A Wonderful Trip To Jerusalem And Bethlehem In Israel

This trip was a great tour and our guide Itamar Buk did a fantastic job. He is quite passionate about his work and ensured he provided as much detail about the history and culture of Israel. This was our first trip in Israel so to start with Jerusalem and Bethlehem was quite exciting. The trip was well organized and we were briefed at the start of the tour as to what to expect and how to best prepare for the day. The trip was well paced and not rushed and the group size appeared to be appropriate as well. Some of the highlights included following the Via Dolorosa through the stations cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Western Wall, walking through the markets in the Muslim quarter and crossing over to Bethlehem.

This is a great introductory tour of these 2 Holy Sites. Bus pick up at the hotel was on time and comfortable. The drive to Jerusalem was relaxing and the driver pointed out several things along the way. We stopped at the University to pick up other tourists and then went to lookout point to see the city and prominent landmarks. Our guide was knowledgeable and kept the group on schedule. Watch out for the street vendor selling cinnamon rolls. If you buy one, be sure to try it there as he sold some to our group that were old as Jerusalem. Jerusalem was crowded and hot, be sure to wear sunscreen. You will hit the main sites and get a feel for the area. Be sure to bring pen and paper to leave your plea at the Wailing Wall. You only see 3 stations of the cross. Lunch was ok, nice rooftop terrace. Bethlehem Church of the Nativity was interesting, the manger area was dark and a little confusing. Overall this was a great trip with a very knowledgeable guide Itamar who was quite chilled out and with effort even funny at times . Highly recommended.