hp999

Hi,

I am going to be a Celebrity cruise that stops in Haifa, Israel. The only excursion that is interesting to me is a 5 hour tour thru the cruise ship operator. The ship will be docked for about 12 hours. Any suggestions for addIitinal touring? Will there will lots of tourguides waiting at the ship offering tours? This is my first time in Israel.

Thanks,

HP

Elkaz

Tour guides are not waiting by the ship looking for tourists. The guides that will be there are guides that have tours booked. ( either large group or individual) Guides in Israel are licensed professionals with years of education behind them. I would be wary of anyone who was just hanging out and claimed to be a guide. ( even if such a person was there)

MarnieWDC

If Acre is not on the 5 hour Tour, you might try to arrange a tour there. Look it up on Google, and you may become interested in seeing it. We found it fascinating.

~MarnieWDC

MiGr

It's hard to recommend things when we don't know what your tour includes, but I'd visit Jerusalem, Massada and the Dead Sea.

Elkaz

I am now confused. Are you taking the 5 hour tour. If so--especially if after the tour you are just driving back to the ship--you may elect to stay wherever you end up and do some touring on your own. I think MiGr summed it up--we need more information

justshootme

You should check Cruise Critic and the cruise forum on this website for info specific to cruise passengers visiting Haifa.

hp999

Yes, we are going on the 5 hr tour if we can't arrange anything else. The tour goes to Acre (walks through tunnels), Stella Maris Monastery, Elijah's cave and St. John's crypt. We start at 8am and finish 2pm with the ship leaving 10 pm, so we about 7 hrs of free time after tour.

Thanks

Elkaz

Why not spend the extra time in Haifa itself. You can visit sites, do tours and get to know the city of Haifa. ( which is a beautiful city) Everything you are doing with your group is sites!--good and interesting but it is not really getting you into Israel! Here is a link to the Haifa tourism board--there is enough on this site to keep you reading for hours and hours.


http://www.tour-haifa.co.il/eng/

ira

Ditto elkaz.

I'm told that the Bahai Gardens are with a visit.

basingstoke2

You have enough time for a Haifa - Akko - Safad tour. Safad, in the Galilee is a wonderful place to visit (one of my favorite places) and the ride there there is lovely. There are several tour companies that do that tour and will meet and deliver you back to your ship. One is Ya'lla tours, and there are others.

hp999

Thanks everyone for your comments.