Shalom Travelers! On this page, you will find all of the information about our tour. I will keep this page updated with the latest information. Much more of the information on this page will be filled in as we get closer to the tour. But, this page will be a resource for you to use as a collection of all of the tour information.

Contact Information

Barry Britnell

Cell Phone: 256-541-3405

Email Address: barry.britnell@exploringbiblelands.com

Date

May 19-30, 2025

Airline Information

Departing Flights to Israel:

Flight #1 - Lufthansa #401 departing New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport at 3:45pm on Monday, May 19, and arriving at Frankfurt International Airport at 5:20am on Tuesday, May 20.

Flight #2 - Lufthansa #686 departing Frankfurt International Airport at 10:15am on Tuesday, May 20, and arriving at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport at 3:25pm on Tuesday, May 20.

Returning Flights from Israel:

Flight #1 - Lufthansa #683 departing Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport at 7:00am on Friday, May 30, and arriving at Munich International Airport at 10:10am on Friday, May 30.

Flight #2 - Lufthansa #410 departing Munich International Airport at 12:00pm on Friday, May 30, and arriving at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport at 3:00pm on Friday, May 30.

Hotel Information

Netanya

DAVID’S HARP HOTEL (one night)

Website: https://davidsharphotels.com/netanya/

Description: This hotel will be a nice welcome to the land of Israel. This wonderful hotel sits about halfway between Tel Aviv and our first stop of Caesarea Maritima. It offers stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea. I have stayed here several times. The rooms are very nice, and the food is exceptional.

Tiberias

THE RON BEACH HOTEL (three nights)

Website: http://www.ronbeachhotel.com/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg-Z4kAgwJM

Description: This is, by far, my favorite hotel in Israel. This family-run hotel is managed by two of the grandsons of the original owner. While many hotels in Tiberias are a couple of blocks from the shore of the Sea of Galilee, this hotel sits directly on the shore. We will spend three nights here and I assure you that you will not want to leave. You should have plenty of time to eat dinner and then grab a chair on the back porch and relax as darkness falls across the lake. No need to request a special room since every room in the hotel faces the Sea of Galilee. 

We will eat breakfast and dinner every day while we stay there. The food at the Ron Beach is some of the best you will eat while we are in Israel. 

I could go on and on about this hotel, but I won't. Seriously, I love staying at this hotel. When I travel with the Appian Media team to Israel, we always stay here. In fact, a number of the introduction scenes and interviews were filmed at the Ron Beach.

 

EIN BOKEK (dead sea)

DAVID DEAD SEA RESORT AND SPA (one night)

Website: https://www.grandhotels-israel.com/david-dead-sea-hotel

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAcTYbqWYX0

Description: A few years ago, I made a change to my tour itinerary and began staying one night here. So far, everyone seems to like it and I am excited to go back this year. This is a huge resort hotel with wonderful food and nice accommodations. In addition, you will be able to walk down to the Dead Sea and float!

Jerusalem

GRAND COURT HOTEL (five nights)

Website: https://www.grandhotels-israel.com/grand-court-hotel-jerusalem

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HJpCrOh_a4 (This video is a little dated, but you can still see scenes of the hotel.)

Description: I have stayed at the Grand Court a number of times. It is a larger hotel, but it is used to handling tour groups like ours. The hotel is about a fifteen-minute walk north of the Damascus Gate to the Old City. From this location, we will be able to quickly get to the places where we want to visit. They have a very large dining hall with very good food. Their dessert table is so beautiful that you might consider taking a picture of it instead of eating from it. You'll quickly change your mind and get an assortment of sweets.

Resources

2025 Israel Tour Book - This is a 26-page booklet that I have written that (hopefully) will answer many of the logistical questions about the tour. I encourage you to read it a couple of times to familiarize yourself with the contents. I am always happy to answer any questions that you may have leading up to our tour. However, I will tell you that, based on my experience, 75% of the questions that I get during the last month prior to departure are questions that are specifically answered in the Tour Book. So, you can save yourself a lot of time by reading through it and knowing what is in it.

Israel Tour Travelers List - Here is the list of all of the travelers for our tour. We have a wonderful group and I am really looking forward to spending time with everyone. NOTE: Please use discretion with this list. You may be telling others that you are traveling, but others in our group may not be.

Instructions for Applying for Entry into Israel - These are step-by-step instructions for applying for Israel’s new entry system. Everyone is REQUIRED to have approval for entry into Israel before going.

Arrival Instructions for Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport - Here are some instructions that I have put together for our arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport. I would recommend that you have a copy of these instructions in front of you while you watch this video. The video was produced by a couple of years ago by a fellow tour leader, and he walks through the same process.

Interesting Links

Western Wall Live Webcam - During the first century BC, King Herod greatly enlarged the Temple Mount and rebuilt the temple. The Western Wall is the holiest site in Judaism as it is the closest that the Jewish people can get to the original site of the temple. This camera will be pointed at the Western Wall 24 hours a day, except on the Shabbat. 

Zefat Live Webcam - The city of Zefat (Sefad) is about 5 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Most of the modern population of Zefat is Jewish. This camera is pointed southwest toward the hills of Lower Galilee. When it is clear, you can see the northwestern corner of the Sea of Galilee on the left hand side of the screen. The lights going up the hill from the sea is the modern city of Tiberias. 

Mount Bental Live Webcam - Mount Bental is located in the Golan Heights about 3 miles west of the border with Syria. This camera is facing northwest. When it is clear, you can see Mount Hermon on the right hand side of the screen. Mount Hermon rises over 9,000 feet in elevation and sits on the border of Israel, Syria, and Lebanon. The Biblical cities of Dan and Caesarea Philippi sit toward the base of Mount Hermon. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the COVID-related requirements and restrictions with our tour? None. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Nothing. As of June 12, 2022, the United States dropped its requirement to have a negative COVID test before boarding an aircraft bound to the United States. This was the last remaining requirement from either Israel or the United States. Our trip should be COVID worry free!

When do I send in the remaining portion of my payment for the tour? All of the final payments are due to me by 100 days prior to departure. For this tour, that date is Saturday, February 8, 2025.

I have a lot of questions about the tour, like “What type of clothes do I pack?”, and “Do I need to exchange currency before traveling?” How can I get those questions answered? Well, you are welcome to email me at any time and I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have. However, after we pass the final deadline of February 8, I will be sending everyone a lot of information about the tour. This includes a special 27-page booklet that I have written that answers many of these logistical questions.

What if I need to cancel my reservation for the tour? Well, I would be sad to hear that, but sometimes circumstances change and that becomes a necessity. For everyone who had sent in a $500 deposit to Nawas International Travel, $200 of that deposit is non-refundable. The rest of the funds, as well as other funds that you may pay, are subject to the cancellation policy on the Terms and Conditions page on the Nawas website.