Via Sabra is not your every-day Israel tour company! Without dissing other operators with whom I've traveled - Israel has the world's best tour guides, across the board - Via Sabra excels at off-the-standard-path places and people. We hiked 5-10 miles per day on selected, often historic segments of the Israel National Trail. We were all active seniors (60-80 y.o.) and the hike options (and opt-outs) were suitable for all. We met a cultural smorgasbord of Israelis while hiking segments of the Sh'vil Yisrael, the Israel National Trail. Instead of seeing things in Israel, we saw Israel in all its beauty and diversity. The accommodations varied from kibbutz guest houses to luxury hotels with the common denominator of great food. Our primary guide and the several part-tiime, local guides were all excellent. This was the first run of a new tour and it ran quite smoothly. Many days we fell behind our packed schedule but guides did a great job of adjusting timings on-the-fly. I would travel again with Via Sabra in a heartbeat.

I just completed the SHEFA tour and I'd take it all over again! It's a unique women's tour of off-site locations in Israel. Not your regular tourist spots - which are important and worth visiting, so this tour is for women who have been to Israel before. We explored the projects of passionate Israeli women who wanted to help others and fulfill their own dreams in the process. From a workshop to help sex-trade workers get off the street and learn to sew colourful bags and knapsacks etc from used parachutes; to a remote goat farm in the Galilee built from scratch by a couple who serve a full course meal (including 10 types of home made goat cheeses) to visitors who want to experience something different; to a kitchen in Akko where Arab women learn to demonstrate their cooking skills while creating a community with their Jewish neighbours. The trip organizer herself is a passionate young Israeli woman. What a trip!