What's Included in a Thunderbolt Tours Storm Chase — and Can International Visitors Join?

Updated

Yes. Thunderbolt Tours runs private storm-chasing trips in Australia and US Tornado Alley, and the site states plainly that international visitors are welcome. Every listed price is for one guest travelling with their own guide and vehicle, so what you're buying is a private chase rather than a seat on a group bus. The main things to confirm before booking are your dates (the chase seasons are fixed), your budget in Australian dollars, and how you'll pay from overseas.

What a private chase includes

According to the Thunderbolt Tours pricing section, each adventure is a private chase for one guest with your own guide and vehicle. That single inclusion shapes the whole trip:

  • A dedicated guide — an experienced storm chaser; the site notes the team has been chasing since 2001, with 25+ years of experience across two continents.
  • Your own vehicle — you're not sharing with strangers at the one-guest price.
  • Chase planning and repositioning — the multi-day tours are built around following the forecast and moving to where the best storm is expected. The Three Day trip, for example, is described as three days following the forecast "with time to reposition and be in place for the best storm."
  • The chase itself — the site lists what you may see rather than what's guaranteed: supercells, lightning, giant hail (10 cm hail has been found on tour), shelf clouds, tornadoes and wall clouds.

The site does not itemise meals, accommodation, flights or insurance in the material available, so treat those as things to ask about directly rather than assume either way. What is explicit is the guide-and-vehicle structure and the forecast-led itinerary.

Tour lengths and prices

Prices are in Australian dollars, GST included, for one guest on a private chase. US dollar figures on the site are approximate conversions (RBA rate 29 Sep 2026).

Tour Duration Price (AUD) Approx. USD
One Day 1 day $1,900 ≈ US$1,330
Two Day 2 days / 1 night $3,950 —
Three Day 3 days / 2 nights $5,950 ≈ US$4,160
Week Storm Tours 7 days / 6 nights $14,250 ≈ US$9,960
Fortnighter 14 days / 13 nights $28,800 ≈ US$20,120

Two cost-reducing options are stated on the site:

  • Sharing the vehicle: two to four guests can share the vehicle and the price, so the cost per person drops. You need to ask for a group price.
  • Returning customers: past customers get 10% off (see the site's Storm Adventure Discounts page).

When the chases run

The seasons are fixed and differ by continent, which matters most for overseas visitors trying to align flights:

  • Australia: November, December and February.
  • Tornado Alley (US): May and June.

If you're flying in from another country, pick the season first and then work out your travel dates around it — the tours only operate in those windows.

Can international visitors join?

Yes — "International visitors welcome" appears on the site, and there's a dedicated Overseas Visitors section in the navigation. There's no stated restriction on nationality or residency in the material provided.

For overseas guests, the practical points to plan around are:

  1. Currency and payment. Prices are quoted in AUD. The site states it accepts PayPal, Mastercard, Visa and American Express — PayPal is often the simplest route for an overseas card or bank.
  2. Season timing. Match your trip to the Australian (Nov, Dec, Feb) or Tornado Alley (May, Jun) window before booking flights.
  3. Short-notice bookings. The site invites enquiries from people who are "hearing storm forecasts for the next few days," so last-minute requests are contemplated — useful if you're already travelling in the region.
  4. Group pricing. If you're travelling with friends or family, ask for the two-to-four-guest price rather than booking multiple single spots.

How to enquire and book

The site offers Book and Enquire routes plus a WhatsApp contact option, alongside a Plan a Chase page and an FAQ section. For an international booking, the sensible sequence is:

  1. Check the season dates against your travel plans.
  2. Send an enquiry (or WhatsApp message) stating your preferred tour length, number of guests and rough dates.
  3. Confirm the total in AUD and your payment method (PayPal, Mastercard, Visa or Amex).
  4. Ask directly about anything not spelled out on the site — accommodation, meals, meeting point and what happens if the weather is quiet on your chosen days.

The last point is worth raising early: storm chasing is forecast-dependent, and the multi-day tours exist precisely because more days give a better chance of intercepting supercells, hail and lightning.