Bethlehem Full Day Private Tour: Discover Sights with Personal Guide
5.0
12 Ratings
Jerusalem

Enjoy a walking day tour of Bethlehem’s numerous attractions, led by your personal guide.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Bethlehem - Walk in the Old City of Bethlehem and its quarters. Walk in the famous ‘Star Street’. You will visit Bethlehem Icon Center which is located in Hosh Abu Jarour, one of the old Hoshies of Bethlehem. Then you will stop at the old entrance of Bethlehem City and visit another type of Hosh called the Syrian Quarter. Later on, you will visit Al Badd Museum for Olive Oil Production also called ‘Badd Jackaman’. It is situated in the Old City of Bethlehem. The building which houses the museum dates back as far as the 19th century. It houses many ethnographic and archaeological artifacts featuring the entire process of oil production, the museum also shows the many uses for oil such as lamps, medicine, food, soap and even cosmetics.

Afterwards, visit a mosaic workshop and learn about the traditional mosaic handicraft in the country then continue to Manger Square walking through the vegetables and fruits market and the butchers market. A stop to have coffee before entering the Nativity Church. The Nativity Church 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 the Virgin Mary. Then you will continue to Saint Catherine Church and visit Saint Jerome’s Caves to see the place where he translated the bible in the fifth century.

You will have a nice lunch break at Afteem Restaurant of Falafel, Hummus and typical Salad.

After lunch, you will walk to the Church of 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. You will then take a taxi to Beit Sahour. This is a historic town, whose name means ‘Place of the Night Watch’, in reference to the 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. Churches now mark the sites of Shepherds Field, the Field of Ruth, and the Well of the Lady. After the tour, you will be driven back to Bethlehem-Jerusalem check-point for departure.

What's Included
  • Private Tour Guide
  • Drop-off at Checkpoint 300 or Bethlehem hotel
  • Private Tour
  • Pickup from Checkpoint 300 or Bethlehem hotel
  • Driver/Guide
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Public transportation to the meeting point
Additional Information
  • A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Location
Checkpoint 300/Bethlehem Road
Take bus 234 from Damascus Gate in Jerusalem to the last stop Bethlehem 300 Checkpoint, once you get off the bus, follow everything to cross to Bethlehem side where your guide will be waiting to meet you once you cross.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(12 Ratings)
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1 star
680royo
May 31, 2023
Michael's Tours - A Must! - I was so thankful that me and my friends were able to book a tour with Michael. His skill and knowledge of the Palestine area was immense. And his thoughtfulness met that my crew was cared for even when one of our kids got carsick. I would recommend his tours to anyone and I plan to do so as friends visit the area. Thank you, Michael.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nathaliejn8226vs
May 14, 2023
Tour of Bethlehem - Michael did a great job showing us the highlights of Bethlehem. He shared so many great insights on the history of the region. The tour was smooth and seem less and we enjoyed it greatly! Thank you Michael!!
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Wareagle540
Feb 3, 2023
Michael is a STAR! - Michael was amazing! He is very knowledgeable and informative. My wife and I did a one day tour of Jerusalem and Bethlehem from Amman and Michael took us to all the important sites in both places. It was a rainy and cold day but he was a trooper the whole time and took his time giving us the history of each place we visited. Michael took us to the best Falafel spot in Bethlehem for lunch and to an awesome store to purchase olive wood items. Well done Michael! *Don’t forget to tip your your guides
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Nedkok
Jul 20, 2022
This trip made our experience - This trip was the best thing we did during our 2-week stay in Israel and Palestine. The historical context and visits were amazing, but the Palestinian perspective was even more eye-opening. I would very strongly recommend this to anyone visiting Israel, and I would make sure to book directly with the Palestinian provider rather than via Israeli middlemen - to ensure that more goes to the wonderful tour guides.
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Hudsoncrider
Apr 8, 2022
Incredible Holy Land Experience! - We were so thankful we booked our tour to Bethlehem and Jericho with Michael Tours. When we were researching where to visit before our trip, we realized there is so much history and beauty that it was impossible to experience it all! However, in just a day, Michael showed us thousands of years of history in a fun and easy to understand way. From transportation to food suggestions, and everything else in between, Michael Tours did an excellent job. We were thankful to learn from his amazing knowledge and local expertise. Michael has more than 15 years of experience in the travel industry and knows every part of the area. Touring with Michael felt like we were being shown around the country by a friend rather than a tour guide. Within 24 hours, we were able to travel through more than 10,000 years of history. From Jericho, the first walled city in history, to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and so much more, Michael explained the historic and biblical significance. We had some of our favorite falafel and hummus at a local restaurant thanks to Michael’s suggestions (another advantage of a local tour guide)! He also did an amazing job of explaining the extremely difficult and sensitive topic of growing up in the West Bank. We were so grateful to learn from his personal experience and knowledge as he took us through the beautiful countryside. In addition to touring with Michael Tours, we also stayed at Dar Jacaman, which is a beautiful homestay that has been in his family for generations. It is located right in Manger Square in Bethlehem. There were plenty of shops and restaurants in the area as well. Our favorite part about our stay was eating breakfast with Michael’s uncle and getting to hear his incredible life stories. We were so thankful for our experience with Michael Tours and truly felt like part of the Jacaman family during our time in Bethlehem. We highly recommend booking with Michael Tours!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mhsflorida
Feb 27, 2020
Great tour tailored to my interests. - He was very accommodating and tailored my tour to my interests. I felt like I learned much of Bethlehem and of the Palestinian POV. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ruben
Oct 31, 2019
Awesome Private Tours with Michael Jackaman👍 - Our group of 9 people mostly family members had a great time touring with Michael Jackaman and our driver Shadi Antar, the places were as follows: The Nazareth Village, Jericho, Mount Of Temptation, Mount Of Olives, Mount of Zion, The Wedding at Cana, Bethlehem, ( Market, Old Olives Press Factory and Museum) Jordan River, Dead Sea, The Sea of Galilee ( Capernaum, St Peter Church, The Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter ) Magdala and Masada ( The Ahava Factory Outlet ). Honest to goodness both of them are very dependable, very informative, protective ( concerned on our safety) very honest, trustworthy and very professionals ( always on time pick up and drop off ) the dynamic duo👍👍 Kudos to both of you ( Michael and Shadi )👌👌 Looking forward in 2021 ( our next tours ) 🙏 Thank you Michael And Shadi Ruben Arcenal CristoRey Travel LLC
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Cpt-cbcew
Jun 22, 2019
Excellent Time with Michael - I spent a day with Michael walking around the old city of Bethlehem. Not only is Michael a very personable young man but is very very knowledgeable about the city. The walk included a tour of the flea market and fruit and veg market (really interesting culturally), the olive press museum, the iconography school, the via stella and the Church of the Nativity. After a delicious lunch at Afteem(recommended) we continued with the old quarter. Michael knows many people and it us wonderful to see him engaged with them on the tour. He also gives a balanced assessment of the cultural-political situation in Palestine-Israel. First class in every respect!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mharris1111
Nov 3, 2018
Fantastic tour guide Hazem - I did half day private tour with Hazem. It was fantastic. His knowledge of the history of the land and people was so insightful. I receommend this tour highly.
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Clareinaus2018
Aug 4, 2018
There should be a "six stars" option... - I cannot recommend Michael's tour enough... just spent the day in Bethlehem with him walking through Bethlehem. Michael is extremely knowledgeable and low key. I managed to tag this tour in to a business trip, so with not much time, so didn't want to attempt to guide myself around. Michael presents the history of Bethlehem and Israel with a balanced perspective. He provides a wonderful tour around hidden parts of the city, as well as the famous parts, and everyone in the town seems to know him! I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting this beautiful place.
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