HOw to Plan a Tour of the Holy Land

Get the Holy Land tour your group is dreaming of 

Good Shepherd Travel is ready and willing to help you plan and organize a tour to the Holy Land, and will see to it that it’s done right. 

When it comes to planning a tour to the holy land, it is like most other trips. It needs to be organized out well in advance, with careful consideration of interest, timing and cost.

1) Interest

What kind of pilgrimage your community is interested in doing will depend on its interests. A Catholic pilgrimage in the Holy Land is much different than a Episcopal, Baptist or Pentecostal pilgrimage. A group can be more focused on visiting Biblical sites from the Old Testament, visiting churches and shrines that are maintained by the Franciscan Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches, or a mix of both. Some groups may wish to spend time worshipping and visiting with local Christians, and others may be more interested in having a leisure component to their pilgrimage. It all depends on what you want out of your pilgrimage.

2) Timing

Timing is an often-overlooked part of preparation for travel in the Holy Land, but it is a very important part. Timing can mean the difference between a comfortable, affordable pilgrimage set at a decent pace, and a very costly, rushed pilgrimage competing with throngs of pilgrims from all over the world.

The busiest times for pilgrimages in the Holy Land happen during major Christian and Jewish feast days, most of which fall in the spring and autumn. Flight, hotel and guide services will vary greatly during these times. During Easter and Passover, it is often next to impossible to book rooms without doing so over a year in advance.

The weather and seasons of the Holy Land is very close to that of the state of Texas. Spring through fall is generally a hot, dry period, with late fall, winter and early spring being wet and cold. The peak season for travel to the Holy Land is Spring, depending on when Easter lands, and Autumn. The most competitive prices can be found during the Winter and Summer, if groups are willing to handle very hot, or sometimes very cold weather.

3) Cost

The cost of each pilgrimage will involve both interest and timing, as well as what degree of accommodation the pilgrims want, how long they wish to stay, and how many people they have in their group.

In general, the larger the group, the lower the price, as Good Shepherd Travel can negotiate with vendors and service providers much better than with small groups.

Lodging options can range from hostels to four-star accommodation. Entrance to holy land churches is almost always free, but most parks and museums have entrance fees. Knowing what you are looking for out of your experience and having flexibility to adjust dates and services will help determine the final price.

Whatever the interest, timing and cost range, Good Shepherd Travel will work with you to make it happen. Contact us info@goodshepherdtravel.com or Toll Free 1-84- Holy Land (1-844-659-5263) with as much initial information as you can, so we can start making plans to make your pilgrimage a fulfilling one.

How to get a Visa for a Tour to the Holy Land

Who requires a visa?

If you are a passport holder of one of the following countries, you do not require a tourist visa to travel to Israel. If you are a citizen of a country not on this list contact the Consulate.

Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Holy See (Vatican), Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, India, Korea South, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela.

What documents will be required?

Please note that in order to travel to Israel from any country including those which do not need a visa you require:

1. A passport valid for at least 6 months

2. A return ticket from Israel.

In addition, if a visa is required, the following must be provided:

1. Completed and signed application for a visa to enter Israel

2. Two passport pictures

3. Payment of the fee.

What is the cost of a visa?

• Visitor’s/Tourist visa (B/2): USD21 (EUR15)

• Work visa (B/1): USD44 (EUR31)

• Temporary visa (A/1) : USD44 (EUR31)

• Permanent resident visa: USD173 (EUR121)

How long is the visa valid for?

A tourist visa (B/2) is valid for up to 3 months. To extend a visitors visa you will need to submit an application at the regional population administration offices of the ministry of the interior.

Other information:

Extending Your Stay

Visas may be extended (for a nominal fee) at offices of the Ministry of Interior in the following locations:

• Afula, Akko (Acre), Ashqelon, Be’er Sheva, Elat, Hadera, Haifa, Herzelia, Holon, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Netanya, Petah Tiqva, Ramat Gan, Ramla, Rehovot, Safed, Tel Aviv, Tiberias.

Working in Israel

If you wish to work in Israel you must first find secure employment in Israel and ask your prospective employer to apply for a work visa for you there.

Embassy contact information:

Disclaimer

The contents of these pages are provided as an information guide only, in good faith. The use of this website is at the viewer/user’s sole risk. While every effort is made in presenting up-to-date and accurate information, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the owners to this website for any errors, omissions, outdated or misleading information on these pages or any site to which these pages connect or are linked.

Source & Copyright: The source of the above visa and immigration information and copyright owner/s is the:
– Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs – www.mfa.gov.il

The viewer/user of this web page should use the above information as a guideline only, and should always contact the above sources or the user’s own government representatives for the most up-to-date information at that moment in time, before making a final decision to travel to that country or destination.