FAQs
Frequently asked questions about the Ranch, property, bungalows, and basics.
Check in time is 2:30PM. Check out time is 11:00am. Should you wish to enjoy your complimentary daily zoo admission on the day you check-in, you'll want to arrive as close to 10am as possible that day. You can however tour the zoo on the day you check-out, any time between 10am and 3pm.
Early check in is possible if your bungalow was vacant the previous evening but it is never guaranteed. There is a $25 late check in fee between 6pm and 9pm and a $50 late check-in fee between 9-11pm. Prior arrangements must be made to check any time after 6pm.) We do no check-ins after 11pm. Late check-ins are NOT always avail depending on staff so you must call to make such arrangements ahead of time. For the safety of our staff and animals, we do no check-ins after 11pm. Those with reservations who are unable to arrive prior to 11pm or who have not made arrangements for late check in will not have access to their bungalow and forfeit the total cost of their reservations.
Our lobby and staff are open and avail until 6pm every day. We do not have staff on duty 24-hrs but we are reachable via cell phone at all times for emergency reasons only.
We deliver a continental picnic style breakfast at approx. 9am daily. Breakfast time is dictated by the needs of our animals. We do try to find a balance between delivering breakfast quickly and early enough so you can get on with your day but not so early that those vacationing cant sleep in. At 9:30 am, all guests are invited to meet at our Zoo Gift Shop where they are then allowed to meet and greet our one of our zoo animal ambassadors for breakfast. Photo ops are awesome.
The bungalows with the best views of the animals from their attached decks are #'s 3, 4, 5 and 8 however viewing decks are available for the other bungalows to enjoy the same view, you simply walk a short distance to them. Click here to see those decks.
No, bungalows are not interchangeable upon your arrival. Be sure to book the bungalow that best suits your needs when making your reservation. If you have disability needs, be sure you are booking a bungalow that is ADA compliant. They are on a first come first serve reservation basis and not guaranteed to be available to all.
All bathrooms have stand up or ADA showers, refrigerators and coffee makers, logo'd robes (avail for sale only) hair dryers and more.
The bug netting over our beds is just a fun decoration, not a necessity. Worry not, we have never had a bug problem.
Yes, the bungalows are heated to the best of our legal ability with one 220W floor heater, one 110W space heater and an electric heated bed pad. Most find them comfortable all year round however the bungalows are canvas walled and some extremely cold winter nights are difficult for any heater(s) to compete with so we urge those visiting in the winter to bring warm pajamas to compliment the heating available. If you require a more heated environment, we recommend you book during the summer months as we can not/will not be responsible for weather and offer no refunds for such. It is your responsibility to check weather forecasts / conditions before booking or arriving as we will not be responsible for such and offer no refunds, relief from our cancellation policy and/or compensations of any kind for inclement weather.
We do have staff avail. 24/7 should an emergency or heating equipment fail and need replacement during your stay. No, the bungalows are not air-conditioned as very few parts of Monterey County ever see a need for air-conditioning and are if anything, cooler by nature due to our proximity to the ocean. Most homes in Monterey do not have AC. We do have electric fans available should rare warmer weather find us.
Two of our bungalows are ADA compliant - Giraffe Manor (Bungalow #4) and the Pachyderm Palace (Bungalow #1) are completely ADA compliant and wheel chair accessible. All bungalow bathrooms have stand up or ADA showers.
Due to the "nature" of the animals visiting the bungalows each morning and evening, service animals and pets are not allowed in the bungalow area (it simply isn't safe for them or our animals) but complimentary boarding is available to task-trained service dogs while their caregivers are at their bungalows. BE SURE to call for vaccination requirements and restrictions for such animals.
Visitors not checked in on your registration are not allowed to enter and/or occupy the B&B property for insurance and liability reasons. They are welcome to meet our guests at the main lobby/building area to join the tour or join up with them. Unregistered family/guests are not allowed in the B&B areas.
Additional guests other than those described and paid for on your reservation will be charged an additional $60-person. This is for the third and fourth persons staying with you in your bungalow, REGARDLESS OF AGE. This DOES NOT negate our age limit rule of 4-years and older or maximum occupancy rule of 2 to 4 people per bungalow, depending on your reservation! We offer no refunds, relief from our cancellation policy or compensation of any kind to those arriving in violation of occupancy rules as they are beyond our control. It is your responsibility to determine if our property is a proper fit for you and your family.
No, the animals are not running free unless under the direct supervision of their trainer.
Weather permitting, animals are walked by the bungalows starting at 3:00 pm daily.
Elephants are no longer housed at Monterey Zoo-Vision Quest Ranch. We discontinued housing elephants in early 2021 when we placed our final remaining elephant in another accredited zoo to be in the company of other elephants. Today we are very proud to introduce our new rhinoceros program to all who visit, to include hands-on opportunities with our rhinos.
Monterey zoo is open 10am-3pm daily. Your admission one day of your stay is complimentary however there are additional charges for zoo meet-n-greets or other extra zoo activities you may elect to participate in. B&B guests wishing to visit the zoo additional days may do so at a discounted admission price. We also invite all to consider enhancing your visit with one of Monterey Zoo's "full contact private tours". These tours are very up-close and personal with several of the zoo's "wild things".
You can sign up for the Crunch and Bedtime Time Tour(s) when checking in at 2:30 pm or earlier so don't worry about calling to make reservations for those tours. These tours start 4:30pm.
Internet Service is not provided. We are however within cell range for those with celluar data service.
Although we do not have telephones in the suites, we are well within cell range for those who do not feel comfortable being out of reach.
In case of emergencies, radio call boxes are located in all bungalows which communicate with our lobby during office hours (8am-6pm). Guests are also given emergency phone numbers they can call from their cell phones (which do work fine at each bungalow) after hours. These numbers are to be used for emergencies only. Our gates do afford emergency responders access at all times.
Our Office/Giftshop/Lobby hours are from 8am-6pm, 7days a week (excluding holidays).
Ice is available at our check in lobby until 6pm only and should be asked for prior to going to the bungalow. It is not avail after hours however there is a convenient store almost across the street.
No, we do not have a restaurant on the property but one of our favorites is a stone's throw from our entrance and we encourage all to visit the several world renowned restaurants in immediate surrounding towns. You'll get a map to our favorites at check-in.
Forget something? There is a small country style store located just down and across the street that actually stocks some very nice local wines as well as ice if our machine is not in service.
You may come and go as you please from the ranch. You'll be given codes to the security gate and a key to your bungalow, however codes are not allowed to be shared with anyone - visitors or delivery services. Guests must meet delivery services in the zoo parking area or outside the B&B gates to receive their deliveries.
Those booking with third party discount companies or coupon programs or web-based booking-engines (Groupon, travel agents, etc...) must deal with those companies for issues of possible cancelations, refunds etc. However you are completely responsible for our rules, restrictions and policies as posted on this website, regardless of who you booked with or what they failed to inform you.
For reservations using coupons and/or discounts: if the coupon program does not have a booking program or it is not working correctly, please call our office at (831) 455-1901. If necessary, leave a message and someone will return your call in the order they are received. Again, please be patient, calls are answered as animal care allows.
Winter rates do not apply to Holiday or Special Events days.
RANCH POLICIES
Ranch policies, rules, and restrictions - we take these very seriously to care for our property and animals.
A minimum of one nights' room charge is required as a deposit when making a reservation.
Check in time is 2:30 pm. Registration is open from 2:30pm-6pm. Please check in at our main office the Monterey Zoo Gift Shop located at 400 River Road. Late checks in will be subject to a $25 USD fee (6pm-9pm) and a $50 USD fee (9pm-11pm). Special arrangements MUST be made in advance for late check-in. There is absolutely NO late check-in after 11pm. This is a NO SMOKING facility. The B&B area is for registered guests only. Children must be at least 4 years of age to stay in the B&B. No pets are allowed in the Bed & Breakfast. Arriving with under-aged children and/or pet(s) or additional guests beyond our occupancy rules will result in the cancellation of your reservation with no refund or compensation. Check out is at 11:00 am. Your stay includes admission to the zoo. We walk animals by to visit with the guests at 3:00 PM only.
Cancellations must be made 7 days prior to arrival to receive a refund and early check outs are subject to 7 day cancellation policy. Friday and Saturday cancellations MUST be made no later than 14 days before reservation date. There are NO EXCEPTIONS, REGARDLESS OF ANY CIRCUMSTANCE to include illness or family emergencies of any kind. Vision Quest Ranch no longer makes exceptions for positive COVID testing. A no show is considered a cancellation. Our Cancellation Policy is very strictly enforced and although we deeply sympathize with your unfortunate circumstances, loss or emergency, our small boutique facility and our animals are very dependent upon our full occupancy therefore we simply can not afford to absorb the loss of income/vacancy resulting from such misfortunes. We are a very small property with a VERY LARGE overhead due to the tremendous care required and deserved of our animals. We hope you understand.
Family of five or more? We're sorry but our bungalows only accommodate 2-4 guests regardless of age due to very strict county licensing and fire codes. We do not allow sleeping bags or inflatable beds. Families of 5 or more are required to rent additional bungalows. We do our best to get them side by side. That doesn't mean you can't interact together in one bungalow, you simply can't sleep in one.
Parties of 5 or more must have more than one bungalow rented to be in the B&B area. We offer no refunds or financial relief of any kind from our cancellation policy or compensation of any kind to those arriving in violation of occupancy rules as they are beyond our control and we do not get walk-in traffic to absorb your cancellation. It is your responsibility to determine if our property is a proper fit for you and your family.
VQR B&B does not allow children under 4 years of age or pets of any kind for any reason in the B&B area.
Although we do share our experience with kids 4 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER ONLY, we do so hoping parents will help us maintain the tranquil and peaceful atmosphere our guests have grown to know and appreciate. We do not consider Vision Quest Ranch a camp ground and it is not ideal for the energy level of some kids. We leave it to the parents to determine if their kids will enjoy our facility while honoring the rules we've created.
Kids are asked to remain on their bungalow decks at all times unless under the immediate (arms length) supervision of an adult. We ask that all noise be limited so that it cannot be heard from a neighboring bungalow.
Absolutely no bicycles, skate boards, roller skates/blades or other such devices are allowed on the property. Again we reiterate, our facility is not ideal for all kids if high energy activities are necessary to entertain them.
Additional guests other than those described and paid for on your reservation will be charged an additional $60-person. This is for the third and fourth persons staying with you in your bungalow, REGARDLESS OF AGE. This DOES NOT negate our age limit rule of 4-years and older or maximum occupancy rule of 2 to 4 people per bungalow, depending on your reservation! We offer no refunds, relief from our cancellation policy or compensation of any kind to those arriving in violation of occupancy rules as they are beyond our control. It is your responsibility to determine if our property is a proper fit for you and your family.
Visitors not checked in on your registration are not allowed to enter and/or occupy the B&B property for any reason. They are welcome to meet our guests at the main lobby/building area to join the tour or join up with them. Unregistered family/guests are not allowed in the B&B areas. Registered guests found with family/guests past the B&B gates will be charged $60 per unregistered guest regardless of their reason for being there or the length of time they are there. The experience at Vision Quest Ranch does begin upon entering our gates, and part of the price of your stay.
Vision Quest Ranch is an absolute Nonsmoking property - no exceptions! Smokers are asked to smoke in their vehicles outside the ranch gates. We apologize for our bluntness but unlike a normal dwelling, smoke can not be washed out of our South African Bungalow's canvas, making smoke permeation permanent! Our landscape is rolling plains of dry grass ~ just like Africa. One cigarette butt could destroy a dream as well as threaten the lives of our animals. We hope you understand and agree with our logic.
The state of California and Monterey County have lifted COVID restrictions considerably however we encourage all to exercise caution and patience when traveling in an attempt to make all around us more comfortable. We must all work together to prevent further health concerns.
Those not feeling well or that have an elevated temperature are required to postpone their visit until they are feeling well again.
Rules and restrictions for being in Monterey Zoo are posted at www.montereyzoo.org. It is your responsibility to review them, especially if your visit involves a special tour that might be affected by COVID19 restrictions.
Please note that due to COVID19 restrictions and safety/sanitizing protocols, our bungalow decors have had to be lessened to minimize frequently touched items such as decorative throws and pillows, magazines and books, animal related knick-knacks etc... so we ask all who visit to excuse the sterility of the decor right now and know that as restrictions and concerns lessen, we will enjoy bringing those decorations back into your experience.
As restrictions on this difficult disease have been lifted in most areas of the world and people are now learning to and have options to protect themselves to deal with this disease, Vision Quest Ranch no longer makes exceptions to our cancellation policies due to positive COVID testing. We realize and sympathize with any and all who fall ill to COVID (or any other illness) however we can no longer afford to absorb the consequences of such, no more than we did for any other illness in the past.
Please know that you are fully responsible and obligated to follow our rules and restrictions, regardless of what you may or may not have asked or been informed by our staff or any booking agent prior to your arrival. Please read the rules and restrictions listed on this website carefully before booking ~ to avoid being unfortunately turned away upon your arrival. Please know that due to the "nature" of our unique service and facility, most of these rules and restrictions are beyond our control and we simply can not/will not risk our state and federal licenses by making exceptions for anyone. We hope you understand.