I don't even want to give 1 star! Last year 2024 the Israel trip was postponed and then eventually canceled because of the War. After many emails back and forth with Maranantha that the refund was coming, it never did. To my surprise and others that were in the same group found out that Maranantha went bankrupt and that we would NEVER get our refund. Something is wrong with this picture. I know one thing, judgement day will not be good for those who did not handle their business correctly...borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. My monies sent in advance should have been in a bank account on hold to use to pay for my trip. Don't use my money so that those before my trip were able to go to Israel. read more

I have travelled with this company five times. All were EXCELLENT experiences! As a coordinator of tours, the distress caused people by the war and rescheduling has been unsettling and out of Maranatha's control. However, not answering the phone or responding to messages other than "all tours have been postponed" is a very poor business standard. I would like to know if my two scheduled tours are actually cancelled. Postponed and cancelled are two different issues. I understand they are in a tough situation but at least tour coordinators should be given a definite word. Is the company open or PERMANENTLY closed? read more

Horrible, we paid to go on a trip with them they cancelled and refused to give our money back!!! They refused!! They stole 5000 from a group of us. read more

One star is too much for these thieves! My husband and I booked the Footsteps of Jesus Tour for late November 2023. The trip was canceled and Maranatha informed us that we would receive our refund in April 2024. Last month they said that they would not be able to honor the refunds after they kept us hanging on for 8 months. Since our trip was scheduled for late November more that 6 months after the crisis began, they did not have to spend any of the almost $8000 that we paid to them. They represent themselves as a Christian Company but how can giving your clients who trusted you nothing for the earnest saved up money they gave you for the trip of their life-time. At 78 years of age and on a fixed income our dreams will not be fullfilled we cannot save that amount of money in this lifetime. read more

I really don't enjoy leaving bad reviews. I much prefer to stay on the positive side of things, but I also feel it's only fair to folks seeking to possibly pay thousands of dollars for a trip of their dreams, they may want to be informed. We made a deposit for a trip 19 months in advance of said trip. Due to world events, the trip was ultimately cancelled, clearly the right call. Where I have issue is the refund and communication AFTER things fell apart. We opted for the "highly recommended" travel insurance through Travelex. Mistake. I won't do that again. Travelex's policy is they will not refund their end of our deposit on a cancelled trip by Maranatha unless we receive a FULL refund. (We paid $240 each for travel insurance and $500 each to Maranatha for the deposit. So I'm in this thing for $1480.00 for two of us so far.) Well, Marantha's policy is they keep $100 each as an "admin fee" for cancellation. So let me paint this picture: if Travelex insurance doesn't refund unless we get a FULL refund from the tour company...and Maranatha doesn't make a full refund because they keep $100, then no one would ever be reimbursed for the travel insurance!! So, that was $480 I had to BATTLE for with Travelex. (Another review) But I'm mentioning it because Maranatha really promotes the travel insurance idea and I'm telling you, make your own decision, but I won't do that ever again. Now back to Maranatha and my $1000 I'm trying to retrieve ...oh, excuse me, I mean $800 because they're keeping $200 of our deposit to stay home. Now, I would understand if our flights were booked and we were only a few weeks away from the trip. But the world events that ultimately caused the cancellation of our trip started 13 months before we were even going. ANYWAY, after emails and phone calls, we finally got approved to get our $800 back (at this point I was just glad not to be out $1000) ...but wait, it'll be 12-16 weeks to get that back in the mail. So now I have to wait FOUR MONTHS to get a check via snail mail? They took my money with no problem electronically, but they can't return it electronically? Good luck getting anyone to respond to an email or return a phone call with this fiasco now. Last I heard was that they're doing refunds in order received. The government is faster at refunds - I mean, how many people are they possibly processing that it takes FOUR MONTHS to complete? Maybe i don't understand their end of things, but as much as I have tried, I just don't get the vibe that I'm being told the real truth when I talked to anyone, IF I was able to reach a live voice. If the trip had happened, maybe my experience would be more favorable. But I'll tell you, if things don't go as planned, good luck. I won't be rebooking with the company ever in my lifetime. Sorry. read more

They ultimately issued a refund for the return travel expenses and that is greatly appreciated improving their performance expectations. The other parts of the review still stand. read more

I paid in full for a tour to Israel for March 2024. October 2023, war broke out. Marantha canceled the tour but did not refund one cent of my tour. At first they said they would refund and that it would take 12 -14 weeks. I waited 16 weeks, but no refund. When i contacted them they said because it was a war, they did not have any responsibility to refund. But that I could email and let them know that it would be a financial burden not to receive a refund. I emailed and explained I am a widow and explained to them it was a hardship. I never heard back from them after that. As a Christian organization, I was disappointed they did not return any money as I paid the whole amount in September. I'm sure they had not paid any airfare or hotels in October. Very disappointing!! read more

I paid $8,000 for a tour for two of us. War broke out and now Maranantha refuses to refund anything. They cannot afford to, but they could afford to stay in business and pay salaries for the past six months while they kept us dangling with promises to process refunds. They are liars for profit. They refuse to answer questions via email. This is supposed to be a "Christian" based company, but their lack of ethical behavior and poor customer experience should make anyone steer clear of Maranantha. read more

So just received an email from their attorney saying they filed for Bankruptcy and my money is totally gone. i am so distressed over this. $3500 and they get away with it. I am beyond angry. Rage is more like it. read more

I lost more than a couple dollars. More than a few hundred dollars. More than a few thousand dollars. I also purchased travel insurance. I need help in getting this money back. I believe I'm not the only one. I was told this was a Christian organization NOT a scam. Please help us in our predicument if you can or advise what to do. If they are truly Christian then they will want to do the right thing. I'm praying this situation can be resolved. The tour never took place so where is the money? Thank you for your time. Steven Campbell 1 read more

We booked the Israel/Jordan/Egypt trip in Oct 2023 for a trip in 2025. We put down $1,000. In Jan 2024, we canceled the reservation. At the time, Maranatha said they would honor refunds and were working diligently to make it happen. They asked for patience. I gave it. Just last week, almost 8 months after canceling my trip, Maranatha is refusing to refund the deposit. Even more disgusting is the couching of their theft under Christian values, ending the notification email with "blessings" and "pray for Israel" They are even so generous as to offer to listen to anyone that this may cause a financial hardship for, but still won't refund. (The email actually said that. So the prayers are supposed to keep someone's lights on I guess) I am beyond disgusted with a company that was supposed to be better than your typical corporate greed. I'm talking with attorneys for solutions. read more

Is there a ZERO star rating? I am very unhappy with my experience with Maranatha Tours and urge you not to engage them. They would not answer any of my email inquiries until after I reported them to the Better Business Bureau and now say they cannot refund the $2500 I prepaid for the canceled April 2024 Israel tour because of hardship. They came up with a bogus line they say I agreed to in engaging them which is NOT in the Terms & Conditions on their brochure. They are still in business and are receiving income. They probably carry a liability insurance. I do not believe this company is running an honest business. I am consulting with an attorney to recoup the funds. read more

Our Tour to Egypt Jordan and Israel was canceled in November 2023.I am yet to receive my refund.Thei company stop answering emails and telephone calls.I have left several messages with no respond. read more

I canceled my trip in March of 2023 was told I would receive a refund within 6 weeks . That time come and no word sent them an email told me I had moved up in the process and they would get it to me as soon as they could . Unfortunately now they I'll not communicate and have issued a statement on their website the thing is I paid my money to them and no trip happened . I do sympathize this is how they make their living touring the Holy Land but this is my hard earned money they have kept and I received nothing !! read more

They are not worth one star, payed $7000 towards a holy land trip well in advance for March 2024, well October 7th happened so it's was postponed until March 2025. Well things kept going down hill over there so trip was canceled by maranatha, very little communication and will not refund any money. Purchased travel insurance through travelex like they suggested once again very little communication, which is a scam. Emailed travelex to get details on how to file a claim for our trip and they returned the cost of the insurance with zero notice and ran away from us getting or money back for the trip. Christian organization ya right, this was a once in a lifetime trip for my wife and I read more

I've traveled with this agency a few times... flawless. Personable and far more than a tour, they provide life changing experiences! Thank you Maranatha. read more

Maranatha Tours - A view of Tel Aviv from Joppa - Tours Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I understand the business side of the pickle that the Maranatha Tour Company has found itself but I am so disappointed in their refund process. I fully paid for a trip to Israel for April 2024 and it was cancelled due to the war there. I was given one half of my payment six months after the cancellation and now am being told they are unable to return the balance. For my husband and I it is just over 5300.00. I have health issues and have been put on a higher cost medication which has caused some issues. I am a retiree and cannot afford to give up 5300.00. There has to be a better way! read more

do not book a tour through this company! we booked a tour, it got cancelled and still have not received our refund they keep promising for a year now!! not a reputable tour company! Do not book with this company! They ignore you, they will not respond to your emails and have non-working phone numbers so you can't call. Basically they just steal your money !! read more

The tour guide (Sam M) was fantastic and deeply knowledgeable. This man is anointed. The accommodations should be reviewed in 2 segments. The Kibbutz at Sea of Galilee is beautiful because of location. The rooms are fair to decent. Food is decent. Beds are small, but comfortable. Would not stay here if given a choice. The Ambassador Hotel in Jerusalem is outstanding. Clean, food choices are plenteous and delicious. When arriving in Tel Aviv, we were not aware or made aware by Maranatha Tours the ride to the Kibbutz is almost 2 hours. Due to delay at Istanbul, we arrived around 2 in the morning and had to be up at 6:30. Pretty tough after flying all night, losing hours due to time change. Warning to those flying to Istanbul and then to Tel Aviv. Turkish airlines was hot and seats are excruciating. Do your own research on Turkish arilines and see what I am talking about. The Flight crew was tremendous. Istanbul airport is hostile and chaotic. Although the new one should be open soon, I do not see how it will change the attitude toward Westerners. Seems to reflect Turkey's current President's ideology. Would strongly suggest booking nonstop to Tel Aviv. The layover at Istanbul exceeded the time it would have taken to fly non stop to Tel Aviv. NO, IAM NOT FROM SAN FRAN. Why name is messed up on title is beyond me. I am from Dallas. Name is Jim, not JAY. read more

I read some reviews on Google about airline issues. When tours use block ticketing for large groups there could be issues. We booked our own flights so had no problem. Details: Two of three hotels were fine; third one mediocre. Bus driver knew lay of the land very well. Hotels catered to large (large!!) numbers of tourists yet food was very good and buffet style plentiful. Two of three guides were exceptional; third one had a high bar to reach. He needs to be more personable. Days were very full but necessary with so much to see. Just a few highlights: Singing in various holy sites, dancing on the Sea of Galilee, celebrating shabbat with a rabbi and his family and the pastor's teachings. Maranatha provided seamless support, but kudos have to go to Pastor Al Detter and his wife, Marie. They were on their 12th tour to The Holy Land so they are incredibly knowledgeable and experienced. They care about each individual on the tour with compassion and patience. Their insights are remarkable. We were pleased beyond all expectations. As tour leaders they are rare and very special people. We were blessed to be with them. Thank you, Maranatha, for Pastor Al Detter and Marie. read more

I just completed a trip to Israel on December 7, 2017 with Maranatha Tours. Let me start by saying they were fantastic! They took care of everything and made this trip run seamless and effortless which allowed me to enjoy every aspect of my trip fully! The tour guide, Foteh Mickel, was a walking encyclopedia of history and had the unique ability to make it fun as well as interesting at the same time! I highly recommend Maranatha Tours! read more