Tour in Haifa and Ashdod

[kronbel]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a tour guide in Israel. We are on October/Equinox. Looking for a private tour. Is it recommended to stay off the ship for the night?

[fb0075]

I have been 18 times and use the "BEST" there is!!

His name is Gideon Shor and I would reccommend him as he knows everyone and everything about the "LAND"--

 

also, the nicest guy you would ever want to meet!

 

gshor@netvision.net.il

 

frank

[Bruin Steve]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a tour guide in Israel. We are on October/Equinox. Looking for a private tour. Is it recommended to stay off the ship for the night?

 

We were just there in July while on the Oceania Nautica...

We set up a nice little two days of tours for 6 of us with Joel Berman...

http://www.jtours.co.il/

Joel is very knowledgable and, of course, speaks excellent English...

Joel drives a very comfortable Hundai minivan (Driver +1/3/2)...

 

We did not think it necessary to spend a night off the ship...and Joel recommended the same as well...

The port in Ashdod is within about an hour from Jerusalem...We spent the first day touring Jerusalem--Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum/Memorial) in the morning, then the Old City on a pretty extnsive tour that visited all four quarters plus a drive up to the Mount of Olives...

 

We then returned back to our ship in time for a good dinner and a night's sleep, saving the additional cost of Jerusalem hotels...

 

The following morning, Joel met us at the ship in Haifa...From there, there are many options...We were most interested in archaeological sites, so we did a tour that went, first to Megiddo in the morning, then to historical Kibbutz Ein Shemer, then to Caesaria in the afternoon, then to Haifa for a drive through town and a stop atop the mountain on top of the city for the incredible view photos, then back to the ship...

 

Two very full days...

 

Total cost was $415 per couple (for the two days total) plus meals and admission charges (We ate just two lunches while touring--at a small Felafel joint in Jerusalem--we didn't want to take too much time from touring--and at a nice little seaside cafe on the Mediterranean in Caesaria)...

 

We took in an incredible amout of history in those two days...

 

In Jerusalem, aside from Yad Vashem, we visited David's Tomb, the Western Wall, walked up the Via Dolorosa and went into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visited ancient excavations and drove through the Orthodox section of Mea Shearim and up to the Mount of Olives, among other sites...

 

Megiddo, in case you don't know, is the archelogical site that was the basis of James Michener's epic novel "The Source" and has 26 different civilizations excavated--one on top of another over 7,000 years...The site is the "crossroads" of the ancient world and has been fought over dozens of times over the centuries, giving rise to the belief that it will be the site of the "last battle"..."Har" in Hebrew means "mountain" and "Har Megiddo" has been altered in English to "Armageddon"...

 

Caesaria is the 2,000 year old seaport with man-made harbor constructed by King Herod and the Romans...Some really good 2,000 year old mosaics and arena and hippodrome and baths, etc...plus the ruins of old harbor sea walls...

 

Staying overnight means YOU at some point have that long car ride from the South to Haifa...and the expense of a hotel...and dinner? The food on the ship is better than the local cuisine...It works mostly if you want to, say, visit Jerusalem AND Masada and skip the north entirely...or want to take two full days in Jerusalem...Otherwise, I'd say go back to the ship where you've already paid for the room, dinner and breakfast the next morning...The days of touring are long enough...

[kronbel]

Is anyone looking for a private tour guide in Israel on October 29/30 on Equinoix???

[Duane T]

We just got off the Equinox last week. One thing I noted is that with the ship's tour, although more expensive, we had the benefit of experience 3 tour guides over 2 days. One was a Collegiate Linguistics professor up in Galiliee/Nazereth, a more "religious" Jewish guide in Jerusalem, and a Palestinian guide in Bethlehem. The contrast with interpretations, experiences, and overall knowledge was enlightening to say the least...especially regarding life/culture in the Palestinian controlled enclaves.

 

Whatever you decide, Israel is one destination like no other. Have a nice trip!

[mylove]

This tour sounds like what i would like I will check it out,we go 10-18-10.

[HLN500]

Kronbel

If your on the 10/23 Equinox we have a large thread going-----take a peak and join us.

Many of us have private tours and some may still have vacancies.