On this tour, Jaffa becomes a stage full of impossible characters: pharaohs, prophets, Greek monsters, Ottoman governors, St Peter, Napoleon, pilgrims, fishermen and people who came here looking for a new beginning. I’m Maria Lando, a licensed Israeli tour guide who has lived between 3 cultures and guides in English, Hebrew and rusty Russian. My style is warm, curious and story-driven. I connect archaeology, biblical traditions, local legends, architecture, humor and human moments, so the stones don’t stay silent for long. At a few stops, guests may join short optional story moments with simple provided scripts. Watching is perfectly fine too. No acting skills needed, only curiosity.
Larger groups pay less per person.
Out at sunset: the 4:00 PM departure is under way when the sun sets, around 4:54 PM in the coming weeks.
In demand: 20 of the next 60 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 16.
We start near the Ottoman Clock Tower, built when Jaffa was trying to become modern and, according to local jokes, even the camels finally knew the time. Then we enter Old Jaffa near its legendary Jerusalem Gate, a threshold crossed for more than 3,500 years by pharaohs’ armies, Crusaders, pilgrims, emperors, writers, immigrants and people chasing miracles.
From the sea viewpoint, we look toward the rocks linked to Andromeda, the princess of Jaffa in Greek mythology. A proud queen, an angry sea god, a chained daughter, a monster, and Perseus arriving just in time. In Jaffa, every empire and every faith seems to have left a story by the shore.
St Peter’s Church gives Jaffa one of its biggest stories. Here we connect Peter, Tabitha, Simon the Tanner, a rooftop vision, and a church facing west toward Rome. It is a small stop with a huge idea: how a local Jewish movement began turning into a world religion.
At the Egyptian gate, Jaffa suddenly becomes 3,000 years older. We meet Ramses II, talk about Egyptian power on the coast, and hear a military trick story so clever that the Trojan Horse feels almost late to the party.
We end at Jaffa Port, where Jonah tried to sail away from God and Napoleon tried to reshape the Holy Land. His 1799 campaign brought cannon fire, plague and tragedy, but also scientists, maps, research, and one debated promise to the Jews that still echoes in history.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 431 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Private Old Jaffa Storytelling Tour with Licensed Guide lasts about 2–3 hours. The itinerary has 5 stops.
Prices start at $129 per person for this Tel Aviv experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
It can: 20 of the next 60 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Meet at the Jaffa Clock Tower, on the open plaza next to the tower. Look for Maria, your smiling guide, holding a small tour folder. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN, HE.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Not recommended for travelers with serious mobility problems
Confirmation is sent by the operator within 24 hours of booking.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 5 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by HolyLand with Maria.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
I went on a few tours with Maria and greatly enjoyed each and every one of them. Maria is very knowledgeable. She covers history, geography, culture and archeology, all in a very interesting and engaging manner. The sites she choses are fascinating. I highly recommend touring Israel with Maria !!
A fascinating historical tour of Eifo, we learned a lot about Christianity and Greek mythology Very interesting, Maria the guide is knowledgeable and very pleasant The guide matched the tour to the character I and my friends asked for and it was very easy to arrange all the details with her. Highly recommended to both friends and families.
Do yourself a favor and book this tour with Maria. I grew up here and walk these streets every day, but I never knew any of the facts Maria shared. This evening sunset tour completely blew my mind—from the Clock Tower to St. Peter’s house to the Jaffa Port and the astrology bridge, Maria's knowledge is just so vast and impressive. She tells stories in a way that’s engaging, interactive, and incredibly easy to follow, with an amazing flow and perfect timing. It was so easy and comfortable to book everything. Maria is incredibly warm, accommodating, and perfectly tailors the experience to your needs and interests. I’ve gone on a few different trips with Maria now, and she is easily the best, most interesting guide I’ve ever met. I recommend Maria's tours 100000/100!
It was so interesting and enriching, Maria passes through the tour creatively and with in-depth and surprising knowledge of every corner we passed, and of course with a smile on the face and constant kindness Enjoyed very much!!
wonderful tour with deep historical views of a very interesting Jaffa. Maria gave wonderful backround of Jaffa .
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Old Jaffa Storytelling Tour with Licensed Guide | 2–3 hours | 5.0 (5) | $129 | |
 Jerusalem Private Tour | Official Licensed Guide | 8 hours | 5.0 (131) | $1,200 | View |
 Masada & Dead Sea with Licensed Guide Full day Tour for Cruises | 6–9 hours | 5.0 (3) | $699 | View |
 Private City Walking Tour Old Jaffa | 2h 30min | — | $150 | View |
 Explore Old Jaffa by night - Private Tour | 1–3 hours | 4.8 (13) | $364 | View |
 Flavors and Stories Old Jaffa & Flea Market Private Culinary Tour | 3 hours | — | $645 | View |
 Private Jerusalem and Bethlehem Day Tour with Licensed Guide | 10–12 hours | — | $1,179 | View |