Inquiry

An inquiry regarding a specific course does not bind either the College or the inquirer in any way.

Deposits

A non-refundable deposit of US$ 500 is required to confirm a booking.

The deposit is paid when the registration is made online.

Deposits are non-refundable, except where the College cancels a program.

Deposits may be transferred to another program if you let the College know at least 90 days prior to the commencement of the program for which have registered and nominate an alternative program not later than the end of the following calendar year.  After that, the deposit will be lost, and another deposit is required for future programs.

If you are coming as a group, please remember that each person’s deposit relates to them and no one else.  The deposit cannot be transferred between participants in the group.

When you bring a group of 10 paying students, the 11th space is free, no tuition.  This policy requires that the free place registers and pays in full and upon arrival at the College, when the 10th paid students are confirmed, the 11th tuition will be refunded in full.

Fitness Requirements for Our Pilgrimages

Important Information – Please read carefully

St. George’s College takes all our course members’ safety and wellbeing during their stay in Jerusalem very seriously.  Archeological sites and ancient roads and buildings in these holy lands often have very uneven surfaces, winding pathways, and stairways that are narrow, irregular, and without handrails, unlike surfaces and stairways that are common in many of the places our course members call home.  The College provides these guidelines in order to be explicit about the challenges of the terrain that the College’s courses cover, so that applicants have a clear understanding of the physical rigor our courses demand.

It is impossible for buses or cars to come close to most of the locations our courses visit.  Therefore, pilgrims who enroll in St. George’s College courses must be able to walk three miles ( 6 – 7000 steps) at once at a normal pace (at least 2.5 miles or 4.0 kilometers per hour) without assistance from others.  This pace ensures that the pilgrims may move as a group through the planned visits of the day without undue delays or the necessity for staff or others to assist a pilgrim routinely who may be having mobility difficulties.  Also, the ability to move freely helps the pilgrim avoid potential injury.

In addition, pilgrims must be able to ascend and descend three flights of stairs at a time without assistance.  Most days involve more stairs than this.  While the College building does have an elevator, most other buildings a course visits do not.  Some stairs may be steep, irregular, or lack rails.

Most courses involve walking over rough ground, a large number of steps, and steep slopes.  It is important that course members be able to see well enough to negotiate these challenges.  Pilgrims may use a walking stick or cane without a wide base so as not to trip others walking near.  A walker that requires two hands or has wheels may not be used.

Supportive walking shoes (and sandals in warmer weather) must have backs or back straps.  Shoes such as flip-flops, slip-ons, or mules without back straps are not suitable for the rough terrain and will not be permitted on daily field trips.  Shoes should have good tread.  Water shoes that will stay on the foot are recommended for wear at the Dead Sea (unlike flip-flops, which tend to pull off the foot in the muddy bottom).

Courses require extended bus journeys with 1-2 hours of sitting at a time (with a restroom break, of course.)  Participants who need back support should bring it.

All participants of any age who have undergone major surgery within the year prior to the beginning of the course, or who have had knee, hip, or other joint replacements, must have a doctor’s certificate sent to the College prior to two months before the course begins that includes the names and dates of these procedures and attests to the participant’s fitness to undertake the course given the requirements above.  Persons who have major health conditions, such as COPD, heart disease, cancer, or other illnesses currently under treatment must also submit a doctor’s certificate.  All these conditions must be declared by the participant on the application form.

All course participants over the age of 70 are required to submit a doctor’s certificate of fitness attesting to the participant’s ability to undertake the physical requirements listed above at least two months before the beginning of the course, in addition to stating all health concerns on the application form.

Again, St. George’s College takes the safety and wellbeing of our students very seriously.  The College reserves the right to decline to admit a participant to a course on the basis of health or physical limitations that would keep the participant from full engagement with the course activities, field trips, and other elements of the course.  The College also may determine not to allow a student who has arrived in Jerusalem to undertake the course if health or physical limitations present themselves, and in rare cases it may be deemed necessary to advise the student to return home.

Owing to the nature of our courses as group experiences, the inability of one or more members of the group to keep up or participate fully impacts the whole group.  Therefore, it is essential that all course members fulfill the requirements of this fitness briefing.

Many thanks for your co-operation.

The Very Revd Richard Sewell (Dean)

Groups

We can accommodate up to 36 people in a program, and recommend that group registrations should be made one year prior to the date of the commencement of the program.  When you bring a group of 10 paying students,  the 11th space is free, no tuition. This policy requires that you register  and pay in full and upon arrival at the College when the 10 paid students are confirmed, the 11th tuition will be refunded in full.

Waitlists

Names in this category are those who wish to be notified if space opens up on their preferred program.

Insurance

All program participants are required to have full coverage insurance to cover the cost of flight cancellations as well as international medical insurance and the program fees in the event of cancellation.