Travel

Visit Israel's most famous places, such as the Dome of the Rock, with a tour group. (Photo: Jupiterimages/Photos/Getty Images )

With so many of Israel's cities and landmarks figuring so largely in the holy books of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, it's little wonder travelers from around the world flock to the "promised land." With so much to see, traveling in a group can be helpful; you won't have to worry about arranging transport or booking hotels, and you can rest assured that you'll see all the major sights.

A range of tour operators run programs catered to preteens and teenagers. Programs are often religious, though secular options exist, as well. The Israel Scouts program is an Israeli organization that provides summer camps and tours in Israel for foreign children and teens. They run one teen program, "Tzofim Chetz V'keshet," in cooperation with Israeli Defense Forces. The program includes extreme adventure and exercise, Hebrew lessons and group trips. Nesiya is a secular Israeli tour operator that offers a six-week summer program from teens who have completed grades 10 through 12. The program focuses on culture and sport, offering outdoor adventure activities plus workshops in visual, performing and literary arts, environment and Israeli culture. It includes travel through Negev, Galil, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Judean Desert.

Make a trip to Israel more spiritually meaningful by traveling with a group of individuals who share your faith. Many Jewish tour groups exist, such as The Israel Experience, which offers tour programs to school groups, teens and adults. The tours aim to combine recreational and educational activities and stress "hands-on" experiences. Each tour group has a counselor experienced in youth leadership in addition to the general group leader. Immanuel Tours specializes in trips to Israel for Christian and Messianic groups. The agency offers pre-arranged tours of the Holy Land plus the option to arrange a private tour with it.

While traveling to Israel would be incomplete if it didn't include attention to several major world religions, you needn't necessarily need to travel with a religiously affiliated group. Identity Tours is steeped in history and provides views to current events, as well. For the historically and politically engaged traveler, such tours offer guided discussion groups alongside their visits to relevant sites in Israel. Gems in Israel offers shorter tours, ideal if you're traveling to Israel independently but still want to take advantage of informative guides.