Jerusalem and Bethlehem Tour from Tel Aviv

A Jerusalem and Bethlehem tour from Tel Aviv is one long day: a 7:15 AM pickup at one of two Tel Aviv pickup locations, about two and a half hours in the Old City of Jerusalem, a Palestinian guide for about an hour at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and the coach back to Tel Aviv in the evening. Bein Harim Israel Tours’ From Tel Aviv: Jerusalem and Bethlehem Guided Day Trip is $121 per adult, rated 4.3 from 1,352 reviews (checked November 2026), with pickup and drop-off, an air-conditioned coach, the guide and the entry fees. The price was the same for one, two or three adults and on every date checked from December 2026 to March 2027.

Check day trip dates

Tours, hours and advice, checked 13 November 2026

• Tours are on sale. On 13 November 2026 the day trip could be booked on 1, 3, 5 and 24 December 2026 and on 13 and 20 January and 24 March 2027, all at 7:15 AM. Sunday 29 and Monday 30 November 2026 were not on sale.
• The Grotto of the Nativity has short hours. From 21 October 2026 the Christian Information Centre gives them as 12:30 to 2:30 PM every day and 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Sundays. On this day trip, going down to the Grotto might not fit the schedule.
• The Church of the Holy Sepulchre reopened in April. Orthodox Times reported on 9 April 2026 that it had reopened after 40 days, having been closed “due to restrictive measures imposed as a result of the war”.
• Travel advice comes from each government separately. Can you visit Bethlehem now quotes the UK, US and Australian pages for Jerusalem and Bethlehem, each in its own words and with its date.

The Jerusalem and Bethlehem day trip, stop by stop

The coach collects from Tel Aviv hotels (the itinerary names nine, from the Sheraton to the Royal Beach) and takes Highway No. 1 up to Jerusalem, about an hour. The day then runs like this:

1. The Mount of Olives, half an hour, with the view over the Old City walls, then the Kidron Valley from the coach.
2. The Old City of Jerusalem, about two and a half hours on foot: in through the Armenian Quarter to the Western Wall square, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Byzantine Cardo. Lunch in the Christian Quarter is optional and costs extra.
3. Bethlehem, with a Palestinian guide and vehicle. The Palestinian guide meets tours at the border post, and a change of vehicle may be required. About an hour at the Church of the Nativity, then Manger Square and St. Catherine’s, and half an hour of free time and shopping.
4. The Shepherds’ Fields from the coach on the way out, and about an hour and a half back to the Tel Aviv drop-off hotels.

The Temple Mount esplanade is seen from the Mount Scopus viewpoint, not visited. A valid passport is required on the day, modest dress is required, and the tour is not suitable for children under 4 or wheelchair users. Guides speak French, English, Spanish or German; the option on sale is the English tour.

What travellers say about the day

Of the 350 most recent reviews (July 2023 to 8 November 2026), 222 give five stars and 62 give three or fewer. The complaints repeat, and they are worth knowing before you book:

• Shop stops. A German guest on 10 November 2025 counted about 40 minutes in a Bethlehem souvenir shop, “twice longer than the Nativity church visit”; reviews of 3 June and 19 December 2025 say the same.
• A slow start. “Took about two hours to collect all passengers” (7 November 2025), and three tours shared one bus at the start of the day on 31 December 2025.
• The order can change. On 1 November 2026 a guest found Bethlehem came first and Jerusalem second, with the Bethlehem group splitting off at the border while guests who had booked Jerusalem only went on to Gethsemane.
• Bethlehem did not always run. A review of 7 November 2025 says “Bethlehem was not included” that day, and one of 4 November 2026 says the Bethlehem visit did not take place and gives elections as the reason.

The praise is just as consistent: guides by name (Avishay, Itamar, Yuval), a comfortable coach, and the one-day chance to “see both Bethlehem (for example the Church of the Nativity), and Jerusalem” (30 May 2026).

Bethlehem tour from Jerusalem, if you are staying there

The day trip only collects in Tel Aviv. From Jerusalem, Elijah Tours & Travel’s From Jerusalem: Half-Day Bethlehem Guided Tour leaves the David Citadel Hotel at 7:45 AM or 1:00 PM for four hours in Bethlehem: the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square, the Milk Grotto and Shepherds’ Field. It is $70 per adult on the January and March dates checked and US$75 on 1 and 24 December 2026, rated 4.8 from 623 reviews. Israeli passport holders cannot join. The Bethlehem tour from Jerusalem guide covers that half day and the 10 km road between the two.

How much does a Jerusalem and Bethlehem tour cost?

All four include the entry fees and leave food out (checked November 2026). Which Jerusalem and Bethlehem tour sets them side by side with the Jerusalem-only days, and Jerusalem tour from Tel Aviv covers the day without Bethlehem.

Before you book

• Passport: required on the day. The Bethlehem leg is subject to Palestinian Authority regulations.
• Clothes: shoulders and knees covered for the churches. What to wear and bring has the list.
• Food: not included; bring a snack, because lunch can come late.
• A night in Jerusalem: where to stay in Jerusalem lists room searches near the Old City.