In force from 24 August 2026
1. The seller
1.1. The seller and service provider is Fundacja Dziko, a Polish foundation with its registered office at Krzywe 19A, 19-411 Świętajno, Poland.
1.2. The foundation is entered in the register of associations and foundations and in the register of entrepreneurs of the Polish National Court Register under number KRS 0000779318, tax identification number NIP 5213861674, statistical number REGON 382953669.
1.3. Totem Expeditions is a trading name of Fundacja Dziko. It is not a separate legal entity. Every contract concluded through www.totemexpeditions.com is concluded with Fundacja Dziko.
1.4. Contact: e-mail asktotems@gmail.com, telephone +48 787 907 058, postal address as in clause 1.1.
2. What we sell
2.1. We sell single tourist services, namely guiding, wildlife watching, nature photography workshops and access to observation hides.
2.2. We do not sell package holidays or linked travel arrangements. Accommodation, meals and travel to the meeting point are arranged and paid for by the client directly with providers of the client’s own choosing.
2.3. We may point the client towards places to stay nearby. Such information is given for convenience only. We do not act as an agent, do not take bookings on behalf of those providers and receive no commission from them.
2.4. The scope, duration, meeting point and price of each expedition are stated in its description on the website and repeated in the booking confirmation.
2.5. Ticketed events form a separate category. These are events with a fixed programme, a fixed date and a limited number of places, sold as tickets, in particular the Wolf Festival and Fathers Only. Clause 7.6 applies to ticketed events and the remaining provisions apply accordingly.
2.6. We also sell vouchers entitling the holder to take part in an expedition or a ticketed event. Clause 13 governs their use.
3. Formation of the contract
3.1. The client selects a date and the number of participants, completes the booking form and accepts these terms.
3.2. The contract is concluded when the client receives a booking confirmation by e-mail, after the payment has been credited.
3.3. The confirmation states the date, time and place of the meeting point, duration, number of participants, price and the guide’s contact details.
3.4. The client is responsible for the accuracy of the details given at booking, in particular the e-mail address and telephone number.
4. Prices and payment
4.1. Prices are stated in euro and include all applicable taxes. Prices in other currencies, where shown, are converted at the rate applied by the payment provider at the moment of payment.
4.2. Payment is made in advance through Stripe Payments Europe, Limited. Accepted methods are debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Link.
4.3. A booking is confirmed once the full amount has been credited. Unpaid bookings expire after 3 days.
4.4. An invoice is issued on request. The request, together with the billing details, must be made at the time of booking.
4.5. The price does not include accommodation, meals, travel, insurance, or the participant’s own photographic equipment and clothing.
5. Nature of the service and absence of any sighting guarantee
5.1. What we sell is the organisation and expert guiding of a search for wild animals, not a guarantee that any particular species will be seen.
5.2. The animals live in the wild and their behaviour cannot be predicted. Failure to see a given species is not a defect in the service and does not give rise to a refund.
5.3. We undertake to choose the timing, location and method of observation according to current field knowledge, and to conduct every expedition in a way that respects animal welfare and Polish nature protection law.
5.4. The guide may change the route, the location or the course of the expedition where this is required by the safety of participants, weather, ground conditions or the welfare of the animals observed.
6. Participant obligations
6.1. The participant confirms that their state of health allows them to take part in an expedition of the stated level of difficulty and that they have informed us of any health circumstance relevant to safety.
6.2. The participant follows the guide’s instructions, in particular as to silence, movement in the field and keeping distance from animals.
6.3. Persons under 18 may take part only in the company of an accompanying adult who has also booked a place.
6.4. The guide may exclude from the expedition a participant who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or who seriously breaches safety rules or disturbs wildlife. No refund is due in that case.
6.5. We strongly recommend that participants arrange their own travel, accident and equipment insurance.
7. Cancellation by the client
7.1. The client may cancel at any time by sending notice to the e-mail address in clause 1.4.
7.2. We refund 100 per cent of the price if notice is received 60 or more days before the expedition, 50 per cent if it is received between 59 and 15 days before, and nothing if it is received 14 or fewer days before.
7.3. Time runs from the day we receive the notice.
7.4. The client may nominate another person to take their place, provided we are told at least 3 days in advance and that person meets the requirements of clause 6. No refund is due in that case and any settlement is a matter between the client and the person nominated.
7.5. Refunds are made within 14 days, by the same means as the original payment.
7.6. Tickets for ticketed events are non-refundable, whenever notice of cancellation is given. The client may instead pass the ticket to another person by sending us that person’s name and contact details by e-mail at least 3 days before the event begins. Clauses 7.2 and 7.3 do not apply. Cancellation of an event by us is
settled under clause 8.
7.7. The fact that a ticket is non-refundable is stated in the description of every ticketed event before payment is made.
8. Cancellation or rescheduling by us
8.1. We may cancel an expedition if the minimum number of participants stated in its description is not reached. Notice on this ground will be given at least 7 days before the date.
8.2. We may cancel or curtail an expedition because of weather that endangers safety, a ban on entering the forest, illness of the guide, force majeure or a decision of the nature protection authorities.
8.3. Where we cancel, the client may choose between a full refund and a place on another agreed date. Refunds are made within 14 days.
8.4. Where an expedition is curtailed after it has begun for a reason in clause 8.2, the client receives a refund proportionate to the part not delivered.
8.5. We do not reimburse accommodation, travel or any other costs incurred by the client with third parties.
9. Right of withdrawal
9.1. Polish law governs this contract. Under article 38 point 12 of the Polish Consumer Rights Act of 30 May 2014, which implements article 16 letter l of Directive 2011/83/EU, the 14 day right of withdrawal from a distance contract does not apply to contracts for services related to leisure activities where the contract provides for a specific date of performance.
9.2. Our expeditions are sold for a specific date, so the statutory 14 day right of withdrawal does not apply. The cancellation rights in clause 7 apply instead.
10. Complaints
10.1. Complaints may be sent by e-mail to the address in clause 1.4 or in writing to our registered office.
10.2. A complaint should state the client’s details, the date of the expedition and the nature of the objection.
10.3. We will consider the complaint and reply within 14 days of receiving it.
11. Photographs and image rights
11.1. Photographs taken by a participant during an expedition remain their property and may be used without restriction, including commercially.
11.2. We may take photographs and video during an expedition. Publication of a participant’s image requires their separate and voluntary consent, which we ask for on site.
11.3. We do not disclose the precise location of protected species to third parties, and the participant undertakes not to publish location data of such sites, including in photograph metadata.
12. Vouchers
12.1. A voucher is a prepayment for a specified service. It is not goods and not a means of payment, and it cannot be exchanged for cash, in whole or in part.
12.2. Vouchers are personal. Each voucher carries an individual number and we keep a register of vouchers issued.
12.3. A voucher is issued either for a specific expedition date or with a validity of 12 months from the date of purchase, as chosen by the buyer. The expiry date is stated on the voucher itself.
12.4. A voucher is redeemed by quoting its number when booking and presenting identification on the day. One voucher admits one person.
12.5. A change of the person entitled requires notice by e-mail, giving the new person’s name and contact details, at least 7 days before redemption.
12.6. On request sent by e-mail before the expiry date, we extend the validity of a voucher once by 30 days. After the extended period the voucher lapses.
12.7. Where a voucher is issued for a specific date, failure to attend without prior notice counts as redemption. Rescheduling is governed by clause 7.
12.8. A voucher for a ticketed event relates to a specified edition of that event. Cancellation of that edition
by us is settled under clause 8.
13. Governing law and final provisions
13.1. These terms are governed by Polish law. Where the client is a consumer habitually resident in another country, this choice does not deprive the client of the protection of mandatory provisions of the law of that country.
13.2. Nothing in these terms limits consumer rights arising from mandatory provisions of law.
13.3. We may amend these terms. Contracts concluded before an amendment are governed by the terms in force on the day of booking.
