Middle East - Day Touring with Abercrombie & Kent in Israel/Jordan - worth the cost??

Hey everyone,

Since you've all been so helpful in my planning this upcoming month-long tour of Israel and Jordan, I'm hoping you can offer some further insight on the following...

We now have all of our hotels and accommodations booked, and have a rough idea of our itinerary and what we'd like to see and do while visiting these countries. The one thing we don't have however, is transportation between destinations, nor any way of getting around to each specific sight or daily activitity. I imagien this should be pretty easily arranged through our hotels and local taxi services, however my Virtuoso agent who's been assisting with all of our bookings up until now, had suggested that it might be worthwhile and in our interest to plan a multi-day itinerary with either Abercrombie & Kent or Ker & Downey. I'm a bit hesitant as the costs are quite exorbitant. We're talking upwards of $4,000.00 for a few days of touring!

Here's what we're specifically interested in doing:

In need of transportation from Tel Aviv to Akko, with stops in Caesarea and Haifa along the way, and with generous time to eat and tour both cities leisurely.

Transportation and day trip from Akko to Rosh HaNikra, and possibly side trips again to Haifa and/or Nazareth.

Transportation from Akko to Tiberias with a full day set aside for sailing on the Galilee with a visit to Yodfat for lunch on the way, exploring Capernaum, and possible other nearby destinations in the Gailee.

Transportation from Tiberias to Rosh Pinna, with a full day set aside to visit the Yehudiya Forest Nature Reserve, The Betekha, Bethsaida, Majrase and Zaki Nature Reserve, Banias, possibly Tel Dan, and an evening in Safed.


Transportation from Rosh Pinna to Bein Sh'ean for touring, and on to Jerusalem.


And then from JORDAN:


Transportation from Ma'In (Dead Sea region near Madaba) to Petra with a stop at Al-Karak along the way.

Moonlit tour of Petra. Sunrise walking tour + mule ride to the Monastery.

Day trip with transportation to Wadi Rum for sunrise hot air balloon ride and sunset camelback excursion through the desert, with bedouin dining on the dunes.

Transportation back to Sweimah in the Dead Sea region. Several day/afternoon trips to Madaba, Jerash, etc.


Here's where I'm having trouble deciding -- the cost of taxis, car transfers, etc. from each place alone is going to be very, very expensive. Once we're shelling out for this, is it worth spending a bit extra to experience these sights and destinations from an experienced tour guide? Are these destinations that can easily be navigated on our own, with limited time span?

For example, would we be able to explore all of the Iaraeli nature reserves, etc. on our own provided we can arrange transpot through our hotel? If so, I imagine that a luxury tour service like A&K would seem pretty unecessary as it would cost far less to take private car transfers all over the country, then shell out for their touring packages. I imagine we'd also have to be paying for accommodations for their tour guides in each regions as well, although I'm not certain how that works.

In other words, does it seem excessive and needless to book through a company like Abercrombie and Kent for a vacation like this? I can understand why someone might go that route if touring the Antarctic or Himalayas... but do we really need them for Israel and Jordan, and would it be advantageous in any way or enhance our experience? If so, could you please explain your reasoning? Also, is there any benefit in employing them for tours of sights like Petra over simply exploring these destinations on our own?

Would it be wiser to find local tour guides, and would that even be necessary in itself, or should we just be adventurous and navigate these places on our own? I'm more interested in weighing in the value of cost of transportation/drivers to each sight versus proper tour, either local or through reputed int'l company. The former seems a bit more appealing to me personally, but I'm uncertain as of yet and would really appreciate your feedback and advice!

Also, would anyone have suggestions for trusted and established independant contacts to book things such as sunset camelback excursions and early morning hot air baloon rides, desert bedouin dinners, etc. in Wadi Rum? I'm not sure where to begin looking...

Thanks so much for any advice you can offer!

I'm leaning away from the big expensive tour companies for destinations like Israel and Jordan, as I'm beginning to feel it's unecessary, but would like to hear all opinions and am especially interested to hear a counter argument of how they could potentially be advantageous, if at all?

Thanks again!

Also, I'm curious if not booking with a tour guide, how we would be able to transfer our luggage from one city to another while stopping along the way to visit different destinations and cities before reaching out hotel?

For instance, how could we tour multiple cities en route to our overnight destination, with a full month's worth of luggage, by taxi?

It's setbacks like this which make me reconsider A&K to handle all of these things and allow us a carefree adventure.

Any thoughts?

Also, I'm curious if not booking with a tour guide, how we would be able to transfer our luggage from one city to another while stopping along the way to visit different destinations and cities before reaching out hotel?

For instance, how could we tour multiple cities en route to our overnight destination, with a full month's worth of luggage, by taxi?

It's setbacks like this which make me reconsider A&K to handle all of these things and allow us a carefree adventure.

Any thoughts?
I'll try to give a more detailed answer tomorrow, but for now:
a. I don't think I'd book a 'luxury tour guide' like A&K if I were you. I only know the Israeli side of your itinerary though.
b. What's the difference between a month's luggage and a week's luggage? I'm guessing you'll have some laundry/dry cleaning done along the way, no?

I'll try to give a more detailed answer tomorrow, but for now:
a. I don't think I'd book a 'luxury tour guide' like A&K if I were you. I only know the Israeli side of your itinerary though.
b. What's the difference between a month's luggage and a week's luggage? I'm guessing you'll have some laundry/dry cleaning done along the way, no?

I suppose you're right re. the luggage, however as we'll be spending an extended portion (the bulk, in fact) of our trip in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and attending parties and weddings, we'll surely have a fair share of luggage to transport, within reason of course.

My concerns are what we would possibly do with two large heavy suitcases and probably a couple of hand/shoulder/carry bags while stopping en route to visit multiple cities and sights? We couldn't possibly be lugging them through the streets, rural countrysides, and historic ruins in the 90-degree August temperatures. If traveling by way of taxi and making arrangements through our hotels, how would we manage to do this efficiently (traveling from destinations in the south of the country to the north, while stopping en route to spend full afternoons/days touring various destinations)?

We would surely, at the very least, need to arrange for a private local tour guide for these days.

We were in Israel for 2 weeks in November & hired a private, licensed, guide with an SUV who took us to all the places you want to go, & more. I would highly recommend you contact him, Ariel Gabay:

http://tourwithariel.weebly.com/

There were four of us & we all thought he was fantastic. He is Israeli, but lived in San Francisco from 2002 - 2006 when his wife was working for Birthright. He can totally set up any tour you want, and make all the arrangements. If you do contact him just tell him you got his name from Mark, who was his client the beginning of November, 2011 (I don't get anything, but I just want him to know I'm passing his name around).

Thank you, Mark -- I really appreciate that!

~ Oliver

Rubesl: May I ask what the cost was per day or week?? Trying to figure out the best way to see some things in Israel (and costs).

Sorry to butt in on this thread!



We were in Israel for 2 weeks in November & hired a private, licensed, guide with an SUV who took us to all the places you want to go, & more. I would highly recommend you contact him, Ariel Gabay:

http://tourwithariel.weebly.com/

There were four of us & we all thought he was fantastic. He is Israeli, but lived in San Francisco from 2002 - 2006 when his wife was working for Birthright. He can totally set up any tour you want, and make all the arrangements. If you do contact him just tell him you got his name from Mark, who was his client the beginning of November, 2011 (I don't get anything, but I just want him to know I'm passing his name around).