Hebron Dual Narrative Tour from Tel Aviv
Overview
Visit this special city, one of the four holy cities in Judaism and a sacred place in Islam. Our Hebron tour splits the day in two – you’ll spend the morning with Jewish ‘settlers’ in the city, and the afternoon in the Palestinian part of the city. By hearing from both sides, this tour will give you a balanced insight on life in Hebron, the city of Abraham, and the site of the burial place of the Biblical Patriarchs and Matriarchs.
Inclusions
- Guided Tour
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance Fees
- Entry/Admission - Ibrahimi Mosque
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Ibrahimi Mosque, G4F6+V7Q, Hebron
The divided Tomb of the Patriarchs, home to the symbolic tombs of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah – even Adam and Eve – all said to be buried in the caves beneath the building.
Duration: 45 minutes
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Ibrahimi Mosque, G4F6+V7Q, Hebron
The divided Tomb of the Patriarchs, home to the symbolic tombs of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah – even Adam and Eve – all said to be buried in the caves beneath the building.
Duration: 45 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Israeli Citizens: Please note that this tour is not available to Israeli passport holders (Even if you hold an additional passport).
- Valid Passports (Original, not a copy), Hats, Sunscreen, Comfortable Shoes, Scarfs/Shawls and Drinking Water are required.
- Included in this tour are visits to sacred sites. Please avoid wearing sleeveless shirts, shorts and short skirts.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 34 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
rabidstoat
March 2023
I'm very glad I went on this tour because it was an awesome experience and I truly felt like I was getting two different viewpoints. First off, I could swear I read that we would be taking a public bus to Hebron but instead, we were on a private bus which I liked better as it meant our Israeli ...
I'm very glad I went on this tour because it was an awesome experience and I truly felt like I was getting two different viewpoints. First off, I could swear I read that we would be taking a public bus to Hebron but instead, we were on a private bus which I liked better as it meant our Israeli Jewish guide could talk to us during the ride there, giving us context for what we would see. I learned a lot during the bus ride there! And on arrival, we had two tour guides for the two different areas, one where Jews weren't allowed to go and one where the Jewish settlers lived. We saw the mostly Muslim side first. It's kind of funny that one of the first things we saw was the decided modern and large mall, but our guide really did seem very proud that something so modern and Westernized was in his city. We walked through a fair bit of the old city area afterward, hearing about what life was like from a Palestinian Muslim perspective. The Tomb of the Patriarchs was especially interesting, talk about a contentiously shared space! I did prefer our Jewish guide more as he was a bit easier to understand (having been born in the US and having that accent) and he conveyed a lot more information about the context of the city and its people. He also was trying very hard to present his perspective of things while also pointing out countering views in a neutral manner. As he was an Orthodox Jew who took his faith very seriously I was impressed with how he was able to give us not just his view but also some neutral context on other views. Visiting the Israeli settlement area was at the end of the day when I was pretty exhausted but one of the highlights. We talked with a woman whose father had been murdered a few decades ago and got her personal view on why the Israeli settlers were there. The emotion on all sides was clearly evident. All in all this was my favorite tour of my trip through the Middle East and I feel like I learned a lot from it, and that I truly got to hear from different perspectives. It's an incredibly complex region with a lot going on and I really hope they can find a better way to live in peace some day soon. I have no idea how to 'solve' the problems, and I do believe it's a small minority actively stoking these conflicts, but really you have a single land where multiple groups have strong ties and with stoked nationalism that is making it very difficult to find a way for all groups to live together in peace.571mercyw
August 2022
Excellent, thought-provoking tour of a very divided city. Eli took us on public transport from Abraham Hostel in Jerusalem and gave us a tour of the Jewish settlement, explaining the history of Jewish involvement in Hebron, including a meeting with a settler and a tour of the Jewish side of the t...
Excellent, thought-provoking tour of a very divided city. Eli took us on public transport from Abraham Hostel in Jerusalem and gave us a tour of the Jewish settlement, explaining the history of Jewish involvement in Hebron, including a meeting with a settler and a tour of the Jewish side of the tomb of the Patriarchs. We had lunch with a local family (very tasty rice with chicken and yoghurt) followed by a tour of the Muslim side of the tomb of the Patriarchs with Tariq who then took us on a further tour of the local market and surrounding area, pointing out the impact of the division on local families. Very worthwhile, very thought-provoking and highlights the impact of deep division on everyday life. A chance to explore the nuances and real-world impact of the conflict for those who are politically minded. Modest dress, sturdy shoes and lots of water recommended.Alexandra-Jottpunkt
June 2022
The dual narrative tour of Hebron was a very interesting and emotional experience. I cannot recomend it enough for getting at least a brief insight into a complex struggle. Both guides did their best to explain the situation as neutral as possible while showing the major sights of Hebron. First I...
The dual narrative tour of Hebron was a very interesting and emotional experience. I cannot recomend it enough for getting at least a brief insight into a complex struggle. Both guides did their best to explain the situation as neutral as possible while showing the major sights of Hebron. First I tought about getting by ourselves to Hebron in order to avoid the pricy tour. Acctually you can easily reach the tombs of the patriachs by bus by yourself, but you really need a tour, where you learn about their meanings to jewish and muslime culture. Also we saw so many other important places for both cultures. Still it is so much more than just sightseeing. We could never have made this on our own! Regarding the intensity of this tour, the price is really more than ok. Just please keep one thing in mind: You have to walk a lot. This was totally ok for us. Just be prepared.BStoep
June 2022
This trip is an absolute MUST for anyone interested in a nuanced conversation about the Israeli Palestinian Conflict. Eli and Mohammed do a terrific job at showing both their sides of the story while maintaining an authentic atmosphere of mutual respect and compassion for each other. They also do...
This trip is an absolute MUST for anyone interested in a nuanced conversation about the Israeli Palestinian Conflict. Eli and Mohammed do a terrific job at showing both their sides of the story while maintaining an authentic atmosphere of mutual respect and compassion for each other. They also do a fantastic job at maintaining safety on the trip. This trip involves a lot of walking over unstable surfaces in the hot sun so walking shoes and water is advised. You’ll see sites holy to Jews and Muslims. You’ll meet strongly opinionated speakers. You will walk out of this tour with more compassion for these two important narratives than ever before. I left with more questions and I’m excited to see more tours like this occur. PSA: modest dress meaning covering shoulders, knees, and arms is advised. Women/non male identifying people should bring a scarf as this will be very important. Men should bring a hat for the Jewish side.Grumps1950
March 2022
First, we did the tour from Jerusalem but that is not in the list. Second, this is a very long walking and standing tour. with lots of steep hills and one unpaved rocky trail. I'm 71 in excellent health and very active and I made it. The other couple our age had difficulty too. My wife however h...
First, we did the tour from Jerusalem but that is not in the list. Second, this is a very long walking and standing tour. with lots of steep hills and one unpaved rocky trail. I'm 71 in excellent health and very active and I made it. The other couple our age had difficulty too. My wife however has had both knees replaced and the tour was really too much for her. We left our room at 7 am and didn't get home until 8 pm. If you have the stamina, the go for it. It is well worth your time. I loged 5.3 miles for the day. Both the Jewish and Arab guides give there very frank viewpoints on the historical sights and their viewpoints on the Arab/Israeli conflict in this town. To me, both sides slant the narrative to fit their paradigms. Though slanted, both give you a very good history and understanding of things as they see it. They do not try to convince you to their way of thinking and allow you to decide. Each guide is good to give frank answers to hard questions. Having lived in Israel in the early 70's seeing the divided Hebron was saddening and disappointing! It is not the bustling welcoming city of the past. You will get a very detailed history of Hebron on the tour. An afterthought...the time frame for the tour can be uncertain. The Israeli's closed off access and we were stuck for about 30 minutes. It was for construction, not unrest, but they can close access at any time without notice. I did feel totally safe while there.vadimidav
May 2023
What a great tour! In a small group of seven (favourite Biblical number) we went in a minibus with an extremely informed and motivated guide Eli to the undeniably most exciting place not only in Israel, but the whole Earth - cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Eli gave us an extensive overview of t...
What a great tour! In a small group of seven (favourite Biblical number) we went in a minibus with an extremely informed and motivated guide Eli to the undeniably most exciting place not only in Israel, but the whole Earth - cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Eli gave us an extensive overview of the historical, religious, cultural and political perspective on the city of Hebron and the cave of the Patriarchs. We had a chance to see the both Palestinians and Israeli parts of the cave. Palestinian part was presented by the local guide highlighting Palestinian interests and perspectives - this was very informative and unbiased. We also visited Jewish settlements and some historical places. My favourite of those was graves of Ruth and Jesse - grandmother and father of King David, how exciting. Visiting graves of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah - an unforgettable trip! Many thanks to our guide Eli, he was both informing and entertaining, so the time passed very fast