Leah's Fun and Inspiring Tours in and Around Jerusalem 

Why hire a private guide?

In Leah's experience at sites in Israel, she noticed that many tourists are not enjoying the services and benefits of a private guide. She felt this was unfortunate because a visit to Israel involves a significant investment of time and money. Yet, many of the most amazing sites and stories can easily be missed without an experienced guide. She has discovered that many families choose not to hire a guide because they feel the younger children won't be interested in what the guide is conveying. Some adults feel they have been on so many tours already that there's nothing new to see. Others feel they want to enjoy Israel at their own pace and explore on their own or are concerned that the guide's presentation won't match everyone's unique learning style.

 

So, Leah decided to develop tours to meet all of these needs to allow more tourists to benefit from the services of a private guide: special tours with games and prizes that engage the youngest tourists in the content, behind-the-scenes tours including new excavations and information, an emphasis on gearing the guiding style to the group, and the option of booking as few or as many days (and hours) as visitors would like to tour. 

In addition, Leah often sees visitors who attempt to tour without a guide encountering unexpected difficulties. They often struggle to find their way in an unfamiliar environment or get frustrated trying to get directions from local people who might not fully understand English. Touring in Israel is not always as user friendly as many people expect it to be, so valuable time can be lost simply finding the right destination. A guide can make touring hassle free.

Furthermore, Israel is developing rapidly. Sites are changing, and interesting new ones are constantly being opened. Many visitors often rely on advice from their friends or relatives or the internet about where they should go and what they should see. And, unfortunately, they often miss out on some of places they would most enjoy and remember because their friends or relatives are simply not aware of all the options, are not up-to-date with the latest information, or are not fully sensitive to the specific needs, priorities and personal interests of the touring family. While the internet does offer a lot of helpful information, it's not possible to plan a coherent itinerary in Israel from the internet. There are too many variables that can be missed on the internet. Guides are constantly following developments at sites, and are always renewing their learning with ongoing courses. Guides learn from experience with many visitors to develop just the right itinerary for every group.  

 

For many people, visiting Israel is often a spiritual journey. In order to most deeply connect to the meaningful sites in Israel, it's very helpful to have a guide who is fluent in the language, the relevant sources, and the layout of the Land.

So, why not maximize your enjoyment, learning and inspiration while here in Israel utilizing a professional guide who can ensure a great and memorable experience?
 

Contact us today. You will be very glad you did. Leah guides most of the tours herself. When she is not available, or you would like to tour in areas she isn't offering tours, Leah can find just the right guide for you.

 

What is a "licensed guide" in Israel?

 

The State of Israel carefully regulates the tourism industry to ensure that tourists are given quality services. Special licenses are required in order to guide and drive tourists. To become a licensed tour guide, an Israeli citizen must succeed in a 2 year course which includes history, archaeology, religion, botany, geology, architecture, first aid, weather, zoology, methodology, and any other topics relevant to touring in the Land of Israel. Following the course, there are intensive exams. 

Of course, all of our guides are all licensed by the Ministry of Tourism of Israel, and are insured. Drivers have the required license for driving tourists.
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What do our clients say?

"Thank you for the most wonderful three days which our family with remember and treasure forever. This was the first family trip to Israel and you really helped us realise our dreams for a family holiday which brought so much Tanach, history and Jewish life together." Adina from Australia.

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"We did a private tour of the Old City with Leah. I did a tremendous amount of research into tour guides because I wanted someone who would really "get" me and my Bais Yaakov daughter. Leah was a perfect fit! We were so pleased with her and we accomplished so much in 4 hours. We walked around the walls of the Old City, walked through the Jewish Quarter, went to the roof of Aish Hatorah and did a small Bas Mitzvah ceremony overlooking the Kotel, got a private tour of Machon Hamikdash as well as the Davidson Center." Tsiona, Baltimore, Maryland.

 

"Leah Bowman is the best 'Go To' person to hire if you want to take a private tour around Israel. Leah was not only highly recommend to me she was easy to relate to and quick to respond to many questions I had. As an American, I wanted someone who understood my needs and someone that can easily communicate but also cater to my personal interests. Leah is extremely personable and her passion for Israel shines through when she speaks about how she made a choice to move from America to Israel which she now calls her home."

Bonnie Jennifer Proll, New York

 

"I have used several guides in cities around the world. Leah was the best. She is extremely nice, professional and intelligent. She is easy going and very friendly. She always responded to messages promptly and in detail. Her knowledge about Jerusalem was deep. She took us to places in and around the city that were fascinating. I sensed she has a lot of emotional intelligence as she tailored her conversation well to different people in our group with different interests. She spoke clearly and in depth about Jewish, Christian and Muslim sites in and around Jerusalem. Her prices are standard for fine quality private guides. I'd use her again in a minute." Dr. Sachs, Washington, DC

 

"Leah is a wonderful tour guide. She speaks fluent English as well as Hebrew, which helped significantly with the language barrier.  We had a list of things we wanted to see while in Israel, and Leah was very helpful in putting together our itinerary to ensure we hit the main points of interest, and even scheduled a driver for us for our trip from Tel Aviv to the Dead Sea, to Jerusalem.  At the end of each day, she made sure the taxi was taking us in the right direction (writing names and locations in Hebrew if required) as well as making sure the hotel knew what we were doing the following day, so they could communicate with the taxi for us. When touring the sites, Leah was very informative on the history of Jerusalem and Jewish religion. If we ever visit Israel again, we will definitely look to Leah for another tour. Thanks again for everything.  You made our experience extra special."

Lori and Jay Seppanen, London, England