Dome of the Rock and Bethlehem

PRIVATE GUIDED TOUR

Enter the Old City of Jerusalem through the Dung Gate which leads to the Western Wall (also known as the 'Wailing Wall'), Judaism's holiest site.  The wall (pictured below) is part of the retaining wall of the Temple Mount and was built by Herod the Great.  Continue to the temple Mount itself, traditionally the site of Solomon's Temple, and nowadays the site of the 8th century El Aqsa Mosque and the magnificent Dome of the Rock (pictured right), one of the first and greatest achievements of Islamic architecture, built in the 7th century by the Omayyad caliph Abd el-Malik.  This glorious structure with its unmistakeable golden dome dominates Jerusalem and has become a symbol of the city.  Following the visit, a short drive will take you from Jerusalem to the town of Bethlehem, birthplace of Christ, for sightseeing in and around Manger Square.  Sites here include the Church of the Nativity, built by the Emperor Constantine in AD 326 and rebuilt by Justinian in the 6th century.

Includes private transporation, guide and entrance fees.