I posted this over on the Travel Board but the OB is my home and I trust most of the posters here:

https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/3382812/replies/65041670

Considering a trip to Israel to tour the Holy Land and holy sites. If you've been before and can provide guidance on tour companies to consider/avoid, or anything else I need to know, would be grateful for the advice.

Thanks and gig'em.

We have a business unit (office in a suburb of Tel Aviv) there at my company and 3 of my guys were there 3 weeks ago. Said it felt super safe, full of vibrant young people, amazing food and hospitality…then one day there were rocket attacks and they had to lock down for a day in the hotel. It honestly didn't bother them because the iron dome is so effective. Sorry I can't help on tourist side of things though.

Went in 2016 as a group with my church. We were hosted by Jerusalem University College. Our "tour guide" was a young lady with a Phd in Biblical Studies. It was considered a study group and, because of the college's connections, we were able to go places other groups didn't.

Obviously, not everyone has the resources that we did. But, the experience was unlike anything that the tour groups could provide. I highly recommend at least exploring this option.

Regardless of how you go, who you go with, just GO. Our trip was 14 days and we were on the go the whole time. There will be a lot, lot of walking. Fresh water was almost always available at most sites, so one good water bottle was plenty.

Security is strong, but, I never felt in danger. Seeing the countryside gives you a vivid perspective or "40 days in the wilderness"

I'm at work right now but I'll try to post more later.

I'm going in November with our church, Second Baptist.

They hired Discovery Cruises and Tours to organize and provide each traveler with three turnkey packages to choose from. My wife is handling the details for our trip, but it looks like this company has done a really good job in the past.

Here's a link with all the info: https://discoverycruisesandtravel.com/tour/dr-ed-young-11-17-2023/

I've taken a group as a pastor/leader. I'll post some thoughts later if I can. But feel free to email me, and I'll answer any questions you have. Username at g m a i l

It was a life-changing experience for me, for a number of reasons.

My church hosts 2 per year and my pastor is the guide. Haven't been personally but have heard amazing things.

He does one more strenuous trip a year with lots of hiking and one less strenuous for the older folks or people who just don't want to do that much hiking.

They are currently on the strenuous one as we speak and I think the other one is later this year in November.

Anyone is welcome to join.

https://legacymilestones.com/event/israel-less-strenuous-2023/

I went back and forth between Israel & Egypt with the army and state department, usually at Taba/Eilat crossing. Super safe; no issues during our visits. Restaurants were good, beaches (and people) were beautiful. It was comical going into a shopping mall and being head & shoulders above the majority of the population, and much stockier too.

Do it! It's on my list of places to return to.

I wish I had been able to visit more of the holy or tourist sites, but we were there to work.

I traveled there with my wife a few years ago. Booked a rental car and drove to Amirim and stayed in an Airbnb.

Spent several days exploring Capernaum and the northern countryside.

I understand why Jesus spent most of his time in the small towns. It is an incredible area.

Spent the second half in Jerusalem. I think that the garden tomb and the area around Mount of olives left the biggest impression on me in the Jerusalem area.

No tour guide needed for the trip. I don't like being on someone else's schedule.

Our pastor teaches at St. Mary Seminary and has gone to the Holy Land many times. He has a strong preference for:

Inspirational Tours
5433 Westheimer, Suite 600
Houston, Texas 77056
Tel: 1.800.231.6287

Home - Inspirational Tours (inspirationaltoursinc.com)

I went last October and it was an amazing trip. Inspirational Tours did a great job with our group too. Their tour guides were super knowledgeable and added tremendously to the experience. Inspirational Tours' business owner was raised in Bethlehem and still has family in Jerusalem. I plan to go again in 5-10 years and will use Inspirational Tours if possible.

Steve and Janet Ray. We have been on many pilgrimages, and by far this is the best tour guide of them all. Not only does he reference everything to the Bible, but he and his connections get you to the site and there is no wait, no hassle, and no crowds. When we did the "Way of the Cross" Via de la Rosa at 4:00am in the morning, there were no crowds and none of the constant "hawking" that you encounter if done during the day. We could not have been more pleased with our entire experience. Just google Steve Ray Pilgrimage's. God bless you. It was the best trip we ever made. While we were there the Lebanon embassy was attacked, and Israel was under "High Alert." While we were at the Cathedral of the Beatitudes, there were jets and helicopters overhead, and my wife and I could not have felt safer, after all, we were where our LORD walked, lived, died, and rose from the dead. Again, God bless you.

I went with my wife in 2016 when she was sent there for business. We stayed 10 days with her working a week of that time. I was mostly on my own for a week. She was working at a human medical conference and they had a few group tours; Masada, the Western Wall and the Dead Sea were the ones we did with the group. The rest of the time we were on our own. We started in Haifa for a few days before going to Jerusalem for most of the trip. Our first day there, I went to the hotel concierge and asked for a driver since the group tour bus never showed for the trip to the Sea of Galilee. She recommended someone and it was awesome. He was Jewish and a bit guarded initially when he learned we were Christian, but he soon came around and took us to Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan other places that he thought would be good for us. And bought our lunch in Capernaum so we would try a local dish at a cafe he loved. When we got to Jerusalem, my wife knows a doctor in Houston who still has family in Israel. They are Muslim. His sister was our guide to Jeruselum and took us around the old city and the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives was my favorite experience. On the southern part, there are a lot of touristy things and a big crowd. There was what appeared to be an empty hotel. I noticed a sign that said "Overlook" so I went through the small gate and found myself in a large yard on the east side of the Mount of Olives overlooking Beth****e. There was no one else there and it was an incredibly moving experience for me as I considered that I might be putting my feet in exactly the same spot that Christ walked in His last days of His earthly ministry. Our hosts cooked dinner for us in their home one night, then took us to their family homeplace where the mother of the 10 siblings still lives. They gather at her house monthly for a family dinner and allowed us to join them. The food was amazing. They own an olive grove and carried us there for an afternoon tea. I also spent a lot of time walking around the old city. Lots of signs for the attractions which were pretty easy to find. I had no real plan, but I saw a ton of stuff and would do it again the same way.