About Us

It’s our pleasure to introduce you to George’s International Tours, a family-owned international tour operator which has handled thousands of successful pilgrimages throughout the world and established itself as one of the leaders in the Christian group travel market.

George Garabedian, his son Garo, and Katherine Hepburn meeting in Jerusalem during the filming of Lawrence of Arabia.

Our founder, George Garabedian, was born in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem in 1910. George became interested in the fascinating world of tourism at a very young age and in 1925 he began working for Cox & Kings, the renowned British shipping agents and travel tycoons.  In 1931, George established his own travel office catering to the needs of Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land and soon became an expert in his field.

Over the course of his career, George built the foundation upon which our company still stands. His close attention to detail, understanding of the difference between an ordinary tour and a deeply rewarding pilgrimage of faith, and unwavering commitment to putting the needs of those traveling with us before our own remain our core principals to this day.  George’s dedication to serving pilgrims from around the world led him to be named the Honorary Consul of the Philippines and to receive keys to the cities of Detroit, Houston and Charlotte, among many other awards.

George passed away in 1988 and his footsteps were followed by his son Garo, a graduate of the prestigious Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne hospitality management university, whose leadership helped expand our operations into new destinations beyond the Holy Land.  Today, a third generation of the family is continuing the work started by George and Garo and helping to maintain the high level of service that our clients have come to expect.

Garo Garabedian, the former president of George’s International Tours, being knighted in the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem.