Palestine Tours

Traveling w my 74 year old mother, we had two fantastic days visiting Bethlehem and Jericho in West Bank Palestine. We felt safe and it was really fun! So easy to get to Bethlehem. Take bus 234 or 163. Checkpoint literally a non issue for visitors to west bank. Just bring your passport. I'm a bit of a back packer and adventure traveler. If you don't go to Palestine territory when you are in Israel, you are missing out. While it may be possible to visit these locations independently, I highly recommend Shareef and his guiding services. The touts and taxis will drive you crazy if you're not w a local, plus the sites are surprisingly far apart and you will need transport anyway. Shareef is prompt, respectful of both Christian and Islamic traditions. He is a safe driver. He is patient and knowledgable about the history of the sites. He is fluent in English and is an excellent storyteller. In Bethlehem, we visited all the Banksy grafitis, shepherd's field church where groups were singing angels...Gloria in Excelsis Deo...a moving experience if you like Christmas. Shareef added Herodian palace and local mosque for Friday prayers w a visit and explanation inside after - not something you will get w a package tour. Of course, he also took us to nativity church and we breezed past the line to see the star of the Nativity and the milk grotto. Stayed at hotel Dar Sitti Aziz in Bethlehem which I recommend for impeccable service, a breakfast experience you won't have elsewhere, and excellent location next to nativity church where you can relax on the terrace drinking strong coffee, listening to church bells and the call to prayer. Jericho was a fun day with a camel ride, hisham's palace, tel sultan (-the excavation of the oldest city), the cliff side monastery w stern monks, and a visit to safari Aqua park! If you have kids or you're a big kid like me, try this water park! There are some high end slides like you find at Canada Wonderland or West Edmonton mall. So fun to see Palestinian families out watersliding together. We ate fantastic local food and Palestinian specialties. Higher quality and less than half the cost of tel aviv or jerusalem. Shareef knows the best places if you are a foodie! We also shopped for fruit in a local market. We ended our 2 day tour with a traditional meal in a lovely Palestinian family home, talking on the deck, drinking mint tea and learning about life in the area. We felt totally safe and Shareef is an excellent guide and gentle host in the west bank. Do not hesitate to hire him. Well worth the fee vs DIY or package tour - especially for this region. Go to Palestine with Shareef. It will be a highlight of your trip to Israel. Arden. Canada

I recently had the pleasure of having Shareef Mahmoud Ali Jibreen as my tour guide in Palestine. His service was fantastic and I felt like he went above and beyond to make sure my experience was the best it could possibly be. He was professional and knowledgeable, communicating in excellent English. He provided exactly what was agreed upon and I'm so thankful for his help with my planning, it made such a difference! Highly recommend Shareef Mahmoud Ali Jibreen if you are looking for a tour guide in Palestine.