa and Mastercard are the most commonly accepted credit cards.  Most places will also accept American Express.

DEBIT CARDS

Any debit card displaying the word "Interac" will be accepted anywhere debit cards are accepted.

CASH

Canadian Dollars (CAD$) are accepted everywhere, some of the larger bills may not be accepted at small retailers, for breaking a large bill, ask your Tour Director what the best options are, or bring denominations of $50 and smaller for your journey, unless you are looking to make a large purchase. Please keep in mind there is limited space in the tour vehicle. Ask the Tour Director before making a large purchase.

Some retailers may also accept American Dollars (USD$) at par, particularly in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie due to proximity to the United States.

Tipping is customary in some industries in Canada, though not mandatory anywhere in Canada.

For any meals covered by the tour tipping is not required and is included in the cost of your tour.

For meals not covered by the tour, customary tipping practices suggest a 15% tip.

Tips are not customary at retail outlets or fast food establishments, though they will often have tip jars on the counter if you're feeling generous.
 

We would be pleased to accept bookings on behalf of others and can offer a wide array of gift options.

You can purchase a specific tour for someone at the retail price.

You can request a gift certificate for a certain amount that would be used toward a tour experience.  If less than the cost of a tour, make sure you inform them to check our website for the list of tours and prices.

You can request a custom tour on behalf of someone else to make that gift even more special.  Please contact Animikii Tours for more information.

The ability to maneuver through varying road conditions, terrain and other obstacles is important to the unique nature of the tours themselves.

Additionally, providing an intimate tour experience, where the Tour Director is able to answer all questions and spread the knowledge to everyone equally is more important than capitalizing on the bottom line.

It also permits us to provide tours to smaller communities, more remote locations and sparsely populated regions.

As the company expands, we have a wide array of plans to extend from coast to coast, to coast.

Currently we offer an array of tours and one-way options that allow us to service a wide portion of the Province of Ontario.  Contact us for more information on the options from your location.

New tours will be posted and indicated as new on the website.  Check back regularly for our latest offerings.

We are all human, and that means sometimes we can forget important items like a camera.  

As the tours are structured we cannot accommodate lateness or provide a window for you to return for your camera.
 

Instead, the Tour Director will be equipped with a camera and can take pictures as requested (within limits of sanity and reason).

Provide your email address to the Tour Director at the end of the tour and they will send them to you accordingly.

At Animikii Tours, we would like everyone to enjoy their experience, and be able to share those moments with the people they care about.

Please use the form below to contact us for any further information you may require.