4 Best Reasons to Go on a Holy Land Tour

Is a trip to the Holy Land on your bucket list? Wondering if you should take a tour or go on your own? Here are 4 reasons to take a Holy Land tour.

I get it, organized tours aren’t for everyone. While you have some people who will only travel with a tour group, others cringe at the thought. I prefer independent travel, but I quickly realized that a tour was the best option for our trip to the Holy Land. Keep reading for why a tour is perfect for visiting the Holy Land.

Knowledgeable Guide

There is over 2000 years of history in the Holy Land. Everywhere you walk, something significant happened and many sites are not well marked. Unless you are a biblical scholar, having an experienced, knowledgeable guide is invaluable. Not only will you have the big picture of the site you are visiting, but you also hear the important details. You will also hear the scripture that goes with each site.

For me, this was the number one reason for taking a tour. Of course, you can pick up a walking guide or map of the area. But, you won’t hear the biblical stories that makes the history come to life. I heard someone say, “I used to read the Bible in black and white and now I read it in color.” That is what having a good guide will do.

Simplified Travel

It doesn’t matter which tour you decide to take, having someone else drive to each site is so much easier and eliminates many stressful situations. The towns are crowded, parking lots are full and traffic is crazy. Not having to navigate it ourselves was such a relief and make the entire experience more enjoyable. Keep in mind, many places have signs in Hebrew and Arabic, which adds to the challenge of finding your way around.

Along with having a chauffeur, you will also have a guide to walk with you to each site. As you move through Israel, you will find that some places are well marked, but others, not as much. Trust me, you do not want to find yourself wandering through Bethlehem or Nazareth trying to figure out where you need to be or what you are supposed to be looking at.

Expanded Itinerary

If you have done any research AT ALL, you know that the standard Holy Land tour is 10 days. This is far and away the most popular tour. Since Chris had always wanted to visit Egypt, we decided to choose an extended tour that began in Egypt. We began our tour in Cairo with a Nile River cruise, climbed up Mt. Sinai, visited Jordan, including Petra and then made our way to Israel. With a bit of research, you will find there are several options beyond the traditional 10 day tour.

When choosing your tour, make sure you will have knowledgeable guides in each country. We had a local guide for each of the 3 countries we toured. Read the detailed itineraries carefully making sure the places you want to visit are included. The deciding factor for our tour was that it offered a side trip to Abu Simbel when we were in Aswan. There was no way I was going to Aswan and not seeing Ramses II tomb. All this to say, choose carefully.

Group Experience

The thought of traveling in a group may be an immediate deterrent for some, but it provides a special experience. Visiting holy sites with others you can share prayer or worship with is a very spiritually moving experience. Singing in church at the Garden of Gethsemane, taking communion at the Garden Tomb and listening to scripture at Mt. Nebo were all the more memorable because we were a group experiencing these special moments together.

Even if you don’t love the idea of group travel, I encourage you to try it for a Holy Land trip.

Conclusion

A Holy Land tour is a bucket list item for many people. It is much more than a vacation, it is a spiritual experience. Because of this, you want to make sure you take the right trip so you can have the best experience possible. Hopefully the 4 reasons to take a Holy Land tour will help you recognize the benefits of going on a group tour to the Holy Land.

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