Jerusalem

Jerusalem trip ideas

Travel to Bethlehem Half Day Guided Tour from Jerusalem & TelAviv

Badge of ExcellenceJerusalem, Israel

From $50.00

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

3 to 5 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Visit Bethlehem highlights on a tour that combines transport and a guided walking tour to maximize your sightseeing time. From Manger Square to the Church of the Nativity, Milk Grotto, and the Shepherds’ Field, you’ll cover important Biblical sites with a guide who can help unlock the history behind each destination; pickup at a central location in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv gets you on the road with no fuss.

Stay comfortable in a climate-controlled tour vehicle
Soak up the Bethlehem atmosphere on a guided walking tour
Included admission at listed sites saves time upon arrival

What's Included

Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
Licensed Local Tour Guide
Pick up and Drop off to David Citadel Hotel Jerusalem
Bottled water

Hotel Pick up & Drop-Off
Lunch

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

Type to search

End points

This activity ends in a different location. See details below:

Type to search

What To Expect

Church of the Nativity

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Milk Grotto

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Shepherd's Sanctuary

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Cave of St. Jerome (Pass By)

Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Old City of Jerusalem (Pass By)

Zuluf Souvenir Store & Factory

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate

Pick Up in front of the David Citadel Hotel For Jerusalem option and Grand Beach Hotel for Tel Aviv option - All our Drivers have your main booking name on their phones, make sure to see your name on the phone of the driver before you go to the Viechle/bus
After you book the tour add us on WhatsApp for easier pickup we can tell you type of vehicle/driver name in the early morning only at the day of the Tour - Whatsapp number found in the ticket after you book the tour
For Tel Aviv option no return back to Tel Aviv - Drop off back to David Citadel Hotel only
We do not include a visit to the Birth Grotto unless you have booked the VIP option, as waiting times typically range from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the season and make sure it is not on sunday morning and or holidays as the grotto will be usually closed
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 55 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

232 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 232 reviews

Brilliant experience

Jheeva_S, Oct 2023

It was an excellent tour. Highly recommended. Elias, out tour guide was brilliant. Very informative and entertaining. Great tour overall! Thanks

Great trip to Bethlehem

Janet_L, Sep 2023

We throughly enjoyed our tour in Bethlehem! Elias was a fantastic guide and worked really hard to keep our group on time and informed! He was knowledgeable and entertaining. Great tour !

Longer and more expensive than advertised

EllenJost, Sep 2023

Elias, our tour guide, was great. He was funny and informative. That being said, this tour says it’s 3-5 hours; however, if you start in Tel Aviv, it lasts at least 7 (8 if you count returning to Tel Aviv). Most importantly, if you do the half day tour from Tel Aviv, it doesn’t give you a ride back to Tel Aviv and we had to take a $110 taxi back to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem. Please plan ahead and add that expense when booking the half day tour portion.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

I'd like to clarify that the 3-5 hour estimate for the tour usually covers the tour itself. But remember, travel time between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem can vary, so plan ahead, especially if you have other things to do. When it comes to getting back to Tel Aviv for the half-day tour, please keep in mind that we don't provide transportation for that part. It's crucial to read and understand what's included when you book, and to arrange your own transportation if needed. Lastly, I want to stress that your feedback doesn't affect the tour's quality. This tour is popular with folks who want to spend more time in Jerusalem and finish their tour there. It's essential to do your research before booking to make sure it fits your plans. It's worth noting that your rating might be influenced by not fully understanding what you booked. So, when you book something, it's vital to read up on what you're getting to avoid any surprises. If you have more questions or need help, feel free to reach out. We truly feel your rating is quite unfair because it seems you left feedback without fully understanding, reading, or planning ahead. I firmly believe there was no mistake on our part.

Best trip

KristineFaith_D, Sep 2023

This is one of the best tours i had with Viator. The guides are organized and informative. Lots of freebies also and we got to visit a bit of Palestine side

Amazing

Imelda_W, Aug 2023

All of it was good. The guide was very nice. He made sure he engaged everyone in the conversation. The driver was very considerate

Good trip to Bethlehem

Akhil_B, Aug 2023

The tour was really good. Our guide Johnny was very knowledgeable. It was a good experience overall.

Bethlehem tour

Nelson_Z, Aug 2023

The guides were nice and knowledgeable. Everything was well coordinated, I didn't feel like I was going to be left behind.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thank you so much for your valuable feedback. We are thrilled to hear that you had a positive experience during your tour with us.

Excellent transportation...

Gregory_H, Jul 2023

Excellent transportation in a modern bus Our guide Johnny was extremely knowledgeable and polite. Just a joy for all.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thank you so much for your kind words and positive feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had an excellent experience with our transportation services and that Johnny, our guide, left such a wonderful impression on you. We take great pride in maintaining modern and comfortable buses to ensure our guests have a smooth and enjoyable journey throughout the tour. Johnny is indeed a treasure in our team, and his passion for sharing knowledge and his polite demeanor make him a joy to be around. We'll make sure to pass along your appreciation to him. Once again, thank you for choosing us as your tour operator, and we wish you many more memorable journeys ahead.

Perfect tour! 100% recommend!

Kara_S, Jul 2023

My group of 3 had a tour with 3 other people and our guide, Johnny. We have done many places, but this tour was the best to date. Johnny was phenomenal. Receiving a tour of the holy land from a true local is a once in a life time experience. Must do for any Chrisitan! Thank you!!! Also-- we were offered water each time we entered/exited the bus which was a nice surprise coming from the incredible heat.

Perfect length tour of key sites

Clemma_T, Jul 2023

The tour started slightly late due to late arriving guests. It was nice of the company to wait, but we are given more than enough warnings about start times and we got hot waiting on the bus the extra time! Just a word of warning, roads are very bumpy on the route taken. If you are pregnant, have back issues etc, you may want to consider this! The itinerary was really good, and as an added extra, we also got to see Banksy's artwork which was great. The staff at the giftshop we were taken to were great - they gave us all free drinks and homemade baklava and when we left, they gave us free gifts on top! Others have said they had this too. Please bear this in mind and buy something from them, even something small, if you can! One negative I have to note, and that's something that happened with the tour guide. Sections of the tour are very, very busy. There are no organised queues and several tour companies are pushing into any free space available. We got separated from the rest of the group for a good 10 minutes and security tried sending us out of the building because of it! When we eventually caught up with the tour guide, we was told that he'd counted numbers in the last section and that everyone was there. I don't know who he counted as we definitely wasn't! I get tour guides only meet people for a few hours so can't always remember everyone, but we were all wearing stickers so they can check that the people they are counting are wearing one, or perhaps ask the group if they notice if anyone is missing as we had been talking to other group members and they could have said something then! The tour guide was very friendly and informative other than this though and we did eventually catch up, so no harm done!

Tour guide was excellent!...

Michael_M, Jun 2023

Tour guide was excellent! Kept strict awareness of all of us to make sure no one was missing. Knowledgeable and very attentive. Nice guy!

One of the best tour

yeka_m, Jun 2023

One of the best tour I’ve ever been. Informative and fun! Our tour guide Elias was amazing! Thank you for the felafel and discounted souvenirs!

Experience of a lifetime!

dlld93, Jun 2023

Elijah is an outstanding guide! Experienced, kind, very knowledgable, navigating complex and emotive issues with compassion and insight, I HIGHLY recommend this tour.

BEST TOUR

Krish_M, Jun 2023

Wonderful tour that covered all the main parts of Bethlehem. Best tour guide we have ever had. Both funny and super knowledgeable, willing to go out of his way to answer our questions. Also great hospitality (provided free falafels, juices, baklava, etc). Didn’t expect tip either. DEFINITELY recommend.

Well done!

Christopher_C, Jun 2023

Well run, excellent & very funny tour guide, waited too long (30 minutes!) for a late-comer at start of tour but otherwise very enjoyable, interesting & spiritual experience!

Great tour of Bethlehem!

Dee_L, Jun 2023

Fabulous tour! Pick up was early and the meeting hotel was easy to get to. Elias M. E. Abu AlZuluf was the guide. He was funny, knew the area and was knowledgeable. Ameer was our driver. He was also engaging and personable. The large van was super nice. There were 8 of us that went together and we enjoyed it very much. It is fast paced, so be prepared to be on the move. 😃 Wear comfy shoes and bring water. I would definitely recommend this tour.

Good idea to go in a tour

Paula_F, Jun 2023

Very well organized and out tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny. He did great Make sure you dress properly even though they will let you in It was a good idea to eat on the road to save time

Great trip

Paul_C, May 2023

Great trip with great guide. Well explained trip with no pressure when we stopped at store. The guide had great time management skills.

Elias, our tour guide was...

Lina_A, May 2023

Elias, our tour guide was amazing. Timing was perfect and the food was delicious. Very recommended tour.

Bethlehem a must.

Barry_G, May 2023

Bethlehem is a must. The church and caves were awesome. Would have liked to spend more time there. The people are trapped behind an electrified fence.

...