According to holidaysort, Israel (Hebrew: מדינת – Yisrael: Arabic: دولة – Israel) is a country in the Middle East (Asia) bordering Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Palestine. The capital of Israel is Jerusalem (unrecognized by the UN). A number of major cities in Israel are: Tel Aviv, Haifa, Nazareth, Ramla, Rishon LeZion and Ashdod.
Israel is known for the holy city of Jerusalem with the Wailing Wall, the desert, the eternal war and terror, the modern city of Tel Aviv and the beautiful beaches where you can sunbathe, swim, windsurf, sail, water ski and dive. You can come across many historical buildings in Israel such as temples and churches. Israel is also on the Dead Sea. This sea is known for its high salt content, which keeps you afloat. Israel also has several National Parks (Nature Reserves) where you can find waterfalls. About 35% of the total Jewish population lives in Israel. See shoefrantics for contrasts in Israel.
Where is Israel?
Travel information of Israel
Official name: State of Israel
Continent: Asia
Area: 22,145 km²
Capital: Jerusalem (Jerusalem)
Country code: IL, ISR
Population: 9,443,420 inhabitants (2021)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 1,208 m (Meronberg)
Distance (Amsterdam – Jerusalem): 3,349 km
Flight time: approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: All travel to certain areas in Israel is discouraged.
Current color code: Yellow and red. Due to this status, a partial negative travel advice
is in effect for Israel.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Israel that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Israel, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Israel. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Israel?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Israel at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Israel has both a desert climate and a Mediterranean climate. In the summer months the temperatures are around 25 to 40 degrees. In the winter months the temperatures are around 10 to 20 degrees. In the mountains the temperatures are lower and it can snow in winter.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Israel can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Israel can be found at Climate info.
Best travel time
March, April, May and October are the best months for a tour in Israel. You can go for a beach holiday all year round.
Language
Hebrew and Arabic are both official languages in Israel. Yiddish and English are also spoken.
Would you like to translate from or into Hebrew/Arabic for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon departure from Israel.
A visa is not necessary if you stay in Israel for less than 3 months.
Note: Your passport cannot contain a stamp from Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya or Yemen.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Israel: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in Israel: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Israel in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Consulates of Israel in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Israel.
Money and Currency
In Israel, people pay with the Israeli shekel (ILS).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Israel can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Israel are much higher than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +13% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (8% more expensive), food (22% more expensive), imported beer in catering (83% more expensive), cigarettes (34% more expensive) and public transport (47% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Israel it is customary to tip. If no service costs have yet been calculated, the tip is approximately 12%.
Time difference
In Israel it is 1 hour later than in the Netherlands.
Summer time in Israel differs from that in the Netherlands.
The local time, date, time zone and exceptions for Israel can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Israel you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Israel.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Israel.
Electricity In Israel you may need a travel plug
in some cases. More information about common plugs and sockets in Israel can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 100
– Fire Brigade: 102
– Ambulance: 101
With a mobile phone you can also use the international number 112.
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Israel can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Israel can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Israel end in.il.
Israel’s official website: israel.travel.
Telephony
The country code (international prefix) to call someone in Israel is 00972 or +972.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Israel? Then use the Dutch country code and the code of the provider you are calling with: 0031 (Kod Gisha), 01231 (Smile Tikshoret), 01331 (NetVision), 01431 (Bezeq) and 01831 (Xfone).
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Israel.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Israel.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Israel can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Israel, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Israel?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Israel. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Israel can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Israel can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Israel? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported to Israel.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Israel, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Israel, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Israel.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18. Prohibited in the evenings.
– Alcohol and traffic: Maximum allowable breath alcohol content is 24 mg per 100 ml breath (5 mg per 100 ml for novice drivers up to 24 years).
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoke from the age of 16.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Israel is the only country in the world with a Jewish majority population?
… One can float in the Dead Sea because of the high salt content?
…Friday sundown to Saturday sundown is the day of rest in Israel (Sabbath)?
…The mobile phone and voicemail were invented in Israel?
…Israel’s banknotes contain braille?
…The glue on the back of Israeli stamps is clean?
