Cruise Critic member in Israel, happy to answer questions

[cruisemom42]

My family has booked GTI for 2 days in Ashdod and 2 days in Haifa. On the first Ashdod day, we plan to go to Masada and the Dead Sea. On the second day, we want to go to Bethlehem and also see the major sites of Jerusalem. My neighbor tells me that we must see a virtual reality show and tour the tunnels. Is it reasonable to try to tour the tunnels? We don't want to miss the Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, Dome of the Rock, and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as well as Bethlehem. Do the tunnels feel confining? Is there a show at the tunnels? Thanks very much!

 

I didn't do it when I stopped in Israel on a cruise, but I did do the Kotel (Western wall) tunnel tour when I visited Israel in March.

 

The tunnel tour needs to be reserved in advance and takes around 90 minutes total. The tunnels you walk through are not confining in most places, but there is one area you walk through where it is definitely single-file only. I've attached a couple of photos below to give you an idea.

 

I'm not sure about a "virtual reality" show. :confused: There is a brief explanation of the tunnels with a model and a film, about :confused:1/3 of the way along the tour.

 

As to your proposed plan, the trip to Bethlehem, in my experience, takes quite a while. You are at the mercy of the security lines going and coming. I really enjoyed it on my two-week tour, don't get me wrong, but it does eat up a lot of time when you only have a day. I suggest you have to consider what it most important to you and probably let either the tunnel tour or Bethlehem go if you want to see all the other sites you list.

 

Also -- there are very limited hours when you can go up to Temple Mount to see the Dome of the Rock, and you cannot go inside. A lot of people do not realize this and it leads to disappointment. However, you can get a good overlook of Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock from several different places around Jerusalem.

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2011 by cruisemom42

[Cruzer Two]

Ron, Thank you for posting the videos. I have watched 3 of them and they are helping me decide where we want to go. I still don't know if we are going to try to visit the tunnels, but I am going to keep doing research. Maybe someone will post their recent experience.

 

Your welcome, I hope the videos will help with your decision. The tunnels are interesting, but there are so many other places to see I wouldn't really rank them high on the list if time is limited.

 

Just my opinion.

 

Ron

[aqua]

Thank you all for your replies; they are very helpful. We will probably skip the tunnels unless something changes and we decide to omit Bethlehem. There is so much to see and so little time!

 

If anyone has strong feelings about what to see from the Haifa port, please let me know. We are doing a 2 day custom tour with GTI. This is what the guide proposed. (We are not planning to go to the Kibbutz.) Suggestions and comments about this itinerary are appreciated. Thanks!

 

"On your third day, we will pick you up from the Haifa port for a Jewish tour of Northern Israel. You can visit such beautiful and fascinating places such as Acre (Akko), Safed, Sea of Galilee, Kibbutz, and Haifa

 

For the last day of your stay in Israel, we will pick you up from the Haifa port to visit the Western Coast of Israel. You will have a most memorable time visiting Acre (Akko), Haifa, Caesarea, Tel Aviv and Jaffa. We will return you to the ship in Haifa at the end of the day."

[ptater]

I would like to arrange a private tour from Haifa to Nazareth, Sea of Galilee and also to

Safed. Not so much interested in religious emphasis just a general overview. Is this too

much to cover in 1 day? Also is there a boat ride option on the Sea of Galilee? Thanks

for your help in advance.

[Marian Paroo]

There are boats that do the Sea of Galilee, but to the best of my knowledge they dont make any stops at the kibbutzim. historical or religious spots.

 

I don't know how much your Safed tour is going to concentrate on the cultural aspecs of Sefad (some art galleries) or the religious aspects (historical synagogues, rabbinical tombs, Kabalah - the real McCoy so to speak and the more popular stuff).

 

Ask.

[zwho]

I have hired a private guide for our 4 days in Israel. She says it will save me lots of $$$ if I rent the car, but she picks it up, and then us at the Ashdod pier? I'm not sure, but doesn't the person who rents the car have to pick up the car? I don't know the rules in Israel, but if she can do it, and it's legal, and it will save me money, I'm all for it. I just want to know before I go any further that it will work! Thanks in advance.

[zwho]

Where is everybody? On Vacation? Oh it's July

[Marian Paroo]

Where is everybody? On Vacation? Oh it's July

 

I'm here!

 

I took my vacation and my cruise in May.

 

So if you guys have any questions about Israel in general I'll be pleases to try and helo.

[zwho]

Then would you mind looking at my question up 2 posts from yours? Thanks!

[happy cruiser K]

I would appreciate any recommendation you might have for touring Israel if in a wheelchair or using a walker. I am having hip surgery and I will be using one or the other. We hope to visit all the sites with a christian perspective. we also want to go to the Dead Sea and Masada. We have 4 days in the area. Will it be possible to see the sites if I am immoblized ? Any suggestions ? Thank you for any help you can give me in this matter ?

[Marian Paroo]

Then would you mind looking at my question up 2 posts from yours? Thanks!

 

Don't drive, don't even have a license. Maybe another of my fellow citizens who does can answer. There are a number of us who pop by to look at this thread.

 

Best,

Marian

 

[Marian Paroo]

I would appreciate any recommendation you might have for touring Israel if in a wheelchair or using a walker. I am having hip surgery and I will be using one or the other. We hope to visit all the sites with a christian perspective. we also want to go to the Dead Sea and Masada. We have 4 days in the area. Will it be possible to see the sites if I am immoblized ? Any suggestions ? Thank you for any help you can give me in this matter ?

 

http://www.aisrael.org/eng/

[epixx]

I would appreciate any recommendation you might have for touring Israel if in a wheelchair or using a walker. I am having hip surgery and I will be using one or the other. We hope to visit all the sites with a christian perspective. we also want to go to the Dead Sea and Masada. We have 4 days in the area. Will it be possible to see the sites if I am immoblized ? Any suggestions ? Thank you for any help you can give me in this matter ?

 

You can also see this: http://www.israel4all.com/

[Moonglow]

I would strongly suggest putting off this trip until your hip has healed. I had hip replacement and touring all the places you mentioned will be difficult and not enjoyable. Steps are going to be a real issue until you are off the walker and cane, and in fact, I am surprised your doctor would even release you for this. Physical therapy takes 2 to 3 weeks and then you are off the walker and cane. Also, flying a long distance so close after surgery is very dangerous due to clots. I was on a blood thiner for 2 weeks. It gives me chills to think of doing this trip.

[happy cruiser K]

Thank you for all the comments and recommendations. They look like they might solve the problem if I am still using a wheelchair or walker. Kay

[salseros2003]

Well close to the cruise maybe we have niw clear ideas about our selfmade Jerusalem tour next August 16th.

Please any suggestion or advise is very welcomed!

 

Leave cruiseship at 7am and take a taxi so to reach the Mount of Olives at abt 8,30. Start from chapel of Ascension, pater nister church, Getsemani, all nations church, ... 1,5 hours..enough?

 

Move to Lions Gate..be there at 10,30 and do all Via Dolorosa and Holy Sepulcher Church.

 

At 1pm ready to enter the Temple Mount area...if I'm rigth you can access it at 7.30/11 or 13.30/14.30.... Correct? If I enter at 13.30 I must be iut before 14.30 or once inside you can stay a little bit more? Which part I can enter as no Muslim?

 

So at 14.30 to the Western Wall

 

Move to Mount Sion to visit Cenacle and Dormition Church.

 

Back to Citadel..quick visit and back to the ship...maybe we have to use a different taxi because theh ones in Jerusalem are not allowed to enter the Ashod port.

 

So also good for us to know where there is an fee to pay to enter and which currency we can use.

 

Thank sooooo much

[Coopdedoop]

Can you recommend a taxi or limo service that we can book on a Saturday to take us from the cruise ship port to Akko? or any other suggestions on getting around on Shabbat.

[TroubleT]

Any gate you'll get into the old city must be the one you leave through too.

True or False???

[Marian Paroo]

Can you recommend a taxi or limo service that we can book on a Saturday to take us from the cruise ship port to Akko? or any other suggestions on getting around on Shabbat.

 

You should have no trouble at all finding a cab to take you from anywhere to anywhere on Saturday.

 

But if you are going intercity, ask to see the price list, which is in English and Hebrew.

 

Within a city, the meter code should be 2 between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on weekdays, and from one hour before sunset- 5 a.m. Sunday morning, otherwise it should be 1

 

You should be able to find shared taxis "sheruts" between Haifa and Akko on Saturdays, and I think there may actually be buses, but I am not sure.

 

Don't know anything about limo services, sorry.

[Marian Paroo]

Any gate you'll get into the old city must be the one you leave through too.

True or False???

 

?????

 

Never heard of such a thing.

 

Sounds more legend or superstition than law

[Missouri travel girl]

Hi, can you help me with a fair priced overnight tour of Jerusalem? We will be on a cruise ship from Haifa and return to Ashod. Six people. Thank you.

[ottawa24]

Ruth, We will be staying is Tel Aviv overnight. We would like to go to Jerusalem for the morning with maybe a private guide. We have to be back to Haifa by 4ish to catch our ship. We are not sure if we can catch a taxi or if a guide would take us. We understand it is about 2hrs + from Jerusalem to Haifa.

Thank you for any assistance.

[Marian Paroo]

Ruth, We will be staying is Tel Aviv overnight. We would like to go to Jerusalem for the morning with maybe a private guide. We have to be back to Haifa by 4ish to catch our ship. We are not sure if we can catch a taxi or if a guide would take us. We understand it is about 2hrs + from Jerusalem to Haifa.

Thank you for any assistance.

 

I would say two hours only if their is no traffic and your driver ignores the speed limit.

 

I's add another 1/2 hour to that estimate.

[ptater]

We would like to take a taxi from the port of Haifa to Ein Hod and the Druze Village. Do we need to ask the taxi to wait or will taxis be available for the trip back to the port?

Thanks for your help.

[fareast]

Hi. My wife and I arrive in Ashdod on Nov 7. Our ship leaves Ashdod for Haifa at 8 PM Nov 8. We are taking a private tour of Jerusalem plus Bethlehem on Nov 7th and have decided to stay overnight in Jerusalem.

 

We are staying at the Inbal and are thinking we would walk over to the old city for a leisurely walk around Jerusalem rather than booking another day tour on Nov 8th. We plan to go back to the Inbal in the afternoon , pick up our bags and then take a taxi back to Ashdod airport the afternoon of Nov8

 

The Inbal concierge says they can easily get us a taxi at 5PM to get us back to Ashdod for a cost of about 100dollars, and we should have enough time to be back on board the ship before it sails at 8PM.

 

Are Taxis back to Ashdod easy to get? And is 2 hours about the time it will take us to get back to the Port? Is it likely the Taxi will be able to enter the Port to take us to the ship?

 

And lastly, do you have a recommendation for a good restaurant for dinner within walking distance of the Inbal?

 

Thanks for your thoughts on our plans.

 

Mike and Terry