Israel Tour Packages

Over the clouds, Israel looks far too small to contain everything people say about it: three world religions, a functioning Mediterranean beach city, a geological wonder you can float on without effort, and a desert that swallows nearly half the country to the south. Once you land, the scale corrects itself.

For Indian travellers evaluating Israel tour packages, the proposition is unlike a standard European holiday. This destination rewards genuine curiosity: a 400-metre walk through Jerusalem's Old City can take two hours if you pay proper attention to what you are walking through. 

Israel drew nearly 4.9 million international visitors at its 2019 peak, a number that reflects just how compellingly the country pulls travellers across faiths, interests, and continents.

Why Do Travellers Keep Coming Back to Israel?

Very few countries pack this kind of variety into a geography smaller than Uttarakhand. Here is what makes Israel worth the long-haul journey from India:

History That Is Still in Use

Often a part of Israel’s heritage tour packages, Jerusalem's Old City divides into four quarters: Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Armenian, and each functions as a working neighbourhood, not a preserved exhibit. The Western Wall draws prayers at every hour of the day. 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built over the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus, brings pilgrims who have waited years for that particular moment. The Dome of the Rock, its gold surface catching the light from almost every vantage point in the city, has stood here since 691 CE. 

A Budget That Works Across Travel Styles

Return flights from Delhi or Mumbai to Tel Aviv carry competitive fares when you book 6–8 weeks ahead, most routing via Dubai, Doha, or Istanbul. Mid-range hotels in Jerusalem average ₹6,000–₹10,000 per night; Tel Aviv runs slightly higher. 

A sit-down restaurant meal costs ₹1,200–₹2,500. Bundled travel packages that combine flights, hotels, and guided experiences often deliver better value than booking each element separately, especially for first-time visitors unfamiliar with the city layouts.

Three Completely Different Experiences in One Journey

The best Israel trip packages combine Jerusalem's historical density with Tel Aviv's coastal energy and the Dead Sea's geological strangeness. Mornings in a stone-paved medina, afternoons floating on hypersaline water, and evenings eating excellent hummus 30 metres from the sea. Not many destinations deliver all three within a 90-minute drive of each other.

What Makes Israel Unlike Any Other Destination?

Most long-haul destinations offer history, beaches, or nature. Israel layers all three simultaneously. Here is what genuinely sets it apart:

• The Dead Sea sits at 430 metres below sea level, the lowest point on Earth. Its salt concentration is so extreme that floating requires no effort whatsoever.
• Jerusalem's Old City contains sites sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam within a single square kilometre. There is no other location on Earth where this is true.
• Tel Aviv's beachfront promenade stretches 14 km along the Mediterranean. The city's Bauhaus-era White City neighbourhood holds UNESCO World Heritage status.
• Masada, a fortified plateau above the Dead Sea, marks where Jewish rebels mounted their last stand against Rome in 73 CE. The sunrise view from the top, reachable via cable car or a 45-minute climb, is among Israel's most striking experiences.
• The Makhtesh Ramon crater in the Negev Desert measures 40 km in length and has no geological equivalent anywhere in the world.

For couples exploring honeymoon tour packages, Israel's combination of romantic old-city evenings, private desert retreats, and Dead Sea luxury spa resorts makes it a genuinely inspired choice.

Which Places in Israel Are Actually Worth Your Time?

Israel tour packages rarely disappoint in terms of destinations. These are the places that genuinely live up to expectations once you experience them in person:

Jerusalem

Jerusalem operates differently from other historical cities. The history here is not behind glass or narrated through audio guides; it is the street underfoot, the wall beside you, and the crowd moving through the same gate it has moved through for a thousand years.

The Via Dolorosa, the route traditionally associated with Jesus' walk to his crucifixion, passes through the Muslim Quarter before arriving at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. You can complete it in 20 minutes or in four hours, depending entirely on how much you stop. 

The Jewish Quarter's Cardo, a Roman street from the 2nd century CE, is visible through glass panels set flush into the current road surface. You stand on the street that exists today and look straight down at the one that existed 1,800 years ago.

Tel Aviv

People founded Tel Aviv in 1909, and it still feels every bit as young. The city runs at a modern pace on Dizengoff Street, the seafront promenade, the Carmel Market, and the White City's wide boulevards. 

Hummus at Abu Hassan in Jaffa, the ancient port city now absorbed into Tel Aviv's southern edge, draws a queue that moves slowly and rewards patience. The Jaffa flea market on a Friday morning deserves at least two hours.

Tel Aviv’s luxury tour packages come with five-star hotels that face the Mediterranean directly.

The Dead Sea

The drive from Jerusalem takes about 45 minutes. The descent from 800 metres above sea level to 430 metres below happens fast. Ears pop, the landscape turns chalk-pale, and then you see it: a vast stretch of pale blue water flanked by bare cliffs on both sides.

Getting in requires some care. Salt water on any cuts or in your eyes is immediate and unpleasant. The floating, however, is exactly as strange as the photographs suggest. You sit back in the water, and it refuses to let you sink. 

Galilee and Nazareth

The north of Israel relaxes the itinerary. The Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake ringed by green hills, uses Tiberias as its main base. Nazareth holds the Basilica of the Annunciation, the largest Christian church in the Middle East, built over the site traditionally identified as Mary's childhood home. 

The Golan Heights, just north of the Sea of Galilee, produces some of Israel's best wine. If your itinerary routes you this far north, a stop at a Golan winery in the afternoon is time well spent.

How Do You Get to Israel from India?

Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) near Tel Aviv handles all major international arrivals. Air India operates select direct services from Delhi on certain dates. Most routing goes via Dubai (Emirates), Doha (Qatar Airways), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), or Abu Dhabi (Etihad). Total journey time from Delhi with one connection runs 7–9 hours. 

Many travellers combine an Israel tour with Jordan tour packages as an extension, adding Petra and Wadi Rum via the Wadi Araba border crossing south of the Dead Sea. If you plan to consider such a plan, do check out the most exciting things to do in Jordan for the best vacation ever.

Best Time to Visit Israel

Spring and autumn offer the most practical conditions for most Israel tour packages. July and August in Jerusalem and at the Dead Sea bring intense heat that makes sustained walking genuinely difficult.

To make planning easier, here’s a realistic look at what each season in Israel is actually like: 

If you’re travelling during the colder months, don’t miss our guide on the 7 essential items to carry on a winter trip to stay warm and prepared throughout your journey.

What to Eat and Drink when in Israel

Israeli cuisine pulls from Jewish, Arab, and Mediterranean traditions simultaneously. The result is one of the most interesting food cultures in the Middle East:

• Hummus: Eaten at breakfast and lunch and as a snack throughout the day, it’s basically warm chickpea paste, good olive oil, and fresh pitta.
• Shakshuka: Eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce. A standard breakfast in most cafés and an outstanding one at the market stalls in Jaffa.
• Falafel: Deep-fried chickpea balls in pitta with salad and tahini.
• Sabich: Fried aubergine, hard-boiled egg, and salad in pitta are an Iraqi-Jewish invention that became a Tel Aviv staple.

What Should You Know Before You Land in Israel?

Here are a few things that catch first-time visitors off guard, and all of them are easier to handle before you leave home than after you land:

• Visa: Indian passport holders require a tourist visa for Israel. Apply online through the Israeli Ministry of Interior portal or in person at the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi. Processing typically takes 3–5 working days. Israel does not stamp foreign passports on entry; it issues a separate entry card instead.
• Currency: Israel uses the New Shekel (ILS). As of early 2025, ₹1 equals approximately 0.042 ILS. Check current rates before you travel. Cards work almost everywhere in cities. Remote areas and smaller market stalls sometimes prefer cash; keep a small reserve of ₹2,000–₹3,000 worth of ILS for these situations.
• Shabbat: From Friday sundown to Saturday night, public transport in Jerusalem halts and most shops close. Plan your Friday afternoon accordingly. If you base yourself in Jerusalem over the weekend, stock up on essentials before sundown.
• Security: Israeli airport security at Ben Gurion is thorough by any international standard. Allow at least three hours before your departure flight, particularly on a first visit. Expect detailed questioning as standard procedure.
• Dress Code: At the Western Wall, Temple Mount, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and most religious sites in Jerusalem, you are asked to cover your shoulders and knees. Scarves and shawls are available at the entrances to most sites if you arrive unprepared.
• Connectivity: Tourist SIM cards from providers like Golan Telecom and Cellcom are available at the airport on arrival. A 10-day SIM with data costs approximately ₹1,200–₹2,000.

See the Best of Israel with EaseMyTrip

Israel does not suit passive travel; it rewards people who walk the extra street, eat where the signs do not point, and slow down in the places that have genuinely earned it. Almost every site that looks impressive in photographs turns out to be more interesting in person.

EaseMyTrip Holidays makes Israel accessible with zero booking fees on flights. Whether you are planning a complete Israel tour package running from Jerusalem to the Negev or a cultural deep dive through Galilee and Nazareth, our wide choice of itineraries is sure to suit your travel style and budget.

Plan your Israel holiday with EaseMyTrip today.