SMALL PRINT
 Discover Houston Tours' Policies & Procedures

Fees: Fees vary depending on size of group and length of tour. Tours can be combined with lunch, dinner, or dessert. If a group cannot provide their own transportation, Discover Houston Tours can obtain transportation for an additional fee. Trick or Treat bags and souvenir handouts available on some tours. All children’s group tours include scavenger hunts.

Reservations & Deposits: Advance reservations with a $50 non-refundable deposit are always required. If, for some reason, you need to cancel or reschedule your tour, the deposit will be credited toward any Discover Houston Tours product during one year from the date of your original tour.  Deposits must be received within two weeks of booking your tour.  You must call in or email me your final count no later than 48 hours before the tour; there will be no credit for cancellations after that time.

Liability: Discover Houston Tours makes every effort to ensure that your tour will be safe and enjoyable. Tour participants agree that neither Discover Houston Tours nor its guides, who are independent contractors, shall be liable for any damage or loss, including personal injury, death, and property loss.

Accessibility: All buildings along the Downtown Houston Tunnel System are accessible. Discover Houston Tours attempts to ensure that groups with special needs have an itinerary that recognizes those needs.

Special Needs: Please notify Sandra Lord of any special needs as soon as possible; I cannot accommodate special needs on the day of the tour unless I have had time to make plans in advance. Special needs can include: being blind, deaf, wheelchair- or stroller-bound, afraid of heights, unable to use stairs, elevators and/or escalators, walking assisted by a cane, walker or crutches, or unable to walk or stand for long periods of time (20 minutes or more) without sitting down.

Pace: To enjoy your tour to the fullest, please carefully review the itinerary and level of physical activity involved. I will be happy to provide you with additional information to help you (i) choose the itinerary that is best for you and (ii) ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the tour for the rest of your group.

Restrooms & Rest Stops: There are restrooms at the start point and end point of each tour. Unless previously requested, there will be no rest stops during the tour except if an emergency situation arises. There are no public restrooms in Chase Tower.

Lunches, Restaurants & Shopping: Discover Houston Tours can customize your itinerary to allow time for snacks or meals at restaurants, as well as time to browse in shops along the tour route; however, unless you have requested that I customize your tour to allow time to stop to eat and/or shop, your tour will not include time for eating or shopping.

Sky Lobby Access:  TunnelWalk itineraries routinely include a trip to at least one sky lobby. Chase Tower has established Visitation Guidelines, which are available from Discover Houston Tours upon request. They stipulate that access to Chase Tower’s sky lobby is on a first-come, first-served basis and that groups visiting the sky lobby at any one time be limited to 15 people. As a result, your group may have to wait before they can go up to the sky lobby.

Wells Fargo Plaza Sky Lobby.  I take small, quiet groups to the sky lobby on the 58th & 59th floors.  No photographs may be taken in or from Wells Fargo's Sky Lobby.

Children

Ages: Many Discover Houston Tours are designed for children aged 5 to 17. I usually prefer not to accept children who are younger than 5 years old because I have found that they are often too young to fully enjoy my tours. I understand, however, that sometimes children younger than 5 will participate in the tours. Adults accompanying infants and toddlers should have carriers or strollers available in case the child becomes tired.

Chaperones: I require that children be accompanied by adults (one adult for every 10 children). Children should be aware that they will be touring in a professional environment and are expected to behave accordingly. So that guides can provide the best-possible tour, I expect all adult chaperones to be actively involved in the tour and to handle any disciplinary problems. I ask that the adult chaperones not talk on cell phones during the tours, except in the case of an emergency, and not stop to purchase food or beverages unless the children are also stopping to make similar purchases. I reserve the right to cancel any tour without refund if adults accompanying the children cannot control acting out or inappropriate behavior.  Inappropriate behavior includes running, jumping, yelling, trailing hands along walls, or sitting on the floor without permission from the guide. Discover Houston Tours may request that a group leader or principal sign a statement agreeing to the above conditions.

Lunches: When eating in a food court or a park, please monitor the children so that they do not run out into streets, climb trees, walk or run through gardens, or leave trash on the ground.

Safety Guidelines

Revolving Doors, Escalators & Elevators:  When using a revolving door, escalator or elevator, please monitor participants so that they use these facilities properly and do not cause themselves or others injury or inconvenience. Only one person should occupy a step on an escalator or a section of a revolving door.

Shoelaces: Most of my tours include taking escalators. In the interests of safety, please make sure that shoelaces do not droop down to floor level.

Rush Hour: If your group is walking in the Tunnel during peak traffic times such as the lunch hour (11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.), I will ask you to walk two-by-two on the right in order not to block pedestrian traffic.