What to Pack for a Holy Land Pilgrimage: A Pilgrim’s Complete Checklist

A suitcase can tell you a lot about the person carrying it. A tourist packs for comfort and convenience—every contingency accounted for, every luxury squeezed in. A pilgrim packs differently. A pilgrim packs with intention, knowing that what you carry in your heart matters more than what you carry on your back, but that the right practical preparation frees you to be fully present to the graces God has waiting in the Holy Land.

If you are planning a Holy Land pilgrimage, your packing list deserves more thought than a quick internet search the night before departure. This is not a beach vacation or a European city break. You will be walking on uneven cobblestones in Jerusalem's Old City, standing in the midday sun at the Sea of Galilee, and entering sacred spaces that require modest dress and a reverent disposition. The practical and the spiritual are woven together here more tightly than anywhere else you will ever travel.

As we enter the season of Lent—a time the Church sets aside for preparation, self-examination, and drawing closer to Christ—there is something fitting about turning our attention to the practical work of getting ready for pilgrimage. Lent teaches us that preparation is itself a spiritual act. Packing your bag with care and intentionality is one small way to begin your pilgrimage before you ever board the plane.

This Holy Land pilgrimage packing list covers everything you need to bring—for your body, your soul, and the journey in between.

Documents and Travel Essentials: Don't Leave Home Without These

Before anything else goes into your suitcase, make sure your travel documents are in order. A valid passport is essential, and it should not expire within six months of your travel dates. Since January 2025, U.S. citizens and travelers from other visa-exempt countries are also required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA-IL) before departing for Israel. You can apply online at the official Israeli government portal, and it is wise to submit your application at least 72 hours before your trip. The ETA-IL costs just over $8 USD, is valid for two years, and allows multiple entries for stays up to 90 days.

Keep printed copies of your passport, ETA-IL confirmation, travel insurance documents, and your pilgrimage itinerary in a separate location from the originals. A basic travel wallet or neck pouch is invaluable for keeping your passport secure while you move through crowded sites. You may be surprised to learn that most vendors in the Holy Land price in dollars and euros as well as shekels, so there is no need to exchange currency before your trip. A few U.S. quarters tucked in your daypack can come in handy for restroom access at certain sites.

One often-overlooked item: bring a photocopy of your prescription medications along with an adequate supply for your entire trip, kept in your carry-on luggage. If your checked bag is delayed, you do not want to be without essential medications on your first day walking in the footsteps of Christ.

Clothing for the Holy Land: Modest, Practical, and Ready for Anything

Clothing is where many first-time pilgrims make their biggest mistakes—packing either too much or the wrong things entirely. The Holy Land's climate can surprise you. Summers are intensely hot and dry, while spring and fall offer warm days that can turn cool in the evenings, especially in Jerusalem's higher elevation. Winters bring genuine cold and even occasional rain. Research the weather for your specific travel dates, but plan for layering regardless of season.

Modest dress is not optional—it is required at virtually every sacred site you will visit. Both men and women should ensure that shoulders and knees are covered when entering churches, basilicas, and mosques. Women may also want to carry a lightweight scarf for covering their head in certain churches where this is customary or personally meaningful. Men should avoid sleeveless shirts. This is not a burden; it is a way of showing reverence for the places where God has acted in human history. The pilgrim understands that how you present yourself at a holy site reflects the disposition of your heart.

For your day-to-day wardrobe, pack lightweight, breathable fabrics in neutral colors that can be mixed and matched. Aim for four to five days' worth of clothing and plan to do a quick sink wash or use hotel laundry service midway through. Loose-fitting long pants or skirts, modest tops with sleeves, and a light jacket or fleece for cooler evenings will serve you well. A compact rain jacket is worth its weight in gold during spring and fall pilgrimages.

The single most important item on your Holy Land pilgrimage packing list is your footwear. You will walk miles each day over cobblestones, ancient stone steps, dirt paths, and uneven terrain. Wear well-broken-in walking shoes or hiking shoes with thick rubber soles—leather and smooth-soled shoes will slip on the polished stone surfaces inside churches and along the Via Dolorosa. Do not bring brand-new shoes. Break them in for at least two weeks before departure. Your feet will carry you where Christ walked; take care of them. Pack a second pair of comfortable shoes so you can alternate, and bring blister pads just in case.

Health, Comfort, and Sun Protection

The Holy Land sun is not to be underestimated, particularly if your pilgrimage takes you to the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea, or the open hillsides around the Sea of Galilee. Pack high-SPF sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap, and quality sunglasses. Reapply sunscreen throughout the day, especially after sweating during long walks between sites.

A refillable water bottle is absolutely essential. Dehydration can creep up quickly, and staying hydrated will make the difference between a pilgrim who is fully present at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and one who is battling a headache in the back of the group. Drink more water than you think you need.

Round out your health kit with over-the-counter pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, motion sickness tablets if you are prone to it, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, a small pack of tissues (useful when restrooms are limited), and adhesive bandages. A small tube of antibiotic ointment and a few blister pads take up almost no space and can save a day of walking.

Electronics and Practical Gear

Israel uses Type H and Type C electrical outlets with 220-volt current. If you are traveling from the United States or Canada, you will need both a plug adapter and a voltage converter for any devices that are not dual-voltage (most modern phone and laptop chargers are dual-voltage—check the fine print on your charger before packing a bulky converter). A small power strip with a single adapter can be a lifesaver when your hotel room has only one accessible outlet.

A smartphone with a good camera will serve most pilgrims well for photos. Consider purchasing a local SIM card at Ben Gurion Airport for affordable data access, or check with your carrier about international plans. A portable battery pack will keep your phone charged during long days away from the hotel.

A small, comfortable daypack is essential for carrying your water, sunscreen, camera, and spiritual items during each day's excursions. Choose something lightweight that sits well on your shoulders—you will wear it for hours at a time. Leave the oversized backpack at home; space is limited on pilgrimage coaches and in the narrow passages of the Old City.

Packing for the Soul: The Spiritual Items That Matter Most

Here is where a pilgrim's packing list diverges most sharply from a tourist's. A tourist packs guidebooks and phrase cards. A pilgrim packs the tools of prayer—because the real work of a Holy Land pilgrimage happens in the interior life, not in the itinerary.

Your Bible. There is nothing quite like reading the Sermon on the Mount while sitting on the hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee, or praying the Psalms of Ascent as you climb toward the Temple Mount. A compact Bible or New Testament is worth its space and weight. If you prefer a digital Bible on your phone, that works too—but there is something about holding the physical Word of God in the places where that Word was made flesh.

A rosary. Many pilgrims find the rosary an anchor throughout their journey, praying decades on the bus between sites or in quiet moments at the Grotto of the Nativity. If you have a rosary that holds special meaning—one blessed by a beloved priest, or given to you by a parent or grandparent—this is the trip to bring it.

A journal and pen. The graces of a pilgrimage come quickly, and the days are full. What moves you deeply at the Garden of Gethsemane on Tuesday can fade by Friday if you do not write it down. A pilgrimage journal is not a travel diary—it is a record of your encounter with Christ. Note what struck you in prayer, what Scripture came alive, what you felt called to change. These pages will become one of your most treasured possessions when you return home.

Prayer intentions. Before you leave, ask your family, friends, and parish community for their prayer intentions. Write them down and carry them with you. There is a long tradition among pilgrims of bringing the needs of others to holy places—praying for a struggling marriage at the Wedding Church in Cana, lifting up a sick friend at the Pool of Bethesda, or tucking a written intention into the Western Wall. You are not making this journey for yourself alone. A pilgrim carries the prayers of the community.

Small sacramentals and devotional items. Holy cards, small medals, or extra rosaries can be touched to sacred sites and brought home as meaningful gifts. Some pilgrims bring small zip-lock bags to carry home olive oil or water from the Jordan River. These are not souvenirs—they are tangible connections to the graces of places where God has acted.

What to Leave Behind

Perhaps the most important packing advice for a Holy Land pilgrimage is about what not to bring. Leave the overpacked suitcase, the excessive electronics, and the need to document every moment for social media. You did not come to the Holy Land to see it through a screen.

Leave behind your expectations of a flawless, comfortable trip. The Holy Land is not a resort. You may find yourself waiting in line at sacred sites or navigating through fellow pilgrims at popular shrines. The weather may not cooperate. You will be tired. Rather than seeing these as inconveniences, the pilgrim receives them as part of the journey—small penances offered freely, the kind of discomfort that opens the heart to grace in ways that ease and luxury never do.

Most importantly, leave behind the tourist mindset. You are not going to check the Holy Land off your bucket list. You are going to walk where Christ walked, to pray where He prayed, to stand in the empty tomb and let the reality of the Resurrection wash over you in a new way. Pack light in your suitcase so you have room to carry home something far heavier and more valuable: the seeds of transformation that God plants in the hearts of pilgrims who come to Him with open hands.

A Quick-Reference Holy Land Pilgrimage Packing List

Documents: Passport (6+ months validity), ETA-IL confirmation, travel insurance, printed itinerary, photocopies of all documents, prescription medication list

Clothing: 4–5 days of modest, layerable outfits (shoulders and knees covered), lightweight scarf, rain jacket, light jacket or fleece for evenings

Footwear: Well-broken-in walking shoes with rubber soles, second pair of comfortable shoes, blister pads

Health & Sun Protection: Sunscreen (high SPF), hat, sunglasses, refillable water bottle, basic medications, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, tissues

Electronics: Plug adapter (Type H/C), phone charger (dual-voltage), portable battery pack, camera

Practical Gear: Comfortable daypack, travel wallet or neck pouch, a few U.S. quarters, zip-lock bags

Spiritual Items: Bible or New Testament, rosary, journal and pen, prayer intentions from family and friends, holy cards and small medals, extra rosaries for gifting

Pack with Purpose, Travel with Grace

The Magi who traveled to Bethlehem did not come empty-handed—they brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh, gifts chosen with deliberate meaning. But the most important thing they carried was their willingness to be changed by the encounter. Scripture tells us they returned home "by a different way" (Matthew 2:12). The journey transformed them. They could not go back to their old lives as if nothing had happened.

Your packing list is the beginning of your pilgrimage, not a chore to check off before the real experience starts. Every item you place in your bag can be an act of preparation—a way of saying to God, I am getting ready to meet You. Pack what you need for the body, pack what you need for the soul, and leave room for what God wants to give you along the way. If you prepare well, you will come home lighter than you left—not in your luggage, but in your spirit, carrying only what matters: the grace to return by a different way.