Fun Joel's Israel Tours
Fun Joel's Israel Tours
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About
Shalom! I am an American-born licensed Israeli tour guide, living in Jerusalem. I pride myself on customizing my tours to my tourists' needs and interests. And I'm equally able to provide serious history, religion and culture as I am able to show you the fun side of Israel. Some of my specialties include Jerusalem, religions, culinary tourism, ecology and archaeology.
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Fun Joel's Israel Tours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
64 reviews
Excellent
61
Very good
3
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
576marck
8 contributions
Jan 2023 • Family
We spent 2 days with Joel in Jerusalem. This was a trip with two of my teen daughters, my wife and my in laws - all of whom had never been to Israel before - to spend some time with my oldest who was in the middle of a gap year and on a break between semesters.
Our first day was spent in the old city. Despite the fact that my in-laws are far less observant than our family (we are conservative) and the significant differences in interests Joel made the history of the city come alive for our septogenerians and our teens.
Joel's knowledge of the history and evolution of the city, not just in the Jewish aspects, but in the Christian and Muslim aspects lent context and relevance to what we were seeing.
Our day culminated at the Western Wall which was incredibly moving.
The second day we spent seeing the Chagall windows, Yad Vashem, and the Shuk.
Again, Joel's knowledge of the city, the markets and the history of the area was invaluable. He brought relevance to everything.
Through the Shuk, Joel knew many of the vendors and carefully guided us to the best tastes of Israel.
Joel's style and mannerisms help him to connect everyone to what is happening and made our trip incredibly meaningful and memorable.
HIGHLY recommend.
Our first day was spent in the old city. Despite the fact that my in-laws are far less observant than our family (we are conservative) and the significant differences in interests Joel made the history of the city come alive for our septogenerians and our teens.
Joel's knowledge of the history and evolution of the city, not just in the Jewish aspects, but in the Christian and Muslim aspects lent context and relevance to what we were seeing.
Our day culminated at the Western Wall which was incredibly moving.
The second day we spent seeing the Chagall windows, Yad Vashem, and the Shuk.
Again, Joel's knowledge of the city, the markets and the history of the area was invaluable. He brought relevance to everything.
Through the Shuk, Joel knew many of the vendors and carefully guided us to the best tastes of Israel.
Joel's style and mannerisms help him to connect everyone to what is happening and made our trip incredibly meaningful and memorable.
HIGHLY recommend.
Written January 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Naama
4 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
A total pro full of knowledge and good vibes, on short notice Fun Joel customised a sensational shuk tour in Jerusalem for a range of ages sans gluten and dairy. We were roused by the fascinating history of the area, and by his presentations on the diverse ingredients and cultural histories - with emphasis on the miraculous melting pot phenomenon that we see before our eyes and taste on our palletes. Fun Joel's relations with the vendors and his foodie orientation, plus the cuisine preparation explanations made for a rich day of experiential group learning that enhanced our connection with the homeland.
Written October 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
robodocny
Cedarhurst, NY457 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
This is a tour of THE Jerusalem shuk. Joel presents the history of the site before taking you through the market.
On a previous trip with friends (locals) last year, we saw a place to buy some items. We missed the flowers for the trees.
Today we actually had the door opened so that it wasn’t just a conglomeration of isolated shopping chaos. We were taught the ethnic and other factors that were involved in making the shuk what it is today
Plus (a big plus) was the tasting stops that he arranged. We sampled tastes that we had never before tasted or even knew existed.
Even in rainy, cold weather this was worth it.
On a previous trip with friends (locals) last year, we saw a place to buy some items. We missed the flowers for the trees.
Today we actually had the door opened so that it wasn’t just a conglomeration of isolated shopping chaos. We were taught the ethnic and other factors that were involved in making the shuk what it is today
Plus (a big plus) was the tasting stops that he arranged. We sampled tastes that we had never before tasted or even knew existed.
Even in rainy, cold weather this was worth it.
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So glad you guys enjoyed and appreciated what separates my tour from others. It is always good to be understood!
I hope to have the chance to guide you again some day!
Best,
Joel
Written January 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jo Y
Edmond, OK4 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
We just returned to the states after being on an 8 day tour with Joel as our guide and I must say it was fantastic! If you want the best and the most knowledgable tour guide in Israel, you need to hire Joel. His knowledge of the history to the present life and culture in Israel are unsurpassed. Thank you, Joel, for a once in a lifetime trip. With you guiding us, it was magnificent!
Written June 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wheelsgb
New York245 contributions
Jan 2020
Have been on a few shuk tours before in Machane Yehuda. This one was specifically quite different and great, Joel started by saying he wasn't going to take us for chumus etc and things that we would buy or probably get on our own. Instead, we had a historical tour of the shuk, reviewing the history of the market and looking at just how many other cultures have influenced the available foods there..And then we tasted them! We had a great time. Highly recommended!
Written January 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for the review! An honor to be ranked so highly by someone with experience, such as yourself. :-)
Written January 30, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Steve H
Washington DC, DC14 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
We spent a full day with Joel on a tour that he customized to our interests, and we had a terrific experience! Much more than just a "tour guide", Joel brought a deep understanding of the "big picture" from ancient history to present-day culture. We started at the archaelogical site on the south of the Temple Mount, where Joel really brought the area to life. We spent the afternoon in the fascinating Nachlaot neighborhood and nearby Machane Yehuda market. Here again, Joel had a tremendous understanding of the historical context and development of these places, and helped us experience and enjoy the market in a very rich way that we could never have accomplished on our own. Joel is smart, personable, and interesting, and he is totally at home and very familiar with Jerusalem. We greatly enjoyed our time with him and we feel very lucky that we chose to spend a day in his company!
Written February 28, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charlie K
Jerusalem, Israel3 contributions
Aug 2014
Joel lead us and another family on a tour of the secret munitions factory from the pre-State period and then to Tel Aviv taking us to the interactive and very engaging Palmach museum, Independence Hall and more. Joel's guidance and knowledge along with his humor and good nature made our trip enjoyable and very interesting.
Written February 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lorderyall
Asia4 contributions
Jul 2019 • Family
We (2 adults and 2 children 5 & 8) had the good fortune to be recommended Joel as a guide for the Old City.
I can certainly agree with all the compliments in reviews below but the biggest compliment I can give is that to keep young and old entertained and engaged from 9:30am through to 4pm is nothing short of miraculous!! My 8 yr old even said Joels tour was the highlight of her entire trip!
Patient, attentive, knowledgable and happy to work at our pace. I couldn’t recommend Joel highly enough.
We also re-engaged Joel for a Shuk/Food Market tour a few days later and whilst a much shorter tour that time (2 hours or so) Joel was again super knowledgable and kept all our interest for the entire time. P.S. He also knows his beers so make sure you take time to stop at the beer stall....
Proper thumbs up!
I can certainly agree with all the compliments in reviews below but the biggest compliment I can give is that to keep young and old entertained and engaged from 9:30am through to 4pm is nothing short of miraculous!! My 8 yr old even said Joels tour was the highlight of her entire trip!
Patient, attentive, knowledgable and happy to work at our pace. I couldn’t recommend Joel highly enough.
We also re-engaged Joel for a Shuk/Food Market tour a few days later and whilst a much shorter tour that time (2 hours or so) Joel was again super knowledgable and kept all our interest for the entire time. P.S. He also knows his beers so make sure you take time to stop at the beer stall....
Proper thumbs up!
Written July 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for this honest, detailed and kind review! I'm most hono(u)red by the comment by your 8 year old! (And the beer comment, too, to be honest.)
T'was a real pleasure guiding you all, and I very much look forward to guiding you again on a future visit!
Written July 14, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ben K
Teaneck, NJ50 contributions
Jan 2019 • Family
We recently were in Israel and were lucky enough to have Joel take us on a tour of the shuk at Machane Yehuda. We had been there many times before but going around with Joel gave us a whole new perspective of the shuk. His knowledge of the history of the shuk was impressive. He took us to some wonderful places to eat, and we also had a chance to buy some wonderful food. He was knowledgeable,funny, and was very patient while answering our questions. The two hours really flew by. Whether this is your first trip to Israel or if you have been there many times, I highly recommend this tour.
Written January 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tzvi N
Jaffa, Israel2 contributions
Dec 2018
We took a tour of the old city with our family of 12. Joel is extremely knowledgeable about the history and religion of the land. Joel led the tour at our pace, explained everything from the basics to the most complex topics, accommodating the variable knowledge of our group. Great tour. Highly recommended.
Written December 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for the review, and your appreciation. Was a pleasure guiding your family! I hope to have the chance to do it again some time.
Written December 22, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi Joel, We're a family of 4 interested in a half-day or a few hrs old Jerusalem tour (3-religion or city of David). We'll be in Jerusalem Nov 26, 27. I am wondering if there are now safety restriction due to political situation, and whether you can customize and make it an informative but safe one. Please let me know if i can contact you privately about the tour. Thanks!
Written November 21, 2019
So sorry about my delay in answering, and I hope that you received the information you were looking for elsewhere. Truth is, I am booked solid this whole week, and would not have been able to guide you anyway.
In case you are planning to do something on your own today, please know that at this point, there are no significant security situations to be aware of, and I would say that you should feel 100% comfortable (in my opinion) going anywhere in the Old city on your own.
Again, please accept my apologies for the delayed response, and I hope to have the chance to guide you some time in the future!
Best,
Joel
Written November 27, 2019
KevinRowe613
Longwood, Florida
Hi Joel, I will be visiting Jerusalem in June, staying on Diskin in Rehavia. How would be the best way to get up to Machane Yehuda. It looks a little far to walk. A taxi maybe? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
Written April 2, 2018
The walk is not very far. Prob 15 mins.
But if not, then yes, a taxi should work just fine!
Written April 3, 2018
Hi Joel, I will be visiting with my 84 year old father who is Mormon (he is in good health, no mobility issues) from April 23 to May 3. Would you have any availability anytime during that period? We think he would like to see Jerusalem, Galilee & Nazareth, Bethlehem and Masada. Also any place that might be of interest to Mormons. We will be staying with my sister in Netanya for 2-3 days as well. Thank you for your time! BrianHerb (at) a o l . c o m
Written March 30, 2018
Hi, Brian! I will respond directly to your email.
Thanks!
Joel
Written April 1, 2018
Do you do longer tours including going to Petra, Red Sea, Masada etc?
Written January 27, 2018
Hey there! Thanks for asking.
I am licensed to guide everywhere in Israel, and indeed guide everywhere from Metulla in the north to Eilat in the south.
Petra is not in Israel, so I am not legally permitted to guide there. You must use local Jordanian guides there. But I certainly can help arrange a trip that includes a visit there, with partners.
If you are interested in discussing an upcoming trip, please feel free to email me directly.
Thanks again!
Best,
Joel
Written January 27, 2018
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