Full-Day Tours

The Old City of Jerusalem (Tour #3.10)

A full-day walking tour emphasizing Jerusalem as sacred to three major religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The tour is organized “topographically,” in that we begin at the highest point of the city and work our down way the hills. Starting at the Jaffa Gate we ascend to the top of the Tower of David Museum for a breathtaking overview of the whole city. In the Christian Quarter we learn about the different denominations (Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Greek Catholic…) who established their presence in the quarter – as well as elsewhere in the city. We will visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and discuss its historicity. After a break for lunch in the Jewish Quarter we will visit the quaint Old Yishuv Court Museum to see what life was like in the Jewish Quarter up until 1948. We will also tour the rebuilt Hurva Synagogue before descending to the Kotel: the Western Wall.

Notes: Modest clothing is required. The tour will include entering churches.

TOUR LENGTH: 5 to 7 hours (excluding breaks)

MEETING POINT: Jaffa Gate

ENDING POINT: The Kotel (Western Wall) – Dung Gate

PRICE (total per group): ₪1300 (~$405)

Entrance Fees NOT INCLUDED in the PRICE:

• Tower of David Museum: ₪10 per person
• Old Yishuv Court Museum: ₪20 per adult; ₪10 per senior citizen or child (to age of 18); ₪50 for family (parents + children up to 18 yrs old)
• Hurva Synagogue: ₪14 per adult; ₪7 per child 

Bet Shearim and Zippori (Tour #3.20)

The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 31a-b) tells us that the Sanhedrin, the high court of Jewish law, was exiled from its locations in Jerusalem to Yavne and from there it moved to the Galilee. Its last three stops were Bet Shearim, Zippori (Tzippori, Sepphris) and Tiberias. We will tour two of those places with their magnificent remains, each with its own character. In Bet Shearim we will explore burial tombs from the time of the Talmud (perhaps even the burial tomb of Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi). In Zippori, which is very extensive, we will see the remains of a Roman theatre, a plethora of mosaic floors – including a synagogue floor, humongous water reservoirs and much more. In both national parks our tour will be accompanied by Rabbinic texts that will help us understand the important roles that they played in the rich Jewish life that developed in the Galilee after the Bar Kochba revolt (135 CE).

TOUR LENGTH: ~6 hours (excluding breaks)

MEETING POINT: Bet Shearim National Park (~10:15am)

ENDING POINT: Zippori National Park (at closing time)

PRICE (total per group): ₪1300 (~$405)

Entrance Fees NOT INCLUDED in the PRICE:

• Bet Shearim National Park: ₪22 per adult; ₪9 per child; ₪19 for student (with ID); ₪11 for senior citizen 
• Zippori National Park: ₪28 per adult; ₪14 per Child; ₪24 for student (with ID); ₪14 for senior citizen