Hello Rick,
I am looking to go to Isreal October 8-15,2016. It is our Fall break ( I'm a teacher) and I'm aware that it is during the High Holidays with Yom Kippur occurring in the middle of my trip. As you have visited the region for your travel show, do you have any recommendations for a good tour company & accommodation? I would like to focus on both Jewish & Christian sites. Thanks!!😀
arthuramy, this is a public forum sponsored by him, but not a place Rick monitors or participates in, so you won't get an answer directly from him. But hang around and you'll likely get some fellow travelers who can give opinions and suggestions. And you can try searching for old discussions with similar questions by using the Search feature near the top of this page. I think I may have asked the same question a few years ago.
Rick's travel advice and links for that region are all compiled at https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/tv-specials/holy-land.
Thank you Laura & Kaeleku, I'll check those out👍
The TripAdvisor forum for Israel is very active and would be a great place to answers to your questions. Keep in mind that most tour groups will focus on one religion or another although many sites will overlap. Christian based trips will also be different if you are with a Catholic group or a Protestant group.
I'd recommend you look for somewhere else to go. If you want to visit with an organized tour, chances are there are none for that week because of the many logistical difficulties. If you are limited to school breaks, consider winter or spring instead.
Week-long tours are not as prevalent. Probably because of the long distance (and expense) to get here and maybe because of the things to see and do here, even the intensive tours are usually 9-10 days. Most tours focus on one religion or the other.
Even if you come here independently, that would be one of the 2-3 worst weeks of the year to do it. BTW it's as easy to travel independently here as in Europe. On Yom Kippur the entire country comes to a full stop. The airports, seaports and land borders close. The TV and radio stations close. Nobody drives - not just no buses, but no private cars, except ambulances for emergencies. The shut-down starts around 1-2 p.m. on the eve, so you effectively lose 2 days of touring.
Thank you everyone for the great information. 🙂
