Skip to content
The Blog

Blog

Tour writeups, reflections on guiding and the occasional practical guide.

All articles

128 articles
Crusader sugar refinery at Churvat Manot
My pick North · Galilee

Campus Upper Galilee day one: Western Upper Galilee

The first day of our three-day campus in the Upper Galilee: an arab cemetery at Kfar Yasif, a crusader sugar refinery, the Adamit and Goren parks, the grottoes at Rosh Hanikra, and two memorials to war-of-independence operations.

Ancient Jewish tomb at Kfar Yasif Crusader sugar refinery at Churvat Manot Arch Cave in the Adamit Park View over Montfort castle from Goren Park Tower & Stockade model at Hanita Inside the grottoes at Rosh Hanikra Monument to the 14 (from the Night of the Bridges) Memorial for the Yechiam Convoy
Book used by Eliezer Ben Yehuda to create Modern Hebrew
Centre · Jerusalem

Jerusalem: a miscellany

A miscellany day in Jerusalem covering sites that don't fit a single theme: the Church of St Etienne, the École Biblique, the Armenian Ceramics Workshop, St George's Cathedral, and Hezekiah's Tunnel in the City of David.

Church of St Etienne, Jerusalem Book used by Eliezer Ben Yehuda to create Modern Hebrew Armenian ceramic design, Jerusalem St George's Cathedral, Jerusalem Inside Hezekiah's Tunnel, Jerusalem
Al-Amari Mosque, Tiberias
North · Galilee

Tiberias

A day in Tiberias, one of Judaism's four holy cities: the Sapir Station of the national water carrier, Ottoman ruins from Daher el-Omar's era, Roman and Byzantine remains, and the ancient synagogues of Hammat Tiberias.

Ottoman period fortress, Tiberias Al-Amari Mosque, Tiberias Roman city gate, Tiberias Mosaic at Hammat Tiberias Synagogue
The Sea Walls - Akko
North

Akko (Acre)

A full day in the old port city of Akko: the British Mandate prison museum, Al-Jazzar Mosque, the Hospitaller Fortress, the Templars' Tunnel, Hammam al-Basha, and the Bahji gardens just outside the walls.

Bay of Akko from the Old City Museum of the Underground Prisoners, Akko The Sea Walls - Akko Al-Jazzar Mosque, Akko Treasures in the Walls Museum, Akko The Hospitallers' Fortress, Akko Inside the Tunnel of the Knights Templar, Akko Mosaic at Or Torah Synagogue, Akko Home of the Bahaulla, Akko
Bahai Gardens, Haifa
North · Carmel

Haifa

A day in Haifa: the Bahai Gardens spilling down Mount Carmel, the Ahmadiyya mosque, Stella Maris and the cave of Elijah, the German Colony, and a hike in Nachal Siach to round off.

Celebrating our 40th field trip: half way through! View over Haifa and its bay from the Louis Promenade. Bahai Gardens, Haifa Our kind host at the Centre for Ahmadiyya Islam in Israel Stella Maris Church, Haifa Cave of Elijah, Haifa Biblical quotation on the lintel of a building in the German Colony, Haifa Water pool at Ein Meshotetim in Nachal / Wadi Siach
Crusader capital in the Last Supper Room (Cenacle)
Centre · Jerusalem

Crusader Jerusalem

A walk through the Old City focused on the Crusader century: the Cenacle on Mount Zion, the Nea Church, the German Knights' hospice, the Crusader market, the Church of the Redeemer and the Holy Sepulchre.

Crusader capital in the Last Supper Room (Cenacle) Ruins of the Crusader Nea Church St Mary’s Hospice of the German Knights View over the Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem The inimitable Bilal Abu Khalaf dons his traditional garb Crusader cloisters in the Church of the Redeemer Inside the cistern under the Coptic Church of St Helen Church of the Holy Sepulchre: site marking the creation of the world
Sidonite Burial Cave at Maresha
Centre · Judean Lowlands (Shfela)

The Shfela (Judean Lowlands) in the Roman & Byzantine Periods

A day across the Judean Lowlands: Tel Maresha's underground caves, the Roman city of Beit Guvrin (Eleutheropolis), and crawling through the Bar Kochba Revolt tunnels at Horvat Midras.

Underground columbarium at Tel Maresha Sidonite Burial Cave at Maresha Roman oval amphitheatre at Beit Guvrin Squeezing through the tunnels used during the Bar Kochba Revolt
Waterfalls at Banias
North · Golan Heights & Hermon

Campus Golan Day 3: Mount Hermon

Day 3 of our Golan Heights course: up the Mt Hermon chairlift for views into Syria and Lebanon, then the Druze tomb of Nabi Hazuri, the Nimrod Fortress, the waterfalls at Banias and a sombre stop at the Helicopters Memorial.

View over the Golan Heights from Mount Hermon Nabi Hazuri View over the Hula Valley from the Nimrod Fortress Waterfalls at Banias Helicopters Memorial
Tel Dan hike
North · Golan Heights & Hermon

Campus Golan Day 2: the Lower Hermon and the Northern Golan Heights

Day 2 of our Golan Heights course: Tel Dan's salamander, the world's oldest arch, the Hellenist temple at Banias, the Yom Kippur battlefields at Mt Bental and the Valley of Tears, and a kumzitz to close.

Salamander at Tel Dan The world's oldest arch at Tel Dan Tel Dan hike Beit Ussishkin Museum Agrippa's Palace at Banias View towards the Syrian border with Israel from Mt Bental Valley of Tears Memorial Jubat el-Kabiera (the Big Juba) Birket Ram Campfire songs at our kumzitz
Waterfall in Nachal Jilabun / Gilabon
North · Golan Heights & Hermon

Campus Golan Day 1: Central Golan Heights

Day 1 of the Golan Heights campus: a hike down Nachal Jilabun, wine tasting at the Golan Heights Winery, the Talmudic Village of Katzrin, and memorials at Mitzpe Gadot and Tel Faher.

Waterfall in Nachal Jilabun / Gilabon Wine tasting at the Golan Heights Winery Byzantine period Synagogue at Ancient Katzrin 'Venus of the Galil' at the Archaeological Museum of the Golan Heights in Katzrin Memorial at Mitzpe Gadot Memorial at Tel Faher (Mitzpe Golani)
What guests say

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
Read 400+ reviews