Israel Tours FAQ's
Much easier than you may think: just 10 hours from New York (it’s less to fly from New York to Israel than from New York to Hawaii), or 14 hours from Los Angeles. There are as many as a dozen nonstop flights a day from North America to Israel with several major airlines, plus you can connect to Israel through many European cities.
The short answer is Yes! millions of tourist visit Israel each year, and consider it is far safer to visit Israel then any major city in the US. When visiting take the usual tourist precautions; don’t leave personal items unattended, use the safe deposit box at your hotels, be more mindful where you go at night, travel in groups and accompanied when possible.
We have never had a tour cancellation in Israel. Even at times of heighten political conflict the tourist and holy sites visited on our tours are very likely away from areas of protest or trouble. The rare cancellation we had for political instability was in Egypt several years ago, with tour guests opting for touring the Israel/Jordan portion of the trip. Following are guest cancellation options on our Land Tours:
At time of purchase we strongly recommend the purchase of optional travel insurance that can cover any cancellation fees incurred.
- Postpone trip to a future date within one year of confirmed travel date.
- Total trip cancellation: total refund of land price less 4% credit card refund processing fee (if paid with credit card) to cover bank fees incurred. 100% refund if paid with cash/check.
- While traveling if a specific day tour is canceled due to security concerns, it is replaced with an alternate tour for the day. No refund would apply.
At time of purchase we strongly recommend the purchase of optional travel insurance that can cover any cancellation fees incurred.
Yes, our guest are from all parts of the world & we can help you get there! Call us toll free US/CAN 800 933 4421 or 323 655 6121 for international calls to find best available flights (rates, seats, departures, connections). There are over 80 airlines which operate flights to Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport. Let us help you find the perfect flights for you.
For U.S. and Canadian citizens, all you need is a passport that’s valid at least six months longer than your date of arrival in Israel. (For stays up to three months, you don’t need a visa.) If you’re not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, the same conditions apply to citizens of most western countries.
Yes, many of our guest have made life-long-friends during our tours experiencing Israel in a group setting. Single travelers pay a single rate for the hotel accommodations. Please note we do not find another passenger to share a room.
Besides September or October (depending on the month Jewish Holiday's fall in the year) due to the Jewish Holiday's with limited hotel availability, and higher airfare rates, we recommend travel to Israel year-round. Israel is also considered a year-round destination due to it's climate. The country is privileged with long warm, dry summers, and mild winters, and cooler weather in the hill regions like Jerusalem and Safed.
Average monthly temperatures:
Low / High |
Precip |
|
January | 42° / 60° | 18% |
February | 42° / 62° | 19% |
March | 45° / 67° | 13% |
April | 51° / 76° | 5% |
May | 56° / 83° | 1% |
June | 62° / 87° | 0% |
Low / High |
Precip |
|
July | 66° / 90° | 0% |
August | 66° / 89° | 0% |
September | 63° / 87° | 0% |
October | 59° / 82° | 3% |
November | 51° / 73° | 17% |
December | 44° / 63° | 0% |
For Summer, lightweight T shirts, sleeveless shirts, shorts, and a bathing suit are recommended. Pack a sweater or a jacket for nights in the mountains or the desert. In Winter, bring long sleeve shirts, sweaters and a scarf, gloves, a warm coat, and a raincoat and an umbrella. Some religious sites require long pants for men and clothing that covers the shoulders and knees for women. Israel escorted tours require a lot of walking therefore bring comfortable shoes and sun protection including a hat, sun screen lotion, and sunglasses. You can also bring a backpack to help you carry day-to-day touring items you may need including bottled water.
The Shekel; abbreviated as NIS (New Israeli Shekel). We advice to check the exchange rate prior and or during your trip. You can use your ATM card to obtain Shekels at ATM’s throughout Israel. You can also use American Express, MasterCard and Visa cards at most Israeli hotels, restaurants and stores. If you wish to take some cash, take US dollars as these are easily exchangeable in Israel.
Most hotels offer free Wi-Fi for guests and or customary price. Many restaurants and cafes provide complementary Wi-Fi service. Tel Aviv offers a citywide free Wi-Fi network which provides more then 80 free Internet “hot spots” across the city. For cellular phones if you have an international plan, your cell phone may work in Israel, please check with your local provider. There are also many options to rent a rent a phone when you arrive at any time during your visit. Some hotels such as the Leonardo hotels offer free international calling for their guest. The country code to dial to Israel is + 972.
Israel is a modern country with excellent healthcare and has the world’s highest number of doctors per capita. At this time COVID-19 vaccination is required to visit Israel (as well as COVID-19 negative test results, contact us for details). No other vaccinations are required to visit Israel (unless you recently traveled to an area where there are epidemics of yellow fever, cholera or ebola). You can find most standard over-the-counter drugs in Israel that are equivalent to the ones you find in North America. You can also bring supplies of your prescription drugs with you (If you need to bring syringes and vials of medicine – bring along a letter from your doctor attesting to your needs, just in case it’s needed.). Travel insurance (including medical coverage) is always highly recommended for all foreign travel.
Hebrew and Arabic are the Israeli official languages, however many also speaks English. You’ll even find many street signs written in English so if all you know in Hebrew is “Shalom” for hello & goodbye, you’ll get along just fine.
No problem! like many countries in Europe, Israel no longer stamps visitors’ passports, therefore your passport will not indicate you visited Israel.