(Travel information last updated: June 30, 2018)
I am no travel expert but what I have presented here are some things we learned on our travels and some things researched from the Internet. My wife and I have been to Israel a number of times. Our first two trips were with Christian ministry tours, in 2008 with New Day Ministries and in 2011 with Bridges for Peace. Both were excellent trips. If you want to see pictures from these trips, I have videos from the 2008 and 2011 trips as well as some pictures from other travels. Go to our travel page and follow the links there. We went on our own for two weeks of vacation entirely in Jerusalem in September 2014 so I've had three trips to Israel. In addition My wife has visited Israel seven more times, most recently in 2019. So together we have accumulated a bit of knowledge on Israel travel. Be aware however that some information may have changed since our trips.
Click on most pictures in this section to enlarge!
Click on most pictures in this section to enlarge!
So, would you like to visit Israel?
OK, that's the easy question. If you're interested in this web site the answer is probably "yes".
The next question is a little more complicated. Are you ready to seriously consider making the trip? That means that you have given the matter more thought and you have the time (usually the easier part) and the finances (often the more difficult part). If the answer is still "yes", then I hope you will find what follows here to be of some value to you in researching and planning your trip. For some it may be a chance in a lifetime trip. For others you may be fortunate enough to be able to return again. In either case, you will find it a trip you will always remember. (Even if the answer now is "no", I hope you will still find some of this page of interest.)
The next question is a little more complicated. Are you ready to seriously consider making the trip? That means that you have given the matter more thought and you have the time (usually the easier part) and the finances (often the more difficult part). If the answer is still "yes", then I hope you will find what follows here to be of some value to you in researching and planning your trip. For some it may be a chance in a lifetime trip. For others you may be fortunate enough to be able to return again. In either case, you will find it a trip you will always remember. (Even if the answer now is "no", I hope you will still find some of this page of interest.)
So assuming the answers are still a "yes", question number three then is to decide how you prefer to travel. Would you prefer to travel with a group on a tour where the itinerary is all prearranged for you? Or are you a seasoned traveler and are comfortable traveling on your own to a foreign country? We started out definitely in the "tour" category but now we are more confident on our own - at least traveling to Israel!
What follows is sort of a random mix of information which I hope will be a little helpful however I strongly recommend that you use the power of Google to do your own research. There is a vast wealth of information, pictures, etc. on the Internet.
* Some of this information based on the assumption that you are traveling from Canada.
What follows is sort of a random mix of information which I hope will be a little helpful however I strongly recommend that you use the power of Google to do your own research. There is a vast wealth of information, pictures, etc. on the Internet.
* Some of this information based on the assumption that you are traveling from Canada.
Visit Israel With a Tour - Click this link for more information on this topic.
Visit Israel On Your Own - Click this link for more information on this topic.
Basic Israel Travel Information
info.goisrael.com - This is the official web site of the Israel Ministry of Tourism. Click the Menu bar for information.
City Walk - Here is a useful app for your mobile device. This app has maps, information on things to see, shopping, restaurants, etc. The web site says there are over 1,000 cities so would be useful on all your travels. I have the app for Jerusalem on my iPad. At the time I got it, there was a "Lite" version that was free however the map that was included in the free version was somewhat limited in detail. I decided that I wanted a better map for Jerusalem so I spent the extra $5 (at that time) to download the full version which included a much better map. The GPS also worked well in the map on this app. For more information check out the web site at www.gpsmycity.com.
This was all a few years ago and I don't know what feature changes may have been made since then. If all you want is a map, try Google Maps first to see if there is enough detail to find your way around.
This was all a few years ago and I don't know what feature changes may have been made since then. If all you want is a map, try Google Maps first to see if there is enough detail to find your way around.
Jerusalem By Tour Bus (2:04:51) - Here is a two-hour video tour of Jerusalem from a double-decker bus. It appears that City Tour Bus #99 is no longer operating so you won't be able to take this tour yourself if you go to Jerusalem.
If you plan to watch this may I suggest that you might want to scroll down a bit to the list of places in the YouTube description and copy and paste this list somewhere so you can print it to have in front of you while watching the video. It'll make it much easier to know where you are. Just a suggestion.
If you plan to watch this may I suggest that you might want to scroll down a bit to the list of places in the YouTube description and copy and paste this list somewhere so you can print it to have in front of you while watching the video. It'll make it much easier to know where you are. Just a suggestion.
Come Find Israel in You (0:32) - Very short tourism video produced by the Israel Ministry of Tourism for the North American tourism market.
Vacationing in Israel (1:59) - Just in case I haven't yet convinced you, listen to Yishai Fleisher explain why you should vacation in Israel.
Landing at Ben Gurion Airport (7:58) - If you haven't flown to Israel, picture yourself on this plane during the approach to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
No I did not shoot this video. I found it on YouTube and the contributor does not identify himself however this was also a flight from Canada (in 2010) so it's fairly safe to assume he's a fellow Canadian. Unfortunately he was sitting just over the wing on the left side but he still managed to get some good shots from the windows during the approach and landing.
No I did not shoot this video. I found it on YouTube and the contributor does not identify himself however this was also a flight from Canada (in 2010) so it's fairly safe to assume he's a fellow Canadian. Unfortunately he was sitting just over the wing on the left side but he still managed to get some good shots from the windows during the approach and landing.
Sea of Galilee Worship Boats - One of the highlights of a tour to Israel is sailing on the Sea of Galilee. There are various tour boats but there is only one Christian owned and operated tour boat company. Daniel Carmel, owns and operates two boats appropriately named "Faith" and "Hope" which sail out of Tiberias. We sailed with him on "Faith" both in 2008 and 2011. He is a fantastic singer / songwriter. The trip lasts about an hour and in the middle, he stopped the boat and we just drifted for a time while he sang some of his songs accompanied on the keyboard by Rami Zarhin. (For more information on Daniel's music, see the entry on the Music of Israel page.)
In 2008, we began our morning with a sail from Tiberias and ended at Ginosar where we continued our tour. In 2011, we ended the day with a sail about 5:00 PM leaving and returning to Tiberias. Being the last sail of the day, we appear to have gotten some extra time as it lasted about 1-1/2 hours. Here is a short video sampler from the trip. (full video available on my personal travel page - clips #16 to 19.) Apologies for the video quality - this was in February so it got dark not long after we left the dock, which made video rather difficult.
In 2008, we began our morning with a sail from Tiberias and ended at Ginosar where we continued our tour. In 2011, we ended the day with a sail about 5:00 PM leaving and returning to Tiberias. Being the last sail of the day, we appear to have gotten some extra time as it lasted about 1-1/2 hours. Here is a short video sampler from the trip. (full video available on my personal travel page - clips #16 to 19.) Apologies for the video quality - this was in February so it got dark not long after we left the dock, which made video rather difficult.
Virtual Israel Experience - This site, part of the Jewish Virtual Library web site, contains a wealth of interesting information about visiting Israel. Click on "Enter the Holy Land" and follow the links from there.
Home Away From Home at Jerusalem's Abraham Hostel (3:00) - If you are going to Jerusalem and want economic accommodation right in the heart of the city, stay at the Abraham Hostel. "Hostelworld rates Jerusalem's Abraham Hostel one of the 10 best large hostels in the world." And if you think hostels are for just the young backpacker crowd, that's not entirely correct. My wife and I stayed there for two weeks in 2014 (they considered us "long term guests") and she stayed there again on most of her other trips. We found this to be perfect for us (we're in our 60's and we had a private room) and there were other "not so young" guests there also. Location can't be better. Mahane Yehuda market is a short walk, the light rail stops just outside on Jaffa Road, many bus routes pass through King George Street which is just a short walk, Zion Square and Ben Yehuda shopping district is a 15-minute walk down Jaffa Road and the Jaffa Gate to the Old City is just a 30-minute walk down Jaffa Road. If you want to go to the Garden Tomb it is out the door, turn right and 30-minute walk straight ahead! (2016 update - Abraham Hostel have now announced they now have locations in Tel Aviv and Nazareth also.)
All links on this page verified working as of May 11, 2023