After meeting at the David Citadel Hotel, you will begin your 3 to 5-hour tour, depending on the season. You will explore some of the religious highlights of Bethlehem, including the Church of the Nativity, St. Catherine, and the Shepherds' Fields. You will begin with the chance to visit the 1,500-year-old Church of Nativity where Jesus was born. From there you will enjoy beautiful views of the Old City of Bethlehem complete with the Manger Square. You will then take a ride through the city of Bethlehem and Beit Sahour passing by the main sites. A special visit to the Milk Grotto is also available, as well as a tour to the Shepherd’s Field where the Angels first announced the birth of Jesus Christ.

This half-day excursion takes you to the heart of the biblical story of the Nativity. Drive to Bethlehem to get an overview of the Shepherds' Field and to visit the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. Located on the West Bank, the city is heavily dependent on tourism and thousands come every year to worship or just watch at Manger's Square where Jesus is said to have been born. The city is the birthplace of King David, and means “City of Bread,” as a result of the wheat crop that grew in the region. According to Christian tradition, it is the site of the birth of Jesus. You will visit the Church of Nativity and the cave where Jesus was born. Continue to Manger Square, where Jesus was placed after his birth. Today it is also home to the Mosque of Omar, an important site for the many Muslims who live in the city. Explore the Greek and the Catholic Church. You will get an overview of Shepherd's Fields and visit the church, before your return to Jerusalem. The tour ends at approximately 13:30 at David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem.

Visit one of the most important sites from both the Hebrew Bible and New Testament on this tour of Bethlehem from Jerusalem. Identified as the city of David in Jewish texts, and the birthplace of Jesus in the New Testament, the Palestinian city in the West Bank is an essential site of pilgrimage. You will visit the Church of the Nativity, considered to be the oldest continuously operating Christian church in the world. Commissioned by Constantine in 327 AD, a new basilica was built in 565 AD after a fire destroyed the original church. The site is of prominent religious significance to the Christian and Muslim faiths and attracts sacred tourists year round. Feel the spiritual atmosphere of this holy site, including the large paved area of Manger Square. Rest on benches and by fountains made of Naqab marble. You will also get views of the Shepherds’ Fields, identified as the site where the biblical shepherds first saw the Star of Nativity. Your licensed guide will be on hand at all times to tell the story of these fertile fields of Beit Sahour, site of a Greek Orthodox church and Roman Catholic chapel.

After being collected from your accommodation, you will leave Jerusalem and travel south to nearby Bethlehem, the City of David. This was the home town of King David's father, and the place where Christ was born to Mary and Joseph. You will cross Manger Square surrounded by the Mosque of Omar, the Palestinian Peace Center, and perhaps the oldest functioning church in the world, the Church of the Nativity. The Byzantine church was originally constructed in the 4th century and later expanded during the 6th century. You can still see part of the original mosaic floor through an opening in the present basilica floor. You will enter the Basilica of the Nativity through a low doorway, the "Door of Humility". On the walls there are faint golden mosaics, and 30 of the 44 pink limestone columns in the nave of the church are adorned with decorations from the Crusader Period. Beneath the church is the Grotto of the Nativity, where it is believed that Jesus was born. A silver star in the grotto is engraved with the Latin phrase "Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary". Also in the church are the Chapel of the Manger and the Alter of the Adoration of the Magi (the three wise men). You will exit the basilica passing the Armenian Chapel of the Kings and continue on to the adjacent Church of Saint Catherine. From the Church of St. Catherine you will descend to the grottoes which are connected to those beneath the Church of the Nativity. These ancient caves hold several tombs and chapels, including the Chapel of the Innocent (dedicated to the babies killed under Herod (Matt. 2:16)); the Chapel of Joseph, and the Tomb of Jerome. There is also the grotto where Jerome worked for many years translating the Hebrew Bible to Latin. Your final stop is to see Shepherds Field. Here the Bible states that an angel appeared to shepherds tending their sheep by night, and the angel told them that a savior had been born in nearby Bethlehem. Today, a tent-shaped chapel stands here, which was designed by renowned architect Antonio Berluzzi and is decorated with scenes from the life of Christ.

Travel to the heart of the biblical story of the nativity on this guided half-day excursion from Tel Aviv. Drive to Bethlehem to gain an insight into Shepherds' Field and visit the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. Located on the West Bank, the city is the birthplace of King David and means “City of Bread” as a result of the wheat crop that grew in the region. Pay a visit to the Church of the Nativity and the cave where, according to Christian tradition, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Continue to Manger Square, home to the Mosque of Omar, an important site for the many Muslims who live in the city. Explore Shepherds' Field by seeing the lesser-known Greek Orthodox monastery. Then, visit the Roman Catholic Shepherds' Field chapel where angels first announced the birth of Christ. After getting an overview of the pilgrimage center, conclude the tour in Jerusalem.