TERMS

It's easy to skim TERMS AND CONDITIONS. But these matter. There is important information in them for you to have a great trip to Israel.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY. YOUR DEPOSIT OR ANY PAYMENT CONSTITUTES IRREVOCABLE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS TRAVEL WAIVER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY (“AGREEMENT”), INCLUDING ASSUMPTION OF RISKS AND RELEASES FROM LIABILITY.

By making a reservation, deposit, or any payment, you (the “Traveler”) enter into this Agreement with Philip’s House LLC, its officers, employees, agents, and vendors (collectively, the “Organizers”), and agree to the terms below as a condition of participating in the group tour to Israel, organized in partnership with Sar-El Tours & Conferences, their subsidiaries, and other vendors as required.

1. RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENTS

A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure your reservation. This deposit is non-refundable except as expressly provided in Section 2B (Peace of Mind Promise). It may, at the Organizers’ discretion, be applied to future travel with Philip’s House LLC or transferred to another traveler upon written request and approval.

Clients shall strictly comply with the Payment Schedule. Philip’s House LLC accepts payment by check, ACH bank transfer, or credit card. There is a surcharge for debit/credit card or bank transfer payments and for use of the WeTravel platform. Reservations made after the final balance due date require full payment immediately.

Payment Plan: If you choose the payment plan, you authorize auto-deductions from the credit card or bank details provided at booking. Estimated taxes and fuel surcharges are included in the published price but are subject to change and must be paid before departure. A late fee of 1.5% per month applies to any unpaid balances. Full payment constitutes acceptance of all terms in this Agreement.

2. CANCELLATION, RESCHEDULING & THE PEACE OF MIND PROMISE

2.1  Which provision applies

This Section contains two separate and independent sets of rules. Read this subsection first, because it determines which one governs your situation.

  • Section 2A governs every cancellation initiated by you, for any reason, at any time.

  • Section 2B governs only a rescheduling initiated by Philip’s House LLC because of a Qualifying International Event as defined in Section 2B.2.

A Traveler who cancels for personal reasons is governed exclusively by Section 2A. No provision of Section 2B creates a right to a refund in that circumstance, regardless of world events occurring at or near the time of your cancellation, and regardless of how those events are being reported. The Peace of Mind Promise is not a general right to change your mind.

If you cancel under Section 2A and a Qualifying International Event is subsequently declared, your cancellation stands and Section 2A continues to govern. Section 2B does not operate retroactively.

SECTION 2A — CANCELLATION BY THE TRAVELER

Cancellations must be made in writing.

  • The deposit is non-refundable at any time, except as expressly provided in Section 2B.

  • If airline tickets have been issued, the ticket cost will be deducted and any airline credits passed to you.

  • 90+ days before departure: full refund less $500 + any non-refundable expenses.

  • 89–67 days: 75% refund less $500 + non-refundable expenses.

  • 66–46 days: 50% refund less $500 + non-refundable expenses.

  • 45 days or fewer: no refund.

No refunds for no-shows or early departures.

No refunds or credits will be issued for early departure, removal from the tour, or termination due to violation of the Traveler Code of Conduct and Alcohol/Substance Policy (Section 9) or any other misconduct.

Travel medical and cancellation insurance is mandatory and strongly recommended to protect your investment. Get a quote here: https://www.squaremouth.com/23118.

SECTION 2B — THE PEACE OF MIND PROMISE

2B.1  The Promise

The Peace of Mind Promise, as published on our itinerary pages and marketing materials, reads:

Your safe journey and your confidence in booking come first.

If international events require it, we will rebook your trip for a future date. And if that new date doesn’t work for you, we will refund 100% of what you paid us — your $500 deposit included.

The one exception is airline tickets. Once they’re issued, usually six to eight weeks before departure, they follow the airline’s rules. We pass through every refund, credit, or rebooking the airline gives you, and we keep nothing for ourselves.

Reserve today with peace of mind.

That published Promise is a summary. This Section 2B states its full terms — what triggers it, what does not, how it is exercised, and what “100%” means — and controls in the event of any inconsistency between the two. Where the Promise applies, it overrides the refund tiers and the non-refundable deposit in Section 2A.

2B.2  Qualifying International Events

The Promise is triggered when Philip’s House LLC determines that one or more of the following conditions makes it unsafe or impracticable to operate the tour on its scheduled dates (each, a “Qualifying International Event”):

  • a U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at Level 4 – Do Not Travel covering Israel or the specific region(s) in which the itinerary operates, or any U.S. Government prohibition or restriction on the use of U.S. passports for travel to Israel;

  • closure of Israel’s borders or ports of entry to travelers of the group’s nationality, or a government-imposed entry prohibition, quarantine, or entry requirement the group cannot reasonably satisfy;

  • closure of Israeli airspace, or the suspension, cancellation, or indefinite curtailment of scheduled commercial air service between the United States and Israel by the carriers serving the tour, such that the group cannot travel as scheduled;

  • armed conflict, act of war, invasion, insurrection, terrorism, or civil disorder in or affecting the itinerary region, of a nature and scale that in the reasonable judgment of Philip’s House LLC makes the tour unsafe or impracticable to operate;

  • a declared public-health emergency, epidemic, or pandemic resulting in restrictions that materially prevent the group’s travel or the operation of the itinerary; or

  • a natural disaster, or other event beyond the reasonable control of the Organizers, that renders the itinerary impossible or unsafe to operate.

A Level 4 advisory confined to a region the itinerary does not visit does not by itself trigger the Promise. The determination that a Qualifying International Event has occurred is made by Philip’s House LLC, reasonably and in good faith, and applies to the affected departure as a whole rather than to individual Travelers.

2B.3  What does not trigger the Promise

For clarity, none of the following is a Qualifying International Event, and each remains governed by Section 2A and by your required travel insurance:

  • a Travel Advisory at Level 1, 2, or 3; a security alert, warning, or advisory short of Level 4; or news coverage, regional tension, or events in neighboring countries that do not affect the itinerary as operated;

  • your own concern about conditions, or the concern of your family, church, employer, or physician, where Philip’s House LLC has not declared a Qualifying International Event;

  • illness, injury, pregnancy, death in the family, job loss, financial hardship, or any other personal circumstance;

  • failure to obtain a valid passport, ETA-IL, or other required travel document (Section 3);

  • missed connections, denied boarding, or delays attributable to you or to a carrier; and

  • removal from the tour or termination under Section 9 or Section 10.

2B.4  How it works

  • Notice. Philip’s House LLC will notify affected Travelers in writing that a Qualifying International Event has been declared and that the departure is being rescheduled.

  • Replacement date. Within forty-five (45) days of that notice, Philip’s House LLC will offer at least one replacement departure date falling within twenty-four (24) months of the original departure date. If no replacement date is offered within that period, you are entitled to the refund described in Section 2B.5 without further action.

  • Your election. You have twenty-one (21) calendar days from the date the replacement date is offered to accept it in writing or to elect the refund. If you do not respond, Philip’s House LLC will send a second written notice; if you do not respond within fourteen (14) days after that second notice, you will be deemed to have elected the refund.

  • Payment. Refunds are paid within thirty (30) days of your election, by the same method you used to pay wherever practicable.

2B.5  What “100% of what you paid” means

If you elect the refund, Philip’s House LLC will refund one hundred percent (100%) of all funds you have paid to Philip’s House LLC for the tour. This expressly includes:

  • the $500 per person deposit, notwithstanding that it is non-refundable under Sections 1 and 2A;

  • any amounts Philip’s House LLC has already paid to hotels, ground operators, guides, or other suppliers and cannot recover — Philip’s House LLC absorbs those unrecovered supplier costs and does not deduct them from your refund; and

  • any credit card, bank transfer, or WeTravel platform surcharge you paid to Philip’s House LLC.

The one exception is air transportation for which tickets have already been issued, which is governed by Section 2B.6.

2B.6  Air transportation — issued tickets

Before tickets are issued. Group airline tickets are ordinarily issued approximately six to eight weeks before departure. Until tickets are issued, any amount you have paid toward air transportation is simply part of what you paid to Philip’s House LLC and is refunded in full under Section 2B.5, like any other payment.

After tickets are issued. Once airline tickets have been issued in your name, the air transportation portion of your payment passes out of the control of Philip’s House LLC and is governed exclusively by the fare rules, tariff, and contract of carriage of the issuing airline. For that portion, and that portion only, the obligation of Philip’s House LLC is to pass through to you — without deduction, markup, or retained commission — whatever the airline in fact provides. Depending on the airline and the fare, that may be a cash refund, a travel credit or voucher, a rebooking onto the rescheduled tour dates, or, where the fare is non-refundable and the airline grants no relief, nothing at all.

Philip’s House LLC will apply for the most favorable treatment the airline’s rules allow and will tell you in writing what was requested and what the airline granted.

Philip’s House LLC does not guarantee, insure, advance, or substitute its own funds for any amount an airline declines to refund or credit. Philip’s House LLC does not guarantee that any airline credit will be usable on the rescheduled dates, on the route you prefer, or before it expires, and does not guarantee the value, transferability, or expiration terms of any credit. Any airline-imposed change fee, fare difference, reissue cost, or penalty associated with moving your ticket to the rescheduled dates is your responsibility.

Accordingly, where tickets have been issued, “100% of what you paid” means one hundred percent (100%) of the funds held by or paid to Philip’s House LLC other than the issued-ticket portion, plus pass-through of all airline value actually received on your behalf.

Independently purchased air. If you purchased your own air transportation independently of Philip’s House LLC, including on any land-only tour, Philip’s House LLC has no obligation of any kind with respect to your tickets. This is one of the principal reasons trip-cancellation insurance is required under Section 5.

2B.7  One election per event; effect of accepting a new date

The Promise may be exercised once per booking per Qualifying International Event, at the time the replacement date is offered.

If you accept the rescheduled departure date, all funds you have paid transfer to that departure and this Agreement continues in force as to the new dates. From that point forward your cancellation rights are governed by Section 2A, with every deadline measured backward from the new departure date, and the deposit resumes its non-refundable character. Accepting a rescheduled date does not create an ongoing or open-ended right to cancel: if you later decide the new date does not work for you for any reason other than a further Qualifying International Event, Section 2A governs.

If a further Qualifying International Event affects the rescheduled departure, the Promise applies again to those new dates on the same terms.

2B.8  The Promise is not insurance

The Peace of Mind Promise is a contractual commitment by Philip’s House LLC. It is not insurance, it is not underwritten by an insurer, it is not regulated as an insurance product, and it is not a substitute for the travel medical and trip-cancellation insurance required by Section 5.

The Promise responds only to the Qualifying International Events listed in Section 2B.2. It does not respond to illness, injury, death, family emergency, job loss, financial hardship, or any other personal circumstance. Those risks are exactly what your required policy is for. Do not treat the Promise as a reason to decline, delay, or reduce insurance coverage.

2B.9  Sole remedy

Except where applicable law provides otherwise, the rescheduling and refund rights set out in this Section 2B are your sole and exclusive remedy against the Organizers arising from a Qualifying International Event. The Organizers are not liable for incidental or consequential costs, including independently purchased airfare, visa or ETA-IL fees, vaccinations, equipment, lost wages, or non-refundable pre-tour or post-tour arrangements.

3. PASSPORTS, VISAS & TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

Travelers are solely responsible for securing valid travel documents. A traditional passport book valid at least six months beyond your return date is required. Israel requires an ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization) for visa-exempt travelers. No visas are needed for U.S./Canadian citizens. Failure to obtain required documents results in no refund. For other nationalities, check with the relevant consulate.

4. HEALTH AND FITNESS

The Traveler certifies that they are in good physical and mental health and fully capable of participating in all tour activities. Any pre-existing conditions must be disclosed in writing before departure; failure to do so may result in removal without refund. The Organizers will notify you of required medical documentation.

You further certify that you will not engage in behavior — including excessive alcohol consumption or use of illegal substances — that could endanger yourself, other travelers, or the tour group. Failure to maintain this fitness may result in immediate removal under the Code of Conduct (Section 9).

5. MANDATORY TRAVEL INSURANCE

Travel medical and cancellation insurance is required. Proof may be requested before departure; non-compliance may result in cancellation without refund. Insurance must be purchased independently (recommended link above). For pre-existing conditions, buy within 10–14 days of booking. The Organizers assume no responsibility for insurance claims. Your insurance may not cover expenses arising from misconduct under Section 9.

Nothing in Section 2B reduces or replaces this requirement. The Peace of Mind Promise is not insurance and does not respond to personal reasons for cancellation — see Section 2B.8.

6. AIR TRANSPORTATION, BAGGAGE & LAND-ONLY TOURS

If airline travel is added to your fare, it will typically include round-trip international fare from the departure airport by regularly scheduled airlines based on special group airfares. (Airport tax and fuel surcharges are included but can increase. Any escalation in the cost of airfare will be borne by the client and is due prior to departure.)

Group airline tickets are ordinarily issued approximately six to eight weeks before departure. Once issued, tickets are governed by the issuing airline’s fare rules and contract of carriage; see Section 2B.6 for how this affects a refund under the Peace of Mind Promise, and Section 2A for how it affects a cancellation you initiate.

Passengers are responsible for ensuring that Philip’s House has the correctly spelled names for air ticket reservations. Any name change, including minor spelling corrections, may require airline reservations to be canceled and rebooked with associated change fees. Names printed on the E-Ticket must exactly match the first, middle (if included) and last name as stated in the passport.

Airlines are not liable for acts or omissions off-board, per their passage contracts. The Organizers are not responsible for airline schedule changes, delays, or cancellations.

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE: Because airline specifications change, we recommend that you contact the airline directly for current allowance restrictions. Any oversized or overweight luggage is subject to additional charges that will be borne by the traveler.

LAND-ONLY TOUR: If you purchase a land-only tour and are unable to arrange your flight to coincide with the group’s arrival or departure, any additional transfer cost will be your responsibility. You are responsible to meet the tour group at the prearranged time and meeting place.

7. ACCOMMODATIONS, MEALS, GROUND TRANSPORTATION, SIGHTSEEING, TAXES & TIPS

HOTELS: Prices are per person, based on double occupancy of a room, with two twins or a double bed. A single-occupant room is available at extra cost.

SHARED ROOM: If a roommate is requested, the Organizers will make every effort to find one. The Organizers do not assume responsibility for roommate assignments. These are made by the traveler or the group leaders.

MEALS: Included meals are listed in the tour description. Beverages other than those specified by the restaurant as included are extra.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION: All ground transportation is by air-conditioned motor coach, mini-bus, or passenger van depending on the size of the tour group.

SIGHTSEEING: Tours include sightseeing in Israel with government-licensed, English-speaking guides as needed. (The Organizers may vary the published itinerary or make substitutions if required by circumstances beyond our control.)

TAXES: All charges and taxes normally associated with hotel rooms and touring are included. The estimated taxes on the Registration Form are subject to change and are due prior to departure. If there is an increase in cost, this will be passed on to the traveler and must be paid before departure.

TIPS: Unless specified otherwise, you are responsible for tipping luggage handlers, bellboys, and other hotel staff, guides, and bus drivers. This is separate from your tour price. Please consult Philip’s House for recommended tipping rates.

NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR COSTS: Unless specified otherwise the following are not included in a group package: travel insurance, lunch, beverages other than those provided at breakfast and dinner, and items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone-call service charges, room service, domestic travel to and from the departure airport, excess baggage charges, and all other items not stated as included. Special technical equipment, excess or oversized luggage, and transportation for such are not included.

RESERVATIONS: Tour reservations should be made as early as possible, as space is limited. A non-refundable deposit is required to guarantee your reservation.

DOCUMENTS: Your tour documents, including paper tickets or E-Ticket receipts, tour confirmation voucher, and all other related information, will be sent approximately two to three weeks prior to departure.

8. PHOTOS/VIDEOS & MEDIA RELEASE

Photos and/or videos of our tour may be used at any time in any of the Organizers’ publications. You authorize the Organizers to capture media of you during the trip, including activities at historical sites, group events, transportation, and accommodations. This includes cameras, drones, and audio devices. You grant a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, edit, distribute, and create derivative works from the media for marketing, promotional, educational, or commercial purposes (e.g., YouTube, social media, websites). You will not receive compensation for the media’s use. You release the Organizers from claims related to the media, including privacy or publicity rights. If you are a guardian of a minor participant, you consent on their behalf.

9. TRAVELER CODE OF CONDUCT AND ALCOHOL / SUBSTANCE POLICY

Philip’s House LLC is committed to providing a safe, respectful, spiritually enriching, and enjoyable tour for every participant. By booking and paying any amount, you agree to the following rules, which supplement all other sections of this Agreement. These rules protect you, your fellow travelers, staff, and the integrity of the tour.

A. Compliance with Instructions. You must at all times follow the lawful directions of tour guides, drivers, staff, and local authorities. Refusal to cooperate or follow directions is grounds for immediate corrective action, up to and including removal from the tour.

B. Alcohol Use. Alcohol consumption is permitted only in moderation, in accordance with Israeli law (minimum age 18), and only when it does not impair your judgment, safety, or the enjoyment/safety of others. Strictly prohibited:

  • Consuming, hiding, or possessing personal alcohol on the tour bus or during any organized group activity.

  • Purchasing or consuming alcohol in public places in a manner that causes disruption, intoxication, or violates local open-container or public-order laws.

  • Any level of intoxication that renders you uncooperative, unsafe, or unable to participate safely.

Travelers who choose to drink do so entirely at their own risk. The Organizers reserve the absolute right to refuse service, confiscate alcohol, or require you to stop.

C. Illegal Drugs and Substances — ZERO TOLERANCE. The use, possession, purchase, distribution, concealment, or being under the influence of any illegal drugs, controlled substances, marijuana (in any form), narcotics, or drug paraphernalia is strictly prohibited at all times. Israeli law imposes severe penalties for drug offenses (including arrest, imprisonment, fines, and deportation). This policy applies even to substances that may be legal in your home country. Any violation will result in:

  • Immediate removal from the tour (bus, hotel, activities).

  • Reporting to Israeli law enforcement and/or border authorities as appropriate.

  • You being solely responsible for all resulting costs, including legal fees, fines, deportation, or emergency return travel.

D. General Conduct. You must respect the rights, safety, comfort, and well-being of other travelers, staff, vendors, and local residents. Prohibited conduct includes abusive, threatening, harassing, disruptive, or discriminatory behavior; vandalism; or any action that endangers the group or tour operations.

E. Consequences of Violation (final and non-reviewable). In the sole discretion of the Organizers or Tour Leader, any violation may result in:

  • Immediate removal from the tour.

  • No refund of any payments (deposit or balance). Section 2B does not apply to a removal under this Section.

  • You being solely responsible for all costs of removal, alternate transportation home, additional lodging, meals, change fees, medical transport, legal fees, fines, or deportation.

  • Potential ban from all future Philip’s House tours.

  • Expanded indemnity obligations (see Section 11).

Your mandatory travel insurance will likely exclude claims arising from misconduct.

10. ITINERARY, RISKS, ASSISTANCE & COURTESY

The right is reserved to cancel the tour prior to departure and to decline to accept or retain any person as a member of the tour at any time, including for violation of the Traveler Code of Conduct and Alcohol/Substance Policy or any behavior deemed detrimental to the safety, comfort, or enjoyment of the group or tour operations.

Where the tour is rescheduled or cancelled prior to departure because of a Qualifying International Event, Section 2B governs the financial consequences and controls over this Section. Where the Organizers cancel the tour prior to departure for any other reason not attributable to the Traveler, the Traveler may elect either a credit toward future travel with Philip’s House LLC or a refund of all funds paid less documented, itemized third-party costs that Philip’s House LLC cannot recover, payable within thirty (30) days of the election. Where the Traveler is declined or removed for conduct or eligibility reasons attributable to the Traveler, Sections 2A and 9 govern.

11. LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY, RELEASE & INDEMNIFICATION

You further agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Organizers from any and all costs, claims, damages, liabilities, or legal fees arising from your violation of the Traveler Code of Conduct and Alcohol/Substance Policy, including but not limited to expenses related to your removal, alternate travel arrangements, law-enforcement involvement, or any incident involving alcohol or illegal substances. Nothing in Section 2B limits, reduces, or offsets your obligations under this Section. The provisions of this section survive termination of the Agreement.

12. GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Washington, USA. Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in the courts of Snohomish County, Washington.

13. ENTIRE AGREEMENT, ORDER OF PRECEDENCE & SEVERABILITY

These Terms and Conditions, together with the signed Travel Waiver and Release of Liability and your booking confirmation, constitute the entire agreement between you and Philip’s House LLC regarding the tour, and supersede all prior versions of these Terms and Conditions and all prior representations, whether oral or written.

The Peace of Mind Promise as published in marketing materials is a summary. Section 2B states its full terms and controls in the event of any inconsistency. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.