Little Town of Bethlehem Half Day Trip from Tel Aviv

Everything was done smoothly, with no issues.

READ THE FINE PRINT...sure they pick you up at your hotel in Tel Aviv and that is nice, but don't just assume that they will deliver you back there! Without a word, I was totally abandoned in front of a hotel in Jerusalem. I repeatedly asked the driver and the guide about transportation back to Tel Aviv and none had an answer beyond, I am just the driver and I don't know your arrangements... They knew full well that it was up to me to get myself back to Tel Aviv...fortunately, I am not thrown by adventure. I walked to the tram station. People were helpful and pointed me in the right direction. I took the tram to the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem and there, for about 16 Shekels less than 5, I were driven to the bus terminal in Tel Aviv, where I were totally shellacked with a 50 Shekels cab ride to my hotel about 18 minutes away! The tour was very interesting although I was whisked through everything fairly quickly, similar to being on a conveyer belt. The guide was exceptional in Palestine. IF Viator had made it very clear that the trip was a one-way to Jerusalem, I would have probably not gone. Life is an adventure and I am up for all, but probably not when I have been in a foreign country for less than 24 hours. Again, READ THE FINE PRINT!

Completing the HOLY LAND tours was a goal...leading to Bethlehem....all I will say, if you need to reconnect to your spiritual roots...do this!

Dont forgot you passport, you definitely need it as you are entering an Arab city. This was another excellent trip with "Isaac" (Zahi Shaked), and a Palestinian guide, both were very knowledgable and friendly. They took us around Bethlehem, including the lactation grotto church and church of the nativity. They provided local food at a reasonable cost, which we ate nearby and had a chance to buy the locally crafted figures made from the olive trees growing in the picturesque hilly landscape around Bethlehem. This gives you an idea of how the shepherds lived during Jesus's birth and the part they played in communicating the news of the birth of Jesus. As this is a half day tour, you will be dropped off in Jerusalem, so you have to make your own way back to you accomodation.

1. The whole scheduling seemed to be chaotic and not well planned. 2. The best part of the tour was the tour guide in Bethlehem, Ishem (spelling). Ishem was very knowledgeable about the City of David and answered my questions. 3. the taxi ride from the Mt. Scopus Hotel to the checkpoint at the entrance of Bethlehem was not in keeping with a quality tour service. The taxi was dirty and stunk of cigarette smoke. Additionally, the driver just dropped us off and told us to meet someone named Ishem and Irias (spelling) our guides who would be driving a black BMW. No security whatsoever was provided. Due to poor instructions from the taxi driver, we waited outside the checkpoint for 30 minutes before I called Shani to ask what was going on. Viator should provide an escort through the checkpoint instead of leaving your customers standing around trying to figure out what to do. 4. the last stop on the tour was the gift shop that just so happened to be operated by Irias' family. There was a lot of pressure to buy souvenirs and overpriced jewelry. Bad move here. 5. You should state in BOLD letters on the 1/2 Day Bethlehem tour that you do not take tourists back to Tel Aviv. I didn't learn this until the shuttle bus driver was taking us back to the Jaffa gate. 6. The shuttle bus driver dropped me off at an intersection near one of the Share Taxi's and said "look for the yellow, white, and blue minibus" to take me to Tel Aviv and pointed up a hill. The driver should have taken me right to the drop off, a distance of about 150 meters. 7. I expected the tour in Bethlehem to last about 4 hours based on what is stated in the description. We didn't get to through the checkpoint until 11:20am and the tour was done by 1:30 pm, so just about 2 hours in length.