Jerusalem Tour Guide Differences and Styles

Your tour guide in Jerusalem may be the most important factor in your tour in Jerusalem.

It is true that anyone who has completed a course as a tour guide can be authorized to be a tour guide in Israel. Jerusalem is a very significant part of this training, and for a good reason.

Why does it matter so much who will be your Jerusalem tour guide?

As already mentioned, every tour guide in Israel should know how to guide tours of Jerusalem, Yet today there is a clear distinction between the guides who specialize in Jerusalem and tour guides who know how to guide in the city but whose main specialty is elsewhere.

The difference can only be truly understood after a tour with a guide who specializes in Jerusalem. The tour of Jerusalem is always substantially a meeting with people, whether it a tour of Old Jerusalem or the Mahane Yehuda market, The human encounter with the characters of Jerusalem is an essential part of the tour experience. When a Jerusalem guide takes you on a tour there is a better chance that you will meet the most colorful Jerusalemites, which is what makes the difference.

Are there any differences between tour guides in Jerusalem?

Of course, tour guidance in Jerusalem is rich and complex. Over the years developing their skills, tour guides in Jerusalem become specialists in even more specific areas, For example there are guides who are really experts on tours of the Mahane Yehuda market, and the experience you will get with them is the best there is! There are counselors who specialize in subjects such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and all-religions tours in Jerusalem.
Training in the ceremonies and holidays in Jerusalem is also its own area of training. Yes, in Jerusalem almost every day is a holiday and most of the guides who do not specialize in the field did not always know why today there is a procession in a given church or in the middle of the street. Tour guides in Jerusalem also speak different languages, and anyone looking for a tour guide in Jerusalem for guests from abroad should be quite sensitive here, because the Russian or German or Chinese tourists are not looking for the same thing in Jerusalem. Each of them has a different picture of who Jerusalem is and it is very important to choose correctly.

What are the main styles of Jerusalem tour guides?

Let’s start with the older generation of tour guides. Many such guides like to emphasize the history of Jerusalem, Zionism, and nostalgia. These guides can tell you almost everything about the region’s history, but may not be as responsive to different clients’ needs.
The culinary experience is another real area of focus, and many tour guides in Jerusalem have chosen to emphasize the developing field of culinary tours. With them you can reach the most remote dining spots in the city and find the original kebab, the ancient Tahina factory, and the most secret bakeries!
Tours in the Mahane Yehuda market are another specialty. Recently we have seen the growing popularity of a combination of cooking workshops and tours, such as where you simply go to the market, or hummus tours in the Old City.
A few tour guides choose to specialize in Jerusalem’s neighborhoods, so you can have an in-depth tour of Rehavia, Talbieh, Katamon, and more, exploring the history behind stories like “Someone to Run With” and famous artists like Yossi Banai. Not all tour guides in Jerusalem can show you these stories.
There are also tour guides in Jerusalem who focus on holidays, traditions and celebrations. They know exactly when, for example, the holiday of Epiphany falls and when it is worthwhile to go on a tour of how to bake matzah for Pesach in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods. All this in addition to the Hanukkah tours and Selichot tours that everyone already knows about.
And there are still quite a few more types of tour guides in Jerusalem that have not been mentioned here.

So how do you choose a tour guide in Jerusalem?

Our recommendation is, of course, to tell us who you are, what the purpose of your trip is and what you have already done, and we will find the best suited guide who will lead you to an unforgettable experience. That is our responsibility!