The currency used in Israel is the New Israeli Shekel (NIS). We recommend not attempting to purchase the local currency before your trip. We do suggest bringing approximately $250 USD per person in small bills for spending on things like drinks, water on the bus, small souvenirs, tips over and above the standard, prepaid tips for waitstaff, housekeeping, and your bus driver. You can use dollars in many places in Israel, and it keeps things easy for quick purchases of small items in the Old City. Note that if you give a shopkeeper payment in dollars, they will give you change in shekels. It’s a good idea to carry at least a few shekels in change with you while on tour - most public bathrooms in Israel will charge a couple of shekels for entrance, so be prepared! If you would like to get shekels for your trip, we recommend withdrawing approximately $50 USD worth in shekels via ATM upon your arrival. There are plenty of ATMs at the airport and in the lobbies of larger hotels. Tipping housekeeping staff and others in the local currency is an extra blessing you can give them, as they will not lose the value of the tip money when exchanging it!