Touring Israel with a tour guide

The Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) Known in Hebrew as עוזרר חד-גלעיני, this hardy, spiny shrub dots Israel’s hills & valleys, it flowers in spring, usually April–May. The hawthorn bursts into clusters of white, fragrant blossoms which attract bees & butterflies. Hawthorn is found on rocky slopes, in Mediterranean scrubland & along forest edges from the Galilee down to the Judean Hills. By late summer & autumn, the flowers turn into bright red berries (haws). Birds, especially thrushes & starlings, feast on them and help spread the seeds. Wild mammals also nibble the fruit, while the thorny branches provide shelter for small creatures against predators. #ImagineIsraelTours #WildIsrael #NatureOfIsrael #HikingIsrael #MediterraneanFlora #IsraelNature #WildHawthorn #CrataegusMonogyna #FloweringIsrael #EcoToursIsrael #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael #floraandfauna #visitisrael #tourguideisrael #israeltourguide At Imagine Israel Tours we love to notice not j...

🕷️ The Black Widow in Israel Meet one of Israel’s most famous spiders: the Mediterranean Black Widow (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus). Found from the Negev to the coastal plain, she’s easy to spot with her shiny black body & long legs. Her venom is strong, but bites are very rare & she’s shy by nature. Feeding mostly on insects, she helps keep nature in balance. You’ll find her under rocks, in fields & in quiet desert corners. #IsraelWildlife #BlackWidow #NatureInIsrael #WildIsrael #Biodiversity #ImagineIsraelTours #floraandfauna #simonostertourguideisrael #israeltourism #visitisrael #israeltourguide I’m a licensed tour guide with experience driving & guiding all over Israel in a comfortable 7-seater vehicle & I’m an accredited tour guide for Israel’s National Parks. I’ve also been certified as the Amazon Tour Guide for online virtual tours in the North of Israel - as well as being a guide for cruise ship passengers coming into Haifa & Ashdod. M...

The Catholic Church of the Annunciation is one of the most sacred sites for Christians worldwide. Built over the location where, according to tradition, the angel Gabriel visited Mary & announced she would conceive Jesus. The current basilica (completed in 1969) stands above a grotto believed to be the home of Mary, & preserves archaeological remains from Byzantine, Crusader & Ottoman periods pointing to centuries of veneration. The basilica’s vast dome rises 55 metres, its design by Italian Giovanni Muzio.  Pilgrims can pray in the lower grotto, visit the archaeological museum onsite & reflect on 2,000 years of Christian history. If you are planning your pilgrimage or spiritual journey through Israel, Nazareth & the Church of the Annunciation are essential.  #ChurchOfTheAnnunciation #Nazareth #ChristianPilgrimage #HolyLand #FaithTravel #HistoricalFaith #ImagineIsraelTours #BiblicalSites #SpiritualJourney #SimonOsterTourGuideIsrael #israeltourguide #israelt...

🐢 The Spur-Thighed Tortoise in Israel The spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca), also known as the Greek tortoise, is one of 5 Mediterranean tortoise species; it belongs to the ancient family Testudinidae. Found in Israel’s open scrublands & Mediterranean woodlands, these tortoises thrive on wild grasses, herbs & fruits. They are remarkable for their longevity, many living well over 50 years, with some reaching 100 years! Easily recognised by the small spur-like tubercles on their thighs, these gentle reptiles play an important role in maintaining ecological balance by grazing & dispersing seeds. Sadly, habitat loss & illegal collection have put pressure on wild populations. #israelwildlife #tortoise #testudograeca #mediterraneannature #heritageofnature #ecotourism #wildisrael #biodiversity #imagineisraeltours #floraandfauna #simonostertourguideisrael #visitisrael #tourguideisrael #israeltourism #israeltouring At Imagine Israel Tours we love to notice ...

Rosh Hashanah at Degania, 1913 - A New Year in a New Land In 1910, on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee, a handful of young pioneers established Degania Aleph, the very first kibbutz in the Land of Israel. Their vision was both practical & idealistic: to cultivate the soil, drain the swamps & build a new Jewish society rooted in collective effort. On the eve of Rosh Hashanah 5674 (September 1913), the community gathered in their modest wooden dining hall. There were no formal trappings of religion; no synagogue, no rabbi, no cantor. Instead, they placed homemade bread on rough wooden tables, shared a single jug of wine they had saved for the holiday, sang Hebrew songs, read psalms, & spoke of the tasks ahead: planting more fields, welcoming new arrivals, & strengthening their fragile settlement. For them, Rosh Hashanah marked more than the turning of a year. It symbolised the rebirth of the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland – a beginning that would inspir...

Capernaum: Where Faith, History & Archaeology Converge Found on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum (Kfar Nahum) was a small fishing village in Jesus’ day, but over time it became the epicentre of his Galilean ministry. Touring with Imagine Israel Tours, today you can explore: The ruins of the ancient synagogue, built above an earlier basalt structure, possibly the very synagogue where Jesus taught. The House of Peter / early Christian dwelling, later converted into a house-church, over which a modern church now stands - with a glass floor to reveal the original ruins beneath. Its role as a hub for Jesus’ miracles, including healings & teachings, & as the “home base” for key apostles like Peter, Andrew & Matthew. By walking these ruins, one can literally tread the same ground where Jesus walked & taught - & scripture unfolded. This is a powerful way to connect faith, history & place. If you’ve ever considered a pilgrimage or heritage tour...