4 Things to Sort Out Before Building Your Israel Tour Itinerary

December 28th 2014

If you can decide on a few things before you reach out to a tour consultant to help plan your trip to Israel, you’ll have the best chance of optimizing the time you spend traveling. After all, the more your booking agent knows about you, your interests and the people with whom you’ll be traveling, the more certain it is that she or he will build an itinerary that excites you, satisfies you and gives you an experience to look back on with great pleasure.

Here are four things to think through before working with a tour consultant on your exact itinerary.

Travel Dates

There are positives and negatives to touring Israel during peak travel season or choosing to come off-season. You’ll want to take into account what the weather is typically like during your trip. Also, when you know your travel dates, you also know how many weekdays and how many weekends you’ll be spending on the ground. Whether you’re an observant Jew or not, Shabbat, which begins at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday, will be a factor in your planning since most businesses, restaurants and tourist attractions are closed on Shabbat.

The Purpose of Your Trip
A honeymoon trip is different from a typical first-time tour of Israel, and a religious pilgrimage necessitates different planning than a Bar or Bat Mitzvah trip. If you’re coming to Israel specifically to celebrate a holiday, to attend an event, or just for a vacation, these are all important factors for your tour consultant to know as well.

Special Considerations of Your Traveling Party 
If you’ll be traveling with toddlers, the elderly and/or people who are otherwise mobility challenged, tell your agent in advance. The same holds true for travelers who have special dietary, medical or other needs. Knowing about these considerations will enable your agent to build an itinerary that will keep everyone engaged and won’t make anyone feel left out.

Budget
There are several tour planning variables that can significantly impact its price. Hotels in Israel can be expensive, so let your tour
consultant know if you want to splurge on luxury hotels, or if you prefer to sleep in more modest accommodations so you can allocate more of your budget elsewhere. Another important budgetary consideration is whether you want to hire a private guide for maximum flexibility or if you’d prefer to join an exisiting tour group, meet new people and be part of something bigger.

Help Your Consultant Help You

Being able to specify what your group wants and needs will help your booking agent to do his or her job well, planning an amazing experience for you to enjoy in Israel.