Plan Your Tour
When you travel with SUN TOURS, you’ll experience unforgettable, breathtaking scenery, beautiful varieties of wildlife, and unique flora – with expertly planned itineraries, comfortable lodging, and varied cuisine. To learn more about what is included in each tour package that we offer, please visit our Destination Tours.
Before making a tour reservation, please ensure that you are comfortable with the Activity Level and have the necessary mobility for the tour. While we try to assess and rate all of our tours, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about your mobility on a specific tour.
We suggest that you dress casually for our daytime travels. Please bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes and tuck a sun hat in your carry-on luggage. Don’t forget your sunscreen. Most of the time there are no dress codes for the places we visit.
If you would like to request special accommodations at the hotel(s) where we are lodging, please call us as soon as possible and we will forward these for you. Please keep in mind that these are merely requests and that we do our best to have them honored but we cannot guarantee them.
We encourage our travelers to purchase travel insurance when you plan a tour.
You might not realize that once we receive your final payment on an overnight tour we disperse these funds to our contractors on your behalf. Those funds become non-refundable at that point. Please be sure to take a look at the cancelation fee schedule provided for each tour.
Sometimes health issues crop up that you did not anticipate and cause you to cancel your tour. Occasionally we can resell the space and refund your money but often we can’t and it is unfortunate to see one of our clients lose those funds. We encourage you to consider purchasing travel insurance so that you can get your money back if you can’t make the trip. We provide information on various policies to each person who makes a deposit with us for a tour and again with the final payment billings.
We provide information on our Travel Insurance partner – which provides coverage to customers. Please call us and let us give you a quote on the cost. It is not fun to miss a trip but it is even worse to lose the money!
Cancellation and Interruption insurance is optional and is up to the individual traveler to purchase.
Documents and Other Assistance Passports
Passports
If you are traveling outside of the United States, even on a cruise ship that makes a round trip to a U.S. port, you will need a passport. It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to get a passport. If this is your first passport, go to the U.S. government website for the forms, instructions and passport office addresses.
You will need to appear at a passport office with
- your application,
- proof of citizenship (usually your birth certificate or social security card),
- proof of identity (your driver’s license or other government issued I.D.),
- 2 identical 2″x 2″ photos in color against a white background (the post office, Walgreen’s, Costco or Lieber’s Luggage can take these for you) and
- payment (as of February 20, 2020 $145).
If this is a passport renewal and your passport is 12 years old or less, you can apply for renewal by mail. Go to the U.S. government website to find the form and fees due, have new photos taken and mail the package at least 4 to 6 weeks ahead of your planned trip.
Real ID
Real I.D. is another type of identification, issued by the state of New Mexico. A real ID is a form of identification that meets increased security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. You will need a real I.D. to fly within the United States after October 1, 2020. It does not function as an international travel identification. You may go to the Motor Vehicle Department or to MVD offices with your required documents. Applicants must present two proofs of residency, such as a utility bill and a bank statement; proof of identity and legal residence in the United States; and a Social Security card. A W-2 form listing a Social Security number is an acceptable alternative to a Social Security card. More information?
Global Entry or other Trusted Traveler Programs
Global Entry and other Travel Security Administration-issued Trusted Traveler (TT) identifications allow you (or SUN TOURS) to add the TT number to travel records. When your TT number is on your airline records, for example, you will receive a TSA Pre-Check on your boarding pass and be allowed to go through a special TSA Pre-Check line, which usually allows you to skip removing liquids or computers from your carry-on bag and to skip removing your shoes. Upon your return from overseas, if you have a Global Entry card, you can go through a kiosk rather than wait in line at U.S. Immigration. There are 4 different types of Trusted Traveler programs and you must have a passport to register for any of them, even if you do not intend to travel overseas. Go to the Trusted Traveler website for more information.
STEP – SmartTravel Enrollment Program
STEP is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Once you have a passport, you can register yourself and add your trips as you prepare to travel. More information.