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Half Day Private Tour of Bethlehem: Explore Birthplace of Jesus and Historic Churches
5.0
36 Ratings
Jerusalem
Accompanied by your own private guide, visit the grotto of the birthplace of Jesus in the Nativity Church, Saint Jerome’s Caves, Saint Catherine Church, Milk Grotto Church and the Shepherd’s Field.
Accompanied by your own private guide, visit the grotto of the birthplace of Jesus in the Nativity Church, Saint Jerome’s Caves, Saint Catherine Church, Milk Grotto Church and the Shepherd’s Field.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Beit Sahour - Meet at Bethlehem 300 Checkpoint and drive to the city of Beit Sahour, the city of Shepherds who keep watch over their flock by night. In the past, the Canaanites inhabited its numerous caves, and today it is the home of many churches and convents.
- Chapel of the Shepherds’ Field - Visit the Shepherds Field Church, the site…
- Beit Sahour - Meet at Bethlehem 300 Checkpoint and drive to the city of Beit Sahour, the city of Shepherds who keep watch over their flock by night. In the past, the Canaanites inhabited its numerous caves, and today it is the home of many churches and convents.
- Chapel of the Shepherds’ Field - Visit the Shepherds Field Church, the site that commemorates the visit of the Angel Gabriel to the shepherd to tell them the good news that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
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Church of the Nativity - Drive to the old city of Bethlehem towards Manger Square and the Nativity Church.
Visit the Nativity Church that was built by Justinian in 530 AD, and you will enter the Byzantine basilica through the main entrance, also known as ‘The Door of Humility’ and see the original floor of the first church of Constantine from 326 AD. You will take the steps to get down to the grotto, the spot where Jesus was born from Virgin Mary. - The Church of St. Catherine - Visit Saint Catherine Church, the main Catholic parish church in Bethlehem and where the midnight Christmas Mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve.
- Cave of St. Jerome - Visit Saint Jerome’s Caves to see the place where he lived and translated the bible in the fifth century.
- Blessings Gift Shop and The Olive Wood Factory - Visit one of the old olive wood workshops in Bethlehem and learn about the local handicraft while watching the artists working.
- Milk Grotto - It is believed that while Virgin Mary was feeding baby Jesus, a drop of milk hit the ground and turned all of the stones white.
- Bethlehem - A short walk in the old city of Bethlehem and learn about its history.
- Checkpoint 300/Bethlehem Road - Before the tour finish, we will stop at the separation wall and see also the graffitis.
Afterward, drive to the Checkpoint where the tour will end.
What's Included
- Drop-off at Checkpoint 300 or Bethlehem hotel
- Local guide driver
- Pickup from Checkpoint 300 or Bethlehem hotel
- Drop-off at Checkpoint 300 or Bethlehem hotel
- Local guide driver
- Pickup from Checkpoint 300 or Bethlehem hotel
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Public transportation to the meeting point and back to your hotel
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Public transportation to the meeting point and back to your hotel
Additional Information
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Location
Checkpoint 300/Bethlehem Road
Starting Point: Bethlehem 300 Checkpoint.
Tour starts from Bethlehem side of Checkpoint.
Take bus 234 from Damascus Gate, it costs 5 NIS and runs directly to the Bethlehem Checkpoint and back. Walk through the checkpoint as you enter and exit Bethlehem.
Make sure to bring your passport.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(36 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Diane
Aug 27, 2023
Michael's Tour was awesome! - So thankful to been able to work with Michael. He arranged for a van to pick us up in Tel Aviv and bring us to Bethlehem for his tour, which is not easily done, and then take us to our hotel in Jerusalem. Very special! Book with him. Excellent communication. Excellent guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jbf0917
Jul 19, 2023
A historical and cultural “masterclass” of a tour - Michael is a true local and fantastic guide. We met him in Bethlehem and he took us to the Church of the Nativity, Saint Jerome's Courtyard and Caves, Saint Catherine Church, and the Church of Milk Grotto.
His car was super clean and comfortable and had a couple bottles of water stocked for us (he pays attention to the details).
His pace was perfect for us as we worked our way through the tour. There was a good mix of walking, resting, and talking that made this one of the more relaxing tours we took in Israel. Would definitely hire Michael as a guide again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fearless284398
May 14, 2023
Outstanding Bethlehem experience - Michael’s expert, friendly, informative and insightful half tour of Bethlehem from Tel Aviv was outstanding and an experience not to forget. Highly recommended!
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Whitney
Apr 25, 2023
Amazing Bethlehem Tour - I had such a great tour with Michael! It was enlightening to see Bethlehem with a Palestinian Christian, and as a solo female traveler, I felt comfortable touring with him. I can’t wait to go back and see more with him!
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N878wtannad
Mar 29, 2023
Amazing! - Wow! This tour was phenomenal. Michael is a professional, friendly, knowledgeable guide. We loved learning from him and he planned the day perfectly so we never felt rushed and even the kids found the day fascinating. Drinking tea and chatting was perhaps our favorite part even though the visits to the sites exceeded our expectations. You will not regret booking with Michael.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristraveller2020
Mar 23, 2023
Bethlehem 360 view and experience - Michael was the best! We absolute loved the experience. We saw all the churches and got to see the "wall" as well. Michael was very engaging and knowledgeable. We would definitely go back for a repeat experience.
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Clausgoedde
Mar 8, 2023
Perfect private Tour - Dia was a very good guide in Bethlehem. With all neccessary informations and answering all our question. We recommend Dia.
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Zofiiiaaa
Jan 9, 2023
Excellent guide : safe and enriching experience - Excellent experience, Michael is very knowledgeable, kind and provides clear explanations. He tailors the tour to your expectations. Very enriching experience. We felt very safe during our tour.
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Donmf8750gx
Nov 19, 2022
Terrific and informative. - We have been touring Israel for almost 3 weeks and this tour by Michael has been the highlight. He is well studied, informed and delivers it in an easy going way. He is personable, answers questions, understands American idiom and jokes. He also answered questions about the Palestinian / Israeli issues without being political, but with kind frankness.
It was a delight and we highly recommend Michael. Well worth the money.
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Bdrovdahl
Nov 19, 2022
Fantastic Bethlehem Tour - We had a fantastic 1/2 day tour with Michael. Even though I have been to Bethlehem multiple times, I learned substantially more on this tour. My favorite part was how thoughtful and insightful. Michael was in his explanations/interpretations, whether that was around biblical, historical, or cultural matters. The excellent content of the tour was matched by Michael's warmth, graciousness, and care for our group of four. He went the "extra mile" for us in several ways.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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