What minimum and maximum numbers on tour mean for you
- Sidetracks Women
- Aug 18
- 4 min read
You may have found a tour you'd really like to join, but noticed that it hasn't yet been guaranteed. Perhaps you're wondering whether to book now or wait, particularly if flights, accommodation or other travel plans are involved. It's a very understandable question, and it comes down largely to the minimum and maximum participant numbers shown for each of our tours.
The maximum tells you how large your group could be. The minimum tells you how many confirmed bookings we normally need before a departure can go ahead. Both numbers are important, but for quite different reasons.
Why do we have a maximum group size?
The maximum protects the small-group nature of the experience. You know when you book that you won't suddenly find yourself travelling with a much larger group than you expected.
For us, a small group isn't simply about numbers. It makes it easier for everyone to get to know one another, for guides to support different needs and paces, and for the group to share meals, conversations and experiences together. The maximum number for each tour is shown on the individual tour page.
Why is there also a minimum number?
Running a guided multi-day tour involves substantial costs that don't change very much according to the number of women taking part. Transport, guides, accommodation, vehicle costs and many of the arrangements behind the scenes still need to be provided whether there are four people booked or ten. For that reason, each tour has a minimum number of confirmed participants needed for the departure to operate as planned.
Occasionally, for a variety of reasons, we may decide to operate a tour even though it has not reached the published minimum number. We may also confirm a departure before the minimum has been reached if we feel confident that it is likely to attract the remaining bookings. At times, we may also take additional steps to encourage the remaining bookings if a departure is close to being confirmed.
Sometimes that early confirmation helps women who have been interested in the tour but were reluctant to commit while it was still unconfirmed. It gives them the confidence to make their own travel arrangements and, in turn, can help the departure reach its minimum number. But confirming early is a decision we take carefully, and it isn't possible for every tour.
Some departures are smaller than others – and that can make for a very special group experience..
Does that mean you should wait until a tour is confirmed before booking?
It's an understandable thought – particularly when flights or other travel arrangements are involved. The difficulty is that if everyone waits for a tour to be confirmed before booking, the tour may never reach the number it needs to go ahead. If you genuinely want to join a particular departure, booking rather than waiting gives that tour the best chance of being confirmed.
We also know that committing to a tour involves more than simply paying us. You may need to book flights, arrange accommodation before or afterwards, take leave or make other plans. That's why we think it's important that you understand exactly how our minimum-number policy works before you book.
When will Sidetracks make a decision?
We don't automatically wait until 31 days before departure to make a decision. If it becomes clear earlier that a tour is very unlikely to reach its required minimum number, we may cancel it sooner so that the women already booked have as much notice as possible. For cancellations due to insufficient confirmed bookings, the latest we may cancel a departure is 31 days before the tour start date.
If we cancel a tour because it has not reached sufficient confirmed bookings, you have a few options. You can receive a full refund of all payments you have made to Sidetracks, transfer to another departure of the same tour if a suitable date is available, or transfer your booking to a different Sidetracks tour. We will talk through the available options with you, but the choice is yours.
There is a separate provision for circumstances beyond our reasonable control. If an event outside our control prevents us from operating a tour, cancellation may be necessary at any time up to the tour start date. Additional costs you have incurred yourself – such as flights, accommodation or other travel arrangements – are not covered by Sidetracks. For this reason, we strongly recommend having appropriate travel insurance and considering cancellation or change conditions when making travel arrangements connected with your tour. You can find the full details in our Terms & Conditions.
Different tours, different group sizes – but always small enough to get to know one another.
And if you're unsure whether a particular departure is likely to go ahead?
Please ask us. We can't predict future bookings or promise that an unconfirmed departure will reach its minimum number. Equally, a confirmed departure does not necessarily mean that the published minimum has already been reached – sometimes we have chosen to guarantee it earlier. But we can tell you the current booking situation and give you as much useful information as we can. For many women, that makes it easier to decide whether to book now, choose another confirmed departure, or wait a little longer. And of course, we let everyone booked on a tour know as soon as it is confirmed. Content updatet 18 Aug 2026
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