Israel Group Tours – Everything You Need to Know

By Petal Mashraki | Published on 3/10/2018

Seeing Israel with a group tour is an excellent option for travelers who want to see as much as possible. With Israel day tours you don’t have to worry about logistics, transportation or reading up about the places you visit. The tour company takes care of the details for you! All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the trip. Whether you take a group tour in Israel or not depends on how long your trip is, your preferred style of travel and the places you want to see.

Masada and the Dead Sea tour. Photo creditֶ: Dmitry Mishin

What are Group Tours?

A group tour is organized by a tour company; tourists from around the world book the tour and are told the time and place to meet for the tour. On the tour day, tourists meet at centrally located pick-up points in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Herzliya, or Netanya and are picked up by the tour company bus.

The tour buses are air-conditioned, modern, and comfortable. Throughout the tour, the group is accompanied by a tour guide. The size of the group can vary but is usually between 16 and 30 people. The tour guide gives you a bit of background information about the places you are going to see and chats with the group on route to the attractions scheduled for that day.

At each attraction, the guide shares his knowledge about the things you see. On most tours, you will also get some free time and a break for lunch in a local eatery. At the end of the tour, the tour bus returns you to the pick-up point.

Jerusalem Old and New Tour. Photo credit: Dmitry Mishin

What are the Differences Between a Group Day Tour and a Group Package Tour?

A group day tour in Israel (as described above) lasts for one day. You join other travelers for the day and together with a tour guide, bus, and bus driver get to visit specific attractions. Group day tours are great for travelers who want a bit of both – guided tours in the Holy Land and days when they can discover Israel independently.

Israel group tours include transportation, guide service, pick-up, and drop-off at a central location. Group day tours are perfect for those destinations that are hard to reach by yourself or when you will benefit from the knowledge and guidance of a professional.

A group package tour in Israel is like a series of day tours strung together. The major difference is that the price of a package tour includes accommodation. Some package tours include some meals, activities (like jeep safari in the Judean Desert), and airport pick-up or drop-off.

Group package tours are perfect for those who don’t want to worry about any of the details of their trip from beginning to end. Group package tours in Israel are a good option for groups of travelers visiting Israel together – church groups, bar mitzvah groups, etc. If you are traveling alone you can join other travelers on a group package tour. There are also shorter package tours which last 2-6 days and can be part of a longer vacation.

Jerusalem Old City Tour. Photo credit: Dmitry Mishin

What are the Advantages of a Group Tour?

On an Israel group tour, you don’t need to worry about logistics. No need to tackle bus timetables or car rental contracts; no need to stand in line to pay entrance fees or to negotiate with taxi drivers. You won’t have to navigate the roads or Israeli drivers!

On a group tour in Israel, you won’t have to choose what the top attractions are, as the tour company has done that for you. The tour will take you to the highlights of each destination so you won’t waste your time getting lost or seeing less interesting sites. The tour transportation is air-conditioned and comfortable and your tour bus driver will take care of parking.

Often we look at landmarks and don’t really understand their significance. However, on a group tour, your guide will give you the background and history of each place. On group tours, you are traveling with other tourists from around the world for the day and can often make new friends.

Group tours can get you to places that may be difficult to reach independently. For example, you may be nervous about crossing into Palestine to visit Bethlehem by yourself but with a group tour, you will feel more secure. Group tours are time efficient, getting you to multiple attractions in one day thanks to good planning by professionals who know the country.

Nazareth and Sea of Galilee tour. Photo credit: Dmitry Mishin

What Can You See on Israel Group Tours?

Israel group tours cover the whole country from north to south. There are tours to Masada and the Dead Sea tours; trips to Bethlehem and Jericho; tours to Jerusalem, visits to Caesarea, Acre, and Rosh HaNikra; as well as to the Galilee and Golan Heights. In addition, there are many smaller locations you get to see along the way that you would probably miss if traveling alone.

You can even take a one-day group tour from central Israel to Petra in Jordan. Some of the group tours are geared towards specific interest groups. For example, there are Christian group tours and Jewish Heritage group tours in Israel. Longer group package tours combine several day tours so that you see all of these amazing destinations including Jordan.

Golan Heights and Safed Tour. Photo credit: Dmitry Mishin