Guided Tours Israel

[epixx]

The idea with any private tour is to take control of the booking process,if you book the tour as i have..you decide on what you do,if you go in a semi private tour...you lose control.

 

quote]

 

I, too, thought that a completely private tour would ensure control of the itinerary. However, as I posted above, this was not the case from my correspondence with GTI, but I was readily able to accomplish this by going with private guides. I think that one reason for the difference is that my requested itineraries were more "off the beaten path" than most cruisers would request.

[cruisemom42]

The idea with any private tour is to take control of the booking process,if you book the tour as i have..you decide on what you do,if you go in a semi private tour...you lose control.

 

quote]

 

I, too, thought that a completely private tour would ensure control of the itinerary. However, as I posted above, this was not the case from my correspondence with GTI, but I was readily able to accomplish this by going with private guides. I think that one reason for the difference is that my requested itineraries were more "off the beaten path" than most cruisers would request.

 

From my own planning last fall, I can agree with this assessment. I ended up arranging with a private guide and had a wonderful two days in Israel. When I returned for a longer trip in March, I booked the same guide again for another full day.

 

Like you, I prefer to make my own itinerary and don't always want to go with a "set tour". I prefer to work with guides who will provide guidance but will also be flexible.

 

I'm glad you found someone to do the same for your trip. :)

[crabby apple]

would either of you or both of you mind sharing your information on the wonderful private guides? I am sure they thrive on good word of mouth, so maybe I can look into using them?

 

Thank you!

[rosie#1]

We also ended up booking a private guide. We sent GTI a list of the sites we wanted to visit. They had no issues with our itinerary for Jerusalem, but they would not add Megiddo to our Haifa tour. We are using en.travel-israel.info.

 

I think GTI works for most cruisers since they want to visit the main sites. Their shared tour is a great alternative to a ship tour.

[crabby apple]

thank you:cool:

[epixx]

would either of you or both of you mind sharing your information on the wonderful private guides? I am sure they thrive on good word of mouth, so maybe I can look into using them?

 

Thank you!

 

 

As I mentioned before, the rules of this website only allow recommendations for tours already taken. I have not yet taken these tours and therefore cannot recommend any guides yet.

[crabby apple]

Thank you for that information. :D

[pkdcruiser]

We had a wonderful experience with Guided Tours Israel on a June cruise. We had arranged small-group touring with GTI for three of our four days in Israel, with groups of either six or eight. We traveled in comfortable vans, and our guides were exceptional. Each of our days was about 10 hours in length, but the guides clearly would have extended the days longer if we had wished. Although the guides had different styles, we were struck with how accommodating each one was, and how willing and patient to discuss not only the ancient and religious sites we were visiting but also current life and events in Israel. It was a fascinating time. We know that we only scratched the surface of all there is to see, but we felt as if we maximized our opportunities with the private touring rather than the large bus tours from the ship. I only wish we had booked GTI for our fourth day!

 

From Haifa port we went to Safed, Rosh Pina, the Sea of Galilee with a stop at a kibbutz for lunch and a view of an ancient wooden boat that has been dated to about 2000 years ago and, though a series of fortutious events, has been fairly well preserved. On the way back to Haifa we stopped for a tour of Akko (Acre), known most for its Crusader heritage. Price for the day, with six persons, was $99pp.

 

From Ashdod port we did one day touring Masada and Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls site) with a short stop at the Dead Sea (didn't swim). Masada is about two hours from the port, and it was a fiercely hot day, so the group opted not to make a stop in Jericho on our return trip. Our guide would have been willing to extend the day, however (although he as a Jewish guide could not have entered Jericho with us but would have waited for us). Price for the day with eight persons, $135 pp.

 

Our second day from Ashdod port was to Jerusalem, and we needed to be back to the ship around 4 p.m. because we sailed at 6 p.m., so we wanted to pack as much as possible as fast as reasonably possible into our day. Our guide was informative on the drive into Jerusalem, took us to the Mount of Olives first thing so as to give us an overview of the city, then took us through the city ending up at the Old City, where we did a walking tour of as much as we could cover, ending up at the Western Wall. I echo another poster's view that this experience is not to be missed. Price for the day with six persons, $115 pp.

 

One thing I will mention that won't affect most travelers but might affect some is that, because of walking difficulties, some ancient sites and Jerusalem pose certain challenges in navigation for me. Each of our guides was considerate and mindful of that fact and found the easiest route possible through the sites.

 

All in all, I consider our three days with GTI a huge success and can recommend the company highly.

[cruisedave]

I am going with GTI in September doing a private tour for four. Based on $596 for the Jerusalem tour and $700 for the Dead Sea/Masada tour, what would be the appropriate tip on such a tour?

[MP2011]

The benefit of a private tour is full control on the itinerary and full flexibility along it.

 

 

So, if you are interesting in of track places, or if you want a special itinerary, your best option is a private tour with a specially tailored itinerary according to your needs and agenda. But, and there is always a "but", it is more expensive.

 

 

 

Your option then, to lower your cost, is to find some partners to join you. from my personal experience, there is no different in the feeling of the "private tour" if you are on a 6-10 people group.

 

How can I find other people to join with the tours or maybe join with my tour? Me and my partner are cruising with Mariner of The Sea and will be in Israel in mid October. We want to go to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Dead Sea in one day because that is all we have. From 0800 - 11:00 pm at Ashdod, I know it's a crunch up on the time but I think it's doable if we stay or visit places for short period of time. I plan to do it ourselves but I am skeptical as I read some restrictions on going back to the shore and it's late at night that safety will be an issue. All shore excursion I have seen are only Jerusalem and Dead Sea and no Bethlehem.

 

Any suggestions? Thanks.

[joandian]

Go to the Roll Call for your cruise and ask there. You'll often find people to join you or there might already be something organised that you can join.

 

Jo

[NoordamAgain]

Hi Everyone,

If you need any help with determining how to spend your limited time in Israel, i was born in Israel and currently reside in Tel Aviv and will gladly help anyone with any questions. Like every country, a little local knowledge can greatly reduce any worries and find the right places for everyone as each has it's own taste.

 

Please don't stay on the ship and miss on the opportunity to see this wonderful country, it is not at all like you see on the news and god willing you will have a positive experience and surely feel very safe.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

David (Email: dudi2604@gmail.com)

[aqua]

David, Thank you for your offer of help. My family has booked four days with GTI in October.The ship spends two days in Ashdod and two days in Haifa. The first day will be a semi-private tour to Masada, but the other days are private. We plan to go to Jerusalem and Bethlehem the second day.

 

We are Christian, but want to see important sites for other religions. What do you suggest for the two days from Haifa? Is it reasonable to go to Tel Aviv? We want to see Nazareth, the Church of the Annunciation, and the Sea of Galilee, but don't have any other strong feelings. Akko has also been suggested by the guide. I would appreciate any advice.

Thank you!

[NoordamAgain]

David, Thank you for your offer of help. My family has booked four days with GTI in October.The ship spends two days in Ashdod and two days in Haifa. The first day will be a semi-private tour to Masada, but the other days are private. We plan to go to Jerusalem and Bethlehem the second day.

 

We are Christian, but want to see important sites for other religions. What do you suggest for the two days from Haifa? Is it reasonable to go to Tel Aviv? We want to see Nazareth, the Church of the Annunciation, and the Sea of Galilee, but don't have any other strong feelings. Akko has also been suggested by the guide. I would appreciate any advice.

Thank you!

 

Hi aqua,

 

I certainly think you should also see Tel Aviv, it is only 90-110 minutes to drive from Haifa to Tel Aviv.

 

A Categorized list of Christian sites: http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist+Information/Christian+Themes/Christian+Sites.htm

A Categorized list of Jewish sites: http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist+Information/Jewish+Themes/Jewish+Sites.htm

 

Christian themes: http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist+Information/Christian+Themes/Articles.htm

Jewish themes: http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist+Information/Jewish+Themes/Jewish+Themes.htm

[aqua]

Thank you David! This looks like a concise guide to help me do research. There is so much to see!

[NoordamAgain]

You are welcome aqua, if you see anything you like and have any remaining questions feel free to ask.

[reggielew]

Hi!

 

We just returned for the September 3rd sailing of the Celebrity Silhouette and had a fabulous cruise. There were 6 of us, and we used Guided Tours Israel for private tours in both Haifa and Ashdod. Our guide Zvika spent all 4 days with us and he was absolutely fantastic. He was extremely informative and fun, and he made everything really "come alive" for us. He took us to all the sights we expected to see and was extremely agreeable about taking us to anything else we wanted to see.

 

I would hightly recommend Guided Tours Israel as they were very easy to deal with, and I would certainly recommend Zvika if he is available.

 

Reggie

[ohshuns]

Hi!

 

We just returned for the September 3rd sailing of the Celebrity Silhouette and had a fabulous cruise. There were 6 of us, and we used Guided Tours Israel for private tours in both Haifa and Ashdod. Our guide Zvika spent all 4 days with us and he was absolutely fantastic. He was extremely informative and fun, and he made everything really "come alive" for us. He took us to all the sights we expected to see and was extremely agreeable about taking us to anything else we wanted to see.

 

I would hightly recommend Guided Tours Israel as they were very easy to deal with, and I would certainly recommend Zvika if he is available.

 

Reggie

 

Thanks, Reggie. I leave in 23 days for Istanbul where I pick up my cruise to Israel. I'm booked with GTI for my 3 days there and I've read nothing but glowing reports on them. Looking forward to this trip, my first to Israel. It's so long overdue it's not funny.

[Gracie115]

We just returned from our Silhouette cruise where we spent 3 1/2 days in Israel. For three of those days we had Barney from Guided Tours Israel as our private guide and I can't say enough wonderful things about him. He had more knowledge about Israel and the entire region than I would have thought possible. He was on time all the time and made sure we saw everything we wanted to and far more. His expertise and personal attention made Israel the highlight of our trip, by far!

 

We also were on a 1/2 day tour the first day with Ron of Guided Tours Israel along with about 14 other people. That tour was also fun and Ron was a very personable man that we enjoyed listening to.

 

We were very pleased with Guided Tours Israel and would recommend them to anyone visiting the country. If booking private tours I would sure ask for Barney because you could not possible go wrong with him.

[Gonzo70]

I am just back from a Holy Land cruise on Celebrity Silhouette that included three days in Israel. We used Guided Tours Israel and had the same guide all three days (Micky). She was absolutely outstanding; definitely the best tour guide I have ever had. I highly recommend using Guided Tours Israel as well as requesting Micky as your tour guide. Not only is Guided Tours Israel much cheaper than booking the excursion with the cruise line, but since you are travelling in a small group versus a coach bus you are able to utilize your time much better and see a lot more than you would see with a cruise line excursion. We did the following excursions with them:

 

Haifa: Tour of Sea of Galilee and Nazareth area.

Ashdod Day 1: Masada in morning, Dead Sea in afternoon and as bonus brief stop in Jerusalem on way back to ship.

Ashdod Day 2: Bethlehem in morning and Jerusalem in afternoon.

 

Israel was the highlight of our cruise and we hope to return again as there is so much more we want to see. We will definitely use Guided Tours Israel again and recommend them to all our friends.

[knot knormal]

We are just off the Celebrity Silhouette Holy Lands cruise. I contracted with Moti Bar-Tuv for all three days, one in Haifa and two in Ashdod. I got my own groups together from our roll call and had 8 to 12 each day. Moti had come highly recommended both by a personal friend and from these boards and T*** A******. We could not have been happier. He was adaptable to our requests and highly knowledgeable in BOTH Christian and Jewish religions. His e-mail is moti@travel-israel.info. Tell him Christie said HELLO!

[putnam]

During our recent cruise to the Holy Lands, we used GTI for a 2 day tour of Israel and they were outstanding. Our guide was Mordecai who was full of amazing information. He was entertaining and provided us with a great tour.

On the first day we docked at Haifa and our first stop was to the Bahai Gardens in Haifa which are absolutely beautiful and give a panoramic view of the city. Our tour continued to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. We visited many of the sites in the area linked to Jesus. We spent time in Capernaum and saw the ruins of St. Peter's house where a modern church has been built over it but it still remains visible. We stopped for lunch at a great seaside restaurant.

The second day we docked in Ashdod and the tour consisted of a visit to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Jerusalem was definitely the highlight of our tour. Mordecai pointed out historical sites within the old city, we walked on the Via Dolorosa and the visit concluded at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We visited the Western Wall and had time to add a prayer to the wall. It gave me chills to walk on the same streets that Jesus walked. The visit to Bethlehem involved passing into Palestinian Territory and we needed to use a Palestinian Guide who was arranged by GTI.

I can't recommend GTI highly enough. They're worth every penny.

[PaulS]

We were on the October 25th cruise of the Constellation and booked four days of tours in Israel with Guided Tours Israel. We were supposed to dock two days in Ashdod and two days in Haifa, however at the last minute the ship was diverted from Ashdod because of unrest, and we spent four days in Haifa.

 

I thought our tours arranged with GTI for the Ashdod port would be cancelled, but they came through with only a few hours notice. They could not schedule the private tours for the first two days, but they arranged for us to go on bus tours to Jerusalem and Bethlem the first day and Masada and the Dead Sea the second day. A lot of time was spent driving, but we were able to see most everything.

 

They did an amazing job accommodating us and even provided a partial refund because we were on a bus rather than a private tour. Kudos to GTI for great service.

[Hunnibear]

Hello Putham

We hope to be in ASHDOD/HAIFA 23/24 Dec on ADONIA. How did you find the walking on your tours. We are both Seniors and wondered if we could manage a lot of walking. If we are tired, could we sit on in the bus/coach? Did you make your booking with GTI by direct to them E-mail? Very interested in any information you can give.

Hunnibear.

[putnam]

Hello Putham

We hope to be in ASHDOD/HAIFA 23/24 Dec on ADONIA. How did you find the walking on your tours. We are both Seniors and wondered if we could manage a lot of walking. If we are tired, could we sit on in the bus/coach? Did you make your booking with GTI by direct to them E-mail? Very interested in any information you can give.

Hunnibear.

 

We are 65 and 62 - so not young but without mobility problems which would make walking difficult. I'd say there is a fair amount of walking on the 2 day tour we took with GTI. This is especially true of the day we spent in Jerusalem. It seems that the Via Dolorosa is all uphill. But we were never at a point where we couldn't keep up with the group. You can rest in the mini van in between stops to catch your breath. The good thing about touring in a mini van instead of a big bus is that your driver can park closer to the points of interest. I'm sure you could stay in the vehicle with the driver if you became too tired but I doubt you'd want to miss any of your tour.

Another consideration is the crowds in some of the places. If you're visiting Bethlehem around Christmas, you can be sure that the crowds will be overwhelming.

We joined a tour which was arranged by someone on our Rollcall. They made the arrangements with GTI and we just added our names to the group. You should check your Rollcall to see if anyone is looking for people to join their group or you might contact GTI to start a group which you could then offer to your cruisemates.

If you're thinking of arranging a private tour with GTI, I'm sure they can take your concerns about walking into consideration when planning. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time whatever you do. Israel was the highlight of our cruise.