Yes! Mizpah Tours is a licensed and registered Travel Agency in British Columbia, Canada (applies internationally). Our Travel Agent Licence Number Is 79115. However we do not sell travel to the public, we only arrange tours for Witnesses with the Bible as the central theme on which all our tours are based.

Being licensed to offer and sell tours - especially to brothers - is a relationship that requires a lot of trust. Those who join our tours entrust us to ensure not only a safe and enjoyable time building our faith together, but one that is fully legal and compliant with "Caesars Laws". Sadly, some brothers offering tours to Israel have not made the effort to become licensed, in large part because it is costly, complicated and time consuming. This puts their tours in jeopardy, limiting recourse for you - the tour taker - should a tour need to be cancelled or should some other unforeseen event take place. Additionally, being licensed means travellers can purchase trip cancellation insurance, and are covered under our insurance should some event necessitate additional unexpected expenses (eg. a hotel burns down and can't accommodate us). Additionally, some provincial governments are clamping down on unlicensed Biblical tours - even fining ones. We at Mizpah Tours have taken the time to ensure we are fully compliant with the requirements to be a licensed tour operator to Israel so our brothers and sisters can focus on the point of the tour - having our faith built up together.

Currently, our September tour is still scheduled to go. The dates are Thursday September 24, 2020 ending (October 7, 2020).

We have three tours scheduled for 2021. Two in April and one in October. Tours start with a rest day in Tel Aviv, where your hotel has been booked. The dates of the tours are: 
- March 31st to April 14th 2021; 
- April 21st to May 5th, 2021; and 
- October 6th to 20th, 2021.

We have received an overwhelming interest in booking a cruise that would include Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Egypt and Crete in 2021. We are currently negotiating pricing for a group in October 2021. If you would like to express an interest in joining a cruise when we have more information, please complete a form on our Get In Touch page expressing your interest.

All hotels, bus tours, entry fees are quoted to us in US Dollars. Additionally the tours are open to any brothers and sisters from around the world, so it makes it easier to quote pricing in US Dollars.

Lunches have not been included in the cost of the tour. We will let you know the day before about lunch ideas for the next day. Some places we will visit have restaurants where you may choose to get lunch. Other days we will not be near a restaurant so we encourage you to bring lunch or snacks along with you. Our hotels are near grocery stores where you can pick up snacks and water etc. We will provide you with a small thermal bag for your packed lunch days.

This is a common question. Of course "time and unexpected events" are always a possibility, and no one can be guaranteed safety. That said however: Israel is far safer than it is perceived to be. Petty crime and violence are almost non-existent in the country. It is safe to walk and explore cities even at night. The general perception of a lack of safety in the country is not the reality on the ground. It is often noted by those who visit the country that they feel very very safe. The political situation in the country is generally stable, and tourists are not made a target. Obviously, if that was to change in any way, we would alter our itinerary to compensate. Jehovah God considers life and blood to be sacred - we would never put the safety of our brothers and sisters at stake. The Gaza Strip is generally the area of unrest. Our tour does not go in or near this area. On your free days in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, when we are not all together as a group, put your travel common sense to work; be observant, use your street smarts, and stay to the beaten path. No different to any other foreign city.

Simply to protect the progress of the tour. If anyone travelling without medical coverage was to get sick, the entire tour would grind to a halt. With medical coverage we can assist them to get the medical attention they need and into recovery and could rejoin the tour. Often medical coverage also can cover the cost of an urgent return home should you need to leave the tour early. 

PLEASE NOTE: Many credit cards provide travel insurance for up to 14 days travel included in your annual fee if you use that credit card to book your travel. This is acceptable, but please do your due diligence in contacting your credit card company to ensure that they will cover you in the Middle East, and confirm what they will cover.

Unfortunately the cost of hotels, and the limited number of rooms available at the boutique hotels we will stay at, mean it is not possible to get a single supplement. We recommend finding a travel buddy as this will greatly enhance your appreciation of the tour.

We offer early booking discounts for tours reserved with deposit nine (or more) months before departure dates. Early Bird discounts for April 2021 Tour is valid until July 31, 2020, and for September 2021 Tour is valid until Jan 31, 2021. We offer this discount because tours, buses, hotels and restaurants often require payment in full well in advance. To help cover these costs we offer an early bird discount if booked (deposit paid) before the discount rate expires. 

While we realize we are all working to put on the new personality and deal with our brothers and sisters in kindness and with love, we still find matching two strangers, even though they are brothers, can cause problems. Ideally we recommend you find your own travel partner. In our experience this limits any friction and maximizes your enjoyment of the tour. 

Regular Pioneers, Special Pioneers, Bethelites, Missionaries, and others who have served for at least one year can let us know they are in FTS and we will reduce the cost of their tour by 5%. This discount does apply to the early bird discount as well!

We deal exclusively with the land arrangements. However, while we are not able to book you flights directly, we can assist you to find flights online to meet up with our tour group in Tel Aviv. We routinely find the best deals on flights through Google Flights - sometimes even better than directly with the airlines. If multiple people end up on the same flight (which is often the case) to Tel Aviv we are usually able to arrange a shuttle for pickup in Tel Aviv. If not, there is flat fare cab cost to transfer from Ben Gurion to the hotel of $50. Alternatively, you can find your own flights using a travel agent or travel miles. We just ask that you please arrange to arrive on time as the tour will leave when scheduled.

The Deposit secures your booking. 

Yes, with conditions: There is a $50 fee to process a refund (hence 95% refundable). 

- For the April 2020 tour: deposit is fully refundable minus $50 if cancelled BEFORE November 1, 2019. Between November 1 and December 1 2019, the deposit is 50% refundable. After December 1 2019 your deposit is considered non-refundable*. 

- For the September 2020 tour: deposit is fully refundable minus $50 if cancelled BEFORE May 1, 2020. Between May 1 and June 1 2020, the deposit is 50% refundable. After June 1 2020 your deposit is considered non-refundable*.

- For the March 31 2021 tour: deposit is fully refundable minus $50 if cancelled before November 1, 2020. Between November 1 and December 1 2020, the deposit is 50% refundable. After December 1, 2020 your deposit is considered non-refundable*.

- For the April 21 2021 tour: deposit is fully refundable minus $50 if cancelled before November 1, 2020. Between November 1 and December 1 2020, the deposit is 50% refundable. After December 1, 2020 your deposit is considered non-refundable*.

- For the October 2021 tour: deposit is fully refundable minus $50 if cancelled BEFORE June 1, 2021. Between June 1 and July 1 2021, the deposit is 50% refundable. After July 1 2021 your deposit is considered non-refundable*.

* In all instances above, if due to unforeseen circumstances you must cancel, and if we can - with reasonable effort - find a replacement for your seat, we will always refund the full amount minus the $50 fee. We will make all reasonable effort to fill your seat, but cannot guarantee it. Please consult our Terms and Conditions of Travel page for more information.

Full Payment Is Due about 90 days before the tour.

- For the April 2020 tour, payment is due January 15, 2020.

- For the September 2020 tour, payment is due June 15, 2020. 

- For the March 31 2021 tour, payment is due January 15, 2021.

- For the April 21 2021 tour, payment is due January 15, 2021.

- For the October 2021 tour, payment is due July 15, 2021.

This payment is considered refundable only if we can find a replacement for your seat. Why? We are required to finalize our booking with hotels on these dates above, and we cannot cancel rooms and meals after these dates, therefore if you are no longer able to join the tour, we will refund you (minus the $50 processing fee) only if we are able to find a replacement. We recommend you purchase trip cancellation insurance which will refund you the cost of the tour if for some unforeseeable reason you must cancel and we cannot find a replacement. Please consult our Terms and Conditions of Travel page for more information.

We accept Bank Transfers, Interac eTransfers, Cheques (or "Checks" for our American Friends). Or if you wish to earn Miles on your Credit Cards you can pay using these (Visa or Mastercard - no American Express sorry) are also accepted with a 2% processing fee. There may be an added benefit to using your credit card as many credit card providers include travel medical insurance when you book using your card. Of course: you should confirm that with your credit card provider. But if it does, it would be cheaper than buying the required travel medical insurance alone.

Pricing quoted on the pricing page are tax inclusive. Technically there is a zero rated Government Sales Tax applied, but the pricing quoted is inclusive of all taxes to be paid.

We limit our tours to 34 to 40 people. The bus holds 51 so there is plenty of room for bags etc. We limit tour group sizes for several reasons:
1. First and foremost our tours are about the spiritual benefit - larger groups make it difficult to gather in specific areas to benefit from the scriptural accounts in many of our stops.
2. It allows us to book better quality boutique hotels.
3. It allows us to book better quality restaurants that seat fewer people.
4. It allows us to have more space on the bus.

Yes, we reserve the right to cancel any tour that does not meet the minimum number of passengers. But we have not had to do so yet. In the unlikely event we do have to cancel due to an insufficient number of passengers, full refunds will be provided to those who have booked. Please consult our Terms and Conditions of Travel page for more information.

The following is not included in the price:
1. Tips for the driver (usually $50 per person).
2. Tips for our guide. Israeli law requires a certified tour guide accompany our tour. (usually $50).
3. Tips for guest tour guides - there are 3 guest tour guides (on 3 days total), and tips of $5-10 per person would be reasonable. These brothers and sisters are all in special full-time service.
3. Tips for hotel room staff.
4. Tips for wait staff at dinners. (10% (abut $4 per person per meal) is considered a good tip).
5. Lunches - we will stop for lunch when possible, and pack lunch and snacks when not.
6. There are three dinners not included - First two days in Tel Aviv, and one free evening in Jerusalem. However, each of these evenings there is a Happy Hour at the hotel including drinks and light snacks included, so for those who eat a lighter dinner, no additional meals may be necessary.
7. Mandatory trip medical insurance.
8. Flights too and from Tel Aviv.

Hotels in Israel work differently to how they work in most other parts of the world: adding a third and fourth passenger to a room is usually at the full rate (or very close to it) of an adult traveller. This makes it difficult for families because the cost of a four-person family sharing one room is essentially the same as a four-person family sharing two rooms. Additionally, not all the hotels can accommodate more than three travellers in a room. Therefore, if you are a four-person family we recommend booking 4 travellers in 2 rooms (and there is a family discount of 5% per passenger). If you are a family of 3, please contact us directly and we can get you pricing for a family of 3 sharing one room. Unfortunately there are no rooms in Israel for three or more single travellers to share one room.

Two words: Jet Lag!
If you haven't experienced a 7-10 hour time change before, you will quickly realize why this rest day is the course of wisdom. Secondly, because we will do a tremendous amount of walking and touring, our days will be long, so we need a day to relax before we hit the trail. Third, we will use the time to have a meet and greet and information session where many questions about the tour will be answered and we can get to know our brothers better.

No, we want you to be comfortable. There are certain sites we will visit that the operators consider to be a Holy Place, and as such they enforce a dress code. We will let you know to expect this the day before. This dress code differs but includes the following: No shorts for brothers or sisters. Sisters to cover shoulders. And when we visit the Temple Mount sisters will need to have a scarf or full head covering and covered shoulders. Again - advanced notice of this will be given. If you wish to attend a meeting - this can be arranged and obviously would require appropriate meeting attire. When we visit Bethel on our last day, brothers and sisters should dress as for a meeting: modest suit or similar for brothers, and modest dress for sisters. We will swim in the Dead Sea - bring a modest bathing suit, and flip-flops for walking on the hard salt floor and beach.

Bring your See The Good Land brochure. We will consult the Scriptures in the Library App and the Insight Volumes constantly. Bring a notebook, you may wish to take notes. Bring a camera. Both April and October are outside of the extremes of Israel's weather. The weather can shift very quickly from extremely hot, to cold and damp. A hat and sunglasses are necessity. Layers are a good idea, bring a waterproof shell and warm sweater. Jeans or full length pants or Khaki's are generally acceptable. Short pants are sometimes appropriate (will advise). Bring a SMALL backpack to take with you every day - why small? See the next question. Most importantly - comfortable walking shoes. It would not be abnormal to walk 10,000 - 15,000 steps or MORE a day. We will walk, a lot. A modest bathing suit for swimming in the Dead Sea and flip-flops for the beach as well as Hezekiah's tunnels. A head lamp or flash light and water shoes will also be helpful. Beyond that, read the "Is There A Dress Code FAQ" above for more on clothing.

We will visit Hezekiah's Tunnels - which is a thrilling experience. We will need to change into short pants to go through the thigh-high water. Wear flip flops or water shoes for the walk down the hill, through the tunnels and the walk back up the hill. There are lockers at the City of David where the tour begins and you can leave your clothes here. If you wish to bring a backpack through the tunnels it needs to be small, the tunnels are at times no more than a foot wide. Bring a headlamp if you have one, or a small flashlight. You may wish to use for cellphone for this, but this is not recommended in case you drop it into the water or your battery dies. The tunnels have no other light source so it is important that your light source does not go out on you. 

Unfortunately not. This tour will not be suitable for those with accessibility concerns. We will walk and hike in areas that not only lack accessibility but require a level of sure-footedness and stamina.

On our first day after arriving in Ben Gurion, we will transfer to our hotel downtown Tel Aviv. We arrive at our hotel in the middle of the afternoon. Our hotel has a complementary happy hour every day on the rooftop patio between 5pm and 7:30pm serving beverages and light snacks. Often this is about all most travellers have left in them. On the following day off there is much to do: Carmel market; The beach on the Mediterranean; You can explore the city using one of the complimentary hotel bicycles; Explore the legendary food or coffee scene in Tel Aviv. There is plenty to do. We will visit both Bethel and Joppa on our last day in Tel Aviv, but you may wish to visit these before as well.

Isreal is much smaller than most people realize, and because of this, our drives and bus time will rarely exceed one and a half hours. All of the national parks we will visit have clean washroom (restroom / bathroom) facilities. In the interest of keeping tours moving along, we will not make stops outside of scheduled stops. Israeli law prohibits bathroom facilities on a bus, so there are no toilet facilities on the bus. Whenever we arrive at a stop we will take 15 minutes for anyone wishing to use the bathroom, or pick up a snack at the store and then begin our tour.