Explore Jerusalem & Bethlehem: Your Private 1-Day Tour from Kiryat HaLeom, Jerusalem

Summary: Avi was the best tour guide ever. He picked us up at our ship and we went to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. He customized our itinerary for the day with the sights we wanted to see. He is so knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor. He made us feel safe. He joined us for lunch at a local restaurant he recommended at the market. He treated us with some delicious baked goods called Rugalas. By the end of the day we felt like family. Avi is the best and you must ask for him. You’ll be glad you did. He is a 10 star. Bill & Cookie

Summary: This is one of the best tours ever. Avi is a fantastic guide. He was prompt picking us up at Ashdod cruise port (he also can pick up from Haifa cruise port. His van was clean and air conditioned. Not only is he very personable, his knowledge of Bethlehem and Jerusalem far exceeded our expectations. He lead the way and took his time in explaining the history that happened so long ago. Due to some mobility issues that I have, Avi was always considering the best way for me to get around. He also brought us to a wonderful restaurant for lunch, where we enjoyed traditional Israeli food. I highly recommend taking this tour. You won’t be disappointed! Thank you Avi for providing us with a truly memorable experience.

Summary: Our tour guide was Avi Ofek and he was amazing! He was super knowledgeable and really made the history of Bethlehem and Jerusalem come to life.

Summary: The tour to Bethlehem and Jerusalem with Avi was really enjoyable and informative. Abi, our guide, was a delightful man with a wealth of humor and extensive historical knowledge of the sights of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Thanks to him, we were able to fully enjoy the pleasure of our eyes and ears. I express my sincere gratitude to him, and I strongly recommend a tour of Jerusalem with him.

Summary: A wonderful experience with an excellent and knowledgeable guide. I would highly recommend this tour. Avi, our tour guide and driver, brought Bethlehem and Jerusalem to life with his knowledge of the history and the Bible. I would definitely recommend this tour but it would be an added bonus if you take it with Avi as your driver and guide. Everyone in the group agreed that this was the highlight of our visit.

Summary: Avi was our guide. We were a group of 7 women; and we wanted an informal yet informative trip to Israel. Meaning: We didn’t want to waste time on our memorable trip to such an important seat of modern history; but we also didn’t want a long-drawn history lesson either. So Avi got to know us on the first day itself and it was a fun 3-day session with him. Tour wise, he is knowledgable, easy to understand and walked us thru all the important and interesting sites. He managed the tour time according to our convenience (we even kept him late the first day and he was gracious about it). Avi also went the extra mile and made us feel as if a friend were taking us around. He tried to fit in as much as he could and still make it fun, even if we balked here and there. He urged us to walk the extra mile to see something interesting, took us to places not strictly on the itinerary simply because he thought we’d like it, took us to street-food joints and was like a big brother showing us around. Being both a certified guide as well as the driver of his own vehicle meant it was even more easy and friendly, and his connects w/ people at different places helped us see more sights with less red tape. He said that he’s managed tours with different group sizes; and more intense groups keen on packing in much more. So I guess that makes him versatile for almost any group. Would definitely recommend him - he’s a really nice guy and a good guide. Upside: Everything! Fun & informative! Downside: A tad more expensive than we are used to. But hey, everything in Israel is expensive and he was generous and courteous beyond price tag. 👍🏽

Summary: Avi was our guide. He was very knowledgeable and fun. He took us to a store in the Palestinian Territory in Bethlehem that was operated by Christians who we were told were a minority in the Palestinian Territory. Israeli citizens are typically not permitted to enter the area so it is predominantly Muslim. We felt perfectly safe and this isn’t a commentary on anything other than the makeup of the community which I really had never considered. He took us to the church of the Nativity. It was incredible. They have an open area where you can see the original floor from nearly 2000 years ago. You can also stand in a line to see where it is thought that Jesus was born. We got extremely fortunate and Avi was able to get our small group in through a back door. Next we gleefully headed back to Jerusalem. We toured Mount Olive and learned the interesting history there. We finished up in the Old City. We saw the Western Wall. I have mobility issues and use an electric mobility scooter. If I hadn’t had those issues we would have gone to touch it. We were shown the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where it is thought that Jesus was crucified. The tour there was interesting. We had a nice lunch. There were certainly lots of shops in the Old City. It was an experience. Bring shekels. We saw the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian Quarters in the old city. It was interesting. Avi was full of information and very willing to accommodate my abilities. I highly recommend his tour. He has a very good van which is clean. He was a very conscientious driver. Very affable and could strike up a conversation with anyone. He has a degree in history and a 2 year training (I think that’s what he said - years) to be a guide.

Summary: We had Avi for a quick one-day overview of Jerusalem from our cruise ship. He was courteous, knowledgeable, and very helpful in adapting the tour to our group. We had a mix of first-timers and returning Jerusalem visitors, and he made it interesting for all. We were amazed at how many places we were able to see within the Old City in a relatively short visit--unfortunately to/from Ashdod port was oppressive and cut into our touring time. But Avi navigated it with humor and great tips. We were able to see so many things that we had never seen in Jerusalem before! Recommend him to all!