Managing Director
Immanuel Tours
Church Executive: Why is now a good time for a church trip to the Holy Land?
Dan Eshed: After two challenging years, Israel is once again open, safe, and ready to welcome visitors. The Land of the Bible is returning to full strength — its people, its sites, and its hospitality.
Now is a unique moment for U.S.-based churches to plan an Israel Christian Tour. Israel has worked diligently to restore peace, rebuild its tourism infrastructure, and ensure the safety of every guest. Visitors are once again walking where Jesus walked, praying in Jerusalem, sailing on the Sea of Galilee, and experiencing the Scriptures come alive in a deeply personal way.
For many churches, this is more than just a trip — it’s a spiritual renewal. The last few years reminded us how precious it is to gather, to travel, and to stand together in faith. Planning a Holy Land tour now allows your church to strengthen community bonds, support the people of Israel, and experience the Bible in its living context.
Israel is open. The time is right. Churches are invited to come and see the Land of the Bible — revived, restored, and ready to welcome them again.
CE: How long should a trip to Israel be in order to get the optimal experience?
Eshed: Most of our tour groups plan a minimum of 8-10 days.
Even if you visit the Holy Land five times, you’ll be amazed at all the new things you’ll see. That’s why some churches organize a trip to Israel every year or two: because there’s always something new to experience. Some groups have returned for over 20 years.
A 10-day trip will allow them to visit most of the important sites, including Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, the area of the Dead Sea with Masada, and Jerusalem.
Some church groups also request an extension to Petra, which can be organized.
The size of groups vary between 25 and 50, and some even come with two buses.
Walk the Land. Teach the Bible. Experience Israel.
CE: As you look at the church groups traveling to the Holy Land from the United States, what do they have in common?
Eshed: A deep desire to connect the Bible to Reality; the desire to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to get a deeper understanding of the Jewish roots of our Christian faith.
We also feel their deep connection to and support of Israel.
CE: What are their most commonly cited motivations for — and expectations of — the trip?
Eshed: Church groups routinely express a desire to ‘walk the land of the Bible’ — to go to places they’ve only read about (Galilee, Nazareth, Jerusalem) and see the story of Christ in its original setting.
They expect deeper connection with God, and strengthening of their church family.
The tour is also seen as a teaching moment. After all, the Land of Israel is the best classroom for teaching the Bible.
Overall, church groups are expecting meaningful moments at these sites: prayer, worship, communion, reflection.
CE: Do you see a lot of repeat trips by church groups?
Eshed: Definitely. For most of the pastors that work with us, it’s not a one-time event. Many of them come once and go home excited to return with church members. In fact, a lot of pastors have been here 10 times or more, each time with a new group of people. They know that this trip provides a deeper connection to the scriptures, the Church, and the Land.
Israel is the main destination, of course, but we’ve also had pastors who came to Greece with us — to follow in the Footsteps of Paul — and immediately booked an additional tour to Israel 10 months in advance.
One reason is that they know us already. They’re familiar with our tour guides. They know the quality of our buses. They know the level of service. We focus on the small touches.
They also know that there’s always someone to call if something goes wrong.
Once they visit, Israel is in their hearts, definitely. The American and Israeli cultures are not the same, but the values are very similar.
Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh
