Private Tour of Bethlehem

Tours to Israel » Excursions » Private Tour of Bethlehem

Bethlehem & the Desert Monasteries

Sightseeing tours through Bethlehem and the monasteries of the Judean Desert, including visits to the Church of the Nativity, the Shepherds’ Field, the Mar Saba Monastery (Lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified), the Monastery of Saint Theodosius, and the Saint Nicholas Church.

Departure Point

Arranged with the client

Departure Time

Arranged with the client

Minimum Group Size

From 1 person

Dress Code

Clothing should be comfortable and appropriate for the weather. Comfortable walking shoes are especially important.

Visits to religious sites, mosques, and holy places are permitted only in modest clothing that covers the shoulders, back, and knees. Women may wear loose-fitting trousers covering the ankles.

Note

According to the monastic rules of the Mar Saba Monastery, women are not permitted to enter the monastery.

Visitors must carry a valid passport, as Bethlehem is located within the Palestinian Authority territory.

Lunch is not included and is paid separately.

The order of site visits may be subject to change.

During national and religious holidays, as well as on Fridays, Saturdays, or due to special police instructions, changes to the excursion schedule may occur.

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We begin our excursion with a visit to the Saint Nicholas Church in the town of Beit Jala, near Bethlehem. According to tradition, Saint Nicholas stayed in one of the local caves while visiting the birthplace of Jesus Christ during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land between 312 and 315 CE. The church was built over this cave, and today it preserves a relic of Saint Nicholas brought from Bari.

We then continue to the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest churches in the Holy Land, built in the 4th century over the traditional site of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is the only church in the Holy Land that has remained continuously preserved throughout all the centuries.

Visitors will have the opportunity to enter the Grotto of the Nativity, the Cave of the Holy Innocents, and the cave of Saint Jerome, as well as venerate the miraculous icon of the Bethlehem Mother of God. The traditional birthplace of Christ beneath the Orthodox altar is marked by the famous silver “Star of Bethlehem” bearing the inscription: “Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary.”

Not far from the Church of the Nativity stands the Milk Grotto, built over the cave where, according to tradition, the Holy Family hid from King Herod’s soldiers before fleeing to Egypt. It is believed that while the Virgin Mary was nursing the infant Jesus, drops of milk fell onto the stone floor and walls, turning them white.

This sacred site is traditionally visited by women praying for fertility or help with breastfeeding. According to local belief, powder from the walls of the Milk Grotto possesses miraculous properties.

East of Bethlehem lies the Shepherds’ Field, where King David was traditionally anointed king. The Church of the Shepherds’ Field marks the place where angels announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the shepherds.

The excursion concludes with visits to two ancient monasteries located in the Judean Desert.

The Monastery of Saint Theodosius was founded in the 5th century near the cave where, according to tradition, the Three Wise Men spent the night after worshipping the Christ Child in Bethlehem.

Finally, we visit the renowned Mar Saba Monastery, an ancient Greek Orthodox monastery founded in the 5th century and famous for preserving one of the oldest monastic rules in Christianity. The incorrupt relics of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified are preserved here.

In the 8th century, John of Damascus took monastic vows in this monastery and lived here for nearly fifty years. Visitors can still see the cave where he lived and his tomb.