Tours with Shmuel

Day Tours

If you only have a short amount of time and are interested in something more than what you’d get from a package tour then contact me about one of these special tours – they can even be customized to your interests:

Old City $1 tour, 4 quarters walking tour; 3 religions and 2000 years of history in 4-8 hours at additional cost
German Colony, a walking tour, can include arrangements for dinner afterwards
Someone to Tour With, a kids-oriented walking tour of Jerusalem accompanied by a golden retriever
Alternative Hurva Synagogue tour, following in architect Louis Kahn’s footsteps visit St George and Mar Saba monasteries in the Judean desert and then hear the real story of the Hurva, its destruction in 1948 with the fall of the Jewish quarter and its rebirth after the Six Day War
Barluzzi Churches, a walking tour of the incredible buildings in Jerusalem designed by architect Antonio Barluzzi
Herodium, a comprehensive tour that includes Lower Herodium excavated by Netzer as well as the archaeological park

In general, I build a tour in consultation with you so that you get a tour that is customized to your interests. I do tours of Jerusalem (I live in the German Colony), the Old City, Jewish Quarter, tours of Christian sites, the ancient City of David including wading through Hezekiah’s tunnel – these tours combine history, archaeology, religion, architecture, etc. I guide a food and people tour of Mahane Yehuda market. I guide tours in Tel Aviv-Jaffa a combination of history, architecture, art and culture.

I am happy to take you farther afield, day trips from Jerusalem to Herodium, desert monasteries, Qasr el-Yahud, the traditional site in the Jordan River where John baptised Jesus, Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, the oases of Ein Gedi and Ein Feshka in the Judean desert, hiking Nahal Arugot or for the more adventurous Nahal Darga, the Dead Sea and Masada.

Planning your Itinerary

For people who have a week or more in Israel I can work out a customized itinerary including historical and archaeological sites like Caesarea, Akko (Acre), Tsippori, Beit Shean, Banias. We can explore the Golan in the north or the Negev desert in the south. I can share with you nature spots off the beaten track, just a quiet spot for a picnic or hikes suited to the whole family or more challenging hikes, for example, the Yehudia Reserve has some great hikes with water which is a delight in the hot summer months.

For some sample itineraries that I’ve done and suggestions on places to visit please review the articles that I’ve posted by clicking on the “Blog” tab. You can also search by keyword or category to help you find what you’re looking for. Here are some samples itineraries:

I am very excited to be able to offer two additional specialty tours: 1) tours that focus on Israeli wines and food and 2) tours for those interested in photography and who want to experience Israel through a camera’s lens.

I am able to add the fun experience of riding on a Segway (Personal Transporter) to a tour, for example, on the promenade at Armon HaNatziv overlooking the Old City, to get around the Biblical zoo or traverse the Valley of the Cross to Israel Museum or Knesset; it is also possible to ride along the Jaffa-Tel-Aviv promenade, a magical introduction to the city that never sleeps.

With the re-opening of the Israel Museum I am pleased to offer an architecturally focussed tour of the new museum explaining the renewal of the museum that James Carpenter Design Associates and the Israeli firm of Efrat-Kowalsky Architects have accomplished. Included are other highlights like the Shrine of the Book, that has been called “a milestone in the history of world architecture” and the Second Temple Period model. I also do tours of the museum’s main 3 galleries: Archaeology, Judaica and Art.

If you are looking for the FREE map of Mahane Yehuda to help you explore the market, click here.

Israel Tour Guide