How shvil.io works
Find guides who fit
Browse licensed guides by region, language, specialty, and travel style. Read profiles carefully. Save the ones you like.
Reach out
Contact one or a few guides through the platform. Share your dates, group size, interests, and any must-see places. Most guides reply within a day.
Travel
Confirm the details directly with your guide. They handle route, timing, and day-of planning. You show up, and enjoy Israel.
Pricing
▼
Guides set their own prices. Most charge by the day; some offer half-days or hourly. Rates vary by season, group size, whether a vehicle is included, language, and how tailored your day is.
The prices below are examples, not offers. Your guide will confirm everything before you commit.
Typical Price Bands
Guide-only, full day (about 8 hours): commonly USD 400–550.
Guide with a private vehicle: higher, depending on the vehicle and route.
Multi-day trips, specialist themes, and peak seasons will change these numbers. Your guide will always give you a clear quote for your specific dates.
What Affects the Price
Season and demand (holidays and high season cost more). Group size and vehicle needs (car, van, bus). Language and specialist topics. Long drives, early starts, or late finishes.
When you send an inquiry, share your dates, an approximate budget, and any must-see places. It helps guides give you a realistic proposal from the start.
What Is Included & Not Included
Most guides include their guiding time for a set number of hours, basic planning support, and coordination of your day. If your guide is also driving, the rate often includes the vehicle, fuel, and parking.
Hotels, flights, travel insurance, meals, entrance fees, gratuities, and special activities are almost always separate — unless you and your guide agree otherwise in writing.
How Payment Works
You pay your guide directly. Terms, method, and schedule — you agree on those with them, not with us.
shvil.io takes zero commission on your bookings. If we ever add a payment option through the platform, we'll explain it clearly here and in the booking flow.
Safety & verification
▼
Licensed Guides in Israel
In Israel, guiding is a licensed profession. Guides complete official Ministry of Tourism training, pass exams on history, geography, religions, culture, safety, and guiding practice, and must renew their status periodically. They're required by law to carry insurance and to keep their CPR certification current.
You can verify a guide's licence directly with the Ministry of Tourism.
How We Verify
Before a guide's profile goes public, we ask for their licence details and supporting information. We review them and only publish guides who meet our criteria.
If information falls out of date, we'll ask a guide to update it — and we'll pause a listing if it isn't.
What We Guarantee
shvil.io is a hub. We connect you with licensed guides and vetted operators, but we don't employ them and we can't guarantee a specific outcome on a specific day.
What we can promise: we list serious professionals, we read every message, and we have a clear process if something goes wrong. Tell us — we want to hear it.
Safety Advice
We know many travelers are thinking carefully about safety when planning a trip to Israel. Situations change, and different governments publish different advisories at different times.
Check the official advisory from your own country as your starting point. Stay in touch with your airline and accommodation. And work with a licensed local guide — someone who lives here, watches conditions daily, and can adjust plans if things shift while you're on the ground.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a private tour guide in Israel cost per day?▾
It depends on season, whether a vehicle is included, and what you want to see. A guide-only day usually sits in one price band, and a guide-with-car day in a higher band. See the Pricing section above for typical ranges.
Are hotels and meals included in the guide's fee?▾
Usually not. Hotels, meals, and most entrance fees are separate — unless your guide packages them in and lists them as included.
Do I pay shvil.io or the guide?▾
You pay the guide, directly. shvil.io connects you with licensed guides and takes zero commission on your booking. No booking fee for travelers.
Can I book just one day with a guide?▾
Yes. Many travelers hire a guide for the key days — Jerusalem, the Galilee, the Dead Sea — and travel on their own the rest of the time. Some guides prefer multi-day bookings during peak season, so it's worth asking.
How do I know my guide is licensed?▾
Every guide on shvil.io has shared their Ministry of Tourism licence details with us, and we review them before their profile goes public. You can also ask your guide to show you their licence directly.
Is it safe to travel to Israel now?▾
It depends on timing, area, and your own government's advice. Start with your country's official advisory, then talk with a licensed local guide about your specific plans. They'll know what's realistic for your dates. If the situation changes after you book, talk to your guide — they can suggest a different route, region, or new dates. Cancellation terms are between you and your guide.
Can my guide tell me where's safe to visit?▾
Guides can't replace official security instructions, but they live and work here, they're required by law to be insured, and they'll never take you into areas known to be dangerous. They can help you pick realistic routes, adjust plans, and reroute on the go when needed.