Private Tour

Jewish Odessa walking tour

Overview

Available languages

German

English

3 hours

Mobile ticket

Uncover the story of Odessa's Jewry since the city's founding till the end of the 19th century on this 3-hour Jewish Odessa walking tour. Explore the sights related to the Golden Age of Odessa's Jewry.

From the first Jewish settlers to the establishment of the Jewish merchant community to the Haskalah to the first pogroms and the appearance of the Odessa's Palestine committee we tell the exciting story of the Golden Age of Odessa's Jewry. We immerse in the Jewish past through the city landmarks and the Jewish sights. We visit the Great Choral synagogue and the Brodsky temple. A walk through the area of the pogroms lets us uncover one of the darkest periods of Odessa's history. How did Odessa become the cultural center for the Jews? After all, the first Jewish newspapers - in Russian, Yiddish and Hebrew were published here. On top of that, we explore the places described by Jabotinsky in his novel The Five and in the famous The Hare with Amber Eyes.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Dress code to go inside the synagogue applies. Entrance to the synagogue is restricted during the Jewish holidays and shabbat.

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)

Gratuities

What To Expect

Primorsky Boulevard

We'll talk of Odessa's early Jewish settlers. What attracted them to Odessa? Who were they? Where did they come from? Small craftsmen and traders. Some of them later became affluent merchants and bankers. Like the famous Ephrussi.

20 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Odessa Synagogue

We'll see the two temples - the Brodsky synagogue and the Main Choral synagogue. We'll share with you the story of the temples and talk about the two communities: the German Jews and the Orthodox community.

45 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Options

Jewish Odessa walking tour

Reviews

5.00

1 review

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Fantastic tour of Odessa with Olga
wanderer scotland,
Nov 16, 2021
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I have been visiting Ukraine since 2004, and in that time I have only ever visited Odessa once, and it was only a rainy afternoon in the summer of 2005, where I saw next to nothing. Fast forward to 2021, and I was traveling to Moldova via Odessa, so used the chance to see the city. Looking around I found Odessa Walks, and the reviews were good, so decided to book a tour through them. I know Odessa has a lot to see (both rich and poor sides) plus a very rich Jewish history on top of that, and this tour seemed right up my street as it covered EVERYTHING in Odessa, and when I asked if the Catacombs could be added in to my tour, they were more than happy to accommodate. Olga was a complete joy to work with from first approach right through to the day itself, and really brought Odessa to life for me, with a very in depth history of the city, as well as taking me to find some more off the beaten track locations that I would never have found. First part of the tour was a walk around the heart of Odessa, leaning about the origins of the city and the beating heart of Odessa, this was followed with a bit of insight into the writer Isaac Babel (I strongly recommend reading his Odessa Stories book, as you will visit a lot of the places that influenced his stories, and the people who potentially were the basis that were characters in his stories). After a lovely stop off at a Georgian Restaurant for lunch, the afternoon section was a trip by car around Moldavanka, with more insight into area's away from the city. Highlight of the day was the Odessa Catacombs, which were about a 15 minute drive outside of Odessa, but very much worth it. Covering around 2km's underground, you get to learn about the history of the caves as a mine for building Odessa as it expanded with people moving into the area from other regions, and then during WW2 where it was used as a shelter for the Partizans fighting against the Nazi's. Really amazing stuff. The day started at 10am, and I asked if I could be dropped off at Odessa train station for 6pm, and it was 5:45pm when I was dropped off at the front steps of the train station. Olga is amazing guide and will teach you a lot about Odessa, so highly recommend this tour.