Visit Bethlehem, The Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born. Discover the Old City of Jerusalem. Explore the Via Dolorosa, follow Stations of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  See the Western Wall and wander the holiest city on Earth.

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 Jerusalem & Bethlehem Tour Includes


  • Pickup from your hotel lobby or any other location upon request
  •  Return transfer to your pickup point or any other location upon request
  •  All transfers in A/C vehicles according to the tour itinerary
  •  Government licensed tour guide in your chosen language
  •  All entrance fees to all sites visited according to the tour itinerary
Tour Starts fromTel AvivJerusalem
Pick up time at 06:40-07:10 07:50-08:20

Bethlehem & Jerusalem Tour

Detailed itinerary:

Spend a full day exploring the cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, tour that takes you to sites of religious and historical importance, including UNESCO World Heritage sites. We start on Mount Scopus with a panoramic view of Jerusalem. Then we pass the Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations and Kidron Valley to reach the Old City.

Enter the Old City and walk through the Armenian and Jewish quarters to the recently excavated and restored Cardo, the Roman Road.

The southern part of the Cardo, uncovered in the Jewish Quarter, was built during the reign of the emperor Justinian (527-565), as a continuation of the earlier, Roman, northern part, thus linking the two main churches of Byzantine Jerusalem the Holy Sepulcher and the Nea Church.

See the Jewish Wailing Wall, The Kotel. The Wailing Wall or Western Wall is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a relatively small segment of a far longer ancient retaining wall, known also in its entirety as the “Western Wall”. The Western Wall’s holiness in Judaism is a result of its proximity to the Temple Mount. Because of the Temple Mount entry restrictions, the Wall is the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray, though the Foundation Stone, the most sacred site in the Jewish faith, lies behind it.

Continue to the Christian Quarter.  Walk along the Via Dolorosa and visit the Church of Holy Sepulchre.

The Via Dolorosa is a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem. It represents the path that Jesus would have taken, forced by the Roman soldiers, on the way to his crucifixion.  Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Sorrowful Way” or “Way of Suffering”) is a narrow, stone path believed to be the route Jesus took to His Crucifixion nearly 2000 years ago. … It is here that Christians relive and celebrate Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. The Via Dolorosa is filled with religion and ritual.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the most sacred site in the world for millions of Christians. This is the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Helena identified this place as The Calvary, where Jesus was crucified.  Calvary, or Golgotha, (Aramaic: “Skull”) also called Calvary, (from Latin calva: “bald head” or “skull”), skull-shaped hill in ancient Jerusalem, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion. It is referred to in all four Gospels (Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, and John 19:17). According to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified at a spot outside Jerusalem called Golgotha, which in Aramaic means “place of the skull.” The Latin word for skull is calvaria, and in English many Christians refer to the site of the crucifixion as Calvary.

Second part of your tour continue on to Bethlehem. Drive towards Bethlehem via the Nativity Circle and visit Bethlehem’s Manger Square, named after the manger Jesus was born in. Manger Square is home to the Church of the Nativity, one of the world’s oldest-standing churches still functioning to this day.

We will visit the main Basilica of the Nativity, designed in the typical Roman-style and constructed on the ruins of its predecessor in 565 AD, as well as the Catholic Church of St. Catherine, adjoining the Basilica of the Nativity.

Underneath the Church stands the Grotto of the Nativity, the cave in which Jesus was born, the exact spot of birth is marked by a 14-pointed star of silver set into the floor.

If possible, we also visit the adjacent Church of Saint Catherine where we descend to subterranean caves and see sacred tombs and chapels. We make our way back to Jerusalem passing the Church of the Angels in Shepherds Field and the Field of Ruth where King David’s great grandmother met Boaz. Return to point of pickup.

*Important information: The tour is subject to Palestinian authority regulations. Passports are required.

  Sites you will see


  • Mount Scopus 
  • Christian Quarter 
  • Muslim Quarter 
  • Via Dolorosa
  • Stations of the Cross
  • Church of the Holy Sepulchre
  • Tomb of Jesus of Nazareth 
  • Cardo
  • Jewish Quarter 
  • Western Wall
  • Bethlehem 
  • Manger Square
  • Church of the Nativity
  • Shepherds’ Fields

  You should know  


  • Tour duration is up to 11 hours
  • Lunch break for 30-40 minutes, including shopping time. Lunch can be purchased on the spot or bring in advance.
  • Estimated return time to Tel Aviv 18:00 / Jerusalem 17:30
  • A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements. Dress code is smart casual.
  • Recommended for this tour: Comfortable walking shoes, hats, sun screen and drinking water.
  • Free of charge reschedule 24 before the tour day. Covered by Compass Risk Free policy.
  • You can start the tour from Tel Aviv and finish in Jerusalem and reverse.
  • Real time availability – Guaranteed availability
  • One step booking system – Book Now Online
  • Instant payment and booking confirmation
  • 24/7 WhatsApp Assistance +972 58 707 66 11

4.9 rating based on 12,345 ratings
Overall rating: 4.9 out of 5 based on 248 reviews.

BEST GUIDE AND SERVICE

★★★★★
It was an amazing experience, Enrique our guide was the best! I wen’t with my 4 and 6 year old kids and my wife. It was a great time in holy Land!
- CECILIO YAMIL O

Ask for Enrique for your trips in Israel when booking with Compass Travel!

★★★★★
We booked a private tour with Compass Travels for a trip to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Easy booking process and communication was spot on. But the star of the show was our guide Enrique! It was my best ever guided tour in any country. Enrique was super informative (both for Christians and Non-Christians alike) and extremely entertaining at the same time. His mix of humour and knowledge about the land, the history and just the world in general kept us engaged throughout our 12-hour long tour! I would highly recommend Enrique for any of your trip in Israel and ask Compass travel for Enrique when booking with them.
- Dhiren J

Amazing Experience!

★★★★★
Excellent! Our guide Enrique was knowledgeable and professional! Also Benjamin to assisted in organizing the tour for my large group was very professional and organized. Highly recommended!
- Marlon D

Lo mejor de Israel!

★★★★★
Puntuales, atentos, desde días antes están pendientes de ti y de los horarios. Saúl nos enseñó Jerusalén y nos ayudaba a evitar las colas con picardía y conociendo el recorrido habitual de todos los guías, él sabía como ganar tiempo ordenado la visita a su manera. Nos explicaba con paciencia y conocimiento todo lo que visitábamos. La excursión que realizamos el día 9 de agosto, fue maravillosa, toda ella.
- San H

Breathtaking Jerusalem and Bethlehem done with a 5 star ++ tour

★★★★★
This is 100% hands down the best tour I have ever been on. Travelling all the way from Australia this was literally the highlight of our trip. Avi our tour guide was amazing, welcoming, extremely knowledgeable and showed us all the secret spots on the tour of Jerusalem and Bethlehem that you just wouldn't get on a large bus tour. He treated us to some delicious traditional sesame bread and coffee, which as lovely experience. The vechile was beautiful, luxurious, new, clean with a fantastic A/C. We wanted a tour that delivered all the highlights of Jerusalem plus Bethlehem and this tour delivered that and more. The sights are breathtaking and definitely ticket all the boxes and more. If I could put down more stars I would. You cannot go past this tour, if you want to do the Jerusalem and Bethlehem right.
- Leonie B

The Perfect One Day Tour

★★★★★
Yaniv our guide was wonderful. He was waiting for us to disembark which meant we could start the tour immediately. Yaniv was very thorough with all his knowledge and we really enjoyed learning things we had no knowledge of prior. We like to tour fast and Yaniv adapted the tour to take this into account by showing us places that were not necessarily on the tour booked but ensured we got to experience a full 10 hours of touring. Thank you Yaniv for a fantastic day - it was extremely enjoyable.
- Michelle W

Fantastic Tour with Excellent Guides — Highly Recommend!

★★★★★
This tour was incredible. Spending only one day in Bethlehem and Jerusalem is daunting because there are so many places to see, but, when you have a guide like Yaniv, it’s not only possible, but it’s so enjoyable. Yaniv was a phenomenal guide—personable, knowledgeable, hilarious, and kind. He truly went above and beyond, letting our group stop at (far too many) local shops along our routes and taking us on local short cuts that allowed us to skip lines and see more things in less time. Make sure you’re well-rested before going on this tour, because it’s a long one, but it’s so worth it. Our driver, Abu Isa, was also amazing. The Mercedes shuttle was spacious, air conditioned, and very clean, and Abu Isa was always ready for our group whenever we would leave a spot to head on to the next. We never had to wait for our ride a single time the whole tour because Abu Isa was always ready for us. On the whole, this tour is amazing, perfect for those who have a full day to spend and want to see the highlights of Jerusalem and Bethlehem while also having time to get a taste for the local culture. Make sure to ask for Yaniv and Abu Isa!
- David J

Highly Recommended

★★★★★
Rafi won us over quickly with his humor, knowledge, reverence and concern for the good of the group. Exceeded expectations!
- Jeff N

Trip of a lifetime!!!

★★★★★
Our tour guide Enrique was so knowledgeable with history, he literally brought the Bible to life for us! We saw the Bible with our own eyes (and a little imagination). This trip was the trip of a lifetime and I would recommend this to anyone who loves Jesus and some hidden gems! I can’t say enough about our tour…It was AMAZING!! A HUGE thanks to Benjamin with Compass Travel, who helped me navigate some of the process and he was always in communication! These two are lovely! Couldn’t ask for better!
- Michele U

Still have a question about this tour?

Contact us on WhatsApp +972 58 707 66 11 for instant assistance or info@compasstravel.co.il 

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