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Tour writeups, reflections on guiding and the occasional practical guide.
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131 articles
Hanukkah in Israel: what to expect as a visitor
Candles in the windows, public lightings and doughnuts everywhere. What Hanukkah is, where to see it, and why it’s a lovely time to visit Israel.
Christmas in Israel: what to expect as a visitor
For most of Israel, 25 December is a normal working day. Here’s where you can feel the Christmas spirit, from Bethlehem to Nazareth, and how to plan for the busiest week of the year.
Roman statues were never white
We think of Roman statues as cool white marble. They never were. They were painted in bright colour, and the white is an accident of time and taste. Where to see these colours in Israel.
The biggest temple in the Roman world was in Jerusalem
Every licensed Israeli guide has to keep training to maintain the licence. On a training day on Roman temples this summer, we learned that the biggest temple complex in the Roman world was Herod's, here in Jerusalem.
Election day in Israel: what it means if you’re visiting
Israel votes on Tuesday 27 October 2026. What election day means if you're visiting: what's open, why the roads are quiet, free trains and intercity buses, and why the parks fill up.
Simchat Torah in Israel: what to expect as a visitor
Simchat Torah ends the autumn holidays with dancing, flags and the Torah paraded through the streets. Here's what the day is about, and what it's like to be in Israel for it.
Sukkot in Israel: what to expect as a visitor
Sukkot is the week-long Feast of Booths, a joyful, hospitable time when sukkahs pop up everywhere. Here's what it's about, and why the middle days are a good time to be touring Israel.
Yom Kippur in Israel: the day the country stops
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year, and in Israel the whole country stops: no flights, no cars, no shops. Here's what it's about, and how to experience it as a visitor.
Rosh Hashanah in Israel: what to expect as a visitor
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year: two quiet days of apples and honey, the shofar and family. Here's what it's about, and what it means if your trip to Israel bumps into it.
What five days on Israel’s culinary tourism course taught me
Five days on Israel’s only culinary tourism course for guides, and one idea that stuck. What the week actually taught me, and how it turns up on my tours now.
If you are going to Israel, you would be mad not to give him a call.
Amol Rajan, BBC presenter and broadcaster
Having been on trips in Israel with seven different tour guides, Samuel stood above all the rest.
Seasoned Israel traveller
Samuel is one part walking encyclopedia, one part storyteller, one part stand-up comedian.
Berkeley Haas Business School student