Your Own Private Tour Guide in Israel
Discover Israel's Hidden Gems with Levi

Explore the beauty and history of the country with Levi Zelkind, our licensed private tour guide in Israel.

We're so proud of our house guide, Levi!

For the second year in a row he has has been chosen as a 2020 Traveler's Choice Winner by Tripadvisor - part of an exclusive group that are in the top 10% of attractions worldwide.

Fluent in English, Hebrew and Russian, he knows Israel like the back of his hand. 

Levi specializes in tours that are custom-tailored to suit your unique interests and schedule. Your tour will be based on his extensive knowledge and passion for the history, geography and religion of Israel. 

Skip to read tourist testimonials on Levi's tours.


More About Levi, Private Tour Guide in Israel 

Levi's personal life story is amazing and reflects the story of Israel itself.  

Levi was a 'refusenik,' a Russian dissident Jew refused permission to emigrate to Israel by the USSR government. Eventually, he and his family were allowed to make 'Aliya' in 1985. Levi joined the thriving hi-tech industry in Israel where he climbed the career ladder for 16 years.

Eventually, he decided to follow his passion for travel and history and become a licensed Israel tour guide. You can read more on his LinkedIn profile here.


Transportaion Options with
Our Private Tour Guide in Israel

Our private tours transportation options in Israel come in two main flavors:

  • Tourist Class Car plus Guide / Driver
  • Comfort Class Car or minibus, plus a driver plus our guide


Tourist Class Car with Guide / Driver. Levi takes small groups of up to six people in his comfortable, licensed Israel tour car, a Mitsubishi Outlander 6-seater.


Comfort Class Car or Minbus plus separate guide and driver. If you prefer a comfort class car or have a a larger private group, then you can join us on a comfortable, licensed tour Mercedes (or similar) minivan or van.


Tourists Recommend Levi
Their Private Tour Guide in Israel

You will love touring with Levi, but do not take our word for it! Here are recommendations from our customers:

From Alex Negerevich of Brisbane, Australia, Nov. 2019

Alex and family at Mount Precipice Nazareth on their 10 day Holyland Tour in Israel with Levi GoTelAviv Tours

"Our Private Holy Land Tour of Israel with guide Levi Zelkind was in one word, ‎extraordinary. Levi was a veritable walking encyclopedia of knowledge. His care and ‎attention to our needs were always met with meticulous perception, with an inordinate ‎understanding of cultural connections. Levi has a wonderful sense of humor which ‎very often had us laughing in stitches. His array of contacts are extensive, which gave ‎us a means of seeing many more places than even what the schedule initially outlined. ‎He exceeded the amount of time in his working day just to further present to us ‎details of Israel which he undoubtedly loves and also made us admire.

Levi became ‎more than just a tour guide, but also a lifelong extraordinary friend. Undoubtedly the ‎best tour guide in Israel.‎"

Alex


From Edward B. of San Francisco, Sep. 2019

Eddie and wife touring in Jaffa with gotelaviv private tours

"Our guide, Levi Zelkind, did an excellent job of taking us through the history of Jaffa ‎and Tel-Aviv, visiting the old city of Jaffa in some detail and touring us through the ‎city of Tel-Aviv. His insight and explanations were very informative and his casual ‎and friendly manner was very welcomed.

We highly recommend this Go-TelAviv tour and guide.‎"

Eddie


From Mai-Yin Picard of New York, Aug. 2019

Mai Lin Private Tour in Jerusalem Sep. 2019 with gotelaviv tours

"Levi was the perfect tour guide for our 3 days in Israel. We did the private Jerusalem ‎Highlights Tour and it exceeded all our expectations.

From the moment Levi arrived ‎at our hotel (5 minutes before our meeting time), we knew we would be in good ‎hands. Levi adjusted the tour based on our interests and shared so much history in an ‎understandable and digestible way.

We highly recommend booking a tour with Levi. ‎We wish we had more time with Levi to see the wide range of activities across Israel. ‎Thank you for a great trip! We will be sure to share your contact with all our friends ‎and family!‎"

Mai Lin


From Casey B. of San Diego, Jul. 2019

Casey and family at one of the amazing art galleries in old Jaffa, on a private tour in Israel with Levi go-telaviv tours July 2019

"Fantastic experience touring Israel . Levi was so exceptional.

We booked him for two different tours during our family trip to ‎Israel. His knowledge of the country’s history and his experience were very clear early ‎on in our tours. He took us to historical sites all over Tel Aviv as well as the old city of ‎Jaffa.

On another day, we spent a day touring Jerusalem cutting through lines and seeing a ‎variety of historical sites both scheduled and unscheduled. Levi’s extensive ‎connections and network of friends became evident when we got to see some truly ‎unique and once in a lifetime sites that are typically off limits to the public. Book a ‎tour with Levi to find out more!"‎

Casey


From Onesimo of Spain, Jun. 2019

Onesimo Wine Tasting Private Tour in Israel June 2019 with private go-telaviv tours

"Carmel Wine Tour and Jaffa.  Excellent tour of Jaffa city and visit to a couple of wine bodegas: Carmel and ‎Amphora. Levi, our guide, did an excellent job explaining Jaffa history and wine ‎production in the area in so a short period of time... Levi made a superb job in combining really two not easy tours ‎into one in less than 8 hours and providing rich, insightful, and productive ‎conversations thru all duration of the tour. He even transported us to one of the best ‎shawarma, street food, joints in the Old City/Tel Aviv. One of the best we have ever ‎had, chicken and beef ones.

The tour of the two wineries will provide you with... valuable information about wine in the central area, Carmel Mountain ‎area/Carmel Wines , and a boutique organic winery Amphora, yes before wood barrels ‎and glass bottles , wine was aged and transported in Amphorae, thanks to Phoenicians, ‎Greeks, Romans and also Egyptians.

You will try wines made with well-known ‎French and Italian Cephas such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, barbera and the Persian ‎originated but Australian/ California made famous Syrah or shiraz. At Carmel Winery, ‎you will try some whites, Riesling, gewürztraminer, chardonnay and some reds as ‎mentioned previously. The whites are aromatic, fresh, suave ones making an excellent ‎pairing with avocado, salmon Zucchi and ceviche of sea bass with green apple or ‎grape and a bit of plain yogurt. It may work with mountain trout. The Rothschild ‎name is related to this area and this winery in early Israel wine development, a while ‎back. Of the Two reds I tried, one was Decanters winners in 2006 and I believe this ‎year, the other red also made it to the top, according to their in house Sommelier.

‎Please, when in Tel Aviv call Levi at Go-TelAviv btours, this man can make ‎miracles, I can attest to it. "

Best. Onesimo‎


From Julia Yatskar of Canada, May. 2019

Julia Yatskar recommends private Israel tour in May with Levi of go-telaviv

"This was our first trip to Israel. We were coming on short notice and had no time to do ‎a good preparation... 

Our 6-days tour were the best vacation out of ‎many we had. Levi is extremely knowledgeable and well-articulated, not to mention ‎that his English is perfect. Every day we had some surprises – Levi made small stops ‎at the places we didn’t know about. So, we saw all hidden jewels of Israel. We are ‎coming back to Israel for another 5-days tour with Levi next year.‎ It was an amazing experience and the best tour guide we ever had."    Julia


From Daniela B. of Sofia Bulgaria, Apr. 2019

Daniela recomments Go-TelAviv private tour of  Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Dead Sea in Apr 2019

"A great day to remember... this is the best way to fit a lot in a day! And to do it in a easy and relaxed way. Through ‎some “magical” relations of our guide, we managed to save time and avoid endless ‎queues, we have seen hidden treasures which were pointed to us, ate like locals, and we ‎heard different stories and interpretations. 

We both loved the tour and the points of interest, had good couple of hours at the Dead Sea, and ‎managed to get back with lots of photos and memories.‎" Daniela


From Chinatsu O. of Japan, Mar. 2019

Chinatsu of Japan recommends our Israel wine tour in the Galilee with GoTelAviv house guide Levi

"Wonderful Galilee Winery Tour. We visited 3 wineries in the north of Israel in 8 hours. Levi has a good ‎relationship with the owners of the wineries, so we were treated very kindly. I am ‎especially grateful that Levi was flexible, so we got to visit sightseeing spots along the way!!‎" Chinatsu


From Kevin Shi of China, Feb. 2019

Kevin Shi of China recommends the private, 8 day tour of Israel with Levi private tour guide of Go-TelAviv

"Wonderful Experience with Levi.

If you are contemplating about which tour guide to go with, look no further! Contact ‎Levi today. You will be happy with your decision.

We (a group of 10 adults) have just ‎completed an 8-day private tour with Levi. We spent 5 ‎nights in Tel Aviv and 3 nights in Jerusalem. Levi far exceeded our expectations. He ‎made our experience in the Holy Land so much more enjoyable, despite a few ‎challenging situations caused by one of the tour participants.

From the early planning ‎stage, Levi communicated timely and effectively. He is very detail oriented which ‎ensured a manageable itinerary that covered all the sites we would like to see.

His ‎insight knowledge made our trip very educational and so much more fun. Knowing ‎when to go and where helped us avoiding bus loads of crowd, not to mention it also ‎saved us tons of time and potential frustration. I have the utmost respect for Levi. Not ‎only he is very well versed and knowledgeable, but also a wonderful person, who ‎loves to share what his country has to offer and what this magical land has witnessed ‎through the ages.‎"

Kevin S.


From Laura Libby of California, Jan. 2019

This two week tour was a moving, once in a lifetime experience, not just for the family but for Levi our house Tour Guide. Laura and her brother accompanied their Mom who came to the Holy Land to depart from life, with no fear or self pity!

Laura and mother being baptised in the Jordan River on a Christian private tour of Israel

"My mother was suffering from terminal cancer and wanted to visit the Holy Land ‎before she succumbed to her disease. Due to her weakness, it was decided that a ‎private tour would be the best option so we could pace the trip to her level of activity. ‎She asked my brother and me to accompany her and to put together a trip. I had less ‎than two weeks to put together a private 14-day tour.

I quickly scoured the internet ‎looking for a reputable guide. I sent several messages out explaining our situation. ‎Levi Zelkind immediately stood out amongst the responses I received. I sent him a ‎sample itinerary that I had seen online along with my concerns for my mother's energy ‎level. Together we planned an itinerary encompassing all of the sights we wanted to ‎see at a pace that allowed for periods of rest for my mother. The last thing we wanted ‎was to be hurried or rushed.

Levi picked us from the airport and took us to our hotel. ‎Along the way, he presented us with a printed itinerary, and we chatted about ‎essential things to know about Israel and our tour... We ‎wanted to see all the major Christian sites in Israel. Levi is well versed in Christian, ‎Jewish, and Muslim history. We asked him some pretty tough and specific questions. ‎If there was a question, we presented that he didn't know the answer to, the next day ‎he provided an answer! We tweaked the itinerary slightly a few times to ‎accommodate my mother (and my desire to float in the Dead Sea).

My mother ‎baptized me in the Jordan River on this trip. She passed away shortly after we ‎returned home. This trip was immensely satisfying to all of us, and it was made ‎wonderfully enjoyable by Levi and his knowledge of the land and history. Thank you ‎Levi, Eli, and Avi!‎"

Laura L. ‎


From Karen of Los Angeles, Dec. 2018

Keren recommends tour of Israel

"Informative mystical and magical.

Levi was most informative and made the country come to life.

It was one of the best ‎trips I have taken. I am ready to go back and I would not go with anyone but Levi.‎"

Karen D. ‎


From Kevin of Florida, Nov. 2018

Kevin recommends go-telaviv tours in Jerusalem

"The BEST way to see Jerusalem!‎

I had done Israel large group bus tour last year. It was good, but I wanted a more ‎detailed experience and to go at my own pace.

Levi delivered in every way. Fast ‎when we wanted, slow when we wanted. He knows the histories and stories like a ‎master.

I cannot recommend this tour enough!!!‎"

Kevin M.‎


From Nikki of Australia, Oct. 2018

Tourists undergo a baptism in the Jordan River on a private tour with Levi of Go-TelAviv tours

"Look no further, Levi is an amazing guide!"

If you are considering a private tour guide, look no further. We spent the day with Levi ‎seeing the Galilee area.We were very glad we did not do the big group tour route.

It ‎was easy customizing the day with Levi beforehand and everything went so smoothly on ‎the day itself. We saw everything we wanted to and fitted in an extra suggestion of ‎Levi's which was amazing. He is very knowledgeable about all the history, politics, and ‎the different religions which make up Israel and of course the Bible. He definitely has ‎some good jokes too.

I could not recommend him enough and will definitely book ‎another private tour with him in the future. It was an amazing day in the Galilee area with ‎Levi.‎"  Nikki


From Donald McLeod of Scotland, Aug. 2018

Donald and Mark McLeod on a private Go-TelAviv Tour at Qasr El Yahud baptismal site in 2018

"Tour of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and the Qumram National Park"

Visited Tel Aviv one week ago with my adult son, as we were limited in terms of time and wished to see as much as possible we decided to book a private guide and driver...

Levi picked us up at our hotel at 9am and we drove to Jerusalem. Levi was immensely knowledgable and seemed to be friendly with the 'key' people at each of the places we visited. We then drove to Qumran National Park, site where the dead sea scrolls were discovered. This was fascinating. Levi using local knowledge picked up free entry passes for us from an official outlet to use at The Dead Sea for bathing, We also visited the river Jordan where we watched Baptists in their robes in the water. We then returned late afternoon to Tel Aviv taking a sightseeing detour through old Jaffa and being dropped off at our hotel.

All in all, an excellent day out, crammed in an amazing amount, which is what we wanted to do, and with Levi we could not have had a better guide, witty, knowledgable, accommodating and good humoured throughout. We chose well and were fortunate to have got the services of Levi for the day, I would recommend this tour company to anyone."

Donald and Mark


From Dennis R. of the USA, May 2018

Joanne Ho on GoTelAviv Masada Tour with Levi

"Christian Tour in Jerusalem & Bethlehem:

Our private guide, Levi, picked us up at hour Tel Aviv hotel and took us on a full day ‎private tour and returned us back to our hotel. He is extremely knowledgeable and ‎gave us (my wife and I) a fantastic private tour!

We would recommend hiring him and ‎we would use Levi again!! We felt extremely safe in all areas!!‎"   Dennis 


From Joanne Ho of California, Apr. 2018

Joanne Ho on GoTelAviv Masada Tour with Levi

"The Best Guide!

I'm so lucky I found Levi (via www.go-telaviv.com). I had the opportunity to meet a few different guides on my ‎trip because I was traveling with my husband's MBA program. Levi was by far the ‎best and the most knowledgeable.

He was also extremely accommodating and flexible ‎with my last minute schedule changes. I'm sure I drove him crazy, but he was great ‎nonetheless. I would definitely have Levi guide me and my family when we come ‎back again."

Joanne 


From Marsha Nash of Alabama, Feb. 2018

Marsha recommends Go-TelAviv.com tour guide Levi

"Levi was an exceptional guide for our trip to Jerusalem and Masada. He provided a running commentary throughout the drive and walking tours. I appreciated how flexible Levi was to modify the tour to meet our desires and special requests.He was flexible, accommodating, and provided sage advice to ensure we were able to achieve our objectives even when our requests were a bit 'off' the normal tour.

Levi paid special attention to the needs of our small group which made us very comfortable and able to make the most of each tour. Levi was easy to work with via email and text. He kept us informed and was kind enough to make and send group photos to us. I will recommend Levi to friends when they visit Israel, and highly recommend his guide/driver services."

Marsha 


From Janine Chu of China, Jan. 2018

"Israel Bible Tour. 

Levi is a very knowledgeable guide, I learned a lot from him, and I came away from ‎Israel with a greater respect for the people and the country. He tried to show our ‎family many sides of Israel, the beauty of the countryside and the history that goes ‎back millennia.

I truly enjoyed our wine tour, which was a fantastic experience.

How ‎Israel has built up its wine production and become one of the world's best in such a ‎short amount of time, truly an exceptional people.‎"


From Irene and Barry, Dec. 2017

Tourists travelling in Israel with Levi, Go-TelAviv.com house guide

"Our tour with Levi was awesome! He worked with me beforehand to tailor the tour to ‎my interests and then was just full of so much information about everything we saw. ‎And he was personal and prompt. A total and complete pleasure!‎"


From Mary Salerno, Nov. 2017

Mary Salerno travels with Go-TelAviv.com house guide

"Best Tour Guide EVER! If you are planning a trip to Israel you MUST use Levi. He is so knowledgeable. Super sweet person who helped us really get the most out of our money with the tour. It was a 8 hour tour which lasted more than 10 hours. Levi is a historian and comes from a family of historians. I give Levi my highest recommendation."


From Ellie Berlin, Oct. 2017

Tourists travelling with go-telaviv.com house guide Levi in Jerusalem

"Levi is an Excellent tour guide! He’s kind, respectful, and extremely knowledgeable! He completely understood the goals of our tour with 3 young children. He went at our pace and filled the tour with his knowledge of the sites we visited.  I would highly recommend him! "


From Zoya and Leonard Langsdorf of Washington DC:

""... Boy, were we ever lucky, lucky, lucky to find Levi. Forever grateful to a friend of mine who recommended to hire Levi ... 

He is talented, knowledgeable, well-educated and can answer even the weirdest of questions and boy did we have many!  But most important of all, Levi is a kind, warm, sensitive person who made each person in our party (including our 10 year old son who said that he will miss Levi the most) feel special and cared for... 

He is as good a guide as you will ever find. His time is worth every single penny and will likely be the smartest investment you make in planning your trip. That was the case with us. 

Levi, we miss you! With great affection

Len, Zoya and your buddy Matthew"



From Jim Sellers of Mt. Vernon, VA:

"We have visited Israel several times already, and Levi was the best tour guide of all, so far. His attitude and the way he presented the material made it fascinating. He kept our group just amazed. Levi has the skill and sensitivity to present "touchy" political issues in an evenhanded manner without revealing any personal agenda or bias as might be expected from an "average" Israeli." Jim



From Becca Hannah Atlas of Binghamton, NY:

Our family of four just returned from an awesome tour for 6 days with Levi... Levi put together a great itinerary. He was great to work with, he was extremely flexible. He also had a great sense of humor!  He was incredibly knowledgeable in Israel's history and culture... he made history come to life with his "storytelling". Our 22 and 18 year old were never bored!  He was able to incorporate everyone's interests while touring. He was always punctual and very accessible. Levi's love for Israel showed throughout the tour. I recommend Levi if you want an informative, well organized, fun, and terrific tour!!" Becca


From Stefan Rudhart of Frankfurt Germany:

(Translated from German)

"Mr. Levi Zelkind was recommended to us by friends. We first made contact by  email. We especially liked that Levi responded very quickly, and made various recommendations for possible trips. We opted for a day in Tel Aviv and do not regret it.

We were picked up by him on time for an unforgettable day! Mr. Zelkind perfectly ADAPTS his tours to his guests, based on their interests, and even their nationality. It was perfect for us as Germans that we spent lots of time in the old German district and got a wealth of background information on the history of settlements in German Tel Aviv. That was really moving!

Besides loads of interesting information, Levi is a source of witty anecdotes, that he combines together with interesting facts ...  he He provided us with an entertaining and exciting day exploring Tel Aviv... Overall, the day was more than worth it. Next time we will tour the south with Levi. Thanks again." E u S Rudhart


From Joe Halpern of New York City:

"Levi gave us an incredible, in depth tour of Caesarea. Beyond his encyclopedic knowledge and up to date information (they are continuously digging and unearthing new treasures there), he was able to cater to our whole group and work on our timetable - no easy feat with 6 kids including two 3 year olds on a hot day. I highly recommend him." Joe Halpern


From Jim Andrews of Atlanta, GA:

"Thanks again for the fantastic tour the last week. I speak for all the team when I say that your spirituality, knowledge and ZEAL together with the... understanding you brought to us, has helped bring a multi-dimensional meaning to our trip." Jim


Customized Multi-Day Excursions
With Our Private Tour Guide in Israel

Levi can help you put together your own private tour, based on your interests and your budget and whether you want to tour for a day, several days or longer.

To contact Levi on ordering and organizing your customized multi-day tour, BOOK HERE


Private Tour Guide in Israel
One Day Excursions

Private Tours - Heading North


Central Israel Tours


Private Tours - Heading South


Book HERE for a tour with our private tour guide in Israel


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