Deposits and cancellations on hosted trips: what's usual and what to ask

Updated 4 Oct 2026

Most hosted trips ask for a deposit to hold your place and the rest of the price later, but every host sets their own terms. Read the host's terms before you pay anything, and ask about anything that isn't written down.

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Your contract is with the host, so their terms are the ones that count.

Who you're paying

On hosted/trips you book directly with the host, on their own site. hosted/trips takes no bookings or payments, and no cut of what you pay the host. That means every question about money, refunds or changes goes to the host, and their terms are the only ones that apply.

It also means terms vary a lot from trip to trip. A small workshop run by one person can work very differently from a group trip with flights, a ship or a venue booked months ahead.

How deposits usually work

A common pattern looks like this:

1. A deposit when you book. This holds your place. It is often a fixed amount or a share of the total price.
2. The balance later. The rest is usually due some weeks or months before the trip starts.
3. Sometimes a payment plan. Some hosts split the balance into instalments.

Hosts often take deposits because they've committed money of their own: a venue, rooms, guides, transport. Some of that money may not come back to them if a guest cancels. That's why many deposits are partly or fully non-refundable. It isn't always the case, so check.

Things to look for on the trip page or in the host's terms:

• How much the deposit is, and whether any of it is refundable
• When the balance is due, and what happens if a payment is late
• What the price includes and what it doesn't
• Which currency you'll pay in

How cancellations usually work

If you cancel

Many hosts use a sliding scale: the closer to the trip you cancel, the less you get back. Some offer a credit toward a future trip instead of a refund. Some let you pass your place to someone else. Some don't refund at all after a certain date. All of these are normal, and none is guaranteed.

If the host cancels

Ask what happens if the host cancels, or if the trip doesn't reach the number of guests it needs to run. Ask whether you'd get a full refund, a credit, or a choice between them, and how long a refund would take.

If something outside anyone's control happens

Severe weather, travel disruption or illness can affect a trip. Hosts handle this in different ways. Ask how they would handle it, and whether their answer is written into their terms.

Questions to ask the host before you pay

1. Is the deposit refundable, and until when?
2. When is the balance due, and can I pay in instalments?
3. If I cancel, what do I get back at each stage?
4. Can I transfer my place to someone else?
5. What happens if you cancel or change the trip?
6. What happens if the trip doesn't fill?
7. Where are your full terms written down, and can I have a copy?

Get the answers in writing, even if that's just an email. If something is unclear, ask again before you pay rather than after.

Think about travel insurance

Some travellers buy travel insurance that can cover cancellation, medical costs or disruption. Whether it's right for you depends on the trip, where you live and what the policy covers. Policies differ a lot, so read what's included and excluded before you buy, and check whether the host's terms ask you to have any cover. Some hosts require it, many don't. We recommend it, ideally with "cancel for any reason" cover, and we explain why in travel insurance for hosted trips. The choice of policy is yours.

Booking flights or other travel separately? Remember that the host's terms usually cover only what you paid the host. Anything you booked yourself has its own rules.

Find a trip

Browse retreats, group trips or workshops, or see every trip. Trips are listed by the soonest booking-closing date, so you can see what's closing first and leave yourself time to read the terms properly.