Helpful Travel Information

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you leave the Holy Land. Otherwise, you may not be permitted to board your flight. Having at least 2 copies of your passport is strongly advisable. You should make sure to keep them safe. Your passport will not be stamped when traveling to the Holy Land. However, you will receive a personalized printed card that includes your name, entry date and a scanned copy of your passport photo. You must keep this card with you throughout your stay in the Holy Land as you may be asked to show it at Israeli checkpoints and when leaving the country.

A visa is not required for British, European and USA passport holders.

Having health insurance for your trip is mandatory.

Remember to bring your regular medication with you and make sure it is enough for the duration of your trip. We advise you to bring a copy of a prescription with you as well.

Keep in mind that you are able to purchase the equivalent of most standard medicines in the Holy Land.  

You should also talk to your health care provider about individual concerns.

It all depends upon the season – Remember to check what the average temperature will be before packing for your trip to the Holy Land! 

Light, loose-fitting and layered clothing is recommended. Even in summer, you might need a sweater for the cool evenings. 

It is advisable to bring long layered clothing and a scarf to cover up in cities with religious attractions. Short shorts, short skirts and sleeveless shirts are not permitted in churches, mosques and the Western Wall. 

Make sure you pack a comfortable pair of shoes that is convenient for uneven surfaces and long-distance walking. It is also important to bring sunscreen for the hot days as well as a bathing suit for our swim in the Dead Sea! 

Formal clothing is not required.

All hotels are equipped with modern conveniences and provide toiletries including soap, shampoo and conditioner. Housekeeping is also provided on a daily basis. 

The telephone country code for Israel & Palestine is +972 

To communicate for free during your pilgrimage, you may connect to the WIFI whenever possible.

You may also contact your wireless phone provider to purchase an ‘international plan’ which allows you to make phone calls and send messages while you are in the Holy Land. 

Clean public toilets, WC, can be found in most tourist locations. Some charge one shekel for entry.  

You are completely responsible for taking care of all your belongings while on your trip; including jewelry, cash, passports and credit cards. 

Please remember to use the hotel room security box (safe) to store your valuables.

Please inform your tour guide if you have any problems or concerns. Your tour guide will assist you with all your needs and will handle any complaints. 

The electric current in Palestine, Israel and Jordan is 220-volt AC, 50Hz cycles.

Sockets in Israel and Palestine are mostly round-prong and three-pinned, but many can accept two-pronged plugs as well.

Sockets in Jordan are mostly round-prong and two or three-pinned, but some can accept square, three-pinned British sockets.

Please make sure to bring your adapter with you.

The official language of The Holy Land is Hebrew and Arabic. English is a widely spoken language in the country, so communication should not be a problem.

The time in Palestine, Israel and Jordan is two hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Tap water is safe to drink. But bottled water is sold everywhere.

In Jordan, it is preferable to buy bottled water.

There is no fixed answer to this question – it all depends on you and your spending habits.

We suggest that you budget at least 50 US dollars per day (in addition to the recommended tips) for your pilgrimage in the Holy Land.

 You should also consider ‘what is included and not included’ in the price of your specific Holy Land trip.

Tips are not included in the pilgrimage price.

Tipping is necessary and required while you are on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land. 

Here is the ideal tipping guideline:

  • Guide: $7.00-$9.00 per person per day
  • Driver: $5.00-$7.00 per person per day
  • Hotels: $1.00-$2.00 per person per day
  • Restaurants: $1.00-$2.00 per person per restaurant 

It is strongly advisable that you have a small change on you as there is no tipping on a credit card receipt and tips in cash are most preferable.

You may ask your tour guide about money exchange locations that provide the best exchange rates.   

Debit and credit cards are accepted, and you can use them to obtain shekels. MasterCard and Visa cards are mostly accepted in restaurants, stores and hotels. 

A Value Added Tax (VAT) of 17% is included in the price of most goods and services. You can avoid VAT if you pay in foreign currency on products such as hotel meals/accommodation.

You can apply for a VAT refund at the airport, before leaving the country. For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.il/en/departments/guides/vat-refund-guide-for-tourists

In the Holy Land, Most Christian businesses are closed on Sunday, Muslim businesses close on Friday and Jewish businesses close on Friday afternoon until sunset on Saturday. 

ATM machines are accessible at all times – day and night. They can be found at some gas stations, shopping centers, post offices, train stations, airports and bank branches. 

ATM machines require a four-digit identification number, PIN (6 digits are not accepted). 

Please be aware that there is a fee for withdrawing money and that banks charge a withdrawal commission. We also advise you to find out your daily withdrawal limit before you leave home. 

Be aware that banks can charge a fee if you use your card at a different bank’s ATM machine (up to $5 or more). We recommend you ask your bank about all withdrawal commissions and fees before you depart.

The currency in Israel and Palestine is the New Israeli Shekel (NIS).

The currency in Jordan is Jordanian dinar (JD).

Please visit www.oanda.com/currency-converter/  for up-to-date currency exchange rates. 

All airlines, hotels, and other suppliers providing goods and services included in your tour are independent contractors and not agents or employees of Holy City Pilgrimage ltd. and/or their cooperating selling agents and/or their travel suppliers offer these services only on the express understanding that they themselves do not in any way assume liability for the performance of the individual companies and components, including transfers, hotels, flights, car, motor coaches, etc. Holy city pilgrimage ltd. acts only to combine these components into a single unit of sale for the convenience of the general public. To the extent permitted by law, Holy City Pilgrimage ltd. does not assume liability for any injury, damage, death, loss, accident or delay due to an act or omission of a travel supplier, including, without limitation, an act of negligence or default on the part of a travel supplier. To the extent permitted by law, no responsibilities are accepted for any damage and/or delay due to force majeure, sickness, pilferage, labor disputes, bankruptcy, machinery breakdown, quarantine, government restraints, weather, terrorism or any other causes beyond Holy city pilgrimage ltd.  control. Further, no responsibility is accepted for any additional expense, omissions, delays, failure to make connections, nonperformance or poor performance, loss of revenue, loss of anticipated profits, any additional expenses or lost business, attributable to you yourself, or acts or omissions of any third parties, or acts of any governmental authority, even if Holy city pilgrimage ltd. has been advised that such damages were possible or probable.