About Shemesh Tours
Travel designed around you.
No two travelers should experience Israel the same way.
Every journey is thoughtfully crafted around your interests — from history and culture to food, faith, and adventure.
So what's a Shemesh tour?
Great question. Shemesh means sun. The sun reflects my personality: bright and exciting. But more importantly, with a Shemesh you have to be smart. The sun fuels solar panels and starts fires, and of course it can burn you, so watch out. Shemesh is my family name. Hi.
Yona Shemesh
Founder & Licensed Tour Guide and Driver
I made Aliyah from Los Angeles to my grandfather’s little town at the age of nine, which is how I ended up with an American ear and an Israeli childhood.
I’ve kept gravitating toward the same thing: helping people see what they might otherwise miss. I managed volunteer programs for people with special needs, serve as a lieutenant in the IDF, and studied Middle Eastern Studies and Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. At university I became a Student Ambassador, traveling across the States speaking about Israel with firsthand experiences.
Becoming a licensed tour guide felt like a natural continuation of everything that came before — teaching, leading, and sharing the stories behind this place.
I believe every journey through Israel is a chance to build a real connection, challenge assumptions, and come away seeing the country differently. My goal is simple: that you go home understanding Israel more deeply than when you arrived.
- Licensed by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, licence number 23559.
- Two years guiding groups across Israel, from Hebron to the Golan.
- Managed volunteer programs for individuals with special needs.
- Serves as a Lieutenant in the Israel Defense Forces, leading teams and coordinating field operations.
- Studied at the Hebrew University and represented it across the U.S. as a Student Ambassador.
- Licensed commercial driver, so the guiding and the driving are the same person.
Every journey creates a lasting impact.
- Build meaningful connections Travel is about people first.
- Challenge perspectives Discover Israel beyond the expected.
- Create lasting memories Experiences that stay with you long after you return home.
My goal is simple
That every guest leaves with a deeper understanding of Israel, and memories that last a lifetime.