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Israel in July

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I will have a work function in Tel Aviv in July. I've never been to Israel or anywhere in the Middle East, for that matter. I'm considering adding a couple days, thinking Jerusalem as destination. I'm not religious, but find the history fascinating, so I'm thinking mainly of Western Wall, Church of Holy Sepulcher, Dome of the Rock. I know there are various restrictions and concerns. I usually get enjoyment from the planning part of a trip in addition to the actual trip, but I honestly feel somewhat lost of how best to start to research without a Rick Steves book! I've done the typical stuff of TripAdvisor, etc. Even with that, I'm considering just going the tour guide route. My current default option is the following one:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g293983-d15616051-Jerusalem_Boutique_Tour_from_Tel_Aviv-Jerusalem_Jerusalem_District.html

With all that said, any advice from fellow Rick Steves followers on how best to plan a short visit to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv? Any other thoughts on a first time traveler to Tel Aviv with perhaps a few extra days to spare. I'll take all advice, from general thoughts to specific tour operators who you think would be good for my interests.

Thanks!

Posted by
2969 posts

Last Jul I went to Israel and did not take a tour because I tried to see it on my own that was impossible. It took four days to see the old town which is huge and confusing. My ITMB Jerusalem map did not help either. Do not rely on taxis because I got ripped off. I should have tried using Google maps while inside the old city that worked well in Tel Aviv.
From Tel Aviv take a direct train to Jerusalem which is a nice scenic ride (45m). You can reach out to my driver Jamal Taha: phone 0522 967 965 jamaltaha73@gmail.com who lives in Jerusalem and tell him I said hello. He was highly recommended by my hotelier at The Post Hostel Jerusalem that I also recommend. Jamal will pick you up and take you where you want to go. One day we drove through the Judean Mountains that was my favorite part of the trip.
Bring greenbacks to pay Jamal which will be cheaper. You can contact him now and ask how much it will cost. If you pay with a credit card there’ll be a fee.

Posted by
85 posts

Hi there! I’ve done israel twice and I’m going again in June. Jerusalem should be an easy trip from Tel Aviv. A taxi from the airport should be around $80-$90 and you can avoid getting ripped off by using Gett or one of the other taxi apps. You can pay through the app without having to use cash, and probably will want that for your time in Tel Aviv anyhow. That being said, although I’ve never taken it, my understanding is that there is a fast train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and once you get to Jerusalem, there is a good bus and light rail system.

I have stayed outside the walls… Like, literally just outside the old city walls at the Golden Walls Hotel twice. That being said this time I am staying in the Lutheran guest house which is in the middle of the city. The rates were very reasonable in summer I thought for €140 a night for two people including breakfast. You do not have to be Lutheran to stay there. If that one doesn’t work, there are tons of other hospices (which in the US typically has to do with the care leading up to death, but in Israel just refers to hotels for pilgrims), Christian etc that will have Rick Steves style accommodation… Clean, well located, etc.

Guiding depends on what you were looking for. There are a ton of companies that can give you a simple overview of the old city. I prefer Abraham tours and green olive tours, which give a dual narrative perspective, but TripAdvisor will present plenty of good options. There is definitely something to be said about wandering around with a good guidebook.

Jerusalem also makes an easy base for Bethlehem and other places in the area. Alternatively, there are also a lot of companies that do day trips out of Tel Aviv including to Jerusalem. I hope you decide to do the extra time… I think you’ll find it well worth it!

Posted by
431 posts

I went to Israel in July, 2017 with two friends. We used BeinHarim tours for three different day trips to Jerusalem/Bethlehem, Nazareth/Sea of Galilee and Masada/Dead Sea. They were pretty good and we had some great guides. That being said, if I ever go back, I'll probably either stay in Jerusalem (we stayed in Tel Aviv) or take the train from Tel Aviv and venture out on my own.

I will recommend that you definitely bring a hat and prepare for the possibility of very hot weather. My friends and I all live in Tucson, AZ so we are used to heat and intense sun, but like my friend said, when it is hot we stay inside during the day, not going on tours and walking around in the sun during the day (it was well over 100F when we were at Masada...brutal!) .

If you are interested, you can PM me and I'll be glad to send you the info from my trip. Granted, it was from six years ago so not sure how helpful it would be or not.

Posted by
15096 posts

First......be aware. It will be very hot.

Next, be aware the country literally shuts down from Friday night to Saturday night. No public transportation and many businesses will be closed. On one of the Saturday's I was there, I took a one day tour to Masada and the Dead Sea. I used Rent a Guide. I also did a walking tour of the old city with them on another day.

Going with a knowledgable guide to some of these places will make sense to keep you out of trouble.

Unless you come from a desert area, make sure you have a good, ventilated hat and drink plenty of water. It will be hot. Did I mention it would be hot. And I was there in late May/early June. It was hot.

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