Jerusalem and Bethlehem Day Tour from Ashdod Port

Tour Overview

Join a tour to the most revered cities in the world, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, when your cruise ship docks in Ashdod! This Jerusalem and Bethlehem itinerary was created for travelers arriving at Ashdod cruise port. Your tour guide will meet you there, and you’ll ride in an air-conditioned car to Jerusalem. Visit Mount Scopus for a bird’s-eye perspective of the city before proceeding to the Old City. You’ll get views of the Kidron Valley, the Ophel Promenade, the Church of All Nations, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives, and more along the way. We cross the Western Wall excavations as we walk into the Old City. The Western Wall, the most holiest location in Judaism, is a stop on the day trips from Ashdod port. View the Cardo, a structure from the Byzantine era, a few Stations of the Via Dolorosa, and stroll through the Old City market. Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which houses both Golgotha – the site of Christ’s crucifixion – and His tomb. We have lunch in the Old City before leaving Jerusalem and traveling to Bethlehem, via Mount Zion. We stop at the Nativity Church in Bethlehem before returning to Ashdod port.

Itinerary

Your tour from Ashdod Port will begin at the cruise port, where your tour guide will meet you to take you on a journey through Bethlehem and Jerusalem. After a comfortable ride in an air-conditioned vehicle, you’ll first stop at Mount Scopus and take in a spectacular view across the rooftops and domes of Jerusalem.

Next, you’ll move on, travelling past the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations, situated on the Mount of Olives, named for the olive groves that once adorned its slopes.

The tour continues past the Kidron Valley, coming to the site of the ancient Jewish tombs, where you’ll see the beautiful Ophel Promenade that runs alongside the Old City Wall. Then, we’ll enter the Old City through a 16th Century gateway, coming to incredible views of the ancient city excavations at the Western Wall.

Once we’ve arrived, you’ll take a walking tour of the best sites around the Old City, giving you time to take in the Western Wall, a section of the Second Jewish Temple that has previously stood on Temple Mount before it’s destruction by the ancient Romans in 70 AD. You’ll also get to see the column-lined Byzantine Cardo, and relive the experience of people past, who used this as Jerusalem’s main thoroughfare. As you continue down the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus travelled towards Calvary, you’ll come to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the most famous landmark of the tour. This 4th-century basilica is made up of multiple chapels, and houses a number of altars that were shared by Christian denominations. Built at the site of Christ’s tomb, and around Golgotha (Calvary), where he was crucified, the Church is an iconic location that is not to be missed. While on your walking tour, you’ll also get to visit several traditional Middle Eastern markets, stopping for lunch in the middle.

Driving away from the Old City, you can still take in some fascinating views, with a spectacular view of Mount Zion. We’ll arrive in Bethlehem’s Manger Square, where you’ll come to the Nativity Church, a magnificent building that surrounds the Holy Grotto, believed by many to have been the place of Christ’s birth. Once you’ve taken in the sights, your tour will finish, so we’ll return to your cruise ship in Ashdod Port.

Additional Information

Inclusions:

Pick up and drop off at Ashdod cruise port
A fully qualified and licensed tour guide
Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
Entrance fees

Exclusions:

Food and drinks
Insurance

Notes:

In the booking process, it is very important to let us know the ship’s name, as well as the docking time
The schedule shown is for a 9-hour Jerusalem and Bethlehem Tour from Ashdod when pick-up time is 8:00 in the morning and return to the port is by 17:00
If your cruise ship docks at Haifa cruise port later than scheduled, we will delay the pick-up time accordingly
As we are obliged to return you to the port on time, in cases where the day tours from Haifa port start after 8:00, we will have to shorten the tour to meet the ship’s schedule. (A shorter itinerary will not include all the sites listed in the tour description)
When you arrive at the port, a guide will be waiting for you, holding a sign
Please bring a hat and water. Dress modestly (no shorts) as we will be visiting religious sites
A passport is compulsory
Please bring comfortable walking shoes as there is walking involved on this tour. This excursion is not suitable for guests with mobility issues
Due to visitor overload, a visit to Jesus’ Tomb and the Nativity Cave is not always possible
A visit to Bethlehem may require a change of vehicle as well as a local Palestinian guide
Some sites may not be visited and others included subject to accessibility, security, holiday festivities, or other circumstances
The tour is available for customers that arrive on cruise ships to Ashdod port only
Booking is subject to terms and conditions