Touring Details
Bethlehem Tour
Length of tour - 8 hours
Departure time - 8:30am
Return - 4:30pm
Pickup from - YMCA, King David Street, Jerusalem
Cost - Shekels NIS 295 or 82 USD
Highlights:
Length of tour - 8 hours
Departure time - 8:30am
Return - 4:30pm
Pickup from - YMCA, King David Street, Jerusalem
Cost - Shekels NIS 295 or 82 USD
Highlights:
Refugee Camp
Old City
Banksy Graffiti
Mara Saba Monastery
Separation Wall
After the short 20-minute drive to Bethlehem where you will meet the Palestinian guide. You visit a refugee camp, see the WALL close up, see the Old City, the Church of Nativity and visit a Palestinian organization.
The first stop is the Aida Refugee Camp which is under the supervision on UNRWA, a United Nations agency. At the camp there will be a walking tour and a discussion about the situation with camp officials. Aida camp was established in 1950 on an area of 66 dunums between the towns of Bethlehem and Beit Jala. From the Camp you will see sections of the Separation Barrier and some of Banksy's famous graffiti. The Barrier surrounds Bethlehem on three sides and has resulted in travel restrictions for Palestinians and confiscated land. Mar Saba Monastery dates from the 5th Century, is a highlight of the tour, and offers spectacular views of the Judean desert.Lunch is often taken at Abed's Farm, just outside Bethlehem near the village of Wallaje. Abed insists on continuing to farm his land despite Israeli pressure to leave. Later there will be a visit to the Church of the Nativity and the Old city markets of Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, approximately 10 kilometers (6 mi) south of Jerusalem, with a population of 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism.
According to Christian tradition, Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth and the town is inhabited by one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, though the size of the community has shrunk in recent years due to emigration. According to Biblical tradition, the city is also believed to be the birthplace of David. The city was sacked by the Romans in 529 AD as a result of a revolt, and was rebuilt by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Bethlehem was conquered by the Islamic Caliphate of 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb in 637, who guaranteed safety for the city's religious shrines. In 1099, Crusaders captured and fortified Bethlehem and replaced its Greek Orthodox clergy with a Latin one. The Latin clergy were expelled after the city was captured by Saladin, the sultan of Egypt and Syria. With the coming of the Mamluks in 1250, the city's walls were demolished, and were subsequently rebuilt during the rule of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottomans lost the city to the British during World War I and it was to be included in an international zone under the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. Jordan occupied the city in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and it was subsequently occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War. Israel has retained control over the entrances and exits to Bethlehem, though day-to-day administration has been under the purview of the Palestinian Authority since 1995.
Modern Bethlehem has a Muslim majority but is also home to one of the largest Palestinian Christian communities. The Bethlehem area includes the towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, as well as the refugee camps of 'Aida and Beit Jibrin. Bethlehem's dominant economic sector is tourism which is particularly high during the Christmas season as the city is a Christian pilgrimage center, being home of the Church of the Nativity. Bethlehem has over thirty hotels and three hundred handicraft work shops, employing several of the city's residents. Rachel's Tomb, an important Jewish holy site is located at the entrance of Bethlehem.
The first stop is the Aida Refugee Camp which is under the supervision on UNRWA, a United Nations agency. At the camp there will be a walking tour and a discussion about the situation with camp officials. Aida camp was established in 1950 on an area of 66 dunums between the towns of Bethlehem and Beit Jala. From the Camp you will see sections of the Separation Barrier and some of Banksy's famous graffiti. The Barrier surrounds Bethlehem on three sides and has resulted in travel restrictions for Palestinians and confiscated land. Mar Saba Monastery dates from the 5th Century, is a highlight of the tour, and offers spectacular views of the Judean desert.Lunch is often taken at Abed's Farm, just outside Bethlehem near the village of Wallaje. Abed insists on continuing to farm his land despite Israeli pressure to leave. Later there will be a visit to the Church of the Nativity and the Old city markets of Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, approximately 10 kilometers (6 mi) south of Jerusalem, with a population of 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism.
According to Christian tradition, Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth and the town is inhabited by one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, though the size of the community has shrunk in recent years due to emigration. According to Biblical tradition, the city is also believed to be the birthplace of David. The city was sacked by the Romans in 529 AD as a result of a revolt, and was rebuilt by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Bethlehem was conquered by the Islamic Caliphate of 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb in 637, who guaranteed safety for the city's religious shrines. In 1099, Crusaders captured and fortified Bethlehem and replaced its Greek Orthodox clergy with a Latin one. The Latin clergy were expelled after the city was captured by Saladin, the sultan of Egypt and Syria. With the coming of the Mamluks in 1250, the city's walls were demolished, and were subsequently rebuilt during the rule of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottomans lost the city to the British during World War I and it was to be included in an international zone under the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. Jordan occupied the city in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and it was subsequently occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War. Israel has retained control over the entrances and exits to Bethlehem, though day-to-day administration has been under the purview of the Palestinian Authority since 1995.
Modern Bethlehem has a Muslim majority but is also home to one of the largest Palestinian Christian communities. The Bethlehem area includes the towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, as well as the refugee camps of 'Aida and Beit Jibrin. Bethlehem's dominant economic sector is tourism which is particularly high during the Christmas season as the city is a Christian pilgrimage center, being home of the Church of the Nativity. Bethlehem has over thirty hotels and three hundred handicraft work shops, employing several of the city's residents. Rachel's Tomb, an important Jewish holy site is located at the entrance of Bethlehem.
Jerusalem Botanical Garden
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens comprises more than six thousand plant species, which were brought to Israel from all over the world and are being preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of the public. The plants are displayed in six sections, each designed to create a miniature landscape of the region of origin of the plants. The Gardens also boasts a tropical greenhouse in the name of Florence Dvorsky, which contains a wide variety of plants from tropical regions. The University Botanical Gardens operates enrichment programs for school children - from kindergarten to secondary school - on numerous and diverse subjects dealing with nature and preservation of the environment.
The Time Elevator
The Time Elevator is a fascinating interactive journey through an exciting presentation of 3000 years of Jerusalem's history.
The Time Elevator is a fascinating interactive journey through an exciting presentation of 3000 years of Jerusalem's history.
Museum of Islamic art
a collection of Jewish miniatures, arts, tools and weapons from Islamic lands.
The museum was opened in memory of Prof. L.A. Mayer, an important Islamic art and archeology scholar. The museum represents a culture that has been forming for over one thousand years and has spread over several continents. The display includes miniature artware made from clay, glass, wood, ivory and also metalware, jewelry, caligraphy and miniatures.
The display is set in a didactic order, allowing one to follow the evolution of Islamic art from its start to the 19th century.
Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:00 - 15:00. Tuesday 10:00 -18:00. Friday, Saturday, holiday eves and holidays 10:00 - 14:0
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
The site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is identified as the place both of the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth. The church has long been a major pilgrimage center for Christians all around the world.
Jerusalem Mall (Malcha)
The Azrieli Group's Jerusalem Mall (Malcha) is by far Jerusalem's largest and most popular shopping mall. The three-level facility is home to a staggeringly sizeable kosher food court, and popular stores in the mall include H&M, Zara, Mango, Office Depot, Home Center, SuperPharm, Toys R Us and the Mega supermarket.
Museum of Italian Jewish Art
Housed in the former Schmidt Compound's building in the heart of Jerusalem, the U. Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art is one of Jerusalem's most precious possessions.
Founded in 1981, it was set up to collect, preserve and display objects pertaining to Jewish life in Italy from the Middle Ages through to the present. In addition to the permanent collection, a number of temporary exhibits are held throughout the year covering a wide range of topics related to Italian Jewry, as well as conferences, concerts and guided tours suitable for all ages and interests.
In the past few years, thanks to extensive media coverage and hard work, the number of visitors has grown steadily. The museum's opening hours were increased accordingly. An average of forty thousand people now visit the Museum each year. Approximately ten thousand of these are pupils; the others come in organized groups both from Israel and abroad.
Sources:
http://www.botanic.co.il/
http://www.islamicart.co.il/en/
http://www.time-elevator-jerusalem.co.il/en/index.asp
http://www.toursinenglish.com/2007/09/bethlehem.html
http://www.gojerusalem.com/discover/premium-item_529/Jerusalem-Mall-Malcha
Housed in the former Schmidt Compound's building in the heart of Jerusalem, the U. Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art is one of Jerusalem's most precious possessions.
Founded in 1981, it was set up to collect, preserve and display objects pertaining to Jewish life in Italy from the Middle Ages through to the present. In addition to the permanent collection, a number of temporary exhibits are held throughout the year covering a wide range of topics related to Italian Jewry, as well as conferences, concerts and guided tours suitable for all ages and interests.
In the past few years, thanks to extensive media coverage and hard work, the number of visitors has grown steadily. The museum's opening hours were increased accordingly. An average of forty thousand people now visit the Museum each year. Approximately ten thousand of these are pupils; the others come in organized groups both from Israel and abroad.
Sources:
http://www.botanic.co.il/
http://www.islamicart.co.il/en/
http://www.time-elevator-jerusalem.co.il/en/index.asp
http://www.toursinenglish.com/2007/09/bethlehem.html
http://www.gojerusalem.com/discover/premium-item_529/Jerusalem-Mall-Malcha