Shopping on Jerusalem Excursions

[Calomax]

Does anyone know of you get any shopping time on the Jerusalem excursions please?

[gillo]

Hi

Done this last year. We had no time in Jerusalem for anything.

They took us to one shop in Bethlehem. Was not a bad little place to pick up some knick-knacks.

Make sure you wear flat shoes as Jerusalem is very narrow alley's i was surprised how busy it was.

 

It is well worth it tho.Don't think it has changed this year.

Stay close to your guide.

 

Gillo :cool:

[imajica]

We went with Guidedtoursisrael . There are lots of good reviews on here and trip advisor for them. Anyway we only had to ask our guide to stop as we were walking through the bazaars so we managed to get lots of bits and pieces. I understand that is "compulsory" for visitors to stop at the shop in Bethlehem and that it is more expensive there.

If we ever return to Israel I will definitely book with them again!

[Calomax]

We went with Guidedtoursisrael . There are lots of good reviews on here and trip advisor for them. Anyway we only had to ask our guide to stop as we were walking through the bazaars so we managed to get lots of bits and pieces. I understand that is "compulsory" for visitors to stop at the shop in Bethlehem and that it is more expensive there.

If we ever return to Israel I will definitely book with them again!

Thanks, We've already booked the overnight trip to Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Bethleham, Nazareth and Galilee.

[imajica]

People on our cruise who did this had a wonderful time!

[Tiggertastic]

Our guide didn't give us time to stop at any of the bazaar stalls so my husband wondered off to one whilst I panicked that we would lose him.

 

The coach then took us to a diamond store that had a shopping area in the basement and it was terrible, the coach stayed an hour and we all complained. We could have had plenty of time at the bazaar and missed the diamond shop

[Calomax]

Sounds like our Egypt excursions last year, we thought we were taken where the guides got a rake-off.

 

Shame about Jerusalem though, we were hoping to pick up a few things to bring home for our grandchildren. Still looking forward to it greatly though.

 

Might have to wait for some of the ports in Greece and Turkey where we can walk into the towns to do the shopping.

[Tiggertastic]

I can assure you the experience of seeing Jerusalem took me by surprise. I don't count myself religious but decided I'm obviously more than I thought I was. Also seeing the huge concrete boundary which the guide purposely didn't bring to our attention was surreal. Ensure you cover up or take a pashmina to cover bare skin.

 

Jan

[Calomax]

I can assure you the experience of seeing Jerusalem took me by surprise. I don't count myself religious but decided I'm obviously more than I thought I was. Also seeing the huge concrete boundary which the guide purposely didn't bring to our attention was surreal. Ensure you cover up or take a pashmina to cover bare skin.

 

Jan

Thanks for that Jan, we're looking forward to it very much, only 5 days now. By cover up, I presume you mean as Thomson's website says, that shoulders and knees should be covered. If so short-sleeve shirts and long trousers should be ok.

[sweby]

Our guide didn't give us time to stop at any of the bazaar stalls so my husband wondered off to one whilst I panicked that we would lose him.

 

The coach then took us to a diamond store that had a shopping area in the basement and it was terrible, the coach stayed an hour and we all complained. We could have had plenty of time at the bazaar and missed the diamond shop

 

I would have loved an hour or even half an hour around the Bazaar. In the end we didn't buy anything in Israel at all, we certainly didn't have lots of money to spend on expensive purchases. I have read this comment about that tour in a few different threads. Perhaps it should be looked at, It would be good to fill in evaluation forms at the end of a tour to be returned to the ship, so they can communicate with the onshore organisers, and make changes where needed for the future.