Jerusalem & Bethlehem from Ashdod

From the port of Ashdod this full-day excursion takes you to the old city of Jerusalem and on to Bethlehem. Visitors to Jerusalem stand in a city where King David, the Emperor Constantine, the Arab commander Saladin, the Crusaders and the British General Allenby all left their mark – and many others besides.

Excavations Back to Canaanite Times

After the old city was taken in 1967, Israeli archaeologists began excavations there. The finds reach back as far as the Canaanite period. The guided walk visits the most important religious sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and sheds light on what the three monotheistic religions share and where they differ. The tour also addresses the city’s present-day challenges and the historical and political developments of the last hundred years.

From the Mount of Olives into the Old City

From the port of Ashdod we drive to the Mount of Olives, where an impressive view opens over the whole of the old city. We pass the Garden of Gethsemane and finally reach the Dung Gate, through which we enter old Jerusalem.

Western Wall, Dome of the Rock and Via Dolorosa

A first highlight is the Western Wall, where observant Jews pray close to the destroyed Temple. Only a few metres away, at the Dome of the Rock, Muslims commemorate the ascension of the Prophet Muhammad. Along the Via Dolorosa, where Christians remember the Way of the Cross, we reach the rock of Golgotha, today inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – the holiest site in Christendom, where the crucifixion, the entombment and the resurrection are said to have taken place.

On to Bethlehem

Afterwards the tour continues to Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity, before we bring you back to the port in the evening.

Tour Highlights

Panoramic view of the old city from the Mount of Olives
The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock
The Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
Insight into the history and the present of the city

At a Glance

Port: Ashdod
Duration: full day
Type: guided coach excursion
Guide: English-speaking

Good to Know

Pick-up at the port by our English-speaking colleague, with driver and coach, and return in the evening.
A dress code applies at holy sites: shoulders and knees covered.
Bring your passport – it is checked on entry at the port.
On Shabbat, from Friday evening to Saturday evening, much of public life pauses.
We guarantee your timely return to the ship.

This tour is one of our shore excursions in Israel.