What Sets Meet The Middle East Apart From The Rest?
When you choose MTME to guide you on your journey through the Middle East, you are choosing excellence. Inspired by the magnificence of the Middle East, MTME has crafted beautiful itineraries to indulge your senses and curiosity about the region. With every detail, MTME strives to make your journey memorable and life changing. Through our intimate-sized tours, MTME is able to offer competitive pricing and individual attention, not only while on your journey, but before and after as well.
How Can I Get The Most Out of My Experience?
In addition to our 9-15 day immersion itineraries, MTME offers a menu of supplemental excursions and activities. These are not required to participate on any of the MTME Adult Explorers program, but rather an excellent way to supplement your overall experience.
Learn:
Meet the Middle East offers many opportunities for our community to expand their knowledge about the Middle East without ever leaving Denver or before traveling! Click the button below to navigate to our Learn page, where you will find opportunities such as cooking classes, cultural events, speakers and academic courses about the geopolitical situation of the Middle East.
LearnExcursions and Volunteerism:
Adult Explorer participants have the opportunity to sign up for 6-day excursion at the end of their 9 day immersion trip to further deepen their cultural experience in the region.
Jordan
A three-day expedition is included in our 10-day Adult Explorers programs. MTME guides participants through one of the oldest trade routes in the world. Crossing over to Jordan, we visit Jarash, one of the oldest Roman Ruins outside of the Ancient Roman Empire. Additionally, participants get to view the vista from the summit of Mt. Nebo overlooking the Holy Land.
Next, MTME guides you south towards one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Petra. Nestled in the cliffs of southern Jordan, Petra is famous for its magnificent façade cut into the rock. This massive engineering wonder is believed to have been built in 312 BCE, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petra was chosen by the Smithsonian Magazine as one of the 28 Places to See Before You Die. While in Petra, participants will have the opportunity to hike into the hidden city and explore these ancient ruins.
Travelers will spend one night in a luxurious Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum, Jordan, famous for its majestic scenery; it was the backdrop to the classic movie Lawrence of Arabia and modern film The Martian. One full day is spent exploring Petra, and one day exploring the desert, riding camels and/or enjoying Jeep rides. An experiential and fun Middle Eastern cooking class with a delicious ending tops off the excursion.
Egypt
This six-day expedition begins in the metropolis city of Cairo, location of the Historic Pyramids of Giza and home to more than 30 million Egyptians. This city houses the bust of King Tut at the Museum of Antiquities, along with thousands of ancient artifacts from the tombs of pharaohs. MTME guides participants through the labyrinth of shops in the famous bazaar Khan Al-Khalili, where one can find everything from perfumes to hand stitched pashminas to old teashops.
The exploration of Egypt continues with an included-in-your-price flight from Cairo to Aswan, the mouth of the Nile River. Here will begin a Nile River Cruise, flowing North to visit Luxor, famously known as the world's largest outdoor museum. In this ancient city, MTME guides you to the Karnak and Luxor Temples, the West Bank of the Nile known as the Valley of Kings, and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The Way of the Sphinx is currently being unearthed from years of sand covering it beneath the streets of modern day Luxor, connecting the Karnak and Luxor Temples.
To complete the journey, MTME invites participants to relax on the sandy white beaches of Hurghada. Along the Red Sea, this city is famous for its resorts and vacation settings. Enjoy the crystal clear waters, hospitality beyond belief, and some of the top-ranked scuba diving and snorkeling sites in the world.
Mini Service Project
If you or your group is interested in building in a volunteer opportunity or mini-service project during your trip, MTME will work with you to find the right fit. Past organizations that have traveled with MTME have asked us to organize a mini-service project that has translated into various activities like repainting a playground in Bethlehem, to planting olive trees in the West Bank.
Cost Inclusions:
Our Adult Explorers program is all inclusive of all expenses except airfare, travel insurance and alcoholic beverages.MTME does not pay for additional individual excursions & activities, hotels & meals outside of program days.
Included in the price:
- Regional experts lead & accompany group throughout entire trip
- All meals & beverages, with an emphasis on authentic, local cuisine
- All entrance fees, guides, trip lectures, tips, activities and excursions
- Elegant, culturally-authentic lodging, based on double occupancy. Private bathrooms & showers.
- Private transportation in modern, air conditioned bus
- 1 Travel prep class, 1 post trip class
Optional 5-day excursions are not included in price of the 9 day itinerary.
Single supplement is available for an additional fee.
2018 Travel Opportunities:
Adult Explorer Trip 2018 to Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Optional Excursion to Egypt
- Israel, Palestine and Jordan: November 1-9 Optional Excursion to Egypt November 9-15 (travel days not included)
- Travel note: Although it is not required, MTME encourages participants to arrive at least one day ahead of programming to acclimate to the weather, climate and time difference. Participants should plan to depart from Denver International Airport on or before October 30, arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, no later than October 31 . The program will begin on November 1, 2018 at 9:00am.
Information Session:
- If you are interested in more information about the 2018 trip, please contact us directly for a one on one information session at 720-608-1882.
- This is a great time to learn more about our itinerary and see the amazing places we plan to visit during our journey together. This is also a great time to meet the MTME staff and ask any question you may have regarding your participation.
Pre-Trip Preparation Session:
- TBD 6:00pm – 8:00pm
During this time together, we will go over everything you will need to prepare for your trip including finances, safety and dress.
Post Trip Session:
- TBD 6:00pm – 8:00pm
I Am Interested!
To sign up for one of our trips, classes or for further information, please contact Iman Jodeh at iman@meetthemiddleeast.org to get the process started! Or feel free to call our office anytime and speak with a staff member at 720-608-1882.
My Group/Organization Is Interested!
If you are a private group or organization and would like MTME to lead you on a trip to the Middle East, you have come to the right place!
MTME will customize the type of trip you are most interested in and would like to focus on while in the region. Some of these areas of focus may range from religion, history, archeology or politics.
To customize your future trip to the country of your choice, please contact Iman Jodeh at iman@meetthemiddleeast.org.
Know Before You Go
Is It Safe?
Safety is our first and foremost concern – ahead of education, experience, or fun. While travel abroad always presents some element of risk, MTME leaders have been leading trips to the region since 2007 without incident, bringing students as young as fourteen and adult learners in their eighties to experience the incredible richness of the region.
- Participants are accompanied by MTME staff at all times, day and night.
- Travel is provided by modern and safe busses.
- Lodging is clean and secure.
- MTME leaders and associates together are fluent in all local languages.
- MTME has a network of local friends and contacts in each region visited.
Registration
Participants wishing to register with one of MTME’s travel programs should submit a deposit by the advertised due date for each group. These dates and amounts vary by group, so please make sure you are aware of all important payment dates and deposit amount for your trip.
Payments
Payment due dates for each program will be published on each program page at least six months in advance. Meet the Middle East accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express. Please make checks out to Meet the Middle East with the traveler’s name in the memo line. Please note, there is an approximate 2.8% service charge for all major credit cards.
You trip must be paid in full by the advertised payment due dates that fall wellbefore the scheduled departure.
Cancellations & Refunds
MTME strongly urges participants to purchase travel insurance in the event a health or environmental emergency were to arise. Meet the Middle East is unable to provide refunds to participants who cancel before departure.
Most comprehensive trip insurance policies will cover any medical emergency, trip interruptions or trip cancellations. However, we encourage you to purchase the “cancel for no reason” option to protect your investment in the program as no refunds can be issued by Meet the Middle East. The average cost for these policies described is $150. MTME does not offer any insurance plans to its participants and it is the responsibility of each traveler to cover their own trip.
No partial refunds will be granted for unused hotel rooms, meals, or other scheduled activities. MTME trips are quoted as a package and credits are not given for unused portions.
MTME reserves the right to cancel a trip due to dangerous political situations.
Health & Wellness
All participants should expect to walk extensively on some days in mild to hot temperatures. Each traveler should be able to carry their own suitcase, walk and stand over the course of four hours at a time, and potentially be prepared to hear very low street noise in their hotel rooms.
All participants are obligated to fill out and sign a Risks and Responsibilities Agreement and Release form, acknowledging that you will inform MTME staff about any pre-existing physical, mental, or emotional disability that may require attention or treatment. Failing to report this important information could result in your expulsion from trip at your expense, including any fees that may have incurred during any event leading up to said expulsion.
Itineraries are Subject to Change
As you can imagine, the Middle East is an ever changing place and to insure our participant’s safety and that of our staff, we are constantly looking two steps ahead on our itinerary. If we feel that it is simply unsafe, we will change the itinerary. On occasion, sites will be closed for renovation or we will have to work around holy days, or a speaker will unexpectedly cancel. In events like these, we will either reschedule or have a backup activity for our participants.
Single Supplements
Our trips are priced as double occupancy. Our student and young professional programs will also have triple and quadruple rooms. If you wish to have your own room, is a single supplement charge will assessed. This charge varies per group. Please ask a MTME staff member for further information.
One Carry On Bag Per Person
Please do not exceed more than one carry on sized bag and backpack/daypack per person. A good rule of thumb – pack everything you think you need, reassess, and then take out half of what you originally put in!
No smoking
All of our programs are smoke free during group meals, tours, bus rides and in hotel rooms. If you choose to smoke outside, please do so at a respectful distance that does not disrupt the group.
DO NOT USE ILLEGAL DRUGS OR ALCOHOL
Meet the Middle East has a zero tolerance policy for illegal drugs for all participants during the trip. We have a zero tolerance policy for alcohol for minor-age participants as well. If minors choose to use drugs or alcohol, or if adults choose to use illegal drugs, it will result in the immediate expulsion from the trip at your expense, or at the expense of minor participant's parent or guardian.