Flight Centre purchased Topdeck Travel in 2014. Flight Centre agreed to buy 90% of the company in a deal that valued the youth tour operator at approximately £21 million ($38 million) at the time of acquisition.

Topdeck was started in 1973 by Australian-born, Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner.

Topdeck Travel was formerly know as Argas Persicus Ltd, which was a reference to the turkey tick, due to the founding partners having met in veterinary school.

Topdeck does not include flights to your tour departure location. You will need to book your own transportation to the start of your Topdeck tour.

But if your tour has an internal domestic flight as part of its itinerary, then the cost of your trip will include the domestic flights as part of your Topdeck tour package.

If you have any questions, you can contact Topdeck and they may be able to offer advice on how to get to your tour starting point.

Some Topdeck trips include domestic flights as part of the price, such as the Vietnam & Cambodia Explorer tour.

What’s included

Every Topdeck tour includes your transport, accommodation, some of your meals, lots of included experiences and of course your Topdeck tour guide.

Every trip is different, so you’ll need to look at the “included experiences” section of the Topdeck tour you’re interested in to see exactly what is offered.

Your included tour transport will typically be by bus; however, if your itinerary does include ferry, boat or internal domestic flights, then these will also be bundled as part of your tour price.

What’s not included

The following items are not included in the price of your Topdeck tour:

• Spending money
• Visas
• Travel insurance
• Departure taxes
• Any meals not listed on the tour itinerary
• Excursions and entrance fees (unless these are specified in the “included experiences” information section
• International flights to and from your Topdeck tour
• Any optional activities recommended while on tour

How much you need to pay will depend on how close you are booking to your trip departure date.

If you book more than 2 months in advance of your departure date, you only need to pay a small deposit. You will have 60 days prior to your tour departure to pay off the outstanding amount in full.

If you’re booking last-minute (60 days or less), then you are required to pay the full amount upfront.