The registration deadline is May 1 (or earlier if capacity is reached, at which point registration will be closed). A completed registration form and deposit of $1,000 USD per traveler is required to officially secure a spot in the tour group. The deposit LESS $100 per person is refundable until May 1. After the deadline or closing of registration, deposits shall become non-refundable. Participants who request to cancel their booking after the closing of registration will be given the option to apply their deposit to a Bayan tour within the next 12 months only.

An invoice for the balance due (reflecting any applicable discounts) will be emailed to registered participants. The remaining balance shall be due upon receipt of invoice. Timely payment must be received for us to confirm hotel rooms, coordinate transportation and complete related bookings. Balance payments received by us cannot be refunded, due to the payments being transmitted to our local partner agency for bookings (which cannot be recouped by Bayan Tours), nor can these funds be applied to a future tour. Participants who are uncertain about their ability to join a tour after having paid the deposit and balance should secure travel insurance should it become necessary to drop out for any reason and seek redress for airfare and tour costs through the policy.

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Bayan’s Vice President and Professor Munir Shaikh will be the faculty escort for the tour. He holds an M.A. in Islamic Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and certificates from academic programs in Morocco, Egypt and Spain, including the 2008 Mediterranean Seminar in Barcelona funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. As an academic historian, he has taught courses on Middle Eastern history, Islam, and world history, given public talks on Islamic history and civilization, and has led world heritage tours in numerous countries, including Spain, Morocco, Egypt, Bosnia, Malaysia, and China. Join Prof. Shaikh on Bayan’s first excursion to explore the wonders of Sicily and Tunisia.

Bayan’s tours are focused on providing a well-rounded experience featuring scholarly knowledge, cultural exposure, recreational activities, and free time. Most tour groups are multi-generational and diverse in nature. In addition to historical and contemporary sites of interest, the itinerary includes visits to mosques and other places of worship to accommodate the religious needs of group members. Our group size tends to be in the range of 20-30 participants from North America and beyond. Participants are able to get to know one another and develop bonds of friendship and camaraderie that can last a lifetime. By participating in a tour, you are helping sustain and advance Bayan’s mission as a non-profit educational institution.

Our group will be transported from site to site in an air-conditioned tourist bus. In different cities and historical sites, there will be a fair amount of walking, including walking up and down inclines and flights of steps. The guides will take into account the differing abilities and health conditions of group members and regulate the pace and intensity of the tour accordingly. Participants should expect to walk roughly 8,000 steps (about 4 miles in aggregate) on a few days, and less on other days. At any given time, we will cover 1/4 mile or so between rest points. Even so, this tour may not be suitable for those with knee, hip or foot pain that could be aggravated by the amount of walking involved. Ideally, all participants should prepare for the tour by walking at least 5,000 steps per day in the weeks leading up to the tour.

Sicily is renowned for its particular cuisine that is distinct from other regions of Italy and the Mediterranean. As zabihah halal options are limited, we will dine at locations with seafood and vegetarian fare, sampling dishes such as pasta alla norma, arancini (stuffed rice), sfincione (like pizza), panelle (chickpea-based fritter), soups, cheeses, and local breads, along with iconic desserts such as the cannoli. In Tunisia, we will enjoy tagines, couscous, brik (fried stuffed pastry), and chorba, as well as desserts such as makroudh (semolina pastry) and baklava.

Yes, all participants who have completed their full payment will receive a detailed information packet that includes descriptions of the cities and sites to be visited, the daily schedule, currency exchange, local prayer times, electrical adapters, weather, what to pack, and more.

We encourage participants to be fully vaccinated with at least one booster shot for all who are eligible to receive these shots. We will update participants regarding PCR or antigen testing requirements of Nepal, if applicable. At the time of our travel, it may be that fewer requirements will be in place. Given the low incidence of Covid in Nepal, we do not expect to mandate masking during the tour, but we encourage masking whenever possible and according to each individual’s comfort level. For example, when shopping in crowded areas, it would be best to wear a mask. General sanitary practices should be maintained at all times, such as washing hands with soap, using sanitizing gels and wipes, and maintaining a reasonable distance between individuals.

Bayan Tours are open to participants who wish to join from anywhere in the world. However, the majority of participants tend to be from the United States. U.S. passport holders do not need to obtain a visa to enter Bosnia and Croatia for tourism. This is true for nationals of many other countries as well. Non-U.S. passport holders are encouraged to check requirements for their nationality and obtain a visa if required. We are unable to facilitate the acquisition of a visa for any participants from other nations for whom a visa is required.

Participants should book “Multi-city” flights to Catania (CTA), Sicily and arrive by the early afternoon on Saturday, November 7. For travelers from the US, this would mean departing from your city of origin on Friday, November 6 (or earlier depending on connecting flights and cities). Participants should plan on departing from Tunis (TUN), Tunisia on November 18.