Unforgettable Bethlehem: Private Half-Day Holy Land Tour

A place thats close to my heart, within moments of arriving at the Shepard's field I was engulfed with love and joy. It is an unforgettable experience. Everyone should do it. It's actually very safe, and quiet. Almost no visitors...

This tour exceeded our expectations!!! Ahmad our driver picked us up from the hotel in Tel Aviv, he explained some details along the way, he also dropped us off on the way back to our Tel Aviv hotel. Ahmad was great, he asked us if we were hungry, since we were planning to eat back in Tel Aviv, he made us try a falafel at a local restaurant,the next thing you know we told Ahmad to please find us a table, it was the best falafels and hummus we have tried, all four of us for 60 shekels!! You can't find that price in Tel Aviv! Dia our tour guide was the best! He was great in explaining details and he waited with us in line inside the Church of Nativity. I wish all our guides in our previous tours with another company was like Dia. The souvenir shop was a blessing as we got good prices and they give you a discount plus free items to take with us. What a great tour to end our holiday vacation.

Excellent trip to Bethlehem. Our tour guide Johnnie was so friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Lots of time to see everything and ask questions. Air conditioned mini bus with professional driver. Ended up at a lovely gift shop for coffee and pastry and no pressure to buy but lots of beautiful gifts. Learnt a lot about the Palestine situation and how it impacts people, Highly recommended.

We went on the half day private tour of Bethlehem with Johnny ($250 USD total for my husband and I plus tips). Everything was easy to arrange with Elijah Tours online or through WhatsApp and the pickup and drop off all went smoothly. We requested a 9:30 am pickup at our hotel in Jerusalem. Our very nice driver was right outside waiting for us. He told us to bring our passports but when we got to the border crossing our car was just waved right through. We never even had to pull out passports out. When we got to Bethlehem our guide, Johnny, was there waiting for us. It's super important to have an experienced guide who knows how to get you in and out of each site on a schedule so you don't get stuck waiting an hour when they close the church at noon, or waiting when a procession is coming through. He was able to get us right in to the underground cave beneath the Church of the Nativity where it is believed that Jesus was born. If we had not been on this private tour the line would have been at least 2 hours. The sites we visited were Shepherds Field, Church of the Nativity, St Catherine's, St Jerome's Cave and the Milk Grotto. We also stopped at a Banksy mural on the side of an auto repair shop along the road. Johnny shared an incredible amount of knowledge about every site and he delivered it in a moving and thoughtful way. After the tour we ended at a souvenir shop and bought a few olive wood carved hearts and crosses, etc. There's really no pressure to buy anything if you don't want to since your ride back to your hotel is already there waiting for you. We were back at our hotel by around 1:30. We were so glad we went ahead and took this tour. Elijah made it easy and it was a wonderful experience. Johnny is the best!

It was a short but great and fruitful tour especially because of our tour guide Johnny! He explained things well and was very patient with our group. The churches included in our tour were very serene and full of meaning. The people we met in the souvenir shop, Zuluf, are really kind and generous! I was happy we went to Bethlehem with Elijah Tours and Travel! Highly recommended!

It was a very informative nd enlightening trip from our very friendly and intelligent guide. He has many insights and has shared many things during the trip.

Magnificently organized trip to Bethlehem accompanied by a super guide, who professionally led us to all of the essential sights!!!!

Hi George just got back from tour . It was beyond amazing . Our guide was the best ever . We were a group of 14 British women and can’t recommend you guys enough … All guides are not made the same and ours was so knowledgable / funny / so helpful . Emma

Our tour was well run with clear communication for both booking and on the day of the tour. We booked to be picked up in Jerusalem at a hotel near the train station (VERT hotel) and used the high speed rail to come from Tel Aviv that morning. The high speed rail is very cost effective and avoids any traffic. Our driver was in communication before the pickup time and ensured we knew where to find him. The driver took us to Bethlehem to meet our guide. The journey was smooth and the driver informative. In Bethlehem, we met our guide Johnny. Johnny had a great personality with good humor. He adjusted things accordingly based on our wishes for time at each location and gladly assisted with photos. Johnny also timed things perfectly to avoid larger bus groups at key times and ensure a smooth flow through the Church of the Nativity. He was full of knowledge and made our half day private tour very pleasant. At the Sheperd's Field, take some time to appreciate both the history of the old byzantine church and the nearby cave while also admiring the architectural choices of the more modern church. Make sure Johnny, or your guide, takes the special "star" photo of you in the cave. As you can expect, the highlight of the tour is the Church of the Nativity. It will be crowded but there is plenty to ponder as you pass through this incredible history. We definitely enjoyed the stop at the olive wood factory at the end of the tour and this is where we did most of our shopping for gifts. The team at the olive wood factory was very cordial and did not pressure in the least. They offered beverages and kind hospitality throughout our shopping experience. After we were finished shopping, our driver was waiting to take us bake to Jerusalem. If you are also doing a Jerusalem tour, I would recommend doing this tour the second day. For Jerusalem, you need a full day and this is fine in half a day. More so, if like us, you stay in Tel Aviv, you can take time to wander Jerusalem more after the morning in Bethlehem. You will have a good understanding of the area after the first day tour. Otherwise, you can have plenty of time to do other things back in Tel Aviv, such as enjoy the sun or the Old Jaffa Port.

My wife and I spent a great day doing a private tour to Bethlehem and the Dead Sea (from Jerusalem) through Elija Tours. Booking and organizing the trip was seamless. They were very flexible in tailoring the day to meet our needs and more than happy to eliminate any side trips that did not interest us. Most importantly, the tour guides and drivers were all very professional, prompt, friendly and dedicated to making sure we had a fantastic experience. Dia, (Saint) George, and Rocky all took very good care of the two of us and made sure we felt safe and comfortable the entire trip. All were super friendly, charming, and knowledgeable. It was especially helpful to be able to circumvent the crowds and skip the lines when needed at the historic sites. I cannot think of a better way to tour the West Bank, Bethlehem, and the Dead Sea and cannot recommend Elijah Tours and their team enough.