I often see Facebook posts asking for recommendations for a tour guide in Israel. The response to these posts are usually overwhelming, with everyone suggesting their favorites.
The problem is that someone else's favorite guide may not be the right one for you. So, how do you find the right tour guide for you?
The first step is determining what your needs are; to do this, ask yourself these questions:
Are you travelling with children? Do you need a guide who is child friendly? Not all guides are good with children or are even interested in guiding children.
Is this your first trip to Israel? If so, you will probably want to visit the classic sites. If not, you may be better off with a guide who has lived in Israel for many years, and really knows the land.
Is this a religious heritage or pilgrimage trip? Do you prefer a guide who is an expert in your religion? You will want a guide who can ensure that you visit the sites which are most relevant to your religion.
Do you prefer a male or female guide? If you are travelling with a group of women, you may prefer a female guide; if you are travelling with a group of yeshiva students, you may prefer a male guide.
Do you have a special field of interest? Are you an expert in that field? If you are an archaeologist, for example, you will prefer to be guided by another archaeologist who can answer your professional questions.
Do you want a native Israeli guide or someone who has been living here many years? Maybe you prefer a guide who can speak fluently in your native language? Or, perhaps you want both - a native of your own country who has lived here for many years.
Once you have answered these questions, you can post a recommendation for a tour guide who meets your qualifications. Alternatively, you could turn to a guiding website which offers a variety of guides; a new website which focuses on the meeting the traveler's needs is guiderr.
Once you have narrowed down your search to one or two guides, verify that the guide is right for you. Two initial steps are to verify are certification and language proficiency.
Israeli law requires that all tour guides have proper certification; the tour guide license is acquired after an intensive two year course and examinations. So ask the guide if he has a valid license or ask him to send you a copy of his license.
The license also details which languages he is allowed to use for guiding; but this may not be the level of proficiency you want (Nothing can destroy a tour more than not being able to understand the guide!!). Proficiency verification can be done in a phone conversation or by email, by asking where the guide was born, where he grew up, etc.
If you are choosing between a few guides, your chemistry with the guide will be the final determining factor. Go with your gut feeling; its important to like your guide!
