Jerusalem & Bethlehem Tour from Haifa Port 2026 - Small Group





Description
Visit religious highlights of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, on a full-day, group tour to Jerusalem and Bethlehem from Haifa Port. Take in views from the Mount of Olives, and pass the Garden of Gethsemane as you enter old Jerusalem. Follow Jesus footsteps in Jerusalem walk along Via Dolorosa and Stations of the Cross, Church of Church of Holy Sepulchre, say a prayer beside the Western Wall in Jewish Quarter. Visit Bethlehem, The Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pickup from Haifa Port. Guide will be waiting for you with COMPASS sign at the exit arrival terminal. Pickup all group members and proceed with the tour
Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city. One of the city's most famous landmarks is the Mount of Olives. It separates the most holy place, the Temple Mount, from the Judean Desert to the east. We know it to be the place from which Jesus the Messiah ascended into heaven (Acts 1:11), and where He will one day return. The Mount of Olives is frequently mentioned in the New Testament as part of the route from Jerusalem to Bethany and the place where Jesus stood when he wept over Jerusalem (an event known as Flevit super illam in Latin). ... Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives according to Acts 1:9–12.
Gethsemane is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus underwent the agony in the garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. It is a place of great resonance in Christianity. There are several small olive groves in church property, all adjacent to each other and identified with biblical Gethsemane.
Stop at Mount Zion to visit King David's Tomb, Room of Last Supper. In biblical usage, however, “Mount Zion” often means the city rather than the hill itself. ... Mount Zion is the place where Yahweh, the God of Israel, dwells (Isaiah 8:18; Psalm 74:2), the place where he is king (Isaiah 24:23) and where he has installed his king, David (Psalm 2:6). The Tomb of King David is one of the most sacred sites for the Jews. Nonetheless, according to the researchers, there is no certainty that this is in fact King David’s burial site. The bible mentions that King David was buried in the City of David, which is located at the foot of the Temple Mount. Located on an upper floor of King David's Tomb, the Room of the Last Supper, also called The Cenacle, is considered one of the holiest sites for Christianity in Jerusalem, since according to the tradition, it was the place where the last supper took place.
Enter the Old City and walk through the Armenian and Jewish quarters to the recently excavated and restored Cardo, the Roman Road. The southern part of the Cardo, uncovered in the Jewish Quarter, was built during the reign of the emperor Justinian (527-565), as a continuation of the earlier, Roman, northern part, thus linking the two main churches of Byzantine Jerusalem the Holy Sepulcher and the Nea Church.
Continue to the Christian Quarter. Walk along the Via Dolorosa and visit the Church of Holy Sepulchre. The Via Dolorosa is a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem. It represents the path that Jesus would have taken, forced by the Roman soldiers, on the way to his crucifixion. Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Sorrowful Way” or “Way of Suffering”) is a narrow, stone path believed to be the route Jesus took to His Crucifixion nearly 2000 years ago. ... It is here that Christians relive and celebrate Christ's Passion, Death and Resurrection. The Via Dolorosa is filled with religion and ritual.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the most sacred site in the world for millions of Christians. This is the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Helena identified this place as The Calvary, where Jesus was crucified. Calvary, or Golgotha, (Aramaic: “Skull”) also called Calvary, (from Latin calva: “bald head” or “skull”), skull-shaped hill in ancient Jerusalem, the site of Jesus' crucifixion. It is referred to in all four Gospels (Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, and John 19:17). According to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified at a spot outside Jerusalem called Golgotha, which in Aramaic means “place of the skull.” The Latin word for skull is calvaria, and in English many Christians refer to the site of the crucifixion as Calvary.
Wailing Wall, The Kotel. The Wailing Wall or Western Wall is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a relatively small segment of a far longer ancient retaining wall, known also in its entirety as the "Western Wall". The Western Wall's holiness in Judaism is a result of its proximity to the Temple Mount. Because of the Temple Mount entry restrictions, the Wall is the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray, though the Foundation Stone, the most sacred site in the Jewish faith, lies behind it.
Continue to Bethlehem. Visit the Church of Nativity and Manger's Square. Church of Nativity contains a grotto where Jesus is said to have been born. This grotto is also the oldest continually used site of Christian worship. For this reason, the site is incredibly significant for those making religious pilgrimages, or those who are interested in religion and the history. The Gospels of both Matthew and Luke place the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The Gospel of Luke states that Mary gave birth to Jesus and placed him in a manger “because there was no place for them in the inn. Far from the Christmas-card image, the place of Christ’s birth is a dimly-lit rock cave. Instead of a star above, a 14-point silver star on the marble floor of the Grotto of the Nativity bears the words “Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est” (Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary). Manger Square is one of the top tourist destinations in Bethlehem, located in the heart of Bethlehem Old City.
Return transfer to Haifa port. Have a great evening. Hope you enjoyed and we are sure that you will keep fond memories of your spiritual adventure with us. If you ever want to repeat the authentic experience and spiritual feelings, we always will be here to assist you.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
100% on-time pick up from Haifa port after you pass the immigration control, according to your cruise ship's arrival time Available according to all scheduled cruises in 2026
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
- Dress code is smart casual
Reviews(31)
Very informative and lively, was fun experience in whole. Best guide ever. We were 8 of us who travelled to visit Jerusalem and the guide started the journey with explaining about different cultures and traditions, which was wonderful
July was our guide for this tour. July was on time waiting for us at the port. The guide was very knowledgeable and considerate. The driver was fantastic and moved us thru busy streets and kept us on schedule. We recommend Compass Travel and will look for them when we return to Israel.
We have an amazing time in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Our tour guide Avi waited for us at the Haifa port with a very comfortable and new 7 seaters. Avi shared a lot of his knowledge and history with us. Avi made a good arrangement and we were back to Haifa on time even there was a traffic jam. The tour covered all the places listed on the itinerary. Highly recommended!!!
Unfortunately, due to recent events in Israel, we had to cancel our tour as our cruise changed route for the safety of guests. The company responded to us with a personalized response and promptly canceled our purchase, which could not be refunded in case of cancellation. I hope everything goes well in the Holy Land and next time we will definitely book with them again.
Very interesting and informative tour. The guard was very good and helpful. The information was clear.
Perfect! The guide Avi Ofek is the best! Guided us with security and told us brilliant the histories about this fantastic places! Thank you!
This is 100% hands down the best tour I have ever been on. Travelling all the way from Australia this was literally the highlight of our trip. Avi our tour guide was amazing, welcoming, extremely knowledgeable and showed us all the secret spots on the tour of Jerusalem and Bethlehem that you just wouldn't get on a large bus tour. He treated us to some delicious traditional sesame bread and coffee, which as lovely experience. The vechile was beautiful, luxurious, new, clean with a fantastic A/C. We wanted a tour that delivered all the highlights of Jerusalem plus Bethlehem and this tour delivered that and more. The sights are breathtaking and definitely ticket all the boxes and more. If I could put down more stars I would. You cannot go past this tour, if you want to do the Jerusalem and Bethlehem right.
Avi and Adel were excellent guides in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. They both are very knowledgeable. We had this tour from Ashdod, Israel May 29, 2023. Bill & Lin
Rafi won us over quickly with his humor, knowledge, reverence and concern for the good of the group. Exceeded expectations!
The tour was absolutely GREAT. Perfect organization and time management. We visited all the main sites with the value added of our guide July who Is able to give you a full and complete picture of the country and provides the tourists with lots of info about the places, making you "feel" the passion and love for these unique historical sites. Really enjoyed and strongly recommended



