ESCAPE WEEKEND

AT THE HEART OF HISTORY
JERUSALEM & BETHLEHEM

1- Guaranteed Departures: Many of our tours are guaranteed departure with a minimum of 4 paying customers.  All tours offered with a guaranteed departure and insured will have the minimum numbers clearly indicated on each tour costing that we provide. If a departure is not marked as guaranteed, we invite you to register with the free and non-binding option. Once the number of participants on an offered program reaches the minimum number, you will receive an email inviting you to validate your registration. In this case, only then will your credit card will be charged. However, if you book a confirmed tour with a guaranteed departure your reservation and payment will be automatically approved. Our guaranteed departure tours are not private; we bring travellers together from different backgrounds and nationalities on the same tour.

Travel Agencies & Independent Groups: Travel agencies & tour operators may contact us for your unique website access code and special conditions. Independent groups may be offered discounts on posted rates depending on their numbers, tour itineraries and requested services.

2- Budget

Our quoted price for any tour includes the following:

• Reception and transfer: airport / hotel / airport.
• Transfers according to the program, such as private tourist transportation in an AC-equipped van or bus.
• Accommodation in 4 Star or 4 Star + hotels with half board, breakfast and dinner included. From dinner on the first day served until 9:00 p.m. to breakfast on the last day.
• Professional guides for visits as per program.
• Entrance to all the sites listed in the program.

Our quoted price for any tour does not include the following:

• All personal expenses such as drinks, etc.
• Optional excursions or meals not specified in the program.
• Tips for driver and guide.
• Flights & accident, health, luggage or repatriation insurance.
  Unless otherwise noted, our packages concern only land arrangement: hotels, transfers, and visits.
  

3- Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport: After customs and passport procedures, you will be greeted by one of our staff holding a Travel Jerusalem sign, waiting for you in the reception hall after you have collected your luggage. Your group will be then transferred to your hotel.  Ben Gurion International Airport has free wifi; program tour leaders will be put into contact with our staff contact stay in touch via WhatsApp prior to departure.

Customs: In most cases with both arrivals and departures, tour participants will proceed through customs and security inspections as they do in any other international airport without significant delay.  On occasion, however, Ben Gurion Airport security may select program participants for questioning or luggage inspection.  This is a common occurrence at Ben Gurion security and is no cause for alarm. For more information please click here.

4- Cancellation Fees
If you choose or are obliged to cancel your trip before it begins (as determined by your arrival date on your program itinerary), you must inform us as soon as possible.

Cancellation fees will apply as follows:

• Cancellation fee of 30% charged for notification up to 30 days in advance.
• Cancellation fee of 50% charged for notification from 29 to 7 days in advance.
• Cancellation fee of 75% charged for notification less than 7 days up to 24h in advance.
• Cancellation fee of 100% charged for notification of less than 24h in advance
• Cancellation on any day tour will result in no refund.
• No-show for any tour will result in no refund.

Cancellation fees during high season: The months of March, April, May, October and November, as well as Christmas and New Year, are designated as high season periods. During these periods, the following cancellation fees are applied: 

• Cancellation fee of 50% charged for notification up to 30 days in advance.
• Cancellation fee of 70% charged for notification up to 7 days in advance.
• Cancellation fee of 80% charged for notification up to 3 days in advance.
• Cancellation fee of 100% charged for notification less than 3 days.

The above conditions do not apply in case of natural disaster, pandemic, and the outbreak of war. For geopolitical or logistical reasons, the tour operator has the right to cancel a departure or propose alternative date. In this case, full amount paid to the trip organizer will be refunded
If a specific day tour is canceled due to security reasons or natural disaster, it is replaced with an alternate tour for the day, and no refund would be offered.

 5- Visa & Passport
Passport: To receive an on-arrival visa, your passport must be valid up to 6 months after your return date. An on-arrival visa at Ben Gurion International Airport covering both Israel and Palestine: will be issued for passport holders of the European Union, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as dozens of other nations.  The visa is given in the form of a slip of paper rather than a passport stamp. You must keep this paper within your passport for the duration of your stay.  For other nations outside the European Union, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, check the visa information and requirements. For more information please click here. 

For extension tours with Jordan: additional visa and borders taxes will apply. For more information please click here.

For extension tours with Egypt: additional visa and border taxes will apply. For more information please click here

6- Transport and transfer
as well as additional transport and transfer services.  These services will be offered by van or bus, depending on the number of participants, and offered through a vetted and trusted third party transport provider.

Transfers, arrival and departure from the airport: Regarding the organization of transfer on arrival and departure: For more information please click here.

7- Accommodation
The level and standard of accommodations offered in each tour always will be upheld, the categories indicated by local standards. These include double/twin/triple/family rooms, or in a single room with single supplement. All rooms will include private bathrooms.
Standard times for hotels check-in are at 14:00, with check out at 11:00. Breakfast is served usually between 06:30 until 09:00, and dinner from 06:30 until 09:00: For more infromation please click here

8- Child conditions
Babies under 2 years of age travel free of charge, sharing their parents' room without an extra bed.
Children from 2 to 6 years old pay 50% of the adult price, sharing their parents' room with an extra bed.  
Children from 6 to 12 years old pay 70% of the adult rate, sharing parents' room with an extra bed.

9- Flight and insurance
Travel Jerusalem is a reception-only tour operator. We do not organize flight bookings. The customer is responsible to book the appropriate flights, and bear in mind that our prices include only land services of their trip. For accident, health, luggage or repatriation insurance; the customer should locate and pro the insurance in his /her country.

10- Tours – Guide – Tips
Our tours and visits: The tour operator may modify your itinerary where reasonably required at their discretion; for example, a tour may be done in reverse to adjust to sudden, unforeseen circumstances. For reasons of weather or other factors, a tour may be modified or even replaced to a large extent. Please be aware that certain sites can sometimes be cancelled at the last moment. Indeed, some sites are managed by military authorities, free to block access to the sites. In such circumstances we will ensure that your value for cost of the program will be honored. 
Follow the guide: Our local guides are professionals and knowledgeable of the culture and history of the land that you are touring. Generally, a single guide accompanies the group for the duration of the tour. However, for logistical reasons, unavailability and due to the local situation, two or three guides may be used during your program. Our local guides are chosen for their knowledge base, professionalism, ethical standards and willingness to communicate with their tour groups and are always ready to answer questions!
Tips: We recommend a tip of $6 -10 per participant per day, to be shared between the guide 60% and the driver 40%.  Tips are not included in your program costing, and while not compulsory, we do ask that you strongly consider setting aside the suggested amount

11- Languages - Currency
Currency: In both Palestine - Israel, the currency is the shekel. Please check for daily exchange rate: www.x-rates.com. US Dollars and Euros can also be used for all major payments. There are automated teller machine throughout the country, and credit cards are accepted in many places.
Languages: The official language in Palestine is Arabic, while the official and language of Israel is Hebrew. The unofficial second language of the Holy Land is English, with French and Russian spoken in much of Israel as well.

12- Level – Health
Level: Our cultural and religious tours; including transfers by bus, walks and cultural visits are considered to require basic health and stamina.  For extension tours including Egypt, a good physical condition is required for the hiking up Mount Sinai/Saint Catherine’s monastery. For hiking and mountain biking programs, see the program description and information regarding physical difficulty requirements.

Health and vaccines: No vaccines are required

13- Weather
Palestine & Israel: Summer is long (from April to October), hot (25° to 35°) and with no rain or overcast skies. Winter (from November to March) is moderate (5° to 18°), but it can be cold, especially at nights. On occasion, snow falls in Jerusalem during December and January in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and other high-altitude parts of the Holy Land. Protection from the sun is important. Remember to cover yourself with long, light, loose-fitting clothing, and to wear a hat. Use pharmacy-purchased sunscreen to protect your body, especially if you wish to swim in the Dead Sea.

14- Time - Customs
Time: Jerusalem is GMT +2/+3, depending on time zone changes per year.
Customs: Israel and Palestine are multi-faith lands. In Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Hebron, which are considered the centers of pilgrimage for the region, an attitude respectful of local customs is required. In particular, during visits to religious attractions, proper clothing is required. Avoid high-cut clothing and short shorts

15- Telecommunications
Israel and Palestine have modern and functional mobile phone networks. Similarly, accessibility to the Internet is available almost everywhere, notably via WIFI in hotels.

16- Electricity
The electric current is generally 220V, utilizing European-regional sockets (round plugs). An adapter is required for UK-regional appliances.