Nazareth &amp; Lower Galilee

Price on request

Nazareth & Lower GalileeBiblical & PilgrimageArchaeological & Historical

Tel Megiddo overlooks the Jezreel Valley, one of the great crossroads of the ancient Near East. Its position made it valuable to Canaanite kings, Egyptian pharaohs, Israelite rulers, and later armies moving between Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia. A visit can include the city gates, palaces, temples, stables, and the deep water system. The site is also associated with the biblical idea of Armageddon, a name derived from Har Megiddo, or Mount Megiddo. Megiddo is a story of geography becoming destiny. Whoever controlled this hill could watch the valley below and influence the roads that linked the great powers of the ancient world.

נצרת, כנסיות, שוק וטעמים מקומיים עם מוריס צמח

Galilee & Golan HeightsNazareth & Lower GalileeArchaeological & Historical1 guide

Price on request

נצרת היא עיר של אמונה, היסטוריה, שווקים, אוכל וחיי יום יום. נוכל להתחיל בתצפית מגבעת כנסיית ישו הנער, להביט על העיר מלמעלה ומשם לרדת אל הסמטאות ואל המרכז העתיק. בהתאם לתחומי העניין שלכם, אפשר לבקר בכנסיית הבשורה, בכנסיית גבריאל הקדוש ובכנסיית בית הכנסת. בכל מקום נכיר את המסורות הנוצריות הקשורות בו ונראה כיצד האמונה, ההיסטוריה והחיים המודרניים נפגשים בנצרת של היום. אחרי הכנסיות נוכל לשוטט בשוק, לטעום מאכלים מקומיים ולהכיר את האווירה המיוחדת של העיר. בתיאום מראש, ייתכן שנוכל לבקר גם בבית פרטי מן המאה התשע עשרה ולראות את תקרותיו המצוירות. למי שמתעניין בארכאולוגיה ובאמנות עתיקה, ניתן לשקול שילוב עם הפסיפסים של ציפורי. אלו אפשרויות ולא מסלול קבוע. נתאים את הסיור לזמן, לקצב ולתחומי העניין שלכם, עם דגש על נצרות, תרבות מקומית, אוכל, היסטוריה או שילוב ביניהם.

Zippori National Park

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Nazareth & Lower GalileeArchaeological & HistoricalChristian Heritage

Zippori, also known as Sepphoris, was an important Jewish and Roman city in the Lower Galilee. It was home to a mixed population, rich artistic traditions, and one of Israel’s finest collections of ancient mosaics. The site is especially associated with Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and the compilation of the Mishnah. Its streets, villas, synagogue, theatre, and water system show how Jewish life developed in the Galilee under Roman rule. The story of Zippori is about Jewish life in a Roman city: tradition adapting to a changing world, while scholars, craftsmen, landowners, and families shared the same streets with their neighbours.

Galilee Horseback Riding

Price on request

Galilee & Golan HeightsNature & HikingFamily-Friendly

Explore the Galilee from a different perspective, following quiet paths through open hills, fields, woodland, and rural landscapes. A horseback ride can be a peaceful break from museums and cities, or part of a broader day in the north with local food, wineries, villages, and viewpoints. Routes vary by season, riding experience, and the stable’s location. The story is in the pace of the ride: the Galilee becomes less a list of places to visit and more a lived landscape of farms, orchards, villages, weather, and open country.

Nazareth: Churches, Market Life, and Local Flavours, with Morris Zemach

Price on request

Nazareth & Lower GalileeArchaeological & HistoricalBiblical & Pilgrimage1 guide

Discover Nazareth through its sacred places, lively streets, local flavours, and the people who give the city its character. We might begin from a viewpoint above Nazareth, taking in the city before descending into its historic centre and exploring it on foot. Depending on your interests, our route can include the Church of the Annunciation, St Gabriel’s Church, and the Synagogue Church. Along the way, we will explore the Christian traditions associated with these places and discover how faith, history, and everyday life continue to meet in modern Nazareth. Beyond the churches, we can wander through the market, pause for local food, and experience the rhythms of daily life in the city. When arranged in advance, there may also be an opportunity to enter a nineteenth-century private home and see its remarkable painted ceilings. Travellers interested in archaeology and ancient art can consider combining Nazareth with the mosaics of nearby Zippori. These are possibilities rather than a fixed itinerary. The tour can be tailored around your interests, available time, preferred pace, and whether you would like to focus on Christian heritage, local culture, food, history, or a little of everything

Guides(9)

Joe Freedman

Biblical & PilgrimageArchaeological & HistoricalNature & Hiking

Joe Freedman holds an M.A. in education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a doctorate in education (EdD) from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. He moved to Israel from the US in 1980 and lives with his family in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo. For many years he served as Director of the Ramah Programs in Israel. In 1996 he earned his tour guide license issued by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism. Joe has been the Tour Educator/Guide for many educational and religious tours, especially synagogue and church tours, and has experience working with all age groups and religious backgrounds. In recent years Joe has guided several Birthright-Israel trips (age 18-32) and is scheduled to guide more groups in the coming months. Joe is also licensed to drive – and guide – in a car or van approved by the Ministry of Tourism. Moreover, Joe has also designed and led educational tours in Spain and Poland. He often uses Israeli music in his guiding and he is also a certified Israeli folk dance instructor. Contact Joe for information about: - Private tours for individuals, couples, families with young children (or multi-generation) or just a group of friends. - Synagogue or church groups; pilgrimages; interfaith groups. - Special interest groups (e.g., focus on hiking, archaeology and ancient history, modern history and sociology, geopolitics, music and dance, spirituality, and so on ) - Educational institutions and missions (school study tours, school boards, university seminars, community center staff, Federations, etc.) - Bar/Bat Mitzva or other lifecycle celebrations

Sela Schein

Sela is a licensed Israeli tour guide with over 20 years of experience. Based in the Galilee, she specializes in family walks, wild food foraging, outdoor cooking and learning through experiences on the trail. Her tours also explore art, history and the connections between people and places. She graduated with honors from Bezalel’s Jewelry and Fashion Department and now teaches contemporary jewelry at Tel Hai University. A practicing artist who exhibits in Israel and abroad, she also works in metalwork and lighting design. The landscape around her inspires both her guiding and her creative work.

EnglishHebrewEducation

Дмитрий Балюк

Christian HeritageHebrewBiblical & Pilgrimage

Hello. My name is Dmitry. I am a licensed tour guide in Israel, based in Caesarea. I love God, people, and nature. I conduct Christian, historical, and archaeological tours—both group and private. I enjoy creating surprises and memorable moments for tourists. Я — Дмитрий Балюк, лицензированный гид Министерства туризма Израиля. Работаю индивидуально с русскоязычными туристами и христианскими паломниками, составляю авторские маршруты в комфортном темпе. Провожу экскурсии по всему Израилю и работаю только на русском языке. Для поездок использую комфортный седан. Я окончил Академический колледж Кинерета (Kinneret Academic College) по специальности «История и археология Израиля», а затем прошёл там же курсы экскурсоводов по Израилю. Поэтому на маршруте вы услышите не пересказ путеводителя, а целостную картину того, как археология, история и Писание соединяются в тех местах, которые мы посещаем. Лицензия Министерства туризма Израиля — результат этой профессиональной подготовки. Она также даёт право проводить экскурсии в национальных парках и на охраняемых памятниках. Помимо работы гидом, я служитель и проповедник в церкви христиан веры евангельской в городе Ор-Акива. Для меня Святая Земля — не только история и древние камни, но и живая вера. Я бережно и с уважением к традиции и молитве сопровождаю православных, католических и протестантских паломников. Я понимаю, зачем люди приезжают пройти по Виа Долороза, побывать у Гроба Господня и помолиться у Иордана, и создаю каждое путешествие с вниманием к его смыслу, деталям и спокойному темпу, которого заслуживает паломничество.

Michael Harari

Archaeological & HistoricalFamily-FriendlyMulti-Day Itineraries

Morris Tzemach

Biblical & PilgrimageArchaeological & HistoricalCulinary & Wine

I’m Morris, a Galilee-born guide, farmer, and storyteller, guiding since 1988. Come with me to meet the people, hear the stories, and taste the food that help you know this country from within. About me I was born in Moshav Margaliot, on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, and the Galilee is my home. Alongside guiding, I also grow mangoes and lychees. On my tours, we’ll get to know the country through its people: their stories, traditions, kitchens, and everyday lives. We’ll follow village roads, meet local families, discover small wineries and dairies, and enjoy the smells and flavours of food prepared in home courtyards. These encounters are part of the journey, just as much as the landscape and the historical sites. I am a licensed guide and have been guiding since 1988, with an academic background in Geography and Israel Studies. I guide in English, Hebrew, and Arabic, and lead tours throughout Israel, with a special affection for the Galilee, where I was born and have lived my life. On the Golan Heights, I also bring a personal perspective: I served as a paratrooper and took part in the 1973 war. I collect stories as well as tell them, and some have found their way into my books about the Galilee, Tiberias, and Rosh Pina. In Rosh Pina, we can follow the stories back to the houses and streets where their characters lived. If you would like to take some of those stories home, my Hebrew book “סיפורים ראשפינאים” (Rosh Pina Stories) brings together the people, houses, and tales of the old village. Drawing on stories told by its farmers, it introduces the pioneers, generous hosts, artists, and unusual characters whose lives became part of Rosh Pina’s history. The book is available to purchase directly from me; contact me to order a copy.

Shai Schupack

Biblical & PilgrimageArchaeological & HistoricalNature & Hiking

Dr. Shai Schupack is a licensed Israeli tour guide, educator, and researcher based in the Golan Heights. He leads in-depth field tours across the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee, Hula Valley, and Galilee. Shai holds a master’s degree in International Relations and a doctorate in Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology. His work brings together archaeology, historical geography, the history of ancient Israel, the Hebrew Bible and its historical context, Roman and Byzantine settlement, and the political geography of Israel’s northern borders. Alongside his work as a guide, Shai teaches and lectures on the history and geography of Israel and the modern Middle East. His areas of teaching include Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt, with attention to the formation of states, borders, communities, water, and regional power. Shai also educates and trains future licensed Israeli tour guides. His tours are structured as serious field study: reading the landscape alongside archaeological evidence, historical sources, and the wider regional context.

Yehuda Folberg

Jewish HeritageGeopoliticsChristian Heritage

Private tour guide, discovering Israel's history, culture, and landscapes, with a taste of innovation and cuisine, blending tradition and modernity.

Eli Romanovsky

Biblical & PilgrimageArchaeological & HistoricalCulinary & Wine

Eli Romanovsky is a licensed Israeli tour guide who has been guiding visitors through Israel’s museums, ancient sites, cities, and landscapes since 2008. He leads tours in English, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, and Hindi. Eli combines local knowledge with a warm, personal approach, planning private tours around each group’s interests, pace, and priorities. Eli holds a BA in Structural Linguistics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His tours bring together history, culture, city life, museums, and the outdoors. With experience in both guiding and travel operations, he is well suited to visitors looking for a flexible, well-planned private itinerary. He holds a BA in Structural Linguistics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and specializes in tailor-made tours that blend history, culture, city life, museums, and the outdoors. With experience in both guiding and travel operations, Eli is an excellent choice for visitors seeking a flexible, thoughtfully planned itinerary shaped around their interests.

Shawkat Monzer