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Home/Destinations/Middle East/Israel/Culture & Traditions
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Culture & Traditions

Experience Israel's diverse culture, from informal customs to sacred traditions.

Israelis tend to be quite informal. This is expressed in the dress code of the country which is very casual. The exception is when visiting religious sites. In these instances, modest attire is required. More upscale restaurants and nightclubs may require smarter dress. When visiting a home, normal courtesies should be observed. The expression shalom (peace) is often used for hello and goodbye interchangeably.

The Shabbat (Saturday) forbids smoking in certain restaurants and many hotels. This is always very well-marked and indicated, therefore, to ignore this would be considered very rude to Orthodox Jews.

Hebrew is the official language in Israel while Arabic is used officially for the Arab population. English is the most widely spoken foreign language due to the fact that it is a compulsory school subject.

The majority of the people in Israel are Jewish making up approximately 80% of the population. A further 18% of the population is Muslim, while the remaining population belongs to Christian and Druze minorities.

 

Featured Israel Trip Ideas

Israel Travel Packages
Luxor Temple Complex
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Ancient Treasures of Israel, Egypt & Jordan

Cairo, Pyramids of Giza, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea, Amman, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv
Journey through the heart of the Middle East, where ancient history meets modern life. Marvel at the pyramids, cruise the Nile, and explore Petra's stunning cliffs.
22 days
From US$7,177/p.p.
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The Western Wall and Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
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Experience Israel: Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem

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Step into a tapestry of faith and history woven through Israel’s landscapes. From ancient ruins to Tel Aviv, each moment invites reflection and wonder.
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From US$2,529/p.p.
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The Tower of David, Jerusalem
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Signature Jerusalem & Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
Venture into the heart of Israel, where Jerusalem’s ancient stones whisper tales of faith and history. This enriching trip melds sacred sites with Tel Aviv.
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From US$4,610/p.p.
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Once again, Goway Travel has provided us with an amazing travel experience, and the customized itinerary prepared by Joanne Palanuik was second to none. She was the main reason that Australia is a "trip of a lifetime" for us. Her attention to detail and recognizing what would make this a special trip for us is noteworthy and much appreciated.Wally
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I would recommend GoWay for travel anytime. I had a private tour of India built for me, after I was invited to my friend's wedding. I travelled around northern India with my driver for 10 days. I had a new guide most every day, for the trip, as we went from location to location. Absolutely everything was amazing!! I honestly can't say there was a negative moment in any of it. I felt 100% safe travelling alone with GoWay's experts. My lodgings were excellent and someone was always available for support, if need be. This was one of the best experiences of my life!!! Thank you so much GoWay!!Trudy Buelow
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Our trip was great and your partners in Egypt met and exceeded our expectations. Having the guides and drivers was a new experience for us but absolutely invaluable We would recommend Goway to anyone.joe levack
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Thanks very much Alice Teramoto for organizing such a fantastic trip for us!!!! Everything went very smoothly, including our 15 flights and we loved all the experiences, activities and accommodations that you arranged for us. Everything was top notch!!!Shelley Murphy
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We had an amazing trip to Southeast Asia. We would like to thank Goway for organizing a memorable vacation. The tour guides were very personable, kind, respectful and knowledgeable about their countries. It was nice to be able to ask them questions and hear about their daily lives. They went above and beyond to make our trip as enjoyable as possible. We were so glad our tours were private as the guides were very flexible in accommodating us as I often could not fully participate after spending time in a hospital with food poisoning. We enjoyed our time in Singapore. The driver who drove us from and to the airport gave us a compressive overview of daily life in Singapore. It was fascinating to hear how home ownership, retirement and driving was so different there. The accommodations were excellent, the staff were all very kind and helpful. We have to particularly commend the staff at the Siesta Classic Ma May in Hanoi. Ann at reception was so kind to my husband when I was in the hospital asking him regularly how I was doing and arranging late checkout without being asked. And Suzie our Hanoi tour guide for rearranging a tour time for my husband then dropping him off at the hospital. She also managed to take me to see the Ho Chi Minh property on our way to the airport as I had missed so much of Hanoi. I would also like to thank Aurel Vion, the Goway representative from Paris, who personally called me while I was in the hospital to enquire how I was doing, cancel our Halong cruise and arrange an extra night in the hotel for my husband. It was much appreciated. Hoang was super flexible with our tours in Hue and Hoi An as I was still very weak having just gotten out of hospital. We really enjoyed our visit to the private pottery museum and meet the owner and our ride on the Perfume River in a private boat and our voyage through the mountain pass to Danang. Andy, the tour guide who picked us up from the Boutique Hoi A Resort helped us avoid the long lineups in the Danang airport, again very appreciated. Tuan our tour guide in Saigon was also very accommodating. We really enjoyed our days with him relaxing on our private sampan to Cai Be and our trip to Can Tho to visit the floating markets. He also took us to the War Remnants Museum on the way back to Saigon as we had missed our tour of the Cu Chi tunnels because our flight in Danang was delayed 4 hours. And poor Phil in Bangkok, he tried his best with the culinary tour. Unfortunately after the food poisoning we were being very cautious in what we ate. We did appreciate his tour of Chinatown and the great meal of Pad Thai. He also provided us with excellent directions so we could take the subway, skytrain and ferry by ourselves. We will never forget how we were able to experience and appreciate cultures much different than ours. We have only good things to say about Goway and certainly always recommend the company to all we know. We have already had an acquaintance of ours book a trip with the company. And lastly we must thank Katherine Samsonkinai for arranging another excellent vacation. We will certainly continue to recommend her and will be calling her again to organize our next big trip. Linda Graham
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We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Egypt. We were a small group trip with only three people. The guides and transfers from Emeco were excellent.Always on time and very knowledgeable. Our transfer went smoothly due to these guides. They were very efficient and made sure we didn’t have to wait in lines too long. The Sun Goddess was a beautiful riverboat and all of our meals were excellent. One suggestion is to include tips . We were always trying to find the right amounts for tips. Also the times for most excursions were very early in the morning….5:30 or 6:00 and that was not on our itinerary. I understand the early times to avoid the crowds. All in all we were very pleased with GoWay and would use them again in the future. Thinking of South Africa Safari. Also would like to thank our agent Elise for answering all of my questions and concerns. We felt very safe in Egypt. Sue Scarborough
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As a travel agent, it was very easy to work with Goway. They were very responsive, especially Osvaldo Gonzalez, even when the client wanted to make in-destination changes a day or two prior. My clients absolutely enjoyed everything about their trip to Costa Rica - they specifically mentioned that all the drivers and guides they had were excellent, friendly, and knowledgeable. I would not hesitate to use Goway again for a custom trip to Costa Rica. Shawna Woods Roy
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We, three couples, all enjoyed our time in Peru, despite the small amount of time we had, and the fact one person had injury while on the cruise prior to arriving in Lima. We did want to experience Machu Picchu without spending as many days as others usually do, since we had been traveling prior to that already. Kajal at Goway was able to tailor a well packed three-day private tour for our small group of six. Every detail, from the moment we got off the cruise ship, to Cusco, to Machu Picchu, and back to Lima airport hotel, was well taken care of. Kajal was very efficient in helping with the requested itinerary, and in staying on desired budget, as well answered all questions in timely fashion. We were able to accomplish what we were not sure if possible, all thanks to Kajal at Goway. Our experience in Peru was very positive. We felt the tours organized by Goway had enabled us to have great and impressive exposure to Peruvian culture and important historical sights - all 31 hours in 3 days!!! Condor Travel in Peru took care of us every step of the way. Every person we came across was very courteous, willing, and helpful. Help was always there and questions answered quickly via Whatsapp. All in all a great and positive experience we would highly recommend.KM
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I want to personally thank my Travel Agent Alice Teramoto who organized two spectacular trips for me! One to Australia and most recently Vietnam and Cambodia. She nailed it! I can’t express my gratitude enough! Both trips were flawless and hassle free! Every experience exceeded my expectations! I spent my 60th Birthday in Vietnam on the Lunar New Year which was a complete thrill! I highly recommend Alice and will definitely book with her again soon! Thanks so much Alice ♥️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Avril
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Mary G. was an absolute pleasure to work with. I partner with Goway often for Europe and typically have my go to rep, so stepping outside of that for a New Zealand itinerary had me a little unsure at first. That hesitation quickly disappeared. Mary stepped in with confidence, handled all of my moving pieces with ease, and truly understood the level of detail I needed to take care of my clients. She delivered a beautifully curated itinerary that exceeded expectations, and most importantly, my clients had an incredible experience in New Zealand. I’m so grateful to have her as a resource and look forward to working together again.Nichole Pierce
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