Frequently Asked Questions
• Who are the Tel Aviv Greeters?
• Who are the visitors?
• Who can request a greeter?
• How long before arriving in Tel Aviv should visitors request a greeter?
• How are Greeters selected by Tel Aviv Greeters?
• How much does it cost to meet and walk with a greeter?
• How is a walk with a greeter different from a professionally guided tour?
• How is a walk with a greeter different from a free public guided tour?
• Can children participate in a walk with a greeter?
• How are greeters and visitors matched and how do they meet?
• Where does the greeter meet with the visiting group?
• How many visitors can participate in a walk?
• Will a visiting group include other people they don’t know during the walk?
• Which languages do the greeters speak?
• How long is a walk with a greeter?
• How difficult is the walk?
• Is there a walk for the disabled or physically challenged?
• Where can greeters take visitors?
• Can Tel Aviv Greeter guarantee that a visitor will get a walk with a greeter?
• If visitors cannot be matched with a greeter, can they join another group?
• Can greeters use their private car to show visitors around?
• Does Tel Aviv Greeter offer scheduled walks visitors could sign up for?
• Can visitors request a greeter more than once during their stay in Tel Aviv?
• What happens after a walk is finished?
Who are the Tel Aviv Greeters?
Greeters are volunteers, residents of Tel Aviv who love the city and enjoy sparing a few hours to show visitors around. Greeters are not professional or licensed tour guides. They are people from all walks of life with varied backgrounds and cultures. They have personal knowledge and are intimately familiar with specific parts of Tel Aviv simply because they live in the city. Greeters show visitors what life is really like in Tel Aviv by accompanying them on neighborhood walking experiences and introducing them to places they might not see on their own. Greeters can show the lesser-known sights and attractions, markets, little shops, restaurants and landmarks which give a neighborhood its color and flavor. Greeters also orient visitors by answering questions, introducing them to public transportation, and helping them feel more comfortable, welcome, and informed in our exciting city.
Who are the visitors using Tel Aviv Greeter’s service?
Any visitor who would like a “friend” to help them get the most out of their stay in Tel Aviv is welcome to use our service. This includes travelers with special interests, leisure travelers, business travelers and their families, travelers with disabilities, clients of international organizations doing business in the city, the adventurous or curious, journalists writing about Tel Aviv. In short: any visitor who wants to discover something “off-the-beaten-track.”
Who can request a greeter?
Tel Aviv Greeter welcomes all visitors without regard to race, color, creed, gender, age, or disability.
How long before arriving in Tel Aviv should visitors request a greeter?
We recommend visitors submit a request for a greeter at least 2 weeks prior to their requested greet date but not more than 1 month in advance. We require a minimum of 5 days prior to the requested greet date to process a request.
How are Greeters selected by Tel Aviv Greeter?
Applicants are selected for their enthusiasm and desire to show the city and meet people from around the world. Volunteers are chosen without regard to race, color, creed, gender, or age (18+). All volunteer applicants are interviewed and attend a mandatory guidance session to ensure that they follow Tel Aviv Greeter’s guidelines. Acceptance for becoming a Tel Aviv Greeter volunteer is not automatic.
How much does it cost to meet and walk with a greeter?
A walk with a Greeter is free of charge. In fact, greeters do not accept any form of payment, and we have a strict NO TIPPING policy. However, if you wish to support us and help sustain Tel Aviv Greeter by donating, please do so on our web site. Note that you may need to pay bus fare to reach a destination within the city from which your walk will begin. Greeters pay their own bus fare.
How is a walk with a greeter different from a professionally guided tour?
A greeter will show you Tel Aviv as a friend would. Their knowledge includes personal stories, anecdotes, and cultural aspects. The focus of a walk with a greeter is to get to know Tel Aviv through the eyes of a person experiencing the city on a day-to-day basis while discovering spots that are not part of any commercial guided tour. In turn, greeters get to meet people from around the world creating in many cases long-lasting friendships. We emphasize that a walk with a greeter should not replace a professionally guided tour. We highly recommend that in addition to walking the city with a greeter, visitors book a professionally guided tour of Tel Aviv either through the Tel Aviv municipality free tours or with any of the licensed guides that can be found on the Internet.
How is a walk with a greeter different from a free public guided tour?
A walk with a greeter is informal, unscripted, and does not necessarily follow a predefined itinerary. If the greeter thinks of something the visitor might like to see or do, then they can quickly change plans and go in a different direction. Visitors often ask to see “the less touristic places” in Tel Aviv, places that are off-the-beaten-track. Greeters and visitors will then go off the tourist path to streets and neighborhoods where residents live and work; places where many tours never go.
Can children participate in a walk with a greeter?
Yes. We welcome babies, toddlers, youngsters, and teenagers. At least one person in the visitor’s group has to be over 18.
How are greeters and visitors matched and how do they meet?
Ter Aviv Greeter administration team is responsible for matching visitors with greeters. Greeters and visitors are matched according to visit dates, language needs, and when possible – interests. Greeters meet a group of one to five people, all of the same party. Greeters are not “shared” among unrelated groups. We confirm visitor requests in advance, giving the greeter’s name, and arrange appropriate date/time and meeting location.
Where does the greeter meet with the visiting group?
A greeter will either meet the group at their hotel/place of residence, or at a location in the city agreed upon in advance.
How many visitors can participate in a walk?
A walk with a greeter can include a group of 1 to 5 people (including children).
Will a visiting group include other people they don’t know during a walk?
No. A visiting group consists only of the people that are specified in the registration form. We want all the people in the group to know each other so that the walk is friendly and personal.
Which languages do the greeters speak?
We offer greeters that speak English, French, Spanish, Rusian, and Hebrew.
How long is a walk with a greeter?
A walk takes between 2 to 3 hours, depending on the greeter and the nature of their chosen path.
How difficult is the walk?
Walking the city with a greeter is very easy. You can also decide the pace together with your greeter.
Is there a walk for the disabled or physically challenged?
Tel Aviv Greeter welcomes visitors with disabilities. When visitors fill in the registration form, they should indicate any disabilities in their group and we will do our best to match an appropriate greeter and walk.
Where can greeters take visitors?
Greeters take visitors on a walk through a designated part of Tel Aviv that the greeters choose. This can be a specific neighborhood, a market, or through several streets with a specific theme such as architecturally interesting buildings. As a policy, we do not take visitors to places with entrance fees (e.g. museums).
Can Tel Aviv Greeter guarantee that a visitor will get a walk with a greeter?
Matching visitors with a greeter predominately depends on the availability of greeters on the visit dates. We assure that we will do our utmost to provide visitors with the Tel Aviv Greeter experience.
If visitors cannot be matched with a greeter, can they join another group?
Greeters are not shared among groups. When visitors are matched with a greeter, they will meet only that greeter and other visitors may not join.
Can greeters use their private car to show visitors around?
As a policy, we do not allow greeters to drive visitors in private vehicles. Furthermore, that would be missing the point. Seeing the city is done on foot. Greeters can use public transportation in order to take visitors from the meeting point to a specific destination in the city from which the walk will begin. Some Greeters like to offer bicycle rides using the municipality bike service, and this is acceptable if it suits the visitors.
Does Tel Aviv Greeter offer scheduled walks visitors could sign up for?
We do not offer scheduled walks. Every walk with a greeter is unique.
Can visitors request a greeter more than once during their stay in Tel Aviv?
Since many visitors would like to meet a greeter, please submit only one request for your visit.
What happens after a walk is finished?
Greeters and visitors go their separate way. If a friendship is formed and both parties wish to meet again—wonderful! However, these engagements will no longer be part of the Tel-Aviv Greeters service. In any case, after the walk visitors receive an email asking them to complete a feedback form. We hope this will give us information on how to improve our service.
Have more questions? Contact us at info@telavivgreeter.com