Halloween Specials

If you are organizing a group to take on a tour of the “Portland Underground”, you need to assist us to insure that everything is being coordinated and no one in your group is left out. You need to make sure that you do or understand each of these eighteen “key” items that need to take place.

Since our tours may involve individuals not associated with your own particular group, it is critical that you understand what our policies are that have been implemented to both facilitate cooperation and attempt to meet individual needs of those people who are coming together on our tours. So please, if you need clarification on any of these items or do not understand something, please contact us immediately so we can answer these questions: 503-622-4798 or email shanghaitunnels@onemain.com.

Also, the tours of the “Portland Underground” are made possible by the efforts of very dedicated volunteers. To make things go smoothly, we have had to implement certain policies. These are included in the eighteen “key” items listed below. If you don't understand something or need clarification, please contact us immediately.

1. We define a group as two or more people. [NOTE: This means that on a tour there may be multiple groups going on the same tour at the same time. Therefore, everyone is expected to cooperate and understand that we are attempting to meet everyone's expectations. If you do not want others on your tour, please see item #5.]

2. We have three primary tours that we offer — the “Shanghai Tunnel Heritage Tour,” the “Shanghai Tunnel Ghost Tour,” and the “Shanghai Tunnel Ethnic Heritage Tour.” However, if the tour has multiple groups, then there may be a blending of tours. [Note: If you don't want to do a certain type of tour, see #10 below.]

3. To ensure that the date and time for your tour is correct, make sure that you are officially signed up through “Portland Underground Tours” by calling (503) 622-4798, or through email confirmed by Cascade Geographic Society.

4. Do not sign up your group until you have verified with your participating members that the agreed-upon time and date will work. Once you get on our schedule, we are "locked-in" and we must begin organizing everything around it. If you have to change that date or time, it will affect numerous other tours, others schedules, and volunteer projects that need to be completed. So please, confirm your date and time with the members of your group first before officially getting on our schedule.

Once you are on the reservation list with us, your tour will happen. There is no need to further “confirm” the tour. If you are reserved and prepaid, the tour will happen. If there is a problem on our end, we will contact you.

5. To secure a date and time that is not already scheduled, you need to have a minimum of 15 people. After a time and date has been set to accommodate the 15 individuals in your group, if we learn that there is interest from others for this same date and time, then we will be adding them to your group, which could increase the total size of the group to 30 or even 35. If, however, you do not want outside people added to your group, then you need a minimum of 30 or you need to pay for 30. This is the only way that we will restrict people from participating on the same tour that you and your group are going on.

6. If you have your own group, meaning if you have a minimum of 30 people, you can go up to a maximum of 35.

7. If you want to add additional people to your tour, please give us a call to make sure that we have room. If there is room and if there is time for you to prepay by mailing a check, you can do so to cover the new people. However, if there isn't time, as the group leader you must collect the money from them (exact cash or check) and you can pay us just before the tour, if arrangements to do so were made with us.

8. Payment for your group must be POSTMARKED to us within 72 hours of officially getting on to our schedule. This means placing payment ($12/adults, $7/children under twelve) in a properly addressed envelope to Portland Underground Tours, P.O.Box 398, Rhododendron, Oregon 97049 and mailing it within the 72 hour time frame.

Please write the date of your tour on both your check and the envelope, for efficiency of bookkeeping on our end. If the check does not arrive, we will try once to contact you before removing you from our schedule for non-payment. Do not contact us for verification that your check has arrived, as we do not have staff to handle this; if you mail your payment on time, count on its arrival. PLEASE NOTE: We do not provide “tickets” for the tour. Your paid reservation is all you need.

9. There are no refunds! Reserving a spot on the tour of the “Portland Underground” is like buying a concert ticket; if you or someone in your group cannot make it, it is up to you to find someone who can take your place.

10. If you have a blended group, meaning if your group is merged with another or other groups, then there is a possibility for a “blended tour.” This entails one, two, or all three of our tours incorporated together. We are still physically in the same area in the “Portland Underground”; just the added focus of the information is varied. If, however, you do not want a “blended tour,” then you need to have a minimum of 30 or you need to pay for 30.

11. Make sure you have read the information on the “Portland Underground Tours” website. If you do not understand something or want clarification, please get in touch with us at least 48 hours before the tour. Due to the large volume of calls, if you call us the day of the tour, we may not be able to get back to you.

12. Try to see that each member of your group has read the information on the “Portland Underground Tours” website so that they understand how the tour is conducted, where to meet, where to park, etc. Please understand that, quite often, groups are combined in one tour time, and it is only fair that all groups are prepared for their tour and are on time. Unprepared or tardy groups either delay everyone's tour and we may actually have to curtail part of the tour to stay on time for the next tour, or the group may actually have to reschedule, at their own expense.

13. Provide a working email address so that you can download the waiver that each person in your group must sign. If you don't have an email address, then please provide a working fax number.

14. The waivers must be signed by each member of your group prior to the tour. Obviously, do not wait until the tour is to start to begin having your group sign the waivers. Anyone not willing to sign a waiver will not be attending the tour; this is a legal requirement.

15. The signed waivers must be handed to the tour leader prior to the beginning of the tour, not afterwards.

16. To insure that your tour is going to take place, please send one check (or one set of checks in one envelope) that covers each person in your group. Please write the date and time of your tour on the check so that it can be easily tracked. [NOTE: Do not have individual participants in your group send in their own checks. Guaranteed, this will confuse the issue. And, if you do not want to pay for any of your participants in advance, then have them sign-up directly with us and please do not list them as part of your group so that they will not be counted twice which would obviously cause problems with planning.]

17. Tours must begin on time. If you or anyone in your party delays the start of the tour, then this will adversely cut into the length of your tour. It is essential that all participants plan for time to park, time to use the restroom (since there will be no restrooms available during the tour), time to eat (if dining ahead of the tour time), and so forth. Please be at the meeting site, which is inside of Hobo's Restaurant (located at 120 NW Third Avenue) at least 15 minutes in advance of the tour, but one-half hour is even better for planning purposes, in case there are unexpected delays with parking, eating, the arrival of some of the members of your party, etc.

18. If you need a receipt, it is your responsibility to bring one already filled out exactly how you and your bookkeeper prefer it, and we will sign it on the spot. Or, send a receipt to us at PO Box 398, Rhododendron, Oregon 97049, along with a self-addressed-stamped envelope, and we will immediately sign it and mail it back to you, or even fax it or email it if you desire. No exceptions! If you want a receipt, please just follow the directions.