Experience Israel - With Famed Archaeologist Eli Shukron

11 | DAY TOUR

Security check and questioning before check-in.

Flying to and from Israel

Flying to Israel Your trip to Israel begins before you even arrive in the country. It will begin at whichever airport your flight to Israel departs from. Waiting in line, you will most likely see Israelis who are returning home. It’s easy to recognize them – they travel with enormous suitcases. Israelis can’t stop shopping when they’re abroad. As a tour guide in Israel and a guide for Israelis abroad, I never cease to be amazed by this fact. Tourists who come to Israel will typically buy a piece of jewelry, an olive-wood figurine of Jesus, a few dates, and that’s about it. Israelis though, when traveling abroad, will buy clothing, shoes, electronic appliances and, the most Israeli thing – presents for the children. You will also notice that the security arrangements are stricter. Sometimes there’s an additional check after duty free and you might be asked a few questions before you check in your suitcases. Everyone is asked the same questions, and it’s not to be taken personally (though a single man in his twenties who’s traveling alone might be asked more questions than a family traveling together). Even though Israel has a population of almost eight million people, there’s only one international airport: the Ben Gurion Airport (abbreviated to NATBAG in Hebrew or TLV – Tel Aviv). If you’re flying with El Al, the national carrier, you can