Testimonials
(taken from "tripadvisor")
I just organized a trip to Israel for my wife, two adult children, their spouse and girlfriend, and my brother- and sister-in-law. I travel often to Israel on business and organize large, educational experiences as part of my work, but this was an opportunity to introduce and reintroduce my family to the country.
I could not have found a better guide than Dafna. She was organized and thorough, and she could really roll with the punches provided by extraordinary rains of biblical proportions. She has a great sense of humor, unlimited patience, and a knowledge of the country that enables her to put everything into context - local political, geopolitical, biblical, and modern-historical. She was, in a word, spectacular. I have worked with many guides, but she was much more than just that; she became a member of our family. Whether you have a small group or a large one, you can't go wrong with Dafna. I hope that we have a chance to work together again.
Dobin family, January 2020
Amazing trip to Israel
We were on a family trip with 13 people of different ages. Dafna was an amazing tour guide and taught us a wealth of information regarding the history of Israel as well as current geopolitical challenges. She was always prepared, had a great sense of humor, had games of trivia for us, kept us entertained and informed. She had a great itinerary, including a jeep ride to borders of Israel, a Kibbutz, taking us to religious areas, artist markets, culinary tours from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, to Masada and floating in the Dead Sea.
Dafna introduced us to local culinary treats and local vendors and artists. We experienced Israel as tourists and as locals.
This was my husband and my first time going to Israel and it was amazing, thanks to being with family and having Dafna as our guide. When we went to the Western Wall, it was emotional and very special. I highly recommend using Dafna Koren Cohen as your guide when you want to tour Israel. She completes your experience! She is so enthusiastic and passionate about Israel.
Sharon Albright and family, July 2019
The Best Trip Ever
We just returned from a family trip to Israel led by Dafna Karen Cohen. It was our first time in Israel, and Dafna made it absolutely perfect in every way. She created a wonderful itinerary for each day that combined beautiful sightseeing, fascinating education about Israel’s past and present, and activities that our whole family enjoyed. She handled ALL of the logistics including driving us everywhere, making all reservations, and dealing with any unforeseen changes (such as inclement weather). Her knowledge of Israel is amazing and it helped us really understand and appreciate this amazing country. In addition, she arranged meals that greatly enhanced the trip by exposing us to a variety of cuisines and cultural influences. Every meal was delicious (even when we were full!) and the experiences were even better. We truly could not recommend anybody any more than we recommend Dafna to plan and lead your next trip to Israel.
Alt family, December 2019
Let me begin by saying it quite simply: Dafna is the best. Stop looking elsewhere. We have traveled the globe and done many tours (private, group, vip, etc.) and she is far and away the best there is for your trip. We are beyond picky on our trips and do extensive research for months if not longer. Save your time and use Dafna - she is the top in Israel by a wide margin. We were a group of 11 (from the USA) - kids and adults of all ages. She made the trip fun, interesting and memorable. She was always in tune with our needs and adjusted as needed. She is sweet, dedicated and very smart. She brings an unparalleled energy to every experience and always provided us with insightful, thoughtful information on every aspect of our trip. Aside from simply everything in the aforementioned statements, she is great. She is fun to be around, is dynamic, funny and patient. I really cant imagine finding a more well rounded better guide for a trip to Israel. She made our trip unbelievable. We have already recommended her to our nearest and dearest. Our trip was extensive - we went all over Israel and Dafna really made it special.
Goldsteen family, August 2019
Best tour guide in Israel
Our 10 day journey through Israel with Dafna was a trip of a lifetime. Dafna catered to all our wishes, teaching and expressing her immense love of her country whilst being analytical and joyful. All our senses were fulfilled through her expert guidance. We tasted great food, saw incredible historical and nature sights, listened to the chants from the quarters. But most of all Dafna guided us with love and confidence, teaching us more than we could ever absorb. Her knowledge and passion for her country is unsurpassable! Dafna is an absolute MUST if one is looking for a private tour guide in Israel.
Jacobson and Hart family, October 2019
Dafna is fantastic
I recently returned from a multigenerational trip to Israel with my family. Dafna’s kindness and joyful personality coupled with her pride and love of Israel was infectious and made everyone on the trip feel the same way about this wonderful land.
I have personally had numerous experiences with high end private guides in locations around the world but this trip with Dafna was at a whole different level. Not only is she a terrific tour guide with an incredible depth of knowledge of Israel but her charm and enthusiasm permeated every aspect of the trip. This combination made the vacation a life’s event which my family will never forget.
Of course, Dafna exposed us to all the must see historical/cultural sites but she was also quite a detective ferreting out the off the beaten path spots that we would never have discovered ourselves.
For a foodie like me, it was an extract added bonus that Dafna was also adept at finding us all kinds of yummy restaurants and unique culinary experiences.
By the time the trip came to a close, we were sad to say goodbye to someone who was now an honorary member of the Rosenbloom Family!!
Rosenbloom family, December 2018
We relied on Trip Advisor when picking Dafna to guide us through Israel. We were a diverse group from 4 to 71. Dafna has a wonderful skill of relating to all ages.
Dafna spent 5 days with us and at the end she felt like a family member. All comments by others, that you can read, do not do justice to her abundant skills.
I wish I could give 10 stars. She’s worth it.
At the conclusion we were so attached that we wanted to bring her home with us.
We absolutely loved our time with you Dafna.
Look no further when looking for a guide.
She was amazing.
Big hugs from the Barnett family. 😘😘👏🏽👏🏽
Barnett family, July 2019
Imagine walking through Israel with an engaging historian who can connect the important stories of the Jewish faith, Christian faith (and some Islamic faith) and the independence of Israel. She knows it ALL-so you leave with a rich understanding of the significance of the geography. BONUS-she is so connected, she has insider knowledge of how to avoid the long lines and crowds.
That’s Dafna.
Now imagine she also loves food, has the patience of Job, and can teach you Hebrew phrases as you explore.
That’s Dafna.
Somehow Dafna can intuitively understand the pace of the group, and modify the itinerary accordingly. She must listen to all our chatter to hear our, “I wonder if we could ...” because SO many times she personalized our day to make it even more fabulous.
I really can’t recommend Dafna enough. It might be hard to believe all the 5 stars, but it’s all true.
She’s fantastic. She epitomizes the phrase: “There are no strangers. Only friends you haven’t met.”
Davis family and friends, June 2019
We came to Israel for a once in a lifetime family trip with multiple generations (including little children) and varying familiarity with Israel.
Dafna was able to craft the perfect itinerary to make sure everyone got exactly what they wanted out of the trip. The details were executed flawless and we couldn’t have found a warmer, knowledgeable and super fun guide who always gave 110% every day. We had nine full days together and Dafna did not disappoint for even a minute of it. Also having a guide is also is a mom of young kids really helped with some of the challenges of traveling with our kiddos. There are not enough words to express how grateful we are to Dafna and how much we recommend her for all future groups!
Weinstein family, February 2019
Life-changing trip for 3 generations - thanks to Dafna
If you are planning to visit Israel, my advice is to book Dafna Koren as your guide right now! We just returned from a 10-day trip to Israel with 10 family members - ranging from ages 10 to age 77. Dafna created a thoughtful itinerary -- she listened to what we wanted to get out of the trip, and made it happen. Each destination explored a different aspect of the country -- and in spite of our varied ages, Dafna made it interesting and relevant to all, with a great dose of hands on experiences. She inspired us with her passion for the land, and she taught us more than we could have ever imagined. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for this country, as well as her warmth and positive attitude, made this a trip we will never forget. I would book her over and over again!
Boaz family, March 2016
Where should I start? Dafna is amazing. She took anywhere between 5-11 family members on a 6 day tour through Israel for my sons Bar Mitzvah trip. Her itinerary was thoughtful and perfect. She knows EVERYTHING about Israel and speaks with tremendous passion about it. She is very easy going and will alter the schedule at any time to adjust to her travelers needs. Her culinary knowledge is incomparable and not only did she recommended the most fantastic restaurants but one of the highlights of our trip was a tour through a Jerusalem open air market. We stopped at every stand and got to try every last delicious victual. On the last day, I got kicked in the eye by accident and she took us to the hospital and stayed with us for HOURS. She helped us with all of the paperwork and was just incredible. Because if Dafna, we will never be able to forget our fantastic trip to Israel.
Isaacs family, April 2018
Best trip ever!
Truly a life changing trip to Israel! We were so so impressed with Dafna and her incredible knowledge. She made everything so easy and effortless, from transportations, tickets, food, and more! She’s so fun to be around and easy to get along with. Highly suggest using her for all your tour guide needs. We can’t wait to go back!
Walden family, February 2020
