Gaza Border and Nova Festival Memorial Small Group Tour
Description
Journey from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv to the Gaza border and visit areas affected by the October 7th events. Stop at a southern kibbutz, learn about moments of courage and loss, and honor fallen “female observers” at Nahal Oz. Visit Re’im, once the Nova Festival site, now a memorial, and see roadside bomb shelters where locals sought safety. Pause in Netivot for lunch, and witness torched cars in a local parking lot before concluding at a photo exhibition. The tour is guided by local experts who ensure a sensitive and respectful experience, allowing visitors to learn, reflect, and bear witness to a pivotal moment in Israel’s recent history.
Tour Options
Itinerary
6:15 - Departure from Jerusalem
8:00 - Departure from Tel Aviv
Travel south on Route 232 and learn about the stories that took place along this road Visit a southern kibbutz and tour the area while listening to stories (from kibbutz members)
Reach the Nahal Oz outlook and honor the “female observers”, border surveillance experts who died during the Nahal Oz attack
Arrive in Re’im, the site where the Nova Music Festival was once celebrated. Take a free time for remembrance, reflection, and prayer at the Nova Festival Victims Memorial. After stop at the roadside bomb shelters, where many Israelis sought shelter
Lunch in Netivot
Visit the parking lot where dozens of torched cars remain Brief stop at a photo exhibition
17:30 - Return to Tel Aviv
19:00 - Return to Jerusalem
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Visitor discretion is advised. Given that this tour covers deeply sensitive subject matter, participants are encouraged to prepare themselves emotionally and mentally.
- All participants must be at least 14 years of age.
Reviews(10)
One of the best tours I've taken in the world. Yossi was beyond amazing. From the start he detailed how the day would go, explained we could visit additional stops and why. At every stop he was thorough in explaining how that horrible day 7/10 unfolded. He knew several people who had family there on 7/10 who could share their stories at two stops. Yossi was very engaging and I would 100% recommend him as a guide on any trip.
Thank you so much for this incredible review! We're truly honored to hear that this was one of the best tours you've taken anywhere. Yossi's thoughtful approach, deep knowledge, and ability to bring the experience to life through personal stories are exactly what make his tours so meaningful. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to him. Thank you for choosing Tourist Israel, and we'd be delighted to welcome you back for another unforgettable experience in Israel!
A moving visit regarding the terrible tragedy of October 7. It is important to be a direct witness to these atrocities in a world where historical revisionism is frequent (and facilitated by social media). Some beautiful encounters with victims and relatives of victims. I recommend it!
Thank you so much for this moving review. Bearing witness firsthand to the tragedy of October 7 is incredibly important, and we are honored to have been able to accompany you on such a meaningful visit. Meeting with victims and their loved ones remains at the heart of this experience. Thank you for your recommendation, and we would be delighted to welcome you back to discover more of Israel with Tourist Israel.
An outstanding guide. We had plenty of time to pause and reflect. We experienced many moving moments and learned a lot. The best tour in a long time.
Thank you for this lovely review! We're so glad you had an outstanding guide and the time and space to pause, reflect, and take in so many moving moments. Creating meaningful, thoughtfully paced experiences with our expert local guides is what we love most at Tourist Israel. It means a lot to hear this was your best tour in a long time, and we'd be delighted to welcome you back!
A sobering tour that really shows the scale and barbarity of the attack. The stories of heroism and selflessness demonstrated the breathtakingly strong bond Israelis share. These are strong people who have a remarkable resilience and fortitude to keep going. The memorials have been thoughtfully created in a very short space of time. Yossi was a fantastic guide who clearly not only has deep knowledge but deep insight. I highly recommend it.
Thank you for this heartfelt review. Yossi will be moved to hear you valued both his deep knowledge and his insight, and we're grateful you recognized the care taken in creating these memorials. Sharing these stories of resilience with dignity is central to what we do at Tourist Israel. We'd be honored to welcome you back.
This tour is a must for all who are visiting Israel. I feel it’s very important to see first hand the evidence of October 7th and to remember and reflect on the lives stolen. Every site has its own story and our tour guide led us through many moments with facts and evidence, but his main focus was the lives, the people and the communities. I am privileged to have been able to come and join this tour.
Thank you for these moving words. You've captured exactly what we hope this tour offers, a chance to see, remember, and reflect while keeping the focus on the lives, people, and communities. Our guides put great care into honoring those stories. We're grateful you joined us, and we'd be honored to welcome you back with Tourist Israel.
Very meaningful experience. Guide was incredibly knowledgeable. It was a tour that everyone should take, filled with many sites and stories while maintaining sensitivity and honesty. Highly recommend.
Thank you for sharing this. We're grateful you found the experience so meaningful, and that our guide balanced deep knowledge with the sensitivity and honesty such a tour deserves. Telling these stories with care is at the heart of Tourist Israel. Thank you for the recommendation, and we'd be honored to host you again.
Amazing day experiencing the events of October 7th. Heard incredible stories and saw incredible things. The day started at 8am and we got back at around 6 ish to tel aviv. The group was 6 of us and it was very pleasant with a respectful atmosphere. The tour guide was great and extremely knowledgable. I have learnt so much and it was definitely worth the money as this was mainly for the transport from tel aviv and back. 10/10 day
Thank you for such a thoughtful 10/10 review! We're glad your October 7th tour was both meaningful and well organized, from the early start to the respectful small-group atmosphere, and that your knowledgeable guide helped you learn so much. Honoring these stories with care is central to what we do at Tourist Israel. We'd be honored to welcome you back.
The whole trip was amazing. It was a difficult day, but our tour guide Yossi was very informative and helped to impress upon us the significance of October 7, partially by telling us individual stories of some of the victims. His knowledge and experience gave all of us a memorable experience. I will definitely recommend the tour to anyone who wants to take such a trip.
Thank you for sharing this, and for joining such a meaningful tour. We know it's a difficult but important day, and Yossi and our local guides take great care to honor the significance of October 7th through the individual stories of those affected. We're grateful you'll recommend the experience, and we'd be honored to welcome you back to Israel with Tourist Israel.
A must. Moving beyond words. Tour guide was very knowledgeable, careful to adhere to established facts and to respect the experiences of survivors, those who did not survive and their loved ones. He prioritized group safety and provided the chance to opt out for those who wished to avoid hearing about the more difficult material. He also prioritized our group’s safety at all times. We became witnesses to the reality of what occurred on October 7, 2023.
Thank you for sharing such a moving reflection. Experiences like this carry real weight, and at Tourist Israel we believe they must be handled with care, accuracy, and deep respect for survivors, for those who were lost, and for their loved ones. We're grateful to hear our guide honored that responsibility, staying faithful to the facts, giving guests the choice to step away from the most difficult moments, and keeping the group's safety and comfort a priority throughout. Bearing witness to history this way is a profound thing, and it reflects everything we mean when we say we care. We're honored to have shared it with you.
I took the Gaza border and Nova festival site small group tour last week and wanted to share my thoughts. This is not a typical tour as much as an inside look at a significant place in Israel and her recent history. Yossi, our tour guide, was excellent, knowledgeable and personable right from the start. He expertly led us the beaches along the border; to the poignant memorial for the Lady Observers; to the Black Arrow site, where so many perished; to the Nova festival and memorial site; to a nearby kibbutz, where almost everyone who lived there on 10/7/23 was either murdered or taken hostage. Yossi, who is on a mission to share this information with the world, related stories of heroism, survival and grief during the course of the day. We ended the tour in Sderot, where there's a memorial at the site of the police station that was burned down. We returned to Tel Aviv in the evening with a deeper understanding of the situation along the Gaza border. This tour is not for everyone, but if you're interested in learning more about the conflict, this is a good place to start.
Thank you for sharing such a meaningful reflection. The Gaza border and Nova site experience is indeed a deeply powerful and complex day, and we are grateful you approached it with such openness. Yossi was carefully selected for his knowledge, sensitivity, and ability to communicate difficult history with balance and humanity. Creating responsible, educational experiences that provide context and understanding is something we take very seriously at Tourist Israel. We appreciate your recommendation and your thoughtful perspective.
