Details

FAQ

Please click here to go to our general FAQ, which has essential information that applies to all of our programs.

Resources to Learn & Teach about Israel

Visit our recommended reading page to see the list of books GEEO recommends reading before your program (this is not required reading). We also have lesson plans and Pinterest boards that may be useful for you as you learn about your destination and prepare to bring lessons back to your classroom.

Terms and Conditions

It is very important for you to visit our Terms and Conditions page before signing up for this program.

Cancellation policy

All cancellations must be submitted to GEEO in written form by emailing your request for cancellation to travel@geeo.org. If you do not receive a confirmation that we have received your written cancellation request, please call us at 1-877-600-0105. Verbal cancellation requests will not be honored.

• If you cancel 60 days or more prior to departure, all your program fee payments will be refunded besides your $350 deposit which is kept on file for future use
• If you cancel between 30 and 59 days prior to departure, you will receive a 50% refund and your deposit is kept on file for future use
• If you cancel within 30 days of departure, you will receive no refund, but your deposit is kept on file for future use

Trip Notes

1. COVID: We are hoping this trip will be able to run with the stated itinerary, however, due to COVID the route may need to exclude the Palestinian territories. We will adjust the itinerary as need be.
2. B2 VISA: Israeli hotels have new requirements due to the Israeli Value Added Tax (VAT) authorities regulation. According to the law, hotels must receive photocopies of passports and B2 visas of all visitors.The B2 visa is a small document travelers receive upon entering Israel at passport control. Please hold on to that document as it will be requested at the hotels. If the hotels do not receive that information then they will charge an additional 17% to the rate of accommodation.
3. PASSPORT STAMP: Usually your entry and visa will not be stamped into your passport, but onto a separate piece of paper.

Group Leader Description

All GEEO/G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of G Adventure’s group leaders, which they refer to as Chief Experience Officers (CEO). The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are traveling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues, and introduce you to our local friends. Our itineraries often have plenty of free time to explore on your own. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting – we think it’s the best of both worlds.

Fitness Level

This trip includes light walking and hiking that is suitable for most fitness levels. It can be exhausting in the heat. Keep hydrated and know your limits!

Single Travelers

Half of the people that travel with GEEO are traveling by themselves, so please don’t worry if you have no one who can join you on your trip. Our pricing is based on double occupancy or, in other words, two people to a room. You never have to pay for a single room unless you want one. GEEO can find you a roommate of the same gender. Most of our trips have a “My Own Room” option, also known as a “Single Supplement,” which is an extra fee that will allow you to have a room to yourself. If you want to room alone, please email travel@geeo.org. To see the price for the “My Own Room” option, please click here where you can look up your trip in the extra services spreadsheet.

Joining Instructions

Day 1 is an arrival day, and no activities have been planned. Upon arrival to the city on Day 1, or earlier if you have booked pre-accommodation with us, please make your way to the joining hotel. Check-in time will be in the afternoon. Once you arrive at the hotel, look for a note at reception from your tour leader. This note will give the details of your Welcome Meeting on Day 1, usually between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., where you will get a chance to meet your tour leader and other travelers, as well as learn more about how the tour will run. If you don’t see a note, please ask reception for details! If you miss the Welcome Meeting, your tour leader will leave a note at reception for you with any information you may need and with instructions for the next morning. If you have not pre-booked an airport arrival transfer, you can take a public bus for around 35 ILS, or a metered taxi which will cost about 150 ILS. If you have paid in advance for an arrival transfer, a G Adventures representative will be at the airport to meet you. If for any reason you are not met at the airport, please call our local support line. If you are unable to make contact for whatever reason, please make your way to the joining point hotel via taxi.

Emergency Contacts

If you need to contact G Adventures in a situation of dire need, it is best to first call their local G Adventures office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible. EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS G Adventures Local Representative (Israel) Emergency Phone Number: +972 54 554 4905 (Simon) G Adventures Local Office (Istanbul, Turkey) Emergency number: +90 532 481 51 73 (Yavuz, Israel Regional Manager) If you are unable for any reason to contact G Adventures’ local office, they have a toll-free line within North America which will connect you directly with their Toronto office: +1 888 800 4100 If you have purchased an arrival, it has been arranged based on flight information provided to us. If you are advised of a flight schedule change within 48 hours of your scheduled arrival time, we will do our best to rearrange your arrival transfer but we cannot guarantee this. If your arrival transfer does not arrive within 30 minutes after you have exited the arrivals area please take a taxi to your start point hotel. If your call is specifically concerning Amman Airport Transfer complications please call our local G Adventures Transfer provider directly at +962 79 5535879

Packing List

Please read this article on GEEO’s blog for our staff’s suggestions on the best gear to pack for your upcoming travels. You must be prepared to carry your own bags and be comfortable carrying them up and downstairs, on and off transportation, and to hotels. As a rule, we try not to have to walk more than 15-20 minutes with your bags, which is why we recommend keeping the weight of your bags between 22-30 lb. Most travelers carry a backpack or rolling bag of small to medium size. No XXL bags please! A daypack is also essential for carrying everyday items. Space is limited on transportation, so there is a limit of one main piece of luggage per person plus a daypack per person. Health & Safety (Required!)

• N95/KN95 Face masks (At least three per week)
• Hand sanitizer
• Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)
• Quick Covid Test/Antigen Tests (At least 5, and for longer trips, 3 per week of travel)

Suggested Checklist

• Light windproof/waterproof jacket – chances are it won’t rain
• Sun hat
• Personal clothing for hot weather (t-shirts, shorts, etc.)
• An outfit of modest clothing that covers knees and shoulders (Long pants, long skirts, shirts that cover shoulders)
• Shawl or scarf (for temple visits)
• Daypack
• Sturdy walking shoes
• Sport sandals or flip-flops
• Sunblock
• Sunglasses
• Watch or alarm clock
• Flashlight or headlamp
• Clothes for religious sites – knees and shoulders must be covered
• Small flashlight
• Toiletries – your hotels will have soap and shampoo
• Camera
• First-aid kit, including: lip salve, Aspirin, bandaids, anti-histamine, Dramamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, electrolyte powder, insect repellent, extra prescription drugs you may be taking

Optional Checklist

• A lightweight silk sleep sheet
• Travel pillow
• Money belt
• Water bottle
• Phone/Tablet for internet – most hotels have WiFi
• Chargers for electronics as well as converters/adapters, if needed
• AirTags or Tile trackers
• Packing cubes
• Earplugs
• Snacks – packing a few granola bars is a good idea; you can buy snacks when you get there too, so don’t go crazy here
• Ziplock bags for wet clothing
• Reading/writing material
• Hand sanitizer/Baby wipes

Document Checklist

• Passport (with photocopies)
• Travel insurance (with photocopies)
• Airline tickets (with photocopies)
• EUR/USD cash
• Credit or debit card – see personal spending money
• G Adventures vouchers, pre-departure information, and dossier
• Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
• GEEO Classroom action plans for your group – this is sent 10-30 days before departure</li

Laundry

Laundry facilities are offered by some of our hotels for a charge or ask your group leader where the nearest laundromat is. If you want to do your own laundry, we suggest you bring your own non-polluting/biodegradable soap.

Passports and Visas

All GEEO trips require that the participant have a valid passport.  Please see our general FAQ for information on obtaining a passport. As with all of our trips, we try to provide the most accurate information we can, but governments sometimes change visa rules. It is your responsibility to double-check the information we provide below by searching here. For Americans, the Israeli visa is issued for free upon arrival at the airport and major land borders. Usually, your entry and visa will not be stamped into your passport, but onto a separate piece of paper. Non-American participants should check with their government to find out if they need a visa. Israeli hotels have new requirements due to the Israeli Value Added Tax (VAT) authorities regulation. According to the law, hotels must receive photocopies of passports and B2 visas of all visitors. The B2 visa is a small document travelers receive upon entering Israel at passport control. Please hold on to that document as it will be requested at the hotels. If the hotels do not receive that information then they will charge an additional 17% to the rate of accommodation. Egypt and Jordan have a peace agreement with Israel, which allows travelers to cross borders between these countries; having an Israeli stamp in your passport will not affect your ability to travel to Egypt or Jordan. If you are planning to enter Israel via land from Egypt or Jordan, the exit stamps from these neighboring countries will indicate that you have visited Israel. Even without an Israeli visa in your passport, these stamps will impact your ability to use the same passport to travel to Syria Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Saudi, Libya, and Yemen.

Money Exchange

ATMs are found widely in Israel and will generally accept cards on the Visa and Mastercard networks. While this is the best way to get the majority of your money in Israel, and the vast majority of Cirrus network cards work fine, there are no guarantees that your credit or debit cards will work in the Middle East. Check with your bank before traveling. Credit cards are accepted by most larger restaurants and stores. W You should be aware that to purchase products or services on a credit card a fee of 5-10% usually applies. Do not rely on credit or debit cards as your only source of money. Cash is recommended for times when ATMs are not accessible. Euros and US Dollars are all easy to exchange to local currency. Always take more funds rather than less, as you don't want to spoil the trip by constantly feeling short of funds. The currency in Israel is the Israeli Shekel(NIS). As currency exchange rates can fluctuate often we ask that you refer to the following website for daily exchange rates: www.xe.com

Tipping

Tipping is a way of life in the Middle East. Locals themselves will usually tip anyone who provides them with services. In many cases, people depend on the tips they receive to supplement the low salary and wages of the Middle East region. While on tour in the Middle East, it is customary and even expected to tip small service providers such as restaurant and bar waiters, hotel staff, reception, cleaning personnel, bell boys, taxis, and van drivers. Tips are regarded as an essential means of supplementing income for those working in the tourism industry. To make things as easy as possible and avoid embarrassing situations, G Adventures has developed a tipping kitty system where your Tour Leader will collect a contribution from everybody at the start of your tour and use this kitty to tip anybody who has provided services to the group as a whole. A guideline for tipping is about $5-$10 USD per day, depending on the quality of the service – this does not include your G Adventures Tour Leader. On Day 1 of your tour, your Tour Leader will be able to advise on the amount required from everybody to form the tipping kitty for your trip. You can pay in USD or the equivalent local currency, preferably the latter. The Tour Leader will be able to advise you on the exchange rate and the total required in either currency If at any time you feel that any service provider failed in maintaining or delivering good service, please bring it immediately to the attention of your Tour Leader so a deduction of tips can take place. At the end of your trip, if you felt that your G Adventures Tour Leader did an outstanding job, tipping is also expected and appreciated. As a general guideline, $35-$40 USD per person per week can be used to budget. The precise amount, however, is entirely a personal preference.

Vaccinations

We legally cannot give you any medical advice. It is very important to consult your doctor or a travel clinic about which vaccinations you will need for your trip. Please take this seriously!

Flights

We find the best prices for flights are often available 60 days before departure, but of course this varies greatly from route to route and year to year. We advise that you wait until this trip is confirmed before booking non-refundable and non-changeable flights. GEEO and G Adventures bear no responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed. You will fly in and out of Ben Gurion Airport, which is between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, so convenient to both. Please double-check our itinerary for the date by which you must arrive in Tel Aviv, which usually means departing the United States on the prior day. You can arrive at any time you choose. Your trip ends in Jerusalem, and you can depart whenever you wish on the final day.

Plugs and Converters

There are two components to provide external power to your device: adapters and transformers. The adapter is the plug, adapting the prongs on a standard U.S. two- to three-pronged power cord to match the prongs required by the local outlets. The transformer changes the local voltage to that required by your device. Israel mostly uses European Type C round two- and three-pin plugs along with the occasional type H plug. Their voltage is 230 Volts. U.S. outlets are 120 Volts. Most new devices (phones and laptops) can handle the different voltage rates, but some devices only work on the U.S. standard of 120V. Check your device to see what voltage range it handles. Most transformer blocks will have an “Input” line that defines its voltage capacity. For example, “Input: 100-240V” means that it will work on voltages from 100V to 240V. If your transformer can’t handle the different voltage, you’ll need to purchase a voltage converter. You can find world regional voltage converters power packs at various vendors.

Expectations

Before you decide on traveling with GEEO, it is important that you read all of the information about the program you are considering. Remember, our programs are quite adventurous.

• You must be able to easily carry or roll your luggage, so do not over-pack.
• Many of our programs occur in locations where it is very hot during the day. Please make sure you have thoroughly read the itinerary and can handle the group activities, which sometimes include day hikes with your daypacks.
• We recommend always carrying snacks with you. Meals can sometimes be far apart.
• Please make sure you understand the role of your tour leader on this trip, as they are not the traditional guide you may be expecting. While our trips are educational, they aren’t study/lecture trips. We want you to learn through exploring, and much of your experience will be based on how active you choose to be in acquiring knowledge and interacting with locals.

Hopefully this is the kind of adventure you are interested in!

Itinerary Disclaimer

While it is our intention to adhere to the routes described on our website, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable, to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The information on our website is a general guide to the tour and region, and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.

Weather

You should expect highs in 80s for most of this trip, although the Dead Sea and Masada will be much hotter.  In general this is a dry heat so isn’t as bad as you might think.