Bethlehem Half Day Private Tour: Explore Historic Attractions from Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Jerusalem

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Bethlehem

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Embark on a half-day private tour from Tel Aviv, Ashdod, or Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Explore historic attractions, including the Church of The Nativity and the Chapel of the Shepherd’s field. Don’t forget your passport!

Duration: 3 hours

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Church of the Nativity - A full guided tour to the Church of the Nativity. The Church is one of the oldest working churches in existence today. The first Church was built by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th century AD, over the grotto where Mary gave birth to Jesus. The church is located where Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
The Church of St. Catherine - Saint Catherine’s Church is a Franciscan monastery. It is said to be built on the site of Christ’s appearance to St. Catherine of Alexandria and his prediction of her martyrdom at the beginning of the 4th century.
Milk Grotto - The Milk Grotto church is the place where the Holy Family found refuge during the Massacre of the Innocents, before they could flee to Egypt. The name is derived from the story that a “drop of milk” of the Virgin Mary fell on the floor of the cave and changed its color to white.
Shepherd’s Sanctuary - The Chapel of The Shepherd’s Field.It marks the place where, the angels first announced the birth of Christ. The Shepherds’ Field Chapel is a religious building of the Catholic church that is in the area of Beit Sahur southeast of Bethlehem in the West Bank in Palestine. The chapel marks the place where the angels first announced the birth of Christ.
Cave of St. Jerome - The Cave of Jerome is actually located beneath the Church of St. Catherine, and can also be accessed from there. St. Jerome, a Dalmation priest (345-420 A.D.), translated much of the Old Testament from Hebrew and Greek to the Latin “Vulgate”.
Carmel of the Holy Child Jesus - The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel does not have a single founder but was founded by a group of hermits living close to the “Spring of Elijah” on Mount Carmel, with two roots of their spirituality: the Prophet Elijah and the Virgin Mary. At the beginning of the 13th century the hermits received a rule of life, which was written by Saint Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Aida Camp - Aida, also spelled ‘Ayda, is a Palestinian refugee camp situated 2 kilometers north of the historic center of Bethlehem and 1 km north of Beit Jala.
Bab idDeir Art Gallery - Bab idDeir Art Gallery is an independent artistic and cultural space in Bethlehem, located in Deik quarters part of the historical old city of Bethlehem.
Blessings Gift Shop and The Olive Wood Factory - Pass By Olive Wood Factory
Tomb of Rachel (Kever Rachel) - Rachel’s Tomb is the site revered as the burial place of the matriarch Rachel.
Bethlehem Museum - The Bethlehem Museum is dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for Palestine’s heritage, identity, culture and art.

What's Included

Private transportation
Licensed Tour Guide Nativity Church Only
In-vehicle air conditioning
Tour Taxes

Additional Information

We commence our journey wending our way through the hills of Judea to Bethlehem, the metropolis of King David. As we arrive, we’ll embark on a drive around the city, catching glimpses of its significant and historic landmarks before navigating towards Manger Square.

Here, a guided tour awaits us at the Church of The Nativity, built atop the subterranean cave that served as the birthplace of Jesus. After this exploration, we follow our guide on a brief stroll to the Church of Milk Grotto.

Upon completion, we navigate towards Beit Sahour, renowned as the place of the Shepherd’s. Here, a guided tour takes us through the Chapel of the Shepherd’s Field, where angels announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the shepherds. Next on our itinerary is a 20 minute sojourn at a local olive wood factory where we get a peek into the artisan crafts of Bethlehem’s Christian families.

Remember to carry your passport as it may be needed. Vehicle switching may be necessary, all times are merely estimations!

Location

Church of the Nativity

Manager St

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

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(5 Ratings)

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Claudia_c

Dec 29, 2022

Fantastic experience - Fantastic visit We took a day private tour from Jerusalem to Bethlehem with our three small kids, the youngest in a stroller. All was perfectly arranged, the car transfer, the meeting with the guide, the pace of the visits, the explanations. Everyone was very patient and welcoming. The churches are extraordinary and it was such a blessing to go around Christmas time. The visit at the end to the Zuluf factory and shop was great, everyone was so friendly and patient.

Review provided by Viator

Jeffrey_y

Oct 19, 2022

One of the best experiences - I booked this tour last minute from Jerusalem. Basically the night before since we had a later departure and wanted to fill the morning. We were picked up promptly at 0700 from our pick up point. From there our Driver gave us a well informed history lesson from the area and the dynamics of the region. Dropped off in Bethlehem with our your guide taken to see every inch of the Church of nativity and the milk grotto. Then into another car to see the shepherds field. I cant believe how organized this was especially last minute moving cars and guides. The tour company treated us as family and not being a very religious person they still welcomed us as if we were. Highly recommend this tour !!!

Review provided by Viator

Anielle_g

Sep 16, 2022

Wonderful experience in the church of nativity and Jerusalem - I had a fantastic experience with this tour. We visited the church of nativity with Dia, the most knowledgeable person about religions, about the area, about history. An archeologist and specialized in restoration. I would recommend it to anyone that asks me. He speaks great English, would take us explaining everything, giving us special details about the church. Precious. Our driver from Jerusalem was the best and most gentle. He talked to us all the way from the beginning, with a geopolitical perspective of the region, historical facts and an opinion towards peace. It was indeed memorable. He’d stop for us to buy gifts, help is see what we wanted specifically, explain the little details about the traffic, the holidays, take us to the Mount of Olives. Ask for Rocco because he’s truly magnificent.

Review provided by Viator

Alisha_l

Feb 26, 2020

Exactly What We Needed - I would highly recommend this tour. We chose the private tour because my mother had been sick and could not keep up with the group atmosphere. Our tour guide Abood was exactly what the doctor ordered. He was careful and considerate of my mom’s limitations. He was extremely knowledgeable, and we felt as if we were friends by the time the tour was complete. The driver that picked us up and delivered us back to the hotel was very kind too. He explained our surroundings on the drive, and gave us some history about the passing cities. We finished the tour at an olive wood store with extremely kind people making sure our tour was satisfactory.

Review provided by Viator

Ammantio