ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
Oct 19 – Nov 1, 2025
PRICE
$4,790
DURATION
14 DAYS | 13 Nights
GROUP MAX
14 PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
MODERATE
WEATHER
Summer-like, 80F-90F
TOUR OVERVIEW
Explore the ancient port city of Jaffa. The Biblical sites at Haifa, Nazareth, Sea of Galilee, and Jordan River. The Arabic village of Kafr Qasim. Walk through the Old City of Jerusalem with a deaf rabbi. Meet deaf Palestinians in Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron. Take the cable car up to Masada. Float in the Dead Sea. Meet deaf Bedouins in a village in the Negev Desert.
OPTIONAL 7-day extension to JORDAN at additional cost. Price will be based on the actual number of participants.
TOUR LEADER
Dan Brubaker
TOUR PRICE
$4,790
3 SPACES LEFT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
DAY 1 • • •
Arrival into Tel Aviv. Transfer to hotel. Enjoy the beach alongside the Tel Aviv Promenade. Welcome dinner. Stay in Tel Aviv for 3 nights.
DAY 2 • • •
We spend two full days in and around Tel Aviv. Visit Ben Gurion House, Tel Aviv City Hall, ANU Museum of Jewish People, and Israeli Deaf Association at Helen Keller Center. Evening walkabout at hipster Florentin to see various graffiti and dinner at a Yemeni restaurant.
DAY 3 • • •
Visit “Invitation to Silence” exhibit at the Israel Children’s Museum in Holon. Explore the ancient port city of Jaffa, which is the oldest part of Tel Aviv. If possible, we may enjoy a show by the Nalaga’at Theater Deaf-Blind Acting Ensemble.
DAY 4 • • •
Drive to the city of Haifa in northern Israel. Enroute, we stop to visit the ancient Roman port city ruins of Caesarea, Elijah’s Cave as well as Bahai Gardens with beautiful views over the harbor. In the afternoon we continue to Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, where Angel Gabriel visited Mary. Stay in Nazareth or Tiberias for 2 nights.
DAY 5 • • •
Today we explore Sea of Galilee and surroundings. We step ‘in the footsteps of Jesus’ and visit different places that are mentioned in the Bible including taking a boat trip on the lake where Jesus walked on water, held the sermon at Mount of Beatitudes, fed 5,000 people with loaves and fishes at Tabgha, and was baptized in the Jordan River. Enjoy a lunch at a local fish restaurant. Visit ancient town of Capernaum.
DAY 6 • • •
In the morning, we visit Golan Heights, and see Mount Hermon. Arrive into Jerusalem in the afternoon. Stay in Jerusalem for 3 nights.
DAY 7 • • •
We head out to the Arabic village of Kafr Qasim, which is the hometown of one of our local deaf guides. Kafr Qasim has a lively Deaf community, who will be happy to to welcome us for lunch at the community center. Return to Jerusalem. Starting at Mount of Olives, we walk down through the cemetery to the Garden of Gethsemane, before entering Old Jerusalem through Lion’s Gate where we begin following Via Dolorosa, the processional route that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. At the end of the route, we enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
DAY 8 • • •
Early in the morning on our own, we visit the Dome of the Rock. Afterwards with a local deaf guide, we walk through the Armenian and Jewish sectors of Old Jerusalem including the Western Wall and Hurva Synagogue. After lunch at Mahane Yehuda, we visit the Israeli Museum and walk through the ultra-orthodox Haredim Jewish neighborhoods.
DAY 9 • • •
Visit Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. Leave Jerusalem and enter the Palestinian territories. Visit Ramallah, the defacto capital of Palestine. We visit the deaf association for an introduction to the Palestinian deaf community and their way of life. Visit a deaf school. Overnight in Ramallah.
DAY 10 • • •
We travel further to the town of Bethlehem, the place where Jesus was born. Visit the Shepherds’ Field and the Church of Nativity. Palestinian lunch at a deaf family’s home. Check out some of Banksy’s art work, including the Walled Off Hotel. Overnight in Bethlehem.
DAY 11 • • •
In the morning, we visit Hebron with our deaf Palestinian guides. It is a holy site for both Judaism and Islam. Meet a deaf ceramic painter at a glass blowing studio. Visit the Tombs of the Patriarchs – where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were buried. By the end of morning, we drive to Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world. Take a cable car ride up to the cliff to visit the Monastery of the Temptation. After lunch, we continue towards Dead Sea, which is almost 10 times as salty as the ocean. Stay at Ein Bokek for 2 nights.
DAY 12 • • •
Visit one of most spectacular and intriguing historical sites in Israel: Masada. We take the cable car up to the citadel. Return via either cable car, or a hike down the Snake Path. In the afternoon, we float ourselves in the salty Dead Sea.
DAY 13 • • •
Head into the Negev Desert. Visit a deaf Jewish settler in Susya. Stop at the village of Al-Sayyid to meet Deaf Bedouins. Learn a bit of Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language. Visit the Museum of Bedouin Culture in Be’er Sheva. Overnight at Be’er Sheva.
DAY 14 • • •
Return back to Tel Aviv for your flight back home. Or continue with our optional 7 day extension in Jordan.
- 13 nights in 3-star accommodations.
- 18 meals: Breakfast (13), Lunch (2), Dinner (3)
- Services of a deaf group leader on call 24 hours a day.
- Services of local deaf and/or hearing guides.
- All transportation expenses.
- All admission fees for attractions and museums mentioned in the itinerary.
- Israeli border exit tax ($30)
- Most tips, except for your Tour Manager.
- Informative travel preparation packet.
- Pre-tour and/or post-tour itinerary consultation.
- $100 discount per person on your next regular tour.
- Domestic and/or international airfares.
- All other meals not mentioned in the itinerary and personal expenses.
- Travel Insurance
- Any COVID-19 related tests.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MoreTOUR MANAGER
Dan Brubaker
TOUR PRICE
$4,790
3 SPACES LEFT
Maximum 2 Travelers per Reservation
$500 deposit per person is required to reserve space. The availability of space is based on a first come, first serve basis.
100% of the balance is required 90 days before the first day of the tour.
Why do you need travel insurance?
LEARN DIFFERENT SIGN LANGUAGES!
Hands On Travel is a proud sponsor to Intersign University which provides sign language courses in many different countries.
Learn MorePRICE
$4,790
DURATION
14 DAYS | 13 Nights
GROUP MAX
14 PEOPLE
PHYSICAL
MODERATE
WEATHER
Summer-like, 80F-90F
GALLERY
Got a Question?
First, please scroll through our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have further questions or need help with a specific topic, feel free to contact us! Thank you.
RESERVATION
Spots are based on a first come, first serve basis. A $500 deposit per person is required to reserve your space and can be paid with a debit or credit card. Alternative payment options include personal check or wire transfer. After registration, you will receive an automatic email response with further instructions. Full payment is due 90 days before the start of your tour.
Absolutely yes! You can contact us by clicking this link and fill out the form and we will get back to you. Above all, we want to make your tour a memorable one for your group.
HOT is proud of the three distinct reasons that allow it to be different from other tour companies: they use sign language exclusively, travel in small groups which provide an intimate experience while also having more flexibility on their schedule, and spend time visiting places they love versus wasting time at places where there wasn’t much interest..
Generally, all tours will provide accommodations in double rooms with private bathrooms and breakfast, transportation expenses including lunch and dinner (depending on the itinerary), museum entrance fees along with a $100 credit towards your next full tour. In addition we provide you with information about each specific tour so that you can be fully aware of what is included.
We will be happy to assist you with a custom-designed tour, tailored towards your preferences. If not, stay up to date by joining our mailing list in order for us to provide you with any future tours that we may have availability for.
Did you know that we have travel consultants who can assist you? You can go to our Travel Consulting page for more information. The best way to accomplish this would be to seek out friends and/or family members (usually in order of 6 people) so they will lower the costs significantly, or advertise open spots on your tour publicly. We also have discounts, and some other advantages! What’s more- we are able to lower the level of accommodations as well as remove extras all together which make it feasible for a low cost.
It is often easier for us to permit single travelers when it comes time to sign up for our tours. If you are unable to find a partner and need assistance, please contact us as we may have singles available on the list- pending your approval first. There are some tours that allow exceptions for those seeking not only with partners but also without them too!
If somebody backs out, please register on our wait list or contact us directly so that we can put you on the wait list for a similar tour. We will also keep your name up to date with our latest tours and alerts about similar upcoming trips in order to give you a chance at joining them.
TRAVEL PROTECTION
Hands On Travel recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more. To learn more about how to help protect you and your trip investment, visit the following link: TRAVEL PROTECTION
Don’t hesitate. We will stay in touch with you from the date of deposit until your arrival at the starting point of your tour, to make sure that all is well before departure. You can contact us via phone or e-mail any time for questions and we will remain in communication throughout your trip!
BILLING
No, we do not charge any extra fees or fuel surcharges. The listed price is the price you pay. Including tax.
You can find this under our Terms & Conditions. If you find it necessary to cancel your confirmed tour reservation, you must notify HOT about it by e-mail. You may transfer your space to another suitable person or request us to seek replacements. If your replacement is found, HOT will, at its discretion depending on the time frame, refund your deposits/payments or apply it towards a future Hands on Travel tour that is to be taken no more than 3 years after the dates of the original tour. If your replacement is not found, the cancellation of your reservation will become effective and the following charges will apply: (a) if cancelled more than 90 days before the first day of the tour, all installment or additional payments will be refunded to you minus the non-refundable deposit of US $500 per person and any non-refundable payments that HOT has made to suppliers. (b) if cancelled less than 90 days before the first day of the tour, no refunds will be made.
Since tour prices are quoted as a package, no partial refunds can be made for the unused portion of any tour including lodging, meals, or any other items that are included in the tour price. This does not apply to those who wish to participate in only a portion of a tour. In this case, we can pro-rate costs for the unused days.
After registration, you will receive an automatic email reply with further instructions. A $500 per person booking deposit is required to reserve your spot on the trip and can be paid by personal check, credit card and/or wire transfer. Full payment is due no less than 90 days before the start of the trip.
If you need to cancel or postpone your trip 3 or more months before the start, all monies paid will be refunded minus the $500 non-refundable deposit. You can also transfer the entire amount of your deposit to be used for a later trip if we are able to find replacements.
DURING THE TOUR
Big coach buses separate us from local people. We fail to experience or understand the “hands on” lives of locals.
We started out as a walking tour company. Walking offers close-up experiences with local people and hidden gems to discover.
It’s much easier to communicate full to everyone in semi-circle and make sign language 100% accessible. No more missing what is being said.
We’d be able to dine in smaller, cozier and unique restaurants that would offer a local culinary experience unlike large, tourist-oriented restaurants. And, we’d be able to stay at smaller accommodations in prime locations unlike large chain hotels outside the city limits.
We strive to include local guides for certain days to promote maximum cultural experience as well as exchange deaf-related insights.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
Most of our customers will gain insightful observations and deeper understanding on how Deaf people live on a local level.
