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See-Your (סיור) Israel!

So, you’re living in Israel (or spending extended time here). Sebaba- Great!  But when was the last time you “went to Israel” (as a tourist) following the command given to Avram: “Get up and walk about the Land, through its length and breadth, for I give it to you.” (Gen 13:17)?  

Jezreel Valley seen from Mt. Precipice

It’s time to grab your hat and water bottle (along with family and/or friends) and discover places that you’ve never visited - or haven’t been to in a long time.  With hardly any foreign tourists in Israel (unfortunately), and with few frameworks currently available for children, this is an ideal time to broaden and deepen your understanding of this amazing and perplexing country we live in. 

I’m Joe Freedman. I made Aliya to Israel with my family, and a doctorate in education, in 1980. I’ve been a licensed tour guide for the last 25 years, and I'm proud to have made visiting Israel a meaningful experience for people of all ages and background (see Testimonials). There are various ways in which I can help you to see the beauty of the Land, delve into its millennia of amazing history and try to make sense of its confusing complexities and challenges.  Here are some options:

These tours of Jerusalem can be organized for individuals, a family, a group of friends (e.g., from your local synagogue or other place of worship), a company outing, etc.

• The Most Decisive Battle for Jerusalem, 1948
San Simon Monastery and the Katamon Neighborhood

• Who was Benjamin Yehuda?
Unraveling the Mysteries Behind Selected Jerusalem Street Names

• Har Hazikaron (Memorial Mountain)
The Military Cemetery on Mt. Herzl

• Homes of the Rich and Famous
Rehavia Neighborhood

For details, and other touring possibilities, see the Short Walking Tours page.
These tours take up to four hours to complete.

• She’arim: A Tale of Four-and-a-Half Gates
Jerusalem’s Old City Walls and Gates

• Mishna I̶m̶Possible: The Daf Yomi Comes Alive
Sukkot Exhibit at Neot Kedumim

• “…And a Wall Through Her Heart”
The City Line that Divided Jerusalem 1948-67, and a Glimpse at Today’s Municipal Borders

• Herod’s Monument to Himself
Herodion

For details, and other touring possibilities, see the Half-Day Tours page.
These tours take 5 to 8 hours to complete.

• Everyone’s Jerusalem: A Cosmopolitan Overview
The Old City of Jerusalem

• In the Footsteps of the Sanhedrin
Bet Shearim and Zippori

For details, and other touring possibilities, see the Full-Day Tours page.
Specific itineraries will vary, based on the ages of the participants, season, interests, mobility, religious orientation, level of accommodations, etc. The possibilities are endless! Here are some sample itineraries.

• Southern Circuit 201 (two days, one overnight)
Jerusalem, Tel Beer Sheba, camel ride, Bedouin tent, Masada, Dead Sea, Ein Gedi

• Northern Circuit 201 (two days, one overnight)
Jerusalem, Jericho Bypass, Qasr el-Yehud, Jordan River Crossing, Travel up Jordan River Valley, Bet Shean Antiquities OR Hamat-Tiberias ancient synagogue experience, Tiberias, overnight near Sea of Galilee, Kangaroo Park, Bet Shearim caves, Carmel Mountain lookout, Caesarea, return to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem

• Southern Circuit 302 (three days, two overnights)
Jerusalem, Tel Beer Sheba, Negev Brigade Memorial Lookout over Makhtesh Gadol (the Large Crater), Ein Avdat nature hike walk, Bedouin tent option, camel ride, Dead Sea dip and spa option, overnight in a Dead Sea hotel or guest house, early morning visit to Masada, nature walk in Ein Gedi, Qumran (where Dead Sea Scrolls were found), end in Jerusalem

• Northern Circuit 302 (three days, two overnights)
Jerusalem, Jericho Bypass, Qasr el-Yehud, Jordan River Crossing, travel up Jordan River Valley, Bet Shean Antiquities OR Hamat-Tiberias ancient synagogue experience, Tiberias, overnight near Sea of Galilee, Zfat (Safed), Golan Heights including lookout into Syria, overnight near Sea of Galilee, Kangaroo Park, Bet Shearim caves, Carmel Mountain lookout, Caesarea, return to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem

For details, and other touring possibilities, see the Overnight Excursions page.

Private Tours

Partner with me to design a custom-made tour. You can do this for just yourself - perhaps with a significant other, for immediate family members, for a small group of friends, or for a busload of people (for instance, from your synagogue, business or school). It can be just a half-day or full-day trip or include overnights. If you need transportation, I'm licensed to drive up to 10 people in a Ministry of Tourism-approved vehicle. Contact me to dream up just the right trip for you.

Virtual Tours 

The world is not as travel-friendly as it used to be. I've had experience with various formats of virtual tours, mostly via Zoom. For an example click here. I'm happy to develop virtual tours on topics and sites that would be meaningful for your family or group - both in Israel and abroad. To involve loved-ones who are unable to participate physically in a Bat/Bar Mitzva celebration (or other special event), consider a virtual tour that combines pre-recorded photos and videos as well as live-interaction.  Imagine your son or daughter actually guiding in the field after proper study and preparation. The whole experience could be saved on video for future generations. Contact me for further information.

Scheduled, Open-Registration Tours

Join with other English-speakers in eye-opening tours at prearranged times and places, mostly in and around Jerusalem. Tours range from a couple of hours to a half- or full-day. (If you’re interested in a tour, but are unavailable at that time, let me know and we can try to schedule another such tour at a different time.)  

Please read the Registration Procedures and Tour Guidelines before registering for any of the scheduled tours. Each tour also has particular instructions outlined on the tour's description page.

To receive information about upcoming tours, contact me with a request to join my newsletter email list.

Tours and tour packages made just for you

Custom tours
contact joe

Short Walking Tours

Join with other English-speakers in eye-opening tours at prearranged times and places, mostly in and around Jerusalem.

Half-Day Tours

Thematic tours of Jerusalem (Old City Walls and Gates; Divided Jerusalem 1948-67); Herodion; The City of David, including Hezekiah’s Tunnel; The Temple Mount and the Davidson Center archaeological park; Highlights of the Israel Museum; “The Palm Sunday Path”; Where David slew Goliath: Tel Azeka and HaEla Valley.

Full Day Tours

Jerusalem Old City; Jerusalem New City; Tel Aviv: from Old Jaffa through Neve Tzedek; Ancient Caesarea and the delightful Zichron Yaakov; the caves of Maresha and Bet Guvrin; Key sites on the ascent to Jerusalem from 1948 – including Latrun and the new museum at Sha’ar Hagai; Masada and the Dead Sea; Western Negev…

Overnight Excursions

The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and environs; the Western Galilee (Acco, Haifa, and so on); the Dead Sea area; hiking in the northern Negev… or an extended trip of seven, 10 or 12 days – or more, touching on the multi-layered history and beauty of the country.