26
votes
What are the options to travel to Mecca or Jabal al-Nour as a non-Muslim?
Only Muslims are allowed to travel to Makkah according to the current rules of Saudi Arabia.
Is that an Islamic rule? No. Makkah during the prophet Mohammed's time had non Muslims, they were never ...
- 96.4k
19
votes
Accepted
Can I use the door leading from Vatican museum to St. Peter's Basilica?
Yes, you can. When you are in the Sistine chapel, there are two exits, the signs aren't particularly prominent, but one will lead you to a corridor the endpoint of which is past the security checks ...
- 449
17
votes
Are there tours that let you touch Stonehenge?
There's Avebury plus lots of other semi-abandoned "stone circles" that you can headbut to your hearth's content.
Well if it is a dream, and money is no object, offer $1 million "...
15
votes
Accepted
Washington DC odd tour request issue
The new Congress meets on January 3, 2017 and, although there will be transition activities, tours should go ahead as scheduled. However, it would be wise to contact your representative's office for ...
- 35.3k
11
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to visit manufacturing facilities "for fun" in China?
Industrial tours for students are a growing niche market in China, with universities (e.g., MIT) arranging visits and exchanges, and tour operators offering many packages targeted at students/...
- 35.3k
9
votes
What are the options to travel to Mecca or Jabal al-Nour as a non-Muslim?
If you enjoy being deported and detained, then by all means try to sneak into Makkah.
Deportation for non-muslims caught in Makkah and Medina results in a lifetime ban from the country.
The signs ...
- 39.5k
8
votes
What are some pros & cons of doing multiple single day tours vs multi-day tour in Iceland?
With enough time, you can chose and pick the best day, the best weather for each tour when doing single day tours.
I managed to have beautiful weather for each of the tours I did, spending the rainy ...
- 58.6k
8
votes
What are some pros & cons of doing multiple single day tours vs multi-day tour in Iceland?
I spent 10 days in Iceland in march.
Pros of the Tour: Everything is settled! This is vacation for you, you do not need to organize all the stuff. You get your tours, maybe picked up at your hotel ...
- 1,004
8
votes
Accepted
Bucket list - Trans Australian railway - food and stopover issues
I have used the Indian Pacific and the Ghan back in 2005.
There have been some changes since, according to the site of the man in seat 61, so I checked the details to make sure I give you the right ...
- 58.6k
7
votes
Accepted
How to vet an overseas travel agency
Sounds like you're being pretty prudent already. Additional measures I can think of are try to pay with a credit card if you can, make sure your travel insurance covers a situation like that, and ...
- 2,930
7
votes
Easiest way to organize hire car to travel North and South Island of New Zealand
I did exactly this two years ago. There are some rental car agencies that allow you to take the car onto the ferry, and others that do not. I had a car with Avis, which does not allow you to take the ...
- 9,185
7
votes
Accepted
What does "with transfer" mean in the context of guided tours?
99% of the time, "transfer" means they will pick you up and take you to the airport on arrival/departure. Or seaport or train station if that's more appropriate.
Typically, the guided part of these ...
- 32.6k
7
votes
Where can I visit the mussel grow locations in Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain?
There are many punts ("batea" in Spanish) around Galicia.
They are mostly situated on the estuary ("ría" in Spanish) because it is a more protected part of the sea and fishermen need to do "...
- 193
6
votes
Accepted
How much should I tip for a private tour in India?
Those tips seem way too high. To put those figures in perspective, legal minimum wage in Haryana (state next to Delhi and one of the richest in India) is 5,800 rupees/month, and there are plenty of ...
- 99.8k
6
votes
Accepted
How do you book an Emirates Dubai stopover package (from US/Canada)?
First, what you don't do is call the Emirates reservations number. They, in my experience, will send you on a wild goose chase where you make multiple international phone calls during Middle Eastern ...
- 85.9k
5
votes
What are the options to travel to Mecca or Jabal al-Nour as a non-Muslim?
The only way a non-muslim can legally go to Mecca is with special permission of the government, which you might get if, for example, you were needed to do some skilled work that you were uniquely ...
- 59
5
votes
Outdoor climbing tour in/departing from Bangkok
Yes, companies exist (or, at least, existed recently) which provide guided outdoor rock climbing trips departing from Bangkok.
Two examples from a May 7, 2014, post on expatlifeinthailand.com (cached ...
- 6,100
5
votes
Accepted
Seeing the Chicago Board of Trade
A few other other Chicago Architecture Foundation tours include the Chicago Board of Trade building, including:
Historic Skyscrapers. Daily, 10 AM & 3:30 PM.
Art Deco Skyscrapers: The Loop. ...
- 19.1k
5
votes
Accepted
When visiting Istanbul, is pre-booking city tours from known web sites better than on arrival?
I am one of the pre-booking type of guys, I plan for any trips months in advance and book everything long before embarking on a trip.
But, in Istanbul, You will considerably save much more by booking ...
- 32.8k
5
votes
Can I use the door leading from Vatican museum to St. Peter's Basilica?
No, you cannot. After the museum tour you'll need to join the basilica queue. Good news: it moves relatively fast.
This is from my personal experience last year. If things have changed since - great.
- 16.6k
4
votes
What is the LONGEST Tour operated by travel companies?
Viking offers a 245-day round-the-world cruise, which starts (and ends) in London. It visits 53 countries on six continents.
- 2,085
4
votes
Are there any tours or opportunities available to the public where one can see Cherenkov Radiation?
Reed College, an undergraduate institution in Portland, Oregon, maintains a research reactor. The FAQ says that tours can be arranged for groups; the page does not say if an individual may join.
My ...
- 25.3k
4
votes
Can Alcatraz tours only be booked from their website?
No.
This is what happens: one company is responsible for selling all the tickets to Alcatraz. The thing is they sell a lot of tickets to multiple tourism agencies. These agencies create some packages ...
- 1,163
4
votes
Accepted
Are visitors allowed in the Amazon forest in Brazil?
Visitors are allowed in the Amazon Rainforest. I have been there several times in Ecuador and Peru. I was just in Manaus last week but did not get into the rainforest.
The Amazon Rainforest is pretty ...
- 44.2k
4
votes
Where can I visit the mussel grow locations in Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain?
The heart of Rias Bajas is actually the ria of Pontevedra. I am quoting the tourist office in Vigo.
I was focusing on Vigo ria, which has many boats, but mainly going to Cies.
Around Pontevedra ria ...
- 31.7k
4
votes
Accepted
What are approved French travel agents whose organised trip grants Visa-free entry to French overseas territories
It seems that there is a list although it is quite hard to track down.
https://cn.ambafrance.org/Agences-de-voyages-chinoises-agreees-pour-organiser-des
It seems to be a list of agencies in China ...
- 3,681
4
votes
Accepted
Is there an 1-hour guide at the Deutsches Museum?
The Deutsche Museum has some tour suggestions (flyer, app) and the app apparently also has a list of top 10 stations.
The tour suggestions are about 2 h each, but they are composed of several topic ...
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible