Private tour in Jerusalem Raanan B
5.0
(4) reviews
5 hours
1
5 hours
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Raanan B.
5.0
Guide rating
11
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Tours delivered
2 hrs
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I started out my career as a field guide at the Ein Gedi Field Study Center on the shores of the Dead Sea, which I later became the manager of. With time the shores of the Dead Sea have shifted, as have I. I have worked at the Ministry of Environment, at the Society for Protection of Nature in Israel, at the Technion Institue and at EU funded projects to promote the protection of nature and the environment. I coordinated the first policy in Israel to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions, the first policy of Sustainable Development and more. If you look at the state of the environment, one might say that I have sort of failed. . . Now, after many years of guiding people as a hobby, I am a certified tour guide who does not aim to compete with other tour guides in remembering dates of events. I compete with them to provide my partners to the tour (you) with an enjoyable experience from which they will come out feeling, knowing and understanding (for example in Jerusalem) much better than when they enterd the Old City several hours earlier, and to make sure that they have had an enjoyable experience. Ceritfied tour guide BSc in Biology (Hebrew University) MPA - Masters in Public Administration (kennedy School of Government, Harvard)
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Raanan B.
There are many WHYs about Jerusalem. Many, much more than in any other cities, as Jerusalem dates back 3000 years, during which it was controlled by many and different rulers of different origin and religion. It has many historic, religious and architectural knots, which I will present to you with the goal to complicate things more than they already are. And then, slowly but gradually we will untangle these knots together so that you come out of Jerusalem understanding it, knowing it and feeling about it much different than when you entered it several hours earlier. I am a third generation born Israeli, my mother was in the old city when the Jewish Quarter fell in the 1948 war, and can answer these WHYs with some personal family stories alongside the general known story. On this Private Tour we will walk the 4 quarters, visit churches, synagogues and mosques (provided we're allowed in), use all of our senses to see the buildings, hear the bells, smell the spices, taste the humus and touch the stones.
Thanks for an excellent tour! All the stories you shared with us was wonderful. You made our tour of the Holy City so memorable and your knowledge is extensive. We feel very privileged to have been inside the Armenian church and see the Franciscan procession in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Raanan was fantastic. He guided us effortlessly around Jerusalem in a knowledgeable, fun and interesting way. My teenage kids and I loved his company and have come away from Jerusalem wanting more. And he didn't bat an eyelid when my daughter threw up unexpectedly....what a sport!! Book him if you can, you won't regret it. He also arranged a driver and tour guide to and from Bethlehem.
It's a complicated city and Raanan as promised untangled the web of Jerusalem in a spirited and compelling fashion. Knowledgeable and light hearted, Raanan had a way of sharing the history of Jerusalem that kept all of us interested and alert- no boring tour history tour here. It is also apparent that Raanan is interested in having his group enjoy themselves and learn. Highly recomend this tour and Raanan.
One of the best guides we ever had! We enjoyed Raanans passion, expertise and flexibility. He showed us sites we would have never found alone. He didn't get tired to answer our questions and he was a source of knowledge. All the facts and details he could provide was just incredible. We enjoyed every minute of the tour and recommend him highly!
Prior to meeting we will discuss the route in details to customize it to interests and physical abilities and limitations. These will include: - Meet at Hotel or Jaffa Gate - Walk parts of the Old City to visit the following places as much as time will permit. - Armenian Quarter (Armenian art shops, St. James Cathedral, Armenian Holocaust Monument) - Jewish quarter (the Hurva Synagogue, the Roman Cardo, The wide wall of Hezekiah, the Wailing Wall) - Moslem quarter (Cotton market, Haram El Sharif, ) - Christian quarter (parts of Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Church of the Redeemer) - On the way we will visit the 250 year old Tehina factory, taste various meats, humus, spices, and sweets. As the list above may be too much, the entire tour can be customized to your requests and interests and adjusted accordingly. For example if you wish to focus on one historic period, one religion or on markets and most important, your physical capacity. Feel free to contact me with your inquiries
Tell your guide which places matter to you, skip what doesn't, and tailor the experience for your group's needs. Not finding what you want? Message your guide to build something unique.
This is walking tour Additional transportation can be arranged upon request, please contact me
Jerusalem, Jerusalem District, Israel
Jaffa Gate, Old City Jerusalem
Hebrew
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Can this private tour in Jerusalem be customized to focus on what I want to see and skip places I've already visited?
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5 hours
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5 hours
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If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a deposit!
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