Palestine & Israel

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 3 Star, 4 Star or 5 Star + hotels with HB or BB regarding the program.
• 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.
  

2- Arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport

     After customs and passport procedures, you will be greeted by one of our staff holding sign with the name of the agency, 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 (find contacts on the provided voucher).

On Arrival: Upon arrival at the terminal, it is important to connect to the airport’s Wi-Fi, and contact our operations contact via the issued WhatsApp number, and to send messages regarding your current status in the arrival procedure.  Arriving by land borders through Jordan or Egypt, also one may be delayed; please maintain contact via WhatsApp accordingly.

On Departure: Be prepared for a lengthy check-in process at Ben Gurion Airport.  Be certain that you have travel documents on your immediate person at all times, that you have packed your own luggage and that you are completely aware of its contents.  Remain calm and answer questions asked by airport authorities directly and as simply as possible.

The arrival and departure process at Ben Gurion International Airport is well known for its thorough procedures, with personal, direct questioning of customers being a regular occurrence.  Tourists should be prepared to be questioned, to show flight or proof of the booking, to have their luggage searched and to possibly be detained up to a few hours.

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.

3- 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.

 4- Visa & Passport

Passport: First, it is important to note that your passport, no matter what nation it is issued from, must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. Be sure that your passport is up to date!

An on-arrival visa at Ben Gurion International Airport covering both Israel and Palestine:

Israel controls all points of entry and exit for both Israel & Palestine.  Citizens of more than 100 countries, such as member states of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and almost all countries of North, Central & South America, and several countries in Asia, receive on-arrival visas in the form of an electronic paper slip that can easily fit into your passport. If you are uncertain about your eligibility for an on-arrival visa due to your citizenship by passport, please cheek if you need to get in advance visa:  https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ConsularServices/Documents/VisaRequirements-Tourists.pdf

If you need to apply for a visa in advance, Please refer, about one month or 40 days prior to the visit, to the nearest Israeli Embassy in your place of residence to complete the relevant visa application forms. We will provide you with the necessary document proof of reservation of the tour once we have finalized and confirmed your participation in the forthcoming tour.

If there is no Israeli embassy in your country, in certain conditions we will ask and apply for a visa for you from the Ministry of Interior in Jerusalem.

Some additional information for tourists according to the Israeli Ministry of the Interior:

• • If you are a member of a group of ten persons or more and want to book a tour together, we can apply for a group visa for you.  For some nationalities we need minimum of 35 days before arrival; please contact us for further details.
  • For certain nationalities such as Indonesia and Malaysia, we can apply for a visa for a group of five participants.
  • Groups from Arabs and Muslims countries can get a visa to visit Jerusalem.
  • Visa fees must be paid at the time of your application.
  • Please note that a visa request does not mean acceptance of the application. The ministry can give the answer on demand one or two weeks before the trip, but sometimes even a single day beforehand.  We will work with you to find solutions for difficult, compressed timeframes.
  •  The Israeli Ministry of Interior retains the right to deny visas to any client in the manifest or reject all the manifest without giving any justification.
  • Please note that we cannot be held responsible if a person or group is refused a visa or access to Palestine and Israel by the Israeli authorities for whatever reason.

NTD : If you prepare a combined trip, check out the visa formalities for JORDAN or EGYPT  here

[ Jordan Formalities ]     [ Egypt Formalities ]     [ Jordan & Egypt Formalities ]

5- 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.

Transport and transfer of luggage: by van or bus, depends on the number of participants.

Transfers: Arrival and departure at the airport.

* On arrival, for logistical reasons, the whole group pick up and transfer together; the transfer time will be fixed and will be arranged with you before arrival. On arrival at the airport, it is possible to wait sometimes for others participant. Preferable arrival flight time during the day, between 12:00 (noon) and 18:00. Beware of late arrival or early morning hours. This will lead to an additional transfer; the supplement will be providing and will depend on the number of participants.

* On departure, the whole group will transfer together for the first flight, the transfer will fix according to the tour and the visits on the last day, and it will be at the end of the day or in the evening. The best flight departure time at the end of the day or in the evening.

However, if your tour does not include visits in the last day, the transfer will fix in the morning.

Note: on arrival; transfer time arranged and will inform you about exact time before your trip; the times will be fixed according to the schedules of most travelers. It is important to update us of your final flight times and details.

If your flight schedules are different from the organized transfer, and you do not wish to wait, you can ask and book a private transfer: contact us for prices.

6- 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.

7- Child conditions

     Babies under 2 years of age travel free of charge, sharing their parents’ room without an extra bed.
Children from 3 to 5 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.

8- Flight and insurance

     Hla Tours 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.

9- 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

10- 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.

11- 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

12- 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.

13- 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.

14- 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.

15- Electricity

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