This tour was the worst we have ever experienced. Viator contracted with Fun-Time tours. We were told to be at the Sde Dov airport at 5:00 for a 6:40 flight. The airport wasnt even open at that time._br/_ We spent 3 hours at the border crossing from Israel to Jordan. Was the group too large 60 people for the passport control people to handle in a timely manner? No explanation was given._br/_ Then we spent another 2.5 hours waiting for our guide to buy tickets to Petra due to some rain showers in the area. The guide gave few instructions or explanations so most of us had no idea what to do._br/_ By the time they herded us into crowded convoy vehicles, we had 10 minutes at the Treasury and 5 minutes at the temple. The convoy spent most of our time driving on the city streets to arrive at those places._br/_ We met at a the Sandstone restaurant at 5:00 and we were back on the bus by 5:30. However, some people were called out to go to the office to settle their accounts. Couldnt they have done this while the rest of us were eating? The bus didnt leave Petra until 6:10 for the 2-hour drive back to the border. Our return flight was at 8:55. The guide never explained what we saw in Petra nor did he give us instructions for reentry into Israel._br/_ We ran through the passport control, got on the shuttle which left 2 people behind. We dashed through airport security and got our boarding passes barely in time to catch the last flight out. Of course, it flew into TLV instead of Sde Dov._br/_ The trip was poorly organized with very little instruction. The guide seemed to go through the motions and not really care. We paid a lot for our 15 minutes in Petra and would never recommend this tour to anyone.
Review by: Jane S, April 2018
This tour overall was excellent, but I would advise staying overnight. It would have been an advantage to allow for more exploration time. There were a few problems that are likely amenable to improvement:_br/_ 1. This was advertised as a small tour with 15-20 people. It was a large tour with a full bus load, about 70-80 people._br/_ 2. The 2.5 hours spent at the border waiting for all the border crossing things to be completed seemed highly inefficient. There may be a better way to do this, but maybe not._br/_ 3. The return to the border and then to Tel Aviv from the Eilat airport was chaotic and disorganized. First, the return from Petra was delayed for one hour while 4-5 people worked out problems with their credit card payment for the tour. This made the bus return late and we missed our scheduled flight back to Tel Aviv. No one seemed to know what to do. There did not seem to be one person who assumed responsibility for getting us back to Tel Aviv according to plan._br/_ If there is a more reliable local company, it would be wise for Viator to change from Ben Harim._br/_ It is a shame for these preventable mishaps to have detracted from the beauty of the trip.
Review by: mikelevysellshomes, March 2018
It was a good trip and we had great weather. I did not realize Petra was so large. I wished I had planned on a longer trip. We had a total of 3 hours at the site itself. You live and you learn.
Review by: Denise V, March 2018
This is a great tour if you have only 1 day to see Petra. However, I highly recommend taking the 2 day tour and sleeping in the camp. For the tour, you need to be at the airport very early for check in. The airport is conveniently located very close to the beach areas. Be sure to bring walking shoes and sunscreen. Flt was on time and uneventful. There was a slight hold up at the Jordanian side of the border, but my impression is that it is normal. Our guide, Nezar, was extremely knowledgeable about Petra and Jordan and the surrounding areas. He was also efficient and organized in managing the group and keeping us on schedule. The first stop in Jordan was at a souvenir shop for a bathroom break. Then you head to Petra. By this time, the sun is straight up, so you need to be sure you have your sunscreen on. If you are not up for the walk down the canyon or back up the canyon, you can take a horse or carriage ride. The food at the restaurant was great and we made it back to the airport with ease.
Review by: cheryleev, March 2018
Wonderful trip. Everything from booking, getting tickets at airport, tour guide in Jordan was excellent. The lunch was not something my husband or I would eat. That said, we would do the tour again. The only hitch we had was the person to meet us at the airport when we_br/_ Arrived at Eilat was very late so much we began to wonder if someone would show up. Obviously they did and it went without a problem_br/_ On both Israel side and Jordan. We paid in cash the border visa and the border crossing fee. 65.00 and 60.00 for a total of _br/_ 135.00 American per person. Make sure you have exact change for your visa etc. do not show up thinking you will exchange dollars there. Take exact cash amount with you. Do not rely on a credit card it makes it difficult if not impossible. If you have exact amount it is_br/_ A simple process at border. You pay border crossing on Israel side before you board the bus. At the border you pay the visa amount to the Jordan side.
Review by: Andrew V, January 2018
Petra is one of those places like the Taj Mahal and Hagia Sophia - no photograph can completely capture its beauty and majesty. The trip began with an early morning flight, from the conveniently located Sde Dov airport, to the beautiful city of Eilat. After a few hours on the border, going through the bureaucracy on both the Israeli and Jordanian sides of the border, we boarded the bus to Petra. An employee of the tour company, on the Jordanian side, provided some much needed comic relief during the wait. On the way back, the border crossing took all of about 10 minutes!
Review by: timothy g, January 2018
This was a great trip to see Petra, but it is a very, very long day. Everything on the trip was great except the customs going into Jordan took about 2 hours, which shortened the time in Petra, but we still had enough time. If I was doing this again I would travel to Eilat the day before and spend the night there. Then book the tour that is offered from there. It will make you live easier and the day shorter. Otherwise was very neat to see this place.
Review by: Tim, January 2018
Seeing Petra is amazing. Through no fault of the tour company - it is a very long day. That said, the experience and learning the history and significance of Tetra was very enjoyable!
Review by: Melissa H, January 2018
Beautiful location but spent half the trip doing security check from Israel to Jordan. Our tour group was quite large and we had to go one by one for every single process, paying, passport pics, checking in. I think we no joke spent 5hrs trying to cross the border then we sped through our tour, not having enough time to appreciate the site. At the end of the tour, the bus just left us at the airport with no guidance. Again because of security the whole tour group almost missed the flight back. The plane had to wait for everyone to go through security to leave. I would recommend just doing a day tour in Israel and planning a separate trip to Jordan so you don't waste time and money since its an expensive tour.
Review by: MARK S, January 2018
Forget it. The bus windows were so dirty you couldn't see anything. The driver and the guide couldn't careless - very unprofessional.
Review by: Paul, December 2017
We flew from Tel Aviv to Eilat then crossed the border from Israel to Jordan and travelled on a coach to Petra. We were expecting to be met at the airport in the morning by the local agents but we had to figure out which flight we were booked on and checkin. Most people I met complained about this. When we arrived at Eilat I'd have expected someone with a board from the agency to make himself known. This didn't happen and many people hadn't a clue where to go. Eventually we we rounded up and went to the boarder. I'd advise against getting a Jordanian visa before travelling. This seems to cause more issues. Pay the guys at the border and get a visa there. There's a 2 hour wait for everyone to be processed so be patient. Petra though is stunning and worth all the hassle getting there. The guide was very informative and lunch was both included and very good.
Review by: GLORIA B, December 2017
Will do it again!_br/_ Guide was very funny and lunch was awesome!!!
Review by: Robert M, December 2017
From Tel Aviv to Petra and back to Tel Aviv is a very exhausting day. After showing up early at the airport, going through Israeli security, and spending most of an hour on the airplane, one is already tired. Maybe the worst part of the trip is the two-hour wait at the Jordanian border, involving stops at several windows, paying 125, and having our whole group delayed by one couple whose papers were not quite right. After that, things got better. Our guide, Nizar, was very good. He showed us many points of interest on the bus ride to Petra, and also gave us a summary of middle-east history, explaining that this area of the world has been dumped on and mismanaged by numerous countries, especially the UK, which is the reason for most of the unrest in the middle east. After arriving in the modern city of Petra, it is still a two-mile downhill walk to the bottom of the valley where the stone tombs are located. There are thousands of tombs, and the most famous is the Treasury, which was the tomb of Herod Antipas' father-in-law. He was the Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded. It was very interesting, but we were allowed only two hours at the bottom before beginning the long climb back to the city. There we were served a very good lunch. Return to Eliat for the return flight to Tel Aviv was uneventful. My trip was very worthwhile, and I'm glad I did it, but would not do it again. I took some spectacular pictures. One needs at least two full days to see most of the sights in the Stone City. I got back to my hotel in Tel Aviv at about10:30 PM.
Review by: Mark H, November 2017
We had an excellent tour guide. Very knowledgeable, very organized and engaging. The site is incredible, and the guide made sure that each traveler had their needs met and interests minded.
Review by: Zornitsa K, November 2017
too much time waiting at the border
Review by: alycannata, November 2017
next time will take the three days tour to see petra one day is enough if you arent sure if you are interested thats how i felt before arrival but is not enought to see the whole beauty of petra.... our guide was so cool and professional he made our trip unforgettable. lunch at sandstone was great too! overall so pleased that planning on coming back next year. highly recommended!
Review by: gludema, November 2017
Crossing the border from Israel to Jordan took two over two hours. The Jordan tour guide, who was great, tried to make up for the delay but we nearly missed our flight back to Tel Aviv
Review by: Debra S, October 2017
Very disorganized... time was limited at Petra, no time to explore area. Pick up from airport to Petra took FIVE hours! Do your history research, tour guide was nice but, gave very little historical information.
Review by: Saravanan B, October 2017
Trip was great and food not bad. It was long day... having to travel from Tel Aviv. The biggest problem/hassle I had was at the domestic airport, both ways, with security... took for ever to get through screening/security.
Review by: Marshall T, August 2017
Seeing Petra for the first time is incredible! Too bad it's in the middle of nowhere and it takes so long hours to get there! I wish our guide had been either more knowledgeable or more engaging as we came away feeling like we could have learned a lot more. Lunch was only so-so and the kicker is, after paying hundreds of dollars, they charged us for water!
RSS Feed