This city is breathtaking and the history that lives in every step and stone is profound: I think Etai, our guide for the day embodied all of that. He has a wealth of knowledge, a shining smile, and a passion for bringing thousands of years of stories back to life. But he wasn’t stuffy or anything, in fact he was like completely opposite of that; he was super fun, excited to share interesting and relatable stories, willing to cater to our interests, AND maintain integrity and respect for all the different cultures and religions within the city. I would not have appreciated the significance and beauty of the city nearly as much, if we hadn’t had Etai to guide us. We wondered at first if it was worth the money, and I’m delighted to say that it was beyond worth it! It’s a once in a lifetime kind of place and doing a small private tour is one hundred and fifty percent the way to go— you will miss out on some spectacular stories and sites if you don’t. Also, I don’t know if you can request your guides (we just rolled the dice and ended up with probably the best of the best) and if you can, Etai is who you want!! Can’t recommend him enough!!