“At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem” (John 10:22).
Please stay tuned for our new tour dates.
December 5–15, 2023
Cost: $3,000* per person
Includes:
- Guide
- Hotel
- Transportation within country
- Most breakfasts and dinners (at nice hotel buffets)
Does not include:
- *Round-trip flight to Israel (Please look at the FAQ below for very important information regarding flights.)
- Medical or personal insurance. We encourage our participants to secure traveler’s insurance.
- Personal expenses
- Gratuities to guide, driver, hotel staff, and restaurants
Tentative Itinerary
| Tuesday, December 5 | Depart from home |
| Wednesday, December 6 | Land in Israel
Pick up from airport at 6:30 PM Light evening with dinner, orientation, and prayer |
| Thursday, December 7 | Caesarea, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Galilee |
| Friday, December 8 | Galilee |
| Saturday, December 9 | Galilee, En Gedi, Dead Sea |
| Sunday, December 10 | Jerusalem |
| Monday, December 11 | Jerusalem |
| Tuesday, December 12 | Tel Aviv / Jaffa
Tour our new Messianic center in Tel Aviv |
| Wednesday, December 13 | Tel Aviv / Jaffa
Hanukkah menorah lighting at our Tel Aviv Messianic center |
| Thursday, December 14 | Tel Aviv / Jaffa
Dedication service at our Tel Aviv Messianic center |
| Friday, December 15 | Return home |
FAQ’s
Tipping/Recommended Gratuities
It is customary to provide tips to guide, driver, hotels, and restaurant staff.
Tips are usually provided in US dollars and given directly to the recipients by the Tour Leader.
The best practice is to have Chosen People Ministries collect tips beforehand and disperse on behalf of the participants during the tour.
Current tip amounts commonly provided are as follows:
- Guide: $6–8 per participant per day
- Driver: $3–5 per participant per day
- Hotels: $2–3 per person per day (to be divided equally between Front Desk, Dining Room, Housekeeping, and Bell Boys)
For this trip, the total estimated tip amount is $150 per person. Any other services not explicitly referred to in this quote are not included.
Payment Schedule
Payment in full can be received any time.
Payment Plan (note: this is for the $3000 land cost listed at the top of the website and does not include your roundtrip airfare. More information on booking your own airfare provided below in the FAQ)
- Registration upon signing up ($150 per person)
- Quarter Payment by July 26, 2023 ($750 per person)
- Half Payment by September 13, 2023 ($1,500 per person)
- Full Payment by October 11, 2023 ($3,000 per person)
Terms of Payment
- Full payment via bank transfer must be received eight weeks prior to arrival.
- Invoice will be based upon the final rooming list.
- Any changes six weeks prior to arrival are subject to potential cancellation fees.
- Please be advised any payment made by credit card will incur a 4 percent bank service fee.
- In periods of high demand, hotels may request non-refundable deposits a few months prior to the arrival of the group in order to secure the rooms. In such cases, we will require earlier payments.
Food
Enjoy two delicious Israeli-style buffet breakfasts and dinners every day at your hotels, included in the tour price. Lunches will be outside of the hotel and are not included in the tour price. The approximate price per meal can range anywhere from $10–$30.
First Aid
Please bring your own first aid packet and all medicines you need. The hotel has options for first aid treatment. In case of further treatment, you can be taken to “Terem.” Many times, you will need to pay their fee out-of-pocket, and you can submit the receipt to your insurance afterwards.
Money, ATMs, and Shekels
Most places in Israel will take your credit cards. It is always good to have shekels on you, just in case. There is an ATM at the hotel as well. You can also exchange money at the check-in desk. It is easy to withdraw shekels from an ATM or exchange money at a money changer. Please do not walk around with all your money, put some in your safe in your hotel room. It is not advisable to request shekels in your home country as you will probably pay a high premium. It is advisable to notify your bank and credit card that you will be traveling outside of your home country since the bank/credit card will notice that you are not making regular/normal spending.
Your Phones and Data Plans/Minutes
You will want to alert your phone company that you are traveling overseas and try to get a package that gives you minutes and data while overseas. In Israel, everyone uses Whatsapp for free messaging and calls and can simply be used with the hotel’s internet. Many coffee shops, etc. also let you use their internet. If you have a data package on your phone, you are set anyways. Be aware of not setting this up and receiving high charges when you get back to your home country.
Safety
If you see something, say something. The hotel has security guards outside. Keep all your valuables with you. Do not leave them laying around. If you feel uneasy about something, talk to CPM leadership.
Flights/Airport Arrival/Departure
Since everyone has different travel preferences, each person will be selecting and buying their own roundtrip flights to Israel. Please note three very important things regarding cost and timing of when to land in Tel Aviv.
(A) Cost: The land portion of the tour costs $3,000 per person. We are estimating an economy flight price of $1,250 per person. Thus, depending on which flight you choose, the cost for your tour may range from anywhere around $4,250 if you choose a less expensive flight, to as much as $4,500 or more if you choose a higher-priced flight.
(B) Arrival Times: Because you will be booking your own roundtrip flights to Israel, please plan to land in the Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport no later than 5:30 pm on Tuesday, December 5. This detail is very important. We scheduled the bus transferring everyone to the hotel to pick the group up from the airport at 6:30 pm, and you will need time to pass through customs and gather your bags before the bus arrives.
(C) Departure Times: Please book your return flight to the United States for Friday, December 15 on a very early “red-eye” flight, leaving anywhere between 12:00 am and 2:00 am. It will feel like you are leaving very late on Thursday night, since the bus will take everyone to the airport by approximately 10:00 pm on Thursday to catch the early flights.
Insurance
SAREL does not include travel insurance and strongly recommends every visitor gets extra insurance. Please check with your own current provider to see if you are covered in Israel, while overseas, or consider buying traveler’s health insurance.
Cancellation Policy
- Cancellation within three months of arrival may be subject to fees.
- Cancellation within two months of arrival will incur fees.
Questions
If you want to email a question, please ask Michael at mmoore@chosenpeople.com.
