Petra & Dubai

Check out our Q&As

• Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

  As one of our Small-Group tours, maximum group sizes are restricted to 18 people, while the tour is guaranteed to depart with a minimum of just 2.
  
  A professional licensed guide accompanies all groups of 5 or more throughout the time in Jordan. For groups of 2-4, one of our experienced English speaking drivers will escort the group with specialist local site guides used for the tours in Jerash, Amman (Citadel), and Petra.
  
  At Encounters Travel we aim to only use local Jordanian guides and reps. We feel this gives you the best experience of the country and the sites you are seeing as well as supporting the local population and economy.
  
  
  
  Whilst in Dubai your time is more independent and there will not be an escort guide or tour leader with you. Instead our local representative will greet you at the airport and be available if required. The tours and activities are then on a shared 'Seat in Coach' basis and you may be with a different group of passengers on each of the tours whilst in Dubai.

• Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?

  Passports should be valid for at least six months after your departure from the country. Please do not bring an almost full or almost expired passport. Visa arrangements are the responsibility of the traveller, and requirements are subject to change by the local authorities.
  
  
  
  UK, EU, US, Canadian, Austrlian and New Zealand citizens can normally obtain a free tourist visa upon arrival into the United Arab Emirates, valid for a stay of up to 30 days. However, we recommend that you contact your closest UAE consulate or embassy and check your own government's travel advice for current information for your nationality.
  
  
  
  Previous travel to Israel
  
  UAE immigration authorities have advised that British nationals with valid or expired Israeli visas or stamps in their passports should not face any difficulties entering the UAE as long as they don’t intend to work.

• Are vaccinations required for this tour?

  You should ensure you are fully insured for medical emergencies including emergency evacuation and repatriation.
  
  
  
  Recommended vaccinations and other health protection measures vary according to the country you are visiting and where you are travelling from. We recommend you contact your GP/medical practitioner or a travel clinic for current information on vaccinations needed for your destination. You should ensure that you are up to date with vaccines and boosters recommended for your normal life at home, including for example, vaccines required for occupational risk of exposure, lifestyle risks and underlying medical conditions.
  
  In addition, additional courses or boosters normally recommended for the countries in this region are:
  
  
  
  Egypt: Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A
  
  Jordan: Tetanus, Hepatitis A
  
  Israel: Hepatitis A, Poliomyelitis
  
  Lebanon: Dipheria, Hepatitis A
  
  
  
  Malaria is not generally present unless it has been contracted abroad; you do not need to take malaria prophylactics.
  
  
  
  More information is available here: Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon
  
  
  
  Note: We are aware of some places in Egypt using 'black henna' instead of pure brown henna. Black henna contains a chemical dye PPD (paraphenylenediamine) which can result in severe allergic reactions and resultant scarring. To be safe we recommend avoiding any henna tattoos while in Egypt unless you are certain they are using pure brown henna.

• Are all entrance fees included in the price?

  The tour price does not include entrance fees to the sites visited on the tour in Jordan. Any entrances fees in Dubai are included.
  
  
  
  We strongly recommend that you purchase a Jordan Pass prior to your travel to Jordan. This is a special package that has been designed by the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities for tourists visiting Jordan. As well as including a discounted package of entrance fees covering all the sites in Jordan that you will visit on this tour (plus many others), the Jordan Pass also provides free downloadable digital brochures on each attraction, plus a free tourist visa for entering the country (40JD if obtained on arrival in Jordan). It also allows us to speed up our entry to each site as if everyone has the Jordan Pass we won't need to queue for tickets.
  
  
  
  A handful of sites that we visit on our tours are not covered by the Jordan Pass (eg. Mt. Nebo, St. George's Church at Madaba, and the Shawmuri & Azraq Reserves), so to keep things simple for you while you are in Jordan, where these are visited in our itineraries, the entry fees are included in your tour price. If you visit any other sites not covered by the Jordan Pass during your free time or on additional tours you arrange while in Jordan, you will need to pay the entrance fee at the site.
  
  
  
  The cost for the Jordan Wanderer Pass which is suitable for all our tours which visit Petra on one day is JD70 (approx. US$99). You should also check if your tour visits the Baptism Site at Bethany and if it does, add on the supplement for this site (an extra JD8, discounted from the JD12 payable at the site). Passes are available by completing a simple online form before you travel, taking care to make sure your passport details are entered correctly as this doubles as your visa application. Your Jordan Pass will then be emailed to you as a pdf document, which you should print out and bring with you. You will then need to show this print out at the immigration desk on arrival in Jordan to obtain your free entry visa, and also at each attraction where it will be scanned to confirm your entry. Obtain your Jordan Pass here
  
  
  
  If you do not obtain the Jordan Pass before arriving in Jordan, you will need to pay the entry fees when you arrive at each site and also pay JD40 for your Jordan visa when you enter the country (or arrange your visa in advance).

• Are airport transfers included in this tour?

  Your airport transfers are only included on the first and last day of the set tour itinerary, plus on any additional days if you book your hotel room with us. Your airport transfers are also included at either end of the Amman-Dubai flight. If you make your own arrangements for additional accommodation at either the beginning or the end of the tour then you will need to arrange your own airport transfers on these days.
  
  
  
  On our Shoestring group tours we do offer optional hotel upgrades. This may mean that additional pick-up and drop-offs are required each day. We do endeavour to ensure that all hotels used are close to each other and to streamline and time arrangements to limit any extra driving time as much as possible.
  
  
  
  The sightseeing tours and activities in Dubai are on a 'seat in coach' basis and may involve several hotel pick ups and drop offs at either end of the trip.