Jordan and Israel Discovery with Dead Sea Beach Stay

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. Some road construction &/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of €324.50pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

To enter Israel, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive and at least one blank page.

Isreal visa requirements

A visa is not required for entry into Israel as a tourist. On entry, visitors are granted leave to enter for a period of up to 3 months. Visitors entering viaTel Aviv Ben Gurion airport are given an entry card instead of an entry stamp in their passport. You should keep your entry card with your passport until you leave. We recommend you check with your destination's tourist board or embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding visas and passport validity.

To enter Jordan, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive and at least one blank page.

Jordan visa requirements

A visa is required for your trip to Jordan. For UK Nationals, the Jordanian Government has waived visa fees for travellers staying a minimum of two consecutive nights. Our representative in Jordan will apply for this visa on your behalf, therefore, please ensure that you have uploaded your passport information to 'My Booking' on the Mercury Holidays website at least 60 days prior to departure. Failure to receive this in the given time will mean that we are unable to apply for a visa on your behalf, and you will need to obtain your own visa. You can get a single-entry visa valid for 1 month on arrival at the airports or the Sheikh Hussein/North Border crossing at the Jordan/Israel border. We recommend you check with your destination's tourist board or embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding visas and passport validity.

Previous travel to Israel Evidence of a previous visit to Israel like an Israeli entry/exit stamp in your passport does not normally cause any difficulties when entering Jordan. It is, however, for the Jordanian authorities to determine the right of entry into the country. If you have any concerns, you should contact the Consulate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in London.

IMPORTANT: Please note that final flight details, including terminal, airline and baggage allowance, will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Jordan and Israel Discovery is rated “Intermediate”. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, and may be getting on and off coaches, trains and boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.

The currency in Israel is the Israel Shekel (ILS/NIS). The local currency, USD ($) or Euro (€) are accepted. ATMs and exchange facilities are available. We advise that you request bank notes in smaller denominations, as it can sometimes be hard to get change from large notes and smaller notes are handy for smaller purchases. Credit cards are widely accepted but debit cards are not.

The currency in Jordan is the Jordanian Dinar, known as JOD, but US Dollars are also widely accepted in the major cities. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in the local currency.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £350 - £450 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.

Tipping

In Israel tipping is at your discretion however it is customary. For the guide we suggest approximately $8-$10 per person per day and for the driver we suggest approximately $4-$5 per person per day. For porters we suggest $1 per person and for waiters it is generally 10% - 12% of the bill.

In Jordan tipping is at your discretion however it is also customary. For the airport representative we suggest approximately JOD 1 per person, for the local guide we suggest approximately JOD 2 per person per day and for the driver we suggest approximately JOD 2 per person per day. For porters we suggest JOD 1 per person and for waiters it is generally JOD 1 per person.

Tips are accepted in the local currency or USD ($), however it is asked that if you do not tip in the local currency that you only pay with notes, as coins cannot be exchanged.

Local Tax

There is a departure tax to be paid when crossing from Israel to Jordan. This must be paid locally in local currency and is approximately £45.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 15, and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 15 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date, then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

In Israel you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your time there. On Day 5 when you cross the border, your Israeli guide will take you to the border and then you will be met by a representative on the Jordanian side. In Jordan you will have a guide during the days you have activities, when you have days at leisure the guide will not accompany you.

For Private Tours or groups of 6 and lower, you will be accompanied by a qualified Driver/Guide.

Your stay in Tel Aviv is not escorted by a tour guide. You will have a driver for your airport transfers.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Jordan. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where possible. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Desert Camp

During this tour you will have a night’s stay at the Wadi Rum Magic Camp. Your stay will be in a comfortable tent with en suite facilities, whilst this is a unique experience facilities in the desert are necessarily of a lower standard than those in hotels through the tour. Enjoy traditional Bedouin food, cooked authentically each night.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch and Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

Vegetarian and Vegan options available, please request prior to departure. Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Bottled water will be available at shops and hotels.

Ramadan is the most important month in the Muslim Calendar, and it is a time for people to be with their loved ones, self-reflect and renew their faith. During this time Muslims fast from dawn until dusk and abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and chewing gum. If you are a tourist visiting Israel, you will not be expected to fast. While eating, drinking and smoking is strictly prohibited in public places, hotels/cruises will offer meals and non-alcoholic drinks at many of their restaurants and bars. If you wish to consume alcohol during your trip, only 5* hotels serve alcoholic beverages. Your guide during your tour will be on hand to give you any additional information that you require.

Modest clothes are required while in Israel, this means covering of knees and no sleeveless shirts. A head covering is also required for visiting holy sites.

On your arrival in Tel Aviv you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Isram Israel, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Isram Israel representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. On arrival in Jordan, a Travco Representative will meet you at passport control and show you to your transfer vehicle.

If you need to contact your representative during your stay the details are:

Isram Israel: Telephone: 00972 3 694 7777 Email: Kelly@isram.co.il

Emergency contact information: Please find below the emergency contact details for Isram Israel 24-hour phone number: 00972 52 588 8760

Travco Jordan: Telephone: 00962 6 5666866 Email: Shatha.barqawi@travco.com or to3.jordan@travco.com

Emergency contact information: Please find below the emergency contact details for Travco Jordan Zaid Al-Kurdi: 00962 77 8464013 E-mail: Zaid.alkurdi@travco.com