Peter Greenberg: Visiting Biblical Sites

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-08-19

Q: Hey Peter, can you recommend a travel-tour company that offers trips to Egypt, cruises on the Nile, and visits to Biblical sites in Sinai and Jordan as well as Israel?

–Michael, Heathrow, Fla.

A: When it comes to travel in the Middle East, there are plenty of companies that offer various types of tours. But there aren't any major companies that have premade tours covering every single one of these regions. So if you're interested in a vacation that covers each and every one of the spots you mention, you'll need to contact a tour operator working in the area and ask the company to design a custom tour for you. As with any customized itinerary, this will be more expensive than joining a tour.

While many "generalist" tour companies would happily put together an itinerary for you, it's best to choose one that already has extensive experience in the region. The company you choose should have an array of Middle Eastern tours on offer, even if there's not a trip that's exactly what you want.

Among the options to consider are the upscale, custom packages from Abercrombie & Kent or Travcoa; Nile River cruises from Sonesta or Viking River Cruises; or the culture-heavy, adventurous tours run by Distant Horizons or Adventure Center.

In terms of travel to religious sites in the Sinai, Jordan, Israel, and elsewhere in the Middle East, there are a number of companies that specialize in this sort of travel, though most of the previously mentioned companies regularly put together religious-themed tours. One fairly popular option to consider is the religious-themed tours from Globus. Another company that has a significant specialization in terms of religious travel is 206 Tours. They offer customized and small-group tours of various religious sites throughout the Middle East.

Again, it's going to be very difficult, if not impossible, to find an existing tour that includes all of the places you've listed. But any of the tour companies I've mentioned should be able to help you either find an itinerary that works for you, or to build one from scratch.