Half Day Private Tour of Bethlehem

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Meet at Bethlehem 300 Checkpoint and drive to the city of Beit Sahour, the city of Shepherds who keep watch over their flock by night. In the past, the Canaanites inhabited its numerous caves, and today it is the home of many churches and convents.

   Passes by

2. Visit the Shepherds Field Church, the site that commemorates the visit of the Angel Gabriel to the shepherd to tell them the good news that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

   40 min

3. Drive to the old city of Bethlehem towards Manger Square and the Nativity Church. Visit the Nativity Church that was built by Justinian in 530 AD, and you will enter the Byzantine basilica through the main entrance, also known as 'The Door of Humility' and see the original floor of the first church of Constantine from 326 AD. You will take the steps to get down to the grotto, the spot where Jesus was born from Virgin Mary.

   40 min

4. Visit Saint Catherine Church, the main Catholic parish church in Bethlehem and where the midnight Christmas Mass is celebrated on Christmas Eve.

   20 min

5. Visit Saint Jerome’s Caves to see the place where he lived and translated the bible in the fifth century.

   20 min

6. Visit one of the old olive wood workshops in Bethlehem and learn about the local handicraft while watching the artists working.

   30 min

7. It is believed that while Virgin Mary was feeding baby Jesus, a drop of milk hit the ground and turned all of the stones white.

   30 min

8. A short walk in the old city of Bethlehem and learn about its history.

   30 min

9. Before the tour finish, we will stop at the separation wall and see also the graffitis. Afterward, drive to the Checkpoint where the tour will end.

   30 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 40 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5It was amazing!

  I had a really nice time with Michael! He was very nice and explained the history of the city and the places very well! I highly recommend booking with him if you want to experience Bethlehem for a day! I’ll be sure to book with him again for other places when I come back :)

  salmrissoOctober 2025via Tripadvisor

• 5Highly recommended. Great experience

  Michael was very knowledgeable about the history and also knew the area extremely well. I felt very comfortable in a very unfamiliar area with his guidance. He made the trip much more enriching for my kids and I.

  amordeiJune 2025via Tripadvisor

• 5Great Tour!!

  If you would like to get know Bethlehem one day, do this with Michael! He is a great guide, I liked every minute of being with him and I felt great about our tour. We saw so many interesting places in Bethlehem (even though not all of them are happy places as well). Please also take the chance of having lunch with a family, it will be a great culinary pleasure and a heart-warming experience. Don‘t worry about taking the bus from Jerusalem and ride back by bus: it‘s easy and interesting as well. Hopefully, I can come back one day taking another tour with Michael!

  W2051BLralfgApril 2025via Tripadvisor

• 5Educational, photogenic - places I would never have found on my own!

  Michael took me on an amazing tour of Bethlehem and surrounding areas. We saw places I would never have discovered on my own (some of which were technically closed) including St Jerome's cave under the church of the Nativity, a very old Olive Press and tiny museum, secret courtyards with beautiful painted icons, and much, much more. He was also a wealth of information about the history of Bethlehem and the Palestinian people, and I learned so much. We visited Shepherd's field, Aida Refugee Camp and many different areas in Bethlehem. I highly recommend a tour with him if you have the opportunity.

  kathh923December 2024via Tripadvisor

• 5Michael's Tour was awesome!

  So thankful to been able to work with Michael. He arranged for a van to pick us up in Tel Aviv and bring us to Bethlehem for his tour, which is not easily done, and then take us to our hotel in Jerusalem. Very special! Book with him. Excellent communication. Excellent guide.

  Diane DAugust 2023via Tripadvisor

• 5A historical and cultural “masterclass” of a tour

  Michael is a true local and fantastic guide. We met him in Bethlehem and he took us to the Church of the Nativity, Saint Jerome's Courtyard and Caves, Saint Catherine Church, and the Church of Milk Grotto. His car was super clean and comfortable and had a couple bottles of water stocked for us (he pays attention to the details). His pace was perfect for us as we worked our way through the tour. There was a good mix of walking, resting, and talking that made this one of the more relaxing tours we took in Israel. Would definitely hire Michael as a guide again.

  JBF0917July 2023via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Bethlehem

• Its from-price is close to the median of the 45 experiences we list in Bethlehem.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 5 of 45.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Bethlehem

Bethlehem is an ancient town on the Judean hills, just south of Jerusalem, home to the Church of the Nativity, its stone streets and Manger Square.

Bethlehem stands on a ridge of the Judean hills in the West Bank, a few kilometres south of Jerusalem. Its Church of the Nativity, a World Heritage site, was first built in the fourth century over the grotto traditionally held to be the birthplace of Jesus, and rebuilt in the sixth. Visitors enter through the low Door of Humility into a basilica of tall red-stone columns, and a silver star marks the spot in the grotto below.

Top-ranked sights in Bethlehem: Milk Grotto.

See all 45 experiences in Bethlehem