Private Tour
Private Day Tour: Bethlehem, Jordan River and Dead Sea
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Enjoy a comprehensive overview of historic Bethlehem on this 8-hour private tour. You'll visit the Church of the Nativity, the Church of St. Catherine, the Milk Grotto Shrine, the Cave of St. Jerome, and Shepherd's Field, where the angel appeared to the shepherds. Drive toward Jordan River t visit the Baptismal Site "Kasr el Yahud" where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptiste then enjoy a float in the Dead Sea and get your body covered with the Dead Sea mud.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants
Walking is involved
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Private tour
Drop-off at Checkpoint 300 or Bethlehem hotel
Driver/guide
Pickup from Checkpoint 300 or Bethlehem hotel
Gratuities
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Lunch
Entrance fees
Public transportation to the meeting point and back to your hotel
What To Expect
Greet your private guide-driver at 8am at your Bethlehem hotel or the Bethlehem side of Checkpoint 300 if coming from Jerusalem: Checkpoint 300 is about 30 minutes from Damascus Gate by bus. Start at the famous Church of the Nativity, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's built on the spot where many believe Jesus was born: it's the world's oldest church in regular daily use. You'll also visit the Cave of St. Jerome, below the church, where many believe he translated the bible. You'll visit the Church of St. Catherine and the Milk Grotto shrine, then to Beit Sahour, considered the city of the shepherds. Visit the Shepherd's Field, where the angel appeared to the shepherds and told them about Jesus' birth. Relax in air-conditioned comfort as you drive towards Jordan River. Along the way, you'll pass by various religious sites: St. Theodosius' Monastery, where some believe the wise men hid from Herod the Great after they visited the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, and al-Eizariya, which many believe to be Lazarus' Bethany village. Visit Qasr el Yahud, the baptismal site in Jordan River and a chance to renew your baptism if you wish. After that continue to Dead Sea where you will get the chance to float in the lowest and saltiest sea in the world. Dead Sea is full of minerals and its mud is very good for the skin. Drive back either to Checkpoint 300 or your Bethlehem hotel, where your tour will finish at 4pm.
Options
Private Day Tour: Bethlehem, Jordan River and Dead Sea
Reviews
18 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A delightful and insightful tour
RobinCressage,
Oct 6, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Georgette looked after us for the day on what was quite a full agenda (proposed by us!). She and the amazing driver (in a spotless car) drove us to each location, allowed us plenty of time to look at everything whilst providing really usefully information. Just as importantly she gave us an insight into the culture and people of the West Bank. We topped off the day with a delightful meal with a local family which gave us even more of an insight.
Michael Tours - Exceptional Knowledge & Service
G375ACmarkr,
Sep 28, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and I had the pleasure of spending 4 full days with Michael & Georgette on various tours, they were the perfect choice for getting acclimated during our first week in Palestine & Israel. Preferring to go with Private Guides on most of our vacations, the husband-and-wife team were some of the best guides we have ever used, anywhere! Whether its Culture, Religion, History, Food, Local Day to Day Life…they have got you covered. They are true professionals and all-around wonderful people…their knowledge, kindness and flexibility was something that started with our initial planning and continued once we were on the ground in Bethlehem (their specifics on what time to leave our hotel to cross the checkpoint / border was spot on and made the logistics very easy). Our first tour was the full day Bethlehem Tour, with Georgette as our guide and her Dad as our driver we were able to cover all the main sights including the Nativity Church grotto and meet some wonderful people along the way. Also, as part of that tour we opted to have lunch with a local Palestinian family and how great that it was her own!!! Got to meet her Mom, Aunt and new baby boy...and of course the food was DELICIOUS. Our next day tour was with Michael and we hit Jericho, Jordan River and the Dead Sea, all the while Michael had such great historic insights and details that made it all come to life. The next day we had our full day Jerusalem City Tour and once again their knowledge allowed us to see and experience all the highlights in each of the respective Quarters, while also making the walk down Via Dolorosa very special. Finally, Michael customized a St George Monastery and Masada trip for us which was also executed perfectly…our driver for that day even pulled over at a scenic overlook by the Dead Sea and whipped up some Arabic coffee for us from his portable stove in the van. If you are planning a trip to this part of the world you will definitely see higher prices in Israel proper for Hotels, Tours, Food, etc. once you start doing your research … but with Michael & Georgette as our Palestine based guides their prices were extremely fair & competitive…You get what you pay for…and in this case Michael Tours is worth every penny! While we started our tour(s) as clients, we left Michael, Georgette and their families as true friends. Thank You both once again for making our visit to the Holy Land so special. M&M
Personal Tour of Bethlehem
Navigator755231,
Sep 9, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband and I found Michael Tours through TripAdvisor and we spent the Day with Georgette and her Father Isa (spelling?). Isa is my husband’s age and Georgette our 2 daughter’s age. Georgette and Isa are natives to Bethlehem and born there. The personal touches and stories they provided of life in Bethlehem was so warm and friendly and loving, We were interested in seeing the important Christian sites, most importantly, the Church of the Nativity. Georgette was married there!!, here brother-in-law, is the pastor and she and. Isa even invited us to Georgette’s first son’s christening the following day!. As we toured the country-side on the way to the Jordon River where Jesus was baptized by St. John, they told us of local life and customs and recent joys and challenges as Palestinians. We saw Mary’s Church of the milk dedicated to new mothers (* Georgette is one! ). Which was really special to her and to us. We had lunch in a local cafe and met some of her friends and colleagues. She ordered for us so that we’d enjoy local food favorites (*which were awesome!). They drove us to the Dead Sea and waited for us after they advised us how to best enjoy the lowest point on earth!!. We shared stories of our families and our respective lives. They asked us questions about our culture and recent political events and we did the same. We learned so much from each other in a spirit of global humanity and love. We hugged and cried and learned things about Bethlehem and Palestinian culture we would never had learned had we not spent the day making father to father and mother to daughter connections. It was a day to remember for a lifetime. Not just sites of Christian and historical significance did we see. We made heart to heart connections with Georgette and her Dad Isa. In my opinion, this is why we travel, and so should you. To learn more, and to love more. Georgette and Isa showed us both. They will warm your hearts and make your trip!! Thank You Georgette and Isa!!
Simply the best!
Curiosity59143954792,
Sep 8, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Michael is an absolutely fantastic guide - one of the best we've had throughout our travels - and we would gladly hire him again. From the outset, Michael took time to help customize our tour so that we could fit everything we wanted to see into our trip. He also did a great job coordinating before the tour and, during the tour, ensured we were comfortable and that we stayed on schedule, without making things feel rushed. We met Michael near Checkpoint 300 in Bethlehem and from there, after stopping for some roadside coffee, went onward to see religious and historic sights in Jericho and surrounds, stopped for a dip in the Dead Sea, and then ended the day seeing sights in Bethlehem. Throughout, Michael made us feel welcome and shared his knowledge of the area's history, religious sites, and daily life. Michael is truly a first-class guide with unmatched hospitality, expertise, and openness. Thank you, Michael!
Great tour and great guide!
T2404YUseanm,
Aug 11, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Michael did a great job from pick up to drop off. He was very informative throughout the tour about Israel, Palestine, the history and importance of the places we saw. He never rushed us, took us for a great meal, his English is excellent, and he really knew the details of the holy sites. Thank you Michael for a great tour!
Amazing in-depth visit to bethlehem!
charlieotero,
Mar 31, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Michael makes sure you are engaged in his conversation. He speaks English with such a clarity and even took us to extra places. This was our best tour in a long time. thanks for a wonderful day carlos and sara
Amazing guide, amazing guy!
JosuaKi,
Feb 16, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Michael has been an absolute highlight of our trip to Palestine! We really enjoyed his insights and can vouch for his fantastic knowledge and facts about religious and historical sights. He did everything to go above and beyond our expectations and did customise the tour a bit to accommodate our needs better. Michael‘s tour was worth every penny, and we look forward to booking another tour with him on our next visit. Thank you so much, Michael!
Excellent tour!!! Highly recommended!!! Book now! :)
myles rose,
Oct 26, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Michael was very responsive from the beginning stages of planning til even after the tour. I wanted to hire a local private guide and his name was highly recommended everywhere I looked so I contacted him through whatsapp and planned a customized tour for myself and my family. With the current political situation and the bad press about going to West Bank, we were a bit nervous til the day of the tour but Michael kept in touch and made us feel safe and assured that he was there every step of the way. We took a bus from Damascus gate to Checkpoint 300 by ourselves. Crossing the border to Palestine was an easy walk through. No checks. No nothing. And Michael was there to meet us on the other side of the border. The vehicle was clean and comfortable and the whole tour was well planned. We had enough time to enjoy every place we went to and didn’t feel rushed. Michael was very informative about the different places we went to and also explained to us the history of the land and the current political situation and the daily struggles of life in Palestine. We felt safe in the West Bank and my nervousness was replaced with empathy for the people whose lives are highly restricted because of this conflict. Overall, I highly recommend Michael Tours and we are looking forward to see him again if ever we go back to see more of the area. I will also recommend him to family and friends who are planning a trip to the Holy Land.
Best guide in the Holy Land
409issa,
Feb 21, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I highly recommend this tour with Michael, it worth every penny. His explanations about the different sites were very clear and interesting. Easy to communicate with him and he was very friendly. I highly recommend him.
Best Tour Guide in Palestine
jblais123,
Feb 27, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an excellent time, Michael was the best. He customized our time with him and we really got a great sense of life in Palestine. I can't recommend him enough!
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