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Christmas Eve in Israel: Jerusalem & Midnight Mass in Bethlehem from Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, Israel

12 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Make Christmas Eve truly special on this Jerusalem and Bethlehem trip from Tel Aviv. With a guide, explore Old Jerusalem’s holy Christian sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Then, visit Bethlehem to experience the traditional celebrations in Manger Square. Soak up the atmosphere and admire the Church of the Nativity. Lastly, savor Christmas dinner at Manger Square and watch the stirring Christmas Eve midnight mass on the outdoor screens.

Hassle-free way to celebrate Christmas Eve in Jerusalem and Bethlehem
Admire panoramic views of the Holy Land from the Mount of Olives
Relax with hotel pickup and drop-off from select Tel Aviv hotels
Christmas dinner at restaurant already included for convenience

What's Included

Professional guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Air-conditioned vehicle
Christmas dinner

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time
.2:00 pm

Itinerary

After early afternoon pickup from select Tel Aviv hotels, travel by air-conditioned coach to Jerusalem, one of the world’s oldest cities and central to the Christian faith down the ages.

After roughly an hour on the road, arrive at the Mount of Olives. Gaze out from here over Old Jerusalem, and then keep your camera ready as you drive around the walls of the UNESCO-listed Old City. On route, see the Kidron Valley and pass the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus and his disciples are said to have spent time the night before his crucifixion.

Stop at the walls and enter the Old City on foot. Follow your guide into the alleyways of the Christian Quarter, and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site of Jesus’ crucifixion. Wander around the revered church and see the treasures and Stations of the Cross that make it one of Christianity's most sacred spots.

Then, continue by coach to Bethlehem. On arrival, take a break for light refreshments at a prettily decorated Christmas souvenir shop, before strolling into Manger Square to enjoy the traditional celebrations. Admire the Christmas tree and floodlit Church of the Nativity, built on the site of Jesus’ birth, and listen to the carols sung by locals and pilgrims.

Then, if time permits, head inside the church to soak up the deeply spiritual atmosphere that comes with Christmas night. Afterward, sit down to a delicious Christmas dinner in a restaurant overlooking the square. Soak up the emotion of the evening and setting as you eat, and watch the live outdoor screen broadcasts of the Church of the Nativity midnight mass.

Take your leave of Bethlehem and finish your trip with a drop-off at your Tel Aviv hotel.

Mount of Olives (Pass By)

Garden of Gethsemane (Pass By)

Kidron Valley (Pass By)

Old City of Jerusalem

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Christian Quarter

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bethlehem

5 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Church of the Nativity

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel

Modest dress is obligatory for visits to holy sites; covered knees and shoulders
Recommended to bring comfortable walking shoes and warm clothes
You will be required to change vehicles when entering the Palestinian territory
Please note this tour is not suitable for children under the age of 4
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Reviews

3.6

based on 7 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

This tour was all about getting all...

Darrin P, Feb 2014

This tour was all about getting all of us to a souvenir shop in Bethlehem that the tour guide had a deal with. They were so blatant about it they left his commission sheet right by the cash register and he repeatedly was checking it. They had us in a restaurant and asked that we return by 12:30. When we got back, our guide was sleeping on a couch.So as one of the others on the tour put it, "We ate cafeteria food and watched the mass on TV." The only reason I gave it 2 stars was that we were two of the fortunate ones that got to see the shrine where tradition states that the manger actually was. Most of the people on our tour didn't. Also, the tour of Jerusalem was all about rushing through everywhere but the 'Wailing Wall'. No time to speak of in the Church of the Sepulchre.We had taken a free tour of the city the day before that was far more informative. The guide on the Viator tour was either misinformed or simply lying when talking about many of the different places in the Old City.

Going to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve...

David R, Jan 2014

Going to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve is an amazing experience. Our bus was clean and comfortable. Our tour guide was nice and informative. He went out of his way to get us into the church. I could have done without spending up to an hour in one designated gift shop, which was overpriced.