March 24-28:

• Arrive via Paris, Lyon, or Geneva and transfer to Alpe d’Huez, a breathtaking alpine town that hosts Tomorrowland Winter.

• Enjoy 4 days of music, snow sports, and alpine magic.

• Accommodation: Central lodgings near the festival grounds.

March 28:

• Check out of your Alpe d’Huez lodging.

• Option 1: Depart for home if your journey ends here.

• Option 2: Continue your adventure by traveling onward to another European destination (e.g. Paris, Barcelona) or…

• Option 3: Transfer to Zermatt for the next chapter (Group B).
  If you choose Zermatt, we recommend staying the night of March 28 in Geneva, Lausanne, or Brig to break up the trip.

March 29:

• Arrive in Zermatt by train. Check into your luxury chalet in the pedestrian-only village.

• Optional daily skiing/snowboarding (IKON pass or local ski pass options available)

• Other highlights:

  • Board Zermatt’s Gornergrat train, a cog railway choo-choo’ing its way up the steep mountainside through tunnels, over bridges and across ravines with beautiful views of the landscape and the majesty of the mountain range, and let its grandeur overwhelm you from the top. The panoramic views in every direction on the train is a must-see.
  • Stroll through Zermatt’s pedestrian-only village, filled with bars, restaurants, boutiques, souvenir shops, bakeries and shops selling Swiss cakes and chocolates.
  • Although we have free breakfasts, enjoy another breakfast at Fuchs Bakery, producing freshly baked croissants, sweets, and other goods with locally sourced ingredients.
  • If interested in the lifestyle of those who first staked a home here, pay a visit to Zermatlantis, the Matterhorn Museum
  • Dinner with a view at 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat, the highest hotel and restaurant in the Swiss Alps. Its restaurant, Vis-à-Vis, offers Swiss-centric meals made with local ingredients, including salmon trout, fondue, and pork cordon bleu.

April 1:

• Check out of your chalet

• Options:

  • Continue traveling through Switzerland (e.g., Lausanne, Lucerne, Zurich)

  • Relax with an extra day in Zermatt

  • Begin your journey home

WHY SHOULD I GO?

“Momentum comes from pushing, not from planning. Confidence comes from scars and risk, not from indecision.” – Life Doesn’t Start Tomorrow.

It starts with *you*. None of the following will ever matter unless you commit to your decision. Yes, dropping everything for something totally new and unknown can be scary! But nobody ever learned how to ride a bike by reading about it; you have to get on the damn thing! So get on and go!

You might respond with “Yeah, but…” “’Yeah, but…’ is pernicious. Because it makes it sound like we have the best of intentions when really we are just too scared to do what we should. It allows us to be cowards, while sounding noble.” – 3 Reasons to Travel While You’re Young.

Let’s entertain the possibility that you’ll skip out. Then watch us as we come back safe and sound, share our stories, show you our photos, and talk about how our lives have changed. Whether or not you will realize it then, when you have your first child, when in your midlife crisis, or on your deathbed, you’re inevitably going to regret that you missed out on an epic once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This could set the tone for the rest of your life. Don’t let this happen. Starting slowly never ever works in travel and habits become harder to break once you’ve accustomed yourself to a way of approaching new experiences.

Do you think that to skydive you first have to look it up on Wikipedia, or learn to fall off a table? No. You simply jump. So those of you who want to travel, travel. And imagine how easy traveling will seem to you afterwards. Imagine how much confidence you’ll gain in yourself. Imagine the bragging rights and stories you’ll have when you come home. Not many people realize that the opportunity for a tremendously positive life change is right in front of their faces: This could be the very moment where you turn your life around and finally do something *epic*. The world won’t wait for you.

What if I don't ski or snowboard?

Not a problem! There are plenty of activities you can do in Zermatt without skiing or snowboarding including hiking, exploring the pedestrian-only village of Zermatt, riding the tourist train for epic Swiss Alps views, and treating yourself with various spa treatments.

OK, I'M INTERESTED: How do I pay?

A 40% down payment is needed to secure your spot on the trip. We accept credit cards, cash (in person), PayPal, Zelle, Revolut, Square, Cash App, or Venmo.

What days should I book my flights to arrive?

Depends on what part of the trip you sign up for; please confirm with us directly before purchasing tickets!

Do you provide flight advice/support to get the cheapest flights?

Yep! We have expertise in this area and would be happy to assist you in booking the cheapest flights, finding hack fares, or work with loyalty mile programs to getting you free economy, business class, or first class flights.

I’d love to come, but I’m limited on budget.

Contact us anyway and we can come up with a deal or financial aid packages.

Can I come alone?

Yes, many of our monsooners have joined our trip by themselves and end up meeting a whole new group of friends. We usually attract people who come from a range of backgrounds and have different levels of experience with travel.

What if I don’t usually like traveling with people?

Our trips are designed by independent travelers with independent travel in mind — we want to provide everyone with the opportunity and experience of traveling alone should they choose to. Therefore, there’s zero pressure to stick with the group anytime. So if you want to venture off to a museum or try a different restaurant, by all means: Do it! The group will only be expected to stay together for transportation between cities.

Will you accommodate food restrictions?

Of course. Just tell us ahead of time when you sign up and we can make accommodations easily.

Do I need visas?

Depends on your nationality and type of passport. People with USA and EU nationalities do not need visas. Otherwise, we can help you with this if you need any visas. Please ask!

Will someone provide me with a list of tasks I need to complete for visas or pre-entry credentials

Yes, of course!

Do I need travel insurance?

Up to you! Some credit cards already include some sort of travel insurance (check with them). We tend to find the cheapest ones via our partners at G1G

Terms and Conditions between The Monsoon Diaries LLC, henceforth called “MD,” and the customer, henceforth called the “customer.” Booking a tour with MD acknowledges customer understanding and agreement to the following terms and conditions. BOOKING POLICY

• A 40% deposit is due upon booking confirmation and is non-refundable. The balance of payment is due 1 week before the tour commences. Following receipt of deposit customer is required to send relevant details for issuing of relevant permits.
• Failure to send true and correct information may result in refusal of visa, or permit, and thus results in forfeit of deposit.
• Should visa, or permit be refused through no fault of the customer, the customer shall receive a full refund minus associated banking costs.
• In the event of personal injury, or bereavement that prevents the customer taking part on the tour, MD reserve the right to increase the deposit minus associated fees.

CANCELLATION POLICY All cancellation notices must be received in writing and will become effective as of the date of receipt by MD. Tour refunds will be given according to the table below.

• 12 weeks (90 days) prior to the tour customers receive a 100% refund, minus associated and unrefundable costs.
• 60 – 89 days prior to the tour customers receive a 50% refund, minus associated and unrefundable costs.
• 8-59 days prior to the tour customers to receive a 10% refund, minus associated and unrefundable costs.
• Cancellations received on the day of or within 1 week of departure are non-refundable

Note: With all refunds the company shall not be held liable for any bank, and or associated fees linked to transferring refund, with sole responsibility being borne by the customer.

• MD may change these Terms & and Conditions at any time. MD will notify customers if changes to the booking terms and conditions are made.
• It is the responsibility of all customers, regardless of nationality and destination, to check with the consulate of the country they are visiting for current entry requirements. As visa and health requirements are subject to change with-out notice, we recommend that you verify health and visa requirements with the appropriate consulate prior to departure.
• Price quotations are subject to change without notice, until a booking has been confirmed.
• MD fully reserves the right to change or amend all itineraries on a case by case basis depending on the situation on the ground. MD will always provide a suitable replacement for anything cancelled on an itinerary.
• Train, and flight tickets are subject to availability. MD reserve the right to change the mode of transport depending on availability.
• If for any reason, a client does not complete any portion of their tour or abandons their scheduled tour after departure, MD will not grant a partial refund, nor shall there be any credit given towards future travel.

VISAS As with all travel there is always a minor chance that a visa will be refused. MD has an excellent track record for visas with a relatively insignificant amount having ever been turned down and all were with good reason. If the customer has provided accurate information to us and their visa is refused and refunded, MD will in turn grant a full refund of any payments made to MD minus associated transfer fees and costs but will not be held responsible for any costs incurred by the customer in traveling to Beijing, Kuala Lumpur or any other location from which their tour was scheduled to depart. In the event you have intentionally misled us in an attempt to enter a country, we will retain your deposit.

FORCE MAJEURE In the event of an uncontrollable event, such as war, revolution, and or natural disaster, the customer shall be entitled to a full refund. What constitutes force majeure is decided solely by the company. Note: With all refunds the company shall not be held liable for any bank, and or associated fees linked to transferring refund, with sole responsibility being borne by the customer.

TRAVEL INSURANCE Medical treatment in many destinations is not free, and it is strongly recommended that the customer take out their own travel insurance, AND check with the issuer whether it is valid in the country of the tour. MD does not provide, nor imply provision of health/travel insurance.

LOCAL LAWS

• Customers are required to follow local laws and regulations at all times. In the result of a breach of local law, MD will not be held in any way responsible and the customer will take responsibility for any consequences, financial or otherwise, that arise from their actions.
• Customers are required to follow the guidance and company rules of MD at all times. MD reserves the right to expel customers from the tour who do not follow company rules, without refund.

TOUR ITINERARY Due to the nature of travel/tourism of certain countries, itineraries do not provide or imply a guarantee of the tour’s contents. Though we will make every effort to keep itineraries as described and to find suitable replacements, the company reserves the right to make changes to the itinerary in response to unforeseeable events.  

TRAVEL EXCEPTIONS MD reserves the right in extreme cases to refuse service to anyone we deem unsuitable for one of our tours, in the event that MD deems you unsuitable prior to a tour any payment made to MD will be refunded minus associated transfer costs.  

TRANSIT VISA In the event the customer intends to travel to and from a country using a transit visa they bear full responsibility for ensuring the transit visa is organized correctly. MD will of course offer assistance in the event of issues arising with customer’s transit, but will in no case be held liable for any costs incurred in arranging customer exits.