Nature and Biblical History in the Judean low land - Private Tour Gold Carpet Tours

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Israel Incoming
Tour Operators Association

Tour Overview

This tour will take you on a journey through some of Israel's hidden gems, such as the Burma road, biblical Azeka and Sokho overlooking the Ella valley known as the battlefield of David and Goliath, the man-made caves of Beit Guvrin and ancient biblical Lachish.

Prices

From	4 Seater	7 Seater	10 Seater	14 Seater
Tel Aviv Area	$820	$900	$990	$1050
Jerusalem Area	$925	$1015	$1115	$1190
Ashdod	$875	$960	$1050	$1120

Tour Includes

A tourist vehicle.

Service of a licensed English speaking driver/guide.

Sightseeing as per the itinerary.

Tour does NOT include

Entrance fees.

Meals and beverages en route.

Important Notes

Prices are quoted in USD per vehicle and apply for foreign tourists.

Head cover and comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

On Saturdays and Jewish holidays a supplement of $175 per vehicle applies.

This private tours is available daily.

We recommend to book the tour at least 24 hours in advance.

Tour Itinerary

08:30 – Pick up from the hotel.

Drive to the Judean Foothills (Shfela) region where we stop at the Harel Lookout, overlooking the famous “Burma Road” constructed during the War of Independence and played an important roll in overcoming the blockade of Jerusalem. In the winter and spring we can enjoy the lush green and multitude of wild flowers of the surrounding scenery.

We continue through the Shfela, passing the archeological site of biblical Beit Shemesh, not far from the modern day city of its name. We proceed to visit Tel Azeka overlooking the Elah Valley, named after the Elah or Turpentine trees that are indigenous to the valley, and site of the historical battle between David and Goliath, with the Philistines encamped at Azekah and the Israelites encamped at Socho. Today Socho is renowned for the Blue Lupines that carpet its slopes every March. In season we will be able to enjoy this wondrous sight.

We continue to Beit Guvrin, a national park encompassing the ruins of Maresha, which was one of the important towns of Judah during the time of the First Temple, and which was succeeded by Beit Guvrin as the main town of the region in the Roman era. We will have a view of archeological Maresha and visit the magnificent manmade caves of Beit Guvrin – the columbarium, the Phoenician cave, the Bell Cave and others.

Our last stop on this journey is Tel Lachish, site of an ancient Near East city, now an archaeological site and an Israeli national park. According to the Bible, Lachish was an important city in the Kingdom of Israel, which was first destroyed by the Assyrians, and later by the Babylonians. The Lachish region today is renowned for the longevity of its grapes, which are grown using innovative natural methods, with no genetic engineering. The scenery is filled with vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see.

Return to hotel ending till 18:00

FAQ

Our guides are all government licensed by the Ministry of Tourism, speak English or another language as ordered. We are proud of our team of guides, who are experienced, knowledgeable, interesting and service oriented, well-mannered and love guiding. On Trip Advisor you can find excellent reviews of our guided tours.

The vehicles used for the tours are government licensed tourist vehicles. They are designated for transporting tourists only, are comfortable, new and maintained by our in-house traffic officer. Families and small groups will enjoy travelling in a car driven by a suitably licensed driver-guide (two-in-one, no doubt a saving). Large groups will be transported in small or large luxury tourist buses.

In general for daily private tours is it better not to keep baggage in the car. If your tour is ending at the airport and therefore it is necessary to take your baggage, please let us know in advance so that we can provide a suitable vehicle. Please take into account that if you have a large number of suitcases that require a large vehicle, it may increase the tour price.

The most popular language is English, followed by Spanish, mandarin, French and German, however guiding is available in almost all foreign languages. For less popular languages it is better to book as far in advance as possible to ensure availability of a guide speaking your desired language. The cost of guides that speak languages other than English is higher and that will affect the tour price.

The basic price of the tour includes a vehicle and guide. We can of course reserve and include meals, accommodation, entrance fees and special activities (such as ATV rides, winery and/or culinary tours, etc.), as you may require.

The tour price does not include VAT (tourists are exempt from paying VAT on touring services), and anything else that has been decided not to include – such as accommodation, meals and entrance fees. In general we can include or exclude anything in or from the tour price, as required.

Of course, as well as all the time you want or need for each activity. The guide will be able to assist you in finding stores and desirable objects.

During the Israeli summers the days are long and the departure hour in the mornings can be as late as 09:00 AM. In winter the days are short so it is recommended not to leave any later than 08:00 AM to ensure arriving at all the sites planned for visiting before closing.

A touring days is up to 10 hours, however tours to nearer distances will be shorter and those to further distances will be longer, so that in general touring days will range from 9 to 11 hours accordingly.

The quantity and variety of restaurants in Israel is enormous. We try to select restaurants that serve typical Israeli cuisine. If you prefer chef or other type of restaurants we will be happy to recommend some that suit your budget and tastes.

No. It is not possible to join a private tour.

The tour prices does not include tips. On a private tour the accepted tipping amount is $50 per day (for all the tour participants) to the tour guide.