Shatour Israel Experience is proud to be based in Jerusalem – the city at the heart of the world – with a connection stretching back 10 generations. Join us as we celebrate Jerusalem Day – the 53rd anniversary of its reunification.
Shatour founder Nathan Shapiro is a 9th generation Yerushalmi (Jerusalemite) and his children and business partners, Lior and Zivit, are proud to be the 10th generation of their family to be born in the holy city. They enjoy tracing their roots and sharing stories of the city from their family traditions with visitors. For example, Nathan’s great-grandparents lived in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, and whenever he guides visitors around that area, he shows them where they lived and worked and connects their lives with the city’s fascinating history. (Click here to read the story of Nathan’s family connection with the only surviving synagogue in the Moslem Quarter.)
Why Visit Jerusalem?
No visit to Israel is complete without a visit to Jerusalem. You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the importance of its historical and religious sites. In ancient times, pilgrims walked for months to visit its temples, mosques and churches. Kings and emperors fought battles for control of the city, and crusaders rode across Europe to stake their claim. Today, you can take a high-speed train from Ben Gurion International Airport to Jerusalem, hop on the Light Rail across the city, and reach its ancient walls within in an hour of touching down! (Or call us to transport you in one of our comfortable touring vehicles!)
Jerusalem is a unique combination of ancient and modern, with a bustling new city built around the walls of the Old City. Religious and secular, holy and hip, exist alongside one another. The population of the city is diverse and international – monks, priests and nuns share the streets with rabbis and sheiks, tourists and locals, many of them having immigrated to Israel from all over the world. Jerusalem’s cosmopolitan flavors are reflected not just in the faces that you see here, but also in the stores, restaurants and cafes that offer a global spread of flavors. The Arab Souq in the Old City and Shuk Mahane Yehuda in the new city should be top of your list of places to visit, offering a feast for the eyes, nose and mouth!
Jerusalem’s History
The history of Jerusalem is like an onion, with layers of different stories from different historical eras, just waiting to be peeled away and discovered as you tour the city. Shatour’s experienced and knowledgeable tour guides can bring the city to life by cutting through the layers and sharing stories about the places you visit.
Shatour has been guiding groups of visitors around Israel for over 40 years, and Jerusalem is always one of the highlights for people of all ages. Whether you dedicate one day to seeing the major features of the city, or an entire week to exploring its depth and grandeur, we promise you will be fascinated. In Jerusalem you can enjoy archeology, architecture, gastronomy, art, science, military history, political analysis, and even extreme sports – you can scale the ancient walls of the Old City or bike up and down the city’s hills on dedicated cycle paths.
Nathan always says that he inherited his love for Jerusalem and its history from his father’s grandmother, who lived here until she was almost 100. She shared with him wonderful stories about the city and its history under the rule of the Ottomans and the British. He enjoyed walking tours around the Old City with his father, who taught him how to navigate its network of confusing cobbled alleyways. Inspired by his love of the city, Nathan studied Jewish history and archeology at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, and later his son Lior took the same course!
Ask Nathan or Lior any question about Jerusalem’s fascinating history – they know it inside out! Because Jerusalem runs in the blood of the Shapiro family, they love nothing more than showing visitors around their home-town. They know every street and alley, every hotel, restaurant and museum, and they can help you make the most of every minute of your visit. They can even take you behind the scenes and share the city’s most intimate secrets with you!
Returning to Jerusalem
For 2,000 years, Jewish people all around the world dreamed of returning to Jerusalem. It took many tough battles and hundreds of lost lives to reunite the city and re-establish Jewish sovereignty in 1967, and that is what we celebrate every year on Jerusalem Day – Yom Yerushalayim.
During the current international pandemic, Jews around the world are dreaming of returning to the holy city. If Jerusalem is in your heart, we want to reunite you with our favorite city.
To celebrate Jerusalem Day, we invite you to take this virtual video tour of the city.
Talk to Shatour’s Israel travel experts today about planning your next trip to Jerusalem once travel restrictions are lifted. We are in touch with the Ministry of Tourism and can help you plan a safe and enjoyable tour. We hope that people will be able to visit us this summer, so start planning now.
L’Shana HaBa B’Yerushalayim!