Private Tour
Odessa Jewish Heritage Tour
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
This Jewish Odessa tour tells the story of Odessa's Jewry since the city's founding till modern times. The “Star in Exile” for an Eastern European Jew in the 19th century. The center of the Haskalah and Zionism. In hundred years Odessa became the third largest Jewish city in the world.
The tour takes you to the temples – the Great Choral Synagogue and Shomrei Shabbos Synagogue. We follow in the footsteps of Odessa’s Zionists, including Meir Dizengoff and Ze'ev Jabotinsky. We see the location of Odessa’s Palestine Committee. We explore some of the darkest sides of Odessa’s Jewish history – pogroms and Holocaust.
But more importantly, we not just visit the sights, our guides skillfully tell the story of the Jewish Odessa, covering spiritual, religious and business aspects.
Aah, and if you’ve read the famous Edmund de Waal’s bestseller “The Hare with Amber Eyes” and keen on walking in the footsteps of the Ephrussis, then you should definitely take this tour!
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Air-conditioned vehicle
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Odessa Synagogue
We tell you the story of Odessa's Main Synagogue; explore its exterior and interior
Odessa Synagogue
Will see the Brodsky synagogue from the outside
Options
Odessa Jewish Heritage Tour
Pickup included
Reviews
5 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Excellent tour and guide
S K,
Oct 11, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We have just returned from a three day visit to Odessa. We arranged our tours with Olga at Odessa Walks by e mail. She was very accommodating taking into account my husband's difficulties in walking. She is a wealth of information, very personable and a pleasure to spend the time with. At her suggestion, we took the Odessa historical walking tour first to get a general background of the city and then the two Jewish tours. We were also very interested in seeing the residences of the Jewish writers and intellectuals as well and she also arranged that tour for us. We feel that we toured the city with a friend and recommend her highly. Excellent.
Highlight of Ukraine trip! Fantastic!
thesaradavidson,
Sep 10, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I spent three days with Olga, the first on a general city tour with a group I'd been touring with, the second and third were just booked by me --Jewish heritage tour. It's usually done in one day, but Olga agreed to split it up over two days, because of my health issues. My grandparents and extended family came from Odessa to the U.S. in the early 1900s. Olga made the world they'd lived in come alive. Her knowledge and passion was infectious, and I felt the unique spirit of the city: exciting, playful, and vibrant. She's great company and a wonderful story teller. My experience with her was unforgettable.
Get Up Close and Personal with Odessa
OLobel,
Aug 4, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00If you're going to do any tours of the city, definitely skip the ubiquitous driving tours and stick with Odessa Walks. Do as many of their tours as possible. My friend and I first did the "Odessa Through the Centuries" walking tour in a small group of five with Alexandra, who was just lovely and gave a thorough rundown of both the actual history as well as the anecdotes and myths of Odessa, in which she was fluent (as well as at least 3 languages, which is helpful for multilingual groups). Also, her beer recommendation was excellent! We then did the ~5 hour Jewish History walking tour privately with Olga, who is also a goddess and champion of a tour guide. My friend only speaks Russian, so Olga gave over the tour in both languages and knew everything about everything. I also requested the addition of Moldavanka and kingpin Misha Yaponchik's house to the tour, which she duly showed us. The tours are specially tailored, and whatever interests you, trust me, Olga has forgotten more about it than you'll ever know. Even if you're not Jewish, like my friend, the history of the Jews in Odessa is fascinating, and if you're there in the summer, you'll barely notice the heat and distance once she gets started. Had we had more time, we'd definitely have done all the other tours on offer. If you're in Odessa and are even mildly interested in the city and its history, definitely ensure you do at least one of these.
A most thorough introduction to Odessa
bdsaly,
Jul 26, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were two couples who are very experienced travelers. Olga led the four of us on three separate tours of this fascinating city - the Jewish Heritage walk, a walk around the less visited parts of Odessa’s historic center and the Odessa Catacombs. Every one of the tours was thorough, interesting and highly informative. Olga was a pleasure to be with during the three half days we spent with her. Olga also recommended and booked for us a couple of excellent restaurants. If you’re visiting Odessa, have no hesitation in reaching out to Olga. Highly recommended!
the best walking tours in Odessa
elhanans,
Jun 24, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00we had several tours with Olga: the Jewish heritage tour, the catacombs, in the footsteps of writers, poets, etc., and the Privoz market. Olga is an excellent guide, her knowledge is infinite and she is a real treasure of Odessa history. the walks are tailored in an excellent way and are very interesting combining art, history, architecture, politics of the great powers in history - all with special attention to the our needs . Olga succeeded to present Odessa to us and expose all of the city charm and beauty in a wonderful way.Odessa walks with Olga are highly recommended.
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Operated by Your Jewish Heritage Guide