COOKIE POLICY
Introduction
This Cookie Policy explains how Itaca Tours Ltd (“Itaca Tours”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our websites, including www.itacatours.com and booking.itacatours.com (collectively, the “Sites”). It describes what these technologies are, why we use them, and the choices available to you.
This Policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy, which provides detailed information about how we process personal data.
By continuing to browse or use our Sites, you consent to the use of cookies as described in this Policy, unless you have adjusted your browser or cookie settings to refuse them.
What are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites function properly, enhance user experience, and provide analytical or advertising insights.
Cookies may be:
- Session cookies – deleted when you close your browser
- Persistent cookies – stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
- First‑party cookies – set directly by Itaca Tours
- Third‑party cookies – set by external providers such as analytics, advertising, or affiliate partners
We also use related technologies such as:
- Tracking pixels
- Local storage
- SDKs and tags
These technologies operate similarly to cookies and are included within the scope of this Policy.
Why we use Cookies
We use cookies for several purposes, all of which support the functionality, security, and performance of our Sites. These purposes include:
- Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are essential for the operation of the Sites and cannot be disabled. Without these cookies, the Sites may not function correctly. They enable core functions such as:
- Page navigation
- Secure login
- Form submissions
- Fraud prevention
- Cookie prfeference management
- Performance and Analytics Cookies: These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Sites. We use this data to improve website performance, detect errors, and enhance user experience. We can collect information such as:
- Pages visited
- Time spent on each page
- Clickstream data
- Browser and device information
- Traffic sources
- Functionality Cookies: These cookies allow the Sites to remember your preferences, providing a more personalized and consistent experience, such as:
- Language settings
- Region
- Login details
- Display preferences
- Advertising and Targeting Cookies: These cookies track your browsing behavior to display relevant advertisements and measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. They may be set by affiliate partners (e.g., GetYourGuide, Civitatis, TourRadar); advertising networks and/or social media platforms. They may collect information such as:
- Browsing history
- Interests inferred from activity
- Interaction with ads or affiliate links
- Affiliate Tracking Cookies: These cookies are controlled by the respective affiliate platforms and governed by their own privacy policies. When you click on an affiliate link on our Sites, cookies may be placed by the affiliate provider to:
- Track referrals
- Attribute bookings or purchases
- Calculate commissions
- Verify transaction details
Cookies used on our Sites
The specific cookies used may vary over time, but they generally fall into the following categories:
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Examples |
| Strictly Necessary | Security, login, session management | Session cookies, CSRF tokens |
| Analytics | Traffic measurement, performance | Google Analytics, Clarity |
| Functionality | Preferences, saved sattings | Language cookies, login state |
| Advertising | Personalized ads, retargeting | Meta Ads, Google Ads |
| Affiliate Tracking | Referral attribution | GetYourGuide, Civitatis, TourRadar |
A detailed and updated list of cookies may be provided in our Cookie Banner or Consent Management Platform (CMP).
Legal basis for using Cookies
Under the UK GDPR, the EU GDPR, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), the use of cookies and similar tracking technologies is subject to strict rules designed to protect user privacy and ensure transparency. In particular:
- Strictly necessary cookies do not require consent.
These cookies are essential for the operation of the Sites and are permitted under PECR without requiring user approval. They enable core functionalities such as secure login, session management, fraud prevention, and the storage of cookie preferences. Because these cookies are fundamental to delivering the service requested by the User, they may be placed automatically. - All other cookies require explicit, informed, and freely given user consent before being placed on your device.
This includes:- Analytics and performance cookiesAdvertising and retargeting cookiesFunctionality and personalization cookiesAffiliate tracking cookiesSocial media and embedded content cookies
- Consent must meet GDPR standards.
This means it must be:- Granular (Users must be able to choose categories, not “all or nothing”)
- Informed (Users must understand what each category does)
- Freely given (No conditioning access to the service on accepting non‑essential cookies)
- Revocable at any time (Users must be able to change or withdraw consent easily)
- Pre‑ticked boxes, implied consent, or passive acceptance are not valid.
Cookies cannot be placed until the User has actively selected their preferences.
To comply with these requirements, our Sites use a Cookie Banner and a Consent Management Platform (CMP) that:
- Presents clear information about each category of cookies
- Allows Users to accept, reject, or customize their preferences
- Blocks all non‑essential cookies until consent is given
- Stores proof of consent in accordance with regulatory requirements
- Allows Users to modify or withdraw their consent at any time
- Ensures that consent is refreshed periodically, as required by law
This system ensures full compliance with UK and EU regulations and provides Users with meaningful control over how their data is collected and used.
Third-Party Cookies
Our Sites use cookies and tracking technologies that may be placed not only by Itaca Tours Ltd but also by carefully selected third‑party providers. These third parties support essential functions such as analytics, advertising, affiliate tracking, payment processing, security, and booking management.
These third parties may collect information about your browsing behaviour, device identifiers, IP address, interaction with content, and referral activity, and may combine this data with information gathered from other websites or services. Such cookies can be set by analytics platforms like Google Analytics or Microsoft Clarity to measure traffic and performance; by advertising networks and social media platforms to deliver personalised ads, measure campaign effectiveness, or enable social sharing features; by affiliate partners such as GetYourGuide, Civitatis, TourRadar or Viator to attribute bookings and calculate commissions; and by payment processors or fraud‑prevention tools to ensure secure transactions.
Because these cookies are controlled by external providers, their use is governed by the privacy and cookie policies of the respective third parties, who may act as independent data controllers and may process or transfer data according to their own legal obligations.
We encourage Users to review the policies of these providers when interacting with their services, as Itaca Tours does not control how third parties use or share the data collected through their technologies.
International Data Transfers
Some cookies and tracking technologies involve the transfer of personal data to countries outside the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area, including the United States and other jurisdictions where our service providers, analytics platforms, advertising networks, affiliate partners, or cloud hosting services operate. These transfers may occur because third‑party providers maintain global infrastructures or process data on servers located abroad.
Whenever such transfers take place, we implement appropriate safeguards to ensure that your data remains protected, including the use of UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs), EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), adequacy decisions issued by the UK Government or the European Commission, and technical and organisational measures such as encryption, pseudonymisation, and strict access controls. Third‑party providers may rely on their own transfer mechanisms and compliance frameworks, and may act as independent data controllers when processing cookie‑related information.
Regardless of where the data is processed, our aim is to ensure that it receives an equivalent level of protection, and Users may request further information about the safeguards applied or exercise their rights under applicable data protection laws by contacting us at privacy@itacatours.com.
How you can manage Cookies
- Managing cookies through our cookie banner:
You can manage your cookie preferences directly through the Cookie Banner that appears when you first visit our Sites. This banner allows you to accept all cookies, reject non‑essential cookies, or customise your choices according to the categories you consider appropriate. The system is designed to block all cookies that are not strictly necessary until you have expressed your preferences through a clear affirmative action. Your consent is stored securely and remains valid for a limited period, after which you may be asked to review your choices again in accordance with regulatory requirements. You may also reopen the Cookie Banner at any time to modify or withdraw your consent, ensuring that you remain in full control of how your data is collected and used.
- Managing cookies through your browser settings:
Most web browsers allow you to control how cookies are stored and handled on your device. Through your browser’s privacy or security settings, you can choose to block the installation of cookies, delete those already stored, or configure your browser to notify you before a cookie is placed. These settings give you an additional layer of control beyond the options offered by our Cookie Banner. However, adjusting your browser settings may affect the way our Sites function. Certain features rely on cookies to operate correctly, and restricting them may result in reduced performance, limited access to specific areas, or a less personalised browsing experience. The extent of these effects will depend on the settings you choose and the type of cookies you decide to block.
- Using third-party opt-out tools:
Some third‑party providers offer their own tools to manage how their cookies and tracking technologies operate across the web. These tools may allow you to opt out of analytics tracking, personalised advertising, or behavioural profiling carried out by specific platforms. For example, analytics providers may offer browser add‑ons that prevent data collection, while advertising networks and social media platforms often provide preference centres where you can adjust how your activity is used for marketing purposes. These opt‑out mechanisms operate independently from our Sites and are governed by the policies of the respective providers. Using them may help you refine your privacy preferences across multiple websites and services, although the effectiveness of these tools may vary depending on your device, browser, and regional regulations.
Changes to this Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time in order to reflect changes in our business practices, technological developments, or legal and regulatory requirements applicable in the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States, or any other jurisdiction in which we operate. Any modification may arise from updates to the cookies or tracking technologies we use, adjustments to our consent management processes, changes in the services provided by our third‑party partners, or amendments to data protection and electronic communications laws such as the UK GDPR, the EU GDPR, or the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
Whenever we make changes, the revised version will be published on this page together with an updated “Last Updated” date, ensuring that Users can easily identify the most recent version. Continued use of our Sites after such changes have been implemented will be understood as acceptance of the updated Policy, although Users may review or modify their cookie preferences at any time through the Cookie Banner or their browser settings.
We encourage Users to revisit this Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and how their personal data may be affected by any updates.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, you may contact us at:
Itaca Tours Ltd
71–75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom
Email: privacy@itacatours.com
Updated Jan 11, 2026