Day 1 – Thursday: Arrival
Welcome to Israel! Arrive Ben Gurion Airport; Transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv for overnight.
Day 2 – Friday
Tel Aviv
Spend the morning digging and excavating at the Tel Maresha Dig at Beit Guvrin National Park. Continue to Neve Zedek and to the old port city of Jaffa. Spend the rest of the afternoon at lively Nachlat Benjamin - the place to be on Friday afternoon! Dinner and overnight in Tel Aviv. (B, D)
Day 3 – Saturday
Tel Aviv
Morning walking tour. Remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight in Tel Aviv. (B)
Day 4 – Sunday
Tel Aviv • Caesarea • Nazareth
Drive to the Diaspora Museum. Continue to ancient Caesarea. Then, visit Caesarea Harbor. Arrive in Nazareth, the sacred town where Jesus spent part of his youth; visit the Church and Mary’s Well. On to the sparkling port city of Haifa. Visit a Druze Village atop the Carmel Mountains — meet these unique Israelis in their homes! You’ll be their guests for an authentic Druze Dinner — complete with fresh-baked pita and home-cooked food! Overnight in Haifa (B, D)
Day 5 – Monday
Haifa • Rosh Hanikra • Safed
View the golden-domed Bahai Shrine and the colorful Persian Gardens. Drive along the coast to Rosh Hanikra; descend by cable car to see the underwater grottoes. Continue through Nahariya to the timeless Crusader city of Acre. Then, to Safed, one of Judaism’s holiest cities, where Kabbalah flourished during the golden age; visit the ancient synagogues and the charming Artists’ Quarter. Late afternoon Boat Ride on the Sea of Galilee. Dinner at a fabulous seaside restaurant. Overnight in Tiberias. (B, D)
Day 6 – Tuesday
Capernaum • Beit Shean
Plant trees in the inspiring Golani Junction Forest. Drive to Capernaum. Then, ascend the strategic Golan Heights. Arrive at Kibbutz Kfar Charuv. Enjoy the hospitality of the “kibbutzniks” as you tour the kibbutz and share lunch with its members in the communal dining room. Travel to Beit Shean, to the newly excavated city from the time of King Saul; see the remains of a Roman city. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B, L)
Day 7 – Wednesday
Jerusalem • The New City
Drive to the Hadassah Medical Center to see 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. Drive via the Supreme Court Building and the Knesset 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 8 – Thursday
Jerusalem • The Old City
Enter the Old City from the Dung Gate; walk to the Western Wall. Witness joyous Bar 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 Jewish Quarter; walk along the Cardo. 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 9 – Friday
Massada • Dead Sea • Qumran
Travel via the Judean desert and the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada. 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. Enjoy an “unsinkable” swim in the buoyant waters of the Dead Sea. Drive via the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Traditional Friday Night Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (B, D)
Day 10 – Saturday
Jerusalem
Morning walking tour 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 11 – Sunday: Departure
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight. (B)
