Day 1 – Sunday: Arrival
Welcome to Israel! Arrive Ben Gurion Airport. Meeting, assistance and transfer to your hotel in the port city of Haifa. Dinner and overnight in Haifa. (D)
Day 2 – Monday
Haifa • Tiberias
View the golden-domed Bahai Shrine and the colorful Persian Gardens. Drive along the coast to Rosh Hanikra; descend by cable car to the underwater grottoes. Continue through the picturesque seaside town of Nahariya to the timeless Crusader city of Acre. Then, to Safed, one of Judaism’s holiest cities; visit the ancient synagogues and the charming Artists’ Quarter. Late afternoon Boat Ride on the Sea of Galilee takes you to Tiberias. Dinner at a fabulous seaside restaurant, overnight in Tiberias. (B, D)
Day 3 – Tuesday:
Tiberias • Jerusalem
Plant trees in the inspiring Golani Junction Forest to commemorate your trip to Israel. Drive to Capernaum. Ascend the strategic Golan Heights. Arrive at Kibbutz Kfar Charuv, settled by Americans and Israelis together. Enjoy the hospitality of the “kibbutzniks” as you tour the kibbutz and share lunch with its members in the communal dining room. Travel to Bet Shean, an ancient city from the time of King Saul; see the excavated remains of a Roman city. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B, L)
Day 4 – Wednesday
Jerusalem • The New City
Drive to the Hadassah Medical Center to see the brilliant Chagall Windows. On to Yad Vashem, memorial to the Holocaust; visit the Museum, Children’s Pavilion and walk along the Avenue of the Righteous. Then, to Mount Herzl to pay respects to Israel’s military heroes. Visit the newly opened Herzl Museum. Drive via the Supreme Court Building and the Knesset (Parliament) to the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Walk through the Israel Museum and the Billy Rose Sculpture Garden; see the Scale Model of ancient Jerusalem. Dinner, night tour and overnight in Jerusalem. (B, D)
Day 5 – Thursday
Jerusalem • The Old City
Enter the Old City from the Dung Gate; walk to the Western Wall, the only remaining portion of the Second Temple. Witness joyous Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah ceremonies! View the Dome of the Rock. Drive to Mt. Zion to visit the traditional Tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Proceed to the restored Jewish Quarter; walk along the Cardo, the colonnaded main street of Byzantine Jerusalem. Visit the Herodian Mansions, a completely excavated Residential quarter from 2000 years ago, or, walk through the extraordinary Hasmonean Tunnel. Follow the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; walk through the exotic bazaars with their wondrous aromas. End the day with an optional visit to Bethlehem. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B)
Day 6 – Friday
Massada • Dead Sea • Qumran
Travel via the Judean desert and the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, to Massada. Ascend by cable car to this last stronghold of the Zealots in their struggle against the Romans. Visit the excavations, Herod the Great’s palace, synagogue and bathhouse. Descend to the Dead Sea to enjoy an “unsinkable” swim in its buoyant waters. (We provide the changing facilities and lockers.) Continue your drive via the Caves of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, on your return to Jerusalem. Experience an authentic traditional Friday Night Dinner. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B, D)
Day 7 – Saturday
Jerusalem
Morning walking tour with your Tour Director to the Museum of the History of Jerusalem at David’s Citadel, and to the Old City. Remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight in Jerusalem (B)
Day 8 – Sunday: Departure
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight. (B)
