When looking at the title of the tour, I was drawn to it because I could view the highlights in 2 days. However, most locations was very brief and we didn't get to see enough highlights in Jerusalem.
Pros:
- I was not expecting much from Masada but our guide Shmil did a great job. Loved it.
- It was well planned.
Cons:
- Even though the schedule said first day in Jerusalem/Bethlehem and second day at Masada/Deadsea, they switched without letting me know. So I ended up in Jerusalem on Shabbat so Rock of Dome was closed.
- The hotel arrangement was terrible. When we got to the hotel, they told us they overbooked and overflew us to a different one. It was a tiny hotel embedded in some apartment. It feels quite scary to walk in there. Plus the rooms are not sound proof at all. I was woken up by other people talking outside my room. It felt like they were talking in my room!
- Picking up from each hotel sounds convenient, but it can be a slow process. It dragged 1 hr trip to 2 hrs.
- The deadsea stop was too brief. We only had 1.5 hrs there including lunch. Considering changing before and after swimming, we only got less than 30 mins in the water. I prefer at least 30 mins longer. Not sure if all the dead sea beaches are all crowded like this. This one was super crowded and full of tourists.
- The tour to Bethlehem was too short and due to the long line to the cave, we didn't get to see much inside Church of Nativity. So not worth it.
Bottom line:
- Don't book this 2 day tour. If you want to see all these places, book separate day tours.
- Suggest to book a solo tour for Jerusalem alone.
- Go to the meeting point yourself, instead of letting them pick you up, which takes a long time.