Unedited reviews from Tripadvisor, Google and Facebook.
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Google
“He had the right Bible passage ready at each site – at times, quite moving.”
“Samuel guided part of my trip; including a culinary tour of Tel Aviv, a trip to the desert surrounding Eilat and a tour of Jerusalem. He also assisted with the planning of the rest of my trip. He was a class act throughout. Particular qualities of his which contributed to the trip’s success are as follows: Bespoke nature of the experience. Samuel was keen to know what I was most interested in and then tailored the trips to my tastes. For example, before the trip to Jerusalem I mentioned that I was looking forward to seeing the sites where various passages of the Bible took place. As such, whilst visiting numerous Biblical sites (both old an new testament), Samuel had on hand the appropriate passage from the bible. This was, at times, quite moving. Eloquence. Samuel’s mastery of the English language is absolute and all explanations given were both clear and precise. This was particularly evident when he was describing the history, architecture, Biblical references and current practices of the stations of the Via Dolorosa. At no time did I feel overwhelmed by the volume of information provided and his evocative oratory really enhanced my experience. Knowledge. Without coming across as an ‘anorak’, Samuel’s knowledge of the sites that he guides is formidable. For example, on our trip to the mountains of Timna, Samuel gave a detailed account of the various people which inhabited the land and the archeological evidence for said inhabitation. I had limited knowledge of the canaanite people and he was able to elaborate in detail as to both their historical significance and way of life. Affability. Samuel’s has an engaging character and casual British wit. Further, he is a natural raconteur and many of his anecdotes were laugh-out-loud funny. This was particularly evident on the culinary tour of Hatikva market, where his playful banter with the market sellers and colourful stories of the origins of the food in question was something to behold. Just as importantly, his manner remained appropriate throughout and he struck just the right tone while giving his engaging explanations of sites of religious significance. All in all, I highly recommend Samuel as a guide.”
“His perspective deepened our own Judeo-Christian roots.”
“Samuel Green is the best! My husband and I had a fabulous time with him, traveling all over Israel. Samuel is a walking encyclopedia with a vast knowledge of geography, history, politics, socioeconomics, religion, culture and so on! You can ask him about anything and he will probably know the answer! Samuel makes these historical sites come alive with his stories and understanding. Furthermore, Samuel’s humor made for so much fun! We laughed as we learned, and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Throughout our trip, we ended up changing our minds about our plans and Samuel was flexible and so gracious to switch things up. He wanted to make sure that we got to do all the things that we wanted to do while being mindful of our budget. Samuel was also attentive to us on a personal level, taking great care to make sure we were feeling good, protected from the sun and well hydrated. What a great guy! Lastly, my husband and I pastor a Christian church and and we thoroughly enjoyed having the perspective of this wonderful Jewish man. Samuel’s passion for Israel and Judaism greatly enhanced our own understanding of our Judeo-Christian roots as we journeyed through the Holy Land. God’s love towards Israel lasts forever! Ezra 3:11”
“Catholic schools my whole life and he knows the New Testament better.”
“I’ve had the privilege of seeing Israel with Samuel as my tour guide twice now. I can’t imagine going to Israel without Samuel’s guidance. I have been attending Catholic schools my entire life and I think it safe to say that Samuel knows much more about the New Testament then I do. In fact, I’m always amazed with how much knowledge Samuel brings to the table. He also offers many different narratives and explains the many different points of views that the people of Israel hold. I’m so grateful to call Samuel my friend. I know that I’ll be recommending him as a tour guide to family and friends who visit Israel!! Toda ahi!!”
“At the Holy Sepulchre he pulled us aside for the hidden treasures.”
“1. Do you want to learn more? 2. Are you open to new ideas? 3. Are you ready to change your perspectives? 4. Can you listen to someone without being stubborn? Well, Samuel does all those things and he deserves to have customers who will do the same. Every conversation I had with him opened up my eyes to understanding a complex nation. He’s not a tour guide. He’s a friend, a teacher, and a wise man. He’s someone who will make you laugh on your trip, who will expand your mind, and will be there when you need someone. When our group of 45 people went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, he pulled me and one other member (the only Catholics) aside and took the time to show us the hidden Catholic treasures. He is so personal that he made all 45 people on that trip have a completely unique experience. Whenever I had questions, he would answer them as honestly as possible, with as much background as he can possibly put into an answer. When one of the sites made me extremely anxious, he noticed right away and was able to calm me down. Want to get a tattoo like I did? Well, he has the tattoo artist on speed dial and was ready to call him to book us a last minute appointment. I’ll never forget this trip and it’s all because of the graciousness Samuel has shown. If you’re considering Samuel as your tour guide, be ready for an adventure. My advice? Ask him as many questions as possible. Get the most you can out of him because he is a special human being and he deserves to have his talents be given to the most curious travelers. He’s not just a tour guide for the time of your trip, he’s a lifelong friend.”
“I visited Israel for the first time this March with a small group of 9 people while on spring break from our MBA program at Berkeley. We were blown away by what we experienced of the country with Sam. We spent 3 nights and 4 days traversing Israel, exploring Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, various points of interest along Galilee, Golan Heights, and Bethlehem. We had an incredibly diverse group with more than half of us coming from different international backgrounds, and Sam catered to all of our interests just so well. Because there were a few Catholics in the group, Sam made sure to highlight sites of importance to us through our travels - all the while with a sense of humor and so much warmth. One of my favorite memories of Sam is of him taking us to Masada and using some acting to bring the stories behind the last Jewish stronghold to life. I left Israel blown away by my experience, fully intending to come back with family on another tour with Sam. I cannot recommend Sam enough - he opened all of our eyes to Israel in a way that I don’t think would have been possible with another tour guide. Thank you, Sam!”
“Choosing Samuel as our guide was probably the best decision my father and I made in Israel. We used 2 different guides on 2 differnet days, and Samuel was by far our favorite in so many aspects. Not only was he knowledgeable, personable, unbiased, hilarious, and engaging, but he completely customized our day to fit exactly what we were looking for (an overview of all of Jerusalem with a lot of time spent on Biblical history specifically in Zion). He gave us a variety (but not too many) of options to fit our needs (including some tricky dietary needs for lunch!). He checked in with us throughout the day to see if we wanted to change anything, slow down, spend more time in one place, etc. I’m not sure how he managed to fit so much into our short time-frame, but he did it with ease. He kept us up-to-date on current events as well as giving us a thorough background of historical events. Through email exchanges prior to arriving, he was able to prioritize the sites and activities to ensure we got the most out of our short stay in Israel. We were so comfortable with him leading us that it felt as if he were a close relative. And to top it all off, Samuel has an incredible hidden talent...rapping! We were fortunate enough to hear him perform at the end of our tour. Overall, if you are even remotely considering hiring a tour guide, you need to choose him. I would highly recommned it (especially if it is your first time visiting Israel). It’s a decision you will not regret. Thank you for such an intriguing and enjoyable time!”
“Samuel is an incredible guide. He told my group from the start that he would push us hard in order to fit as much into our schedule as possible. He did an excellent job explaining the political and conflicts of the modern era, as well as the history of some of the older sites. He showed a reverence for my Christian faith, and encouraged us to reflect upon that. In addition, he was amazing fun. Between the question book he passed around the the songs of the day, he was always looking to spice up the trip as much as possible. In addition, throughout the trip he kept looking to add little trips here or there to our itinerary, which allowed my group to visit an olive oil factory and a date farm. In all, I would highly recommend Samuel as your guide through Israel.”
“Samuel is incredibly knowledgeable and an incredible story teller. He is able to juxtapose biblical stories with facts in a way that gives legitimacy to those stories while still leaving wiggle room for differing faiths and beliefs. He’s animated and entertaining and made this trip a wonderful experience and most importantly, he knows the best places to eat. You will be happy and well-fed around him.”
“Best Tour Guide I’ve ever had across 60 countries”
“Sam is a rockstar. He’s from the UK and graduated from Cambridge. Way overqualified for the role! English is is first language. Very smart and personable and cares a lot about his profession and the people he is guiding. He took my parents, my fiance and I on a tour through the Galilee to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. He planned a perfect day. We saw and did everything we wanted to + more and he added the right amount of context from the bible, from other recorded history and from his own knowledge of the sites. My fiance and I made fast friends with Sam (the 3 of us are in our 20s/30s) and my parents (in their 60s) both loved him as well. His knowledge of both the Old and New testament were amazing. He was also a lot of fun to chat with about politics, culture and other aspects of Israel and his travels. He didn’t waste our time with any kickback / tourist traps which was awesome. I wish we had booked him for more days.”
“When my daughter suggested we hire a private tour guide for Israel, My wife and I were skeptical. It just seemed too expensive. I can now say our time with Samuel was worth every sheckle and more. I can attest to other reviewers comments about his thorough knowledge about the area, both past and present. What I want to make sure people know is how easy it is to be with Samuel. He is kind, attentive an unassuming. He was sure we got what we wanted out of our time in Israel. He constantly was checking in and giving us options. As he got to know us, he tailored our visit to what he thought we would appreciate most. We are Christian and he had Bible passages ready to read at every site. He allowed us time for prayer. He never seemed rushed. He was able to navigate us around the large tour groups and we came away with a very intimate experience of the Holy Land. I personally cannot imagine a better way to experience such a rich, complex and holy area than with Samuel.”
“Samuel brought the history and complexity of the Holy Land to life! Though I have been twice before, Samuel added a new dimension to my experience. He is full of knowledge, jokes, tips and tricks, and even has great food recommendations. My parents and I were very comfortable and felt that Samuel personalized the tour just for us. From his first email response about my initial inquiry, to his parting words, Samuel was courteous, prompt, clear, and flexible to our needs. Thank you, Samuel, for giving us the best experience we could imagine!”
“Samuel is prepared, organized, knowledgeable, professional, timely, and personable. I call this type of person a "pro" and that is why I would highly recommend him for any tour in Israel. I traveled with my teenage daughter to see Christian and other important historical sites. Samuel’s impressive educational background, his perfect English (he is from the U.K.) and his willingness to advise us on where to go and what to see all gave me great comfort that he would be the perfect guide for us, and he was. We used him in both Jerusalem and Galilee, and he was able to cover any topic that we wanted to learn about ranging from history to politics to religion. And if you follow My Israeli Guide on Instagram you will quickly realize that Samuel is also fond of good food and can advise on all aspects of the Israeli experience (he even recommended a very good driver). Thank you for the great service Samuel!”
“Samuel provided the most authentic, interesting and fun tour of Israel that I could have imagined. One of the things that stood out to me was his ability to introduce us to the culture, history, as well as geopolitical insights with outstanding fairness. When my boyfriend proposed to me at the Sea of Galilee, Samuel made sure the event was even more special. In my opinion, Samuel is the best guide in Israel.”
“My first trip to Israel!! Our tour guide Samuel Green was the best, he gave historical biblical insight of the Holy Land. He is awesome, made my experience wonderful. #bestbus”
“Our trip was actually in the summer - I got so busy that I forgot to write a review. Samuel was so unforgettable, here I am months later! He was by far the best tour guide I have ever had. He knows the ins and outs of Israel, and his love for the country is evident. He gives 110% to make sure you have the most welcome stay and learn extensive, interesting facts about the various locations. Thank you, Samuel, for an unforgettable trip! We love you and still talk about you here at Regent! Thankful.”
“My trip was a guided educational tour for college students from Christian universities and Samuel Green was the best tour guide! He answered every question, provided fantastic information, took us to awesome extra stops throughout our tour and is extremely knowledgeable about Israel. Highly recommended Samuel when touring Israel!”
“I traveled to Israel with my college to learn about the historical and biblical significance of the Holy Land as well as its contemporary political and sociological challenges. Samuel offered his thorough knowledge and well-developed perspective on these controversial subjects with cogency, honesty, and humility. His intellectual acuity was surpassed only by his impeccable sense of humor and inimitable personality. You will not find another tour guide who composes limericks about biblical history and tour-sites for his group, teaches them Israeli folk dancing, or who creates mixtape CDs for every member of his tour group. Samuel is the type of person that you would love to know even if he weren’t a tour guide. But he is! So, if you go on a tour with him, prepare for a deeply enriching, life-changing experience.”
“Experiencing Israel for the first, second, tenth time is an amazing experience. Experiencing Israel with Samuel as your tour guide is a treasured and memorable experience. Samuel is a practicing Orthodox Jew who invites people to experience the culture of Israel––both modern and ancient. I traveled in Israel for 10 days with my college to explore the Biblical significance of the Holy Land in addition to learning about the modern state of Israel and the contemporary political challenges it faces. Samuel has a broad swath of knowledge in the history of the Bible and the significance of holy sites, the establishment of the modern state of Israel, and the current circumstances of the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict. Samuel pushed our group in an encouraging way to keep our energy up so we could visit as many sites as possible (including special sites like an olive oil factory and a dates factory). He lovingly included us in his observance of Shabbat in a special way and introduced us to Israeli music by unveiling a daily Song of the Day on the tour bus. He patiently, respectfully, and intelligently answered our questions that we wrote in the Question Book and entertained us with his Biblical limericks. To top it off, he gifted us with his own personal CD on the last day of the trip (yes, he is an Israeli DJ with a British accent and he’s the coolest). With Samuel, you’ll not only get an informative and memorable Israel tour experience but you’ll also walk away with a new friend.”
“Sam was an AMAZING guide and made my trip better than i could have imagined. He treated our group as we were his family and included us in havdala after Shabbat. Touring with Sam gave me an authentic feel in israel and allowed us really connect with the Holy Land. He truly was amazing!”
“Our tour guide Samuel Green was amazing! He kept us interested, and he is very knowledgeable and is open to discussing topics relating to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, racial, and religious issues. He engaged with us, and made the trip very exciting. He also allotted time for our group to express our African American heritage through song and dance. -Tisha”
“What an amazingly knowledgeable and down to earth tour guide”
“Samuel Green is the best tour guide in Israel. He is Jewish, but he is very knowledgeable about the New Testament as well as the old. He made every site come alive with biblical references and historico-cultural explanations. Plus he knows where the best eats are and he has the most amazing Israeli music playlist I had ever heard! You can’t go wrong with this tour guide. He will go above and beyond to ensure you have the best experience in Israel.”
“Jaffa Day Trip - a most excellent day spent with a most excellent guide”
“This was the last day of our Israel trip and we had half a day before heading to the airport. We were very fortunate to be able to round off our Israeli pilgrimage with Samuel. As a Jew who was born and raised in UK, he afforded us an interesting insight into Jewish beliefs, customs and his thoughts on Judaism. We benefited greatly from his candour, and learnt much about the Jews. His ability to marry the bible, both Old Testament and New Testament, with what we see before us today was especially precious and gave us greater insight into biblical history and context. The day trip to Jaffa was filled with many moments of laughter- through sharing of knowledge and experiences, and story telling. Our group of six enjoyed our time with Samuel tremendously! (My husband especially enjoyed the British humour during the tour) It was a fantastic way to end off our trip on a high note! If you are looking for someone high approachable, knowledgeable and is able to parcel those chunks of information in easy pieces, look no further :) You will not regret choosing Samuel for your Israeli trip! :)”
“Given its historical and religious significance and the many must-see sites, any tour of Jerusalem may best be served by a three to five day visit. But when time is a factor there is surely no better way than to enlist the services of a guide who really knows his subject, is insightful and informative and who seeks to provide a balanced and educated view.Samuel Green was our guide and he led, sped and, on occasion, dragged our large group through the crowds to provide us with a concise but satisfying excursion of this magical city in one day. Descending from the Mount of Olives, through the garden of Gethsemane, retracing steps along the Via Dolorosa and visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were just some of the many highlights of a busy and enlightening day. Thanks to Samuel and our driver - a tour to be highly recommended.”
“Samuel guided part of my trip; including a culinary tour of Tel Aviv, a trip to the desert surrounding Eilat and a tour of Jerusalem. He also assisted with the planning of the rest of my trip. He was a class act throughout. Particular qualities of his which contributed to the trip’s success are as follows: Bespoke nature of the experience. Samuel was keen to know what I was most interested in and then tailored the trips to my tastes. For example, before the trip to Jerusalem I mentioned that I was looking forward to seeing the sites where various passages of the Bible took place. As such, whilst visiting numerous Biblical sites (both old an new testament), Samuel had on hand the appropriate passage from the bible. This was, at times, quite moving. Eloquence. Samuel’s mastery of the English language is absolute and all explanations given were both clear and precise. This was particularly evident when he was describing the history, architecture, Biblical references and current practices of the stations of the Via Dolorosa. At no time did I feel overwhelmed by the volume of information provided and his evocative oratory really enhanced my experience. Knowledge. Without coming across as an ‘anorak’, Samuel’s knowledge of the sites that he guides is formidable. For example, on our trip to the mountains of Timna, Samuel gave a detailed account of the various people which inhabited the land and the archeological evidence for said inhabitation. I had limited knowledge of the canaanite people and he was able to elaborate in detail as to both their historical significance and way of life. Affability. Samuel’s has an engaging character and casual British wit. Further, he is a natural raconteur and many of his anecdotes were laugh-out-loud funny. This was particularly evident on the culinary tour of Hatikva market, where his playful banter with the market sellers and colourful stories of the origins of the food in question was something to behold. Just as importantly, his manner remained appropriate throughout and he struck just the right tone while giving his engaging explanations of sites of religious significance. All in all, I highly recommend Samuel as a guide.”
“Ten Day Tour of Israel -- Samuel is Intelligent, Fun and Resourceful”
“My husband and I were planning a tour with our four adult children for my husband’s 65th birthday. We contacted Samuel and as one of my kids said "getting Samuel was a key to our whole trip’s success." We toured Jerusalem, Massada and the desert area, the Golan Heights and Galilee, ending in Tel Aviv. His tours had themes to help us remember what we were seeing, he had expansive knowledge to answer questions, and he adapted to all our interests. I knew his humor and lightness would suit the entire age range, and I was confident all would work out when he asked to have a phone conversation with us about what we wanted before we comitted to hiring him. And here’s the thing--we are a hard bunch to please. We travel a lot, and are rather demanding. Specifically, my husband has Jewish heritage, but no knowledge or background in Judaism. I am a chaplain in a progressive church. Our kids are well-educated, and very diverse--one Greek and Roman major in college, one high school science teacher, one public defender interested in the Palestinian issue. We have LGBT issues, and some health issues that we were worried about. They are very interested in food and cooking, but can tire of one more church or ruin, even if I love old sites. Samuel found cooking demonstrations with Palestinian cooks, winerys with tastings near important sites, and cut down some of the minor stops so that we could learn, see and get to know Israel, without feeling like herded sheep. My daughter, the teacher, especially liked his summaries each day of the theme of the day tying together what we saw. It was very important to them that he could talk to them about the political issues of the day in an open way, and allow for the very different levels of religious attachment to the sites in Jerusalem, from reverance to detached interest. Samuel also found an interesting guide to Bethlehem and Jericho who was Palestinian, so we had a different viewpoint from him. Thanks for a great trip, Samuel!”
“Historical and Current view of Israel from Jerusalem, traveling North and then Tel Aviv”
“Samuel Green provided so much information regarding Israeli history, stories, biblical passages and linkages to archeology. Our small group of four thoroughly enjoyed our trip and can attribute that to Samuel and his knowledge and engaging personality. Highly recommend!”
“We just finished two days of touring with Samuel, and he made our trip fantastic! On the first day, we saw the Christian sites in Galilee and Nazareth, and even stopped by a date farm after Samuel learned that I love dates. The second day was a full day in Jerusalem and the Old City, ending with a trip to the huge Machane Yehuda market to sample a delicious variety of international foods. We loved every minute of it! From the moment we reached out to him, Samuel was prompt in his communications, made the reservation process easy and tailored the tours to our desires. He was organized and on time, and came equipped with maps, diagrams and other visuals to help us understand not only the sites we were seeing, but the political/social/religious backdrops that impacted them. Samuel is extremely knowledgeable, smart and very personable, making conversation easy. We felt comfortable asking questions and telling him what interested us and what did not. We have used private tour guides in several European countries, and Samuel is at the top of the list of those! Take your tours with Samuel - he will be the highlight of your trip!”
“We have just completed a private tour for a week with Samuel and would highly recommend his services to anyone contemplating either a short or longer visit to Israel. Samuel tailored our tour to the things we were interested in. We visited Jericho, Bethlehem, the Golan Heights, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and many more sites. From visiting the Syrian border on ATV’s, a private lunch with a Druze family, to a food tour of a Tel Aviv market, Samuel put together an excellent and thorough program. He was very friendly, incredibly knowledgable, and took the time to explain the complex political situation as well as detail the historic significance of the sites we visited. Samuel’s communication throughout the planning and tour was first class. A trip of a lifetime! Thank you Samuel.”
“Samuel and his team were wonderful tour guides, with a great deal of knowledge of israel, historically, geographically, spiritually, socially and more. We had an interesting and stimulating tour for 5 days touring many biblical sites and also part of the city and culture of Tel aviv and I found the tour very comprehensive and uplifting. Thank you Samuel for doing a great introduction to Israel!”
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