Israel 2025 Tour

No. We welcome you on this trip no matter your relationship to BMM. We expect the tour group to be a mix of missionaries, BMM staff, BMM retirees, pastors, members of supporting churches, and individual donors supporting Baptist Mid-Missions.

Dr. Patrick Odle (BMM President) and Rev. Steve Anderson (BMM administrator for North America, Asia, and Pacific ministries) will lead this tour. While we will have a tour guide providing historical, cultural, and archeological insights, Dr. Odle and Rev. Anderson will provide biblical devotional insights at each location on the tour.

Travel listed in the Pilgrim Tours brochure includes airfare from New York City to Tel Aviv. You are responsible for travel costs and arrangements from your home to New York City. You will need to purchase and arrange your own travel to NYC in a manner that will allow you to meet your tour group in NYC and fly with them to Tel Aviv.

Within a reasonable window of time, Pilgrim Tours will contact you to arrange your tickets from NYC to Tel Aviv. After those arrangements are made, you can arrange your travel to NYC.

The cost related in the Pilgrim Tours brochure includes travel from New York City. If you are coming from an international location, you will need to arrange your own travel to Tel Aviv, including travel to the hotel where we will spend our first night. If you are traveling in this way, Pilgrim Tours may be able to help arrange travel from the airport to the hotel, but use of taxis or ride-sharing services would also be available from the airport. The hotel address will be listed in your itinerary.

If you are arranging your own travel, the total cost of the tour package paid to Pilgrim Tours will be decreased because you will not be charged for the travel they are arranging from New York City.

For those flying from New York City, the advertised price includes roundtrip airfare, lodging in a 4- or 5-star hotel each night in Israel, breakfast and evening meals (a wide variety of foods served buffet style), transportation on an air-conditioned charter bus, a professional tour guide, gratuities, and access to any paid sites we visit.

Breakfast and dinner are provided (a wide variety of foods served buffet style), but you are responsible for the cost of your noon meals, though restaurants for each meal will be provided for the entire group. Plan to bring $20-30 per person, per day to cover lunch, beverages, and snacks during the day. You may also want to purchase mementos of your trip to the Holy Land; the cost of these will be your responsibility. Most vendors in Israel accept US dollars and will give you change in shekels (Israel’s currency).

It is also highly recommended that you bring extra cash or a credit card to pay for unexpected expenses.

Note: Be sure to inform your credit card company of your travel dates and location prior to your departure so that they know it is you making the purchases and not someone who has stolen your card!

There is no obligation to purchase travel insurance, but it is recommended for unexpected or possible incidentals. The Pilgrim Tours brochure lists a recommended travel insurance company.

The fall weather in Israel is similar to much of North America. Temperatures can vary significantly day-to-day, and we will be transiting from cooler, higher elevations in the north near the Sea of Galilee to the warmer, dryer Dead Sea area in the south. Pack clothes appropriate for these changing environments and anticipate that some days may be well suited for dressing in layers. Bring swimming gear, especially if you plan to float in the Dead Sea.

A backpack or daily travel bag may prove helpful for carrying snacks, water, a light jacket, or other items you may find necessary along the tour. Bring comfortable walking shoes and anticipate a significant amount of walking (usually at least two miles/day) and navigating changes in elevation each day. It’s a good idea to begin walking daily to accustom yourself to the amount of walking you’ll do in Israel. While Israel is tourism friendly, the ancient ruins and points of access to various sites are not all paved or easily navigated.

Because of Israel’s dry climate, it’s a good idea to drink plenty of water. A travel water bottle is helpful to pack, especially for situations where bottled water is unavailable to purchase. Water is safe to drink in Israel.

For detailed information on how to plan and prepare, consider purchasing The Christian Traveler’s Guide to the Holy Land by Charles H. Dyer and Gregory A. Hatteberg (2023 edition).

If the tour fills up (45 spots are available on the tour in addition to our guides and tour leaders), you may still register as a secondary on the waiting list. Registration is through an online form. Once the 45 spots are filled, the online form will indicate whether you are registering with a confirmed spot or on the waiting list.

The cancellation policy is outlined in the Pilgrim Tours brochure.

Additional questions can be directed to IsraelTour@bmm.org

While we recognize the value this trip may bring to you and your ministry, the IRS does not allow for a tour in Israel to be identified as a valid ministry expense for tax purposes.