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Weather and temperatures should be mild, pleasant and mostly dry for late April and May. It's always best to dress in layers whenever possible.
Egypt: The temperatures in Cairo and Luxor will be upper 60’s in the mornings and upper 80’s by midday. Mt. Sinai temperatures 76/94. If you hike Mt. Sinai you will need tennis shoes and a jacket or sweatshirt-or layer up appropriately.
Israel: The temperatures in Israel will range from morning lows in lower 60's and midday highs upper 80's or 90's. Jerusalem temperatures 60/77.
Travel Tips
Passport Precautions: Print at least two copies of your passport photo page and other necessary travel documents. Take at least one with you and leave another at home. That way, if your documents are lost or stolen you have access to backups.
Credit Cards: Set up Credit card travel alerts. It's a good idea to let your bank and/or credit card company know when you'll be out of the country. This could avoid a freeze on your card.
Clean out your wallet: Don't take what you don't need. Empty your wallet of any extra credit cards, gift cards, and ID cards that you will not use.
Airplane Mode: Put your phone on airplane mode and leave it there. You can also turn off roaming to be extra cautious. All our hotels and the tour bus will have wifi. You can use wifi to text and call even in airplane mode. This will protect you from nasty roaming charges.
Phone Access: If you want 24/7 anywhere phone access then I recommend you watch this short YouTube video. I did, and will likely order a 10-day Egypt and a 10-day Israel eSim plan from here. It will cost about $80 total. My main reason is to have phone access even when we're not on the bus or at a hotel so I can engage social media and have more precise Google mapping of my locations.
Jet Lag: Egypt and Israel are 8 hours ahead of US Central Standard Time. So 8 AM here is 4 PM there. As much as you are able, the week before begin adjusting your sleep schedule. Add Israel time on your cell phone to keep you aware of the time difference. On the flight over, sleep as little as you can. Use caffeine carefully. Know your sensitivity. If you're hyped on caffeine or well-rested when we land, your up for a long first night (pun intended). We'll get to Egypt around dinner time and 3-4 hours later it will be bedtime. For more jet lag tips click here.
Packing Tips
The maximum luggage weight for international flights is 50 pounds.
You're allowed one checked baggage (50 pounds limit) and two carry-ons that meet the airline size requirements. That usually translates into a suitcase carry-on and a backpack or large purse/bag that can fit underneath your seat. If needed, you can also have a small fanny pack around your waist.
Airport security may choose to go through your checked-in luggage. So pack with that in mind. Organize your packing as best you can. I recommend getting travel bag organizers to help you.
Pack liquids like shampoo, etc, in plastic baggies. Nothing more annoying than one of those blowing up your suitcase. Better yet, stuff a handful of extra baggies for the return trip.
When packing your clothes, think about clothes you wouldn't mind giving/throwing away. That can free up space for souvenirs!
Clothing:
Rain poncho: I recommend buying 3-4 disposable rain ponchos from a local Wal-mart or sporting goods store. They're cheap and easy to stuff in a purse or backpack.
Hat: It will be important to keep the sun off your head and out of your eyes.
Walking shoes: If you buy a new pair of tennis shoes for the trip, be sure to buy them early enough to break in before your trip.
Sandals/water shoes: For swimming in the Dead Sea and walking through Hezekiah's Tunnel in Jerusalem. And also if you want to be baptized in the Jordan River!
Pants/slacks/jeans: Dress for comfort, so pack accordingly. Guys, I recommend this style/type of pants. They're comfortable, roll up tight in the suitcase, and look nice!
Dresses: Modest and comfortable. Be sure your sandals/footwear is comfortable for walking.
Shorts: If you like your shorts, they need to be knee-length.
Shirts: For the ladies, think modest and covering the shoulders. I like to wear a sports, polyester-style, long-sleeve, pull-over shirt with a short-sleeve shirt over top. I can always take off the short-sleeve if needed. Again, always think in layers.
Jacket: This is a maybe, depending on your own sensitivity to cold. Guys, this is the jacket I recommend. It's sleeveless and has lots of pockets. A very versatile jacket. For the ladies, here's the women's style jacket. It's a light jacket, but when you layer up, it's a great option.
Swimsuit: You'll need something for floating/swimming in the Dead Sea.
Travel Essentials: The following are things to consider as you plan your trip.
Medicines: Pepto/Tums, Dramamine, Tylenol/Bayer, Benadryl, Claritin/allergy, Visine/eye drops
Sleep aids: Unisom, Tylenol PM, etc...
Travel-size first-aid kit
Travel-size hand sanitizer and wet wipes
Face Masks
Sunscreen
Chewing gum: Helps pop the ears when you're sensitive to the change in cabin pressure.
Sleepwear: Ear plugs, eye covering, neck rest.
Phone accessories: External battery charger, earphones, matching plugs/cords. If you use Bluetooth headphones, I recommend buying a cheap pair of corded headphones as backup.
Ipad/Tablet/Kindle: Be sure to take time to update your e-reader and download your favorite books ,movies, and games (for there and back). For international flights, there will also be plenty of inflight options for movies and entertainment.
Water bottle: When packing, space is a premium, but a water bottle is worth it. It will save you money at the airport as there are water bottle filling stations. You can also bring your favorite flavor enhancers such as lemonade or Gatorade.
Snacks: Snacks need to be unopened to pass airport security. For international flights, there will be plenty of snack options available anytime.
These travel aides made me laugh. Not recommending.
These travel aides made me laugh. Not recommending.
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