Tour Itinerary:
Day 1, Tuesday: Departure. Flight from the U.S to Israel.
Day 2, Wednesday: Arrival in Israel. Welcome to Israel. Arrive at the new Ben-Gurion Airport. Meet our representative and transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv for check in. Overnight:Tel-Aviv.
Day 3, Thursday: Tel Aviv: Independence Hall/ "Mini Israel"/ Ayalon Institute/ Yad Mordechai. Start the day with a visit to the Independence Hall where the establishment of the state of Israel was declared. Next, we drive to Latrun to visit the new "Mini Israel" park including miniature models of the most important sites and buildings in the country. Continue to visit Ayalon Institute, once an ammunition factory for the Hagana, the underground movement before May 1948. Proceed to Yad Mordechai, named after Mordechai Anilevitz, leader of the Warsaw Ghetto; Visit the restored battle fields of the war of liberation and learn about their heroic story. Overnight: Tel-Aviv.
Day 4, Friday: Tel Aviv. Diaspora museum / Rabin's Square / Old Jaffa / Neve Tzedek / Nahalat Benyamin. Visit the Diaspora museum; Drive around the main streets of Tel Aviv, center of business and entertainment of Israel. Stop at Rabin's Square, place of assassination of Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin. Continue to Old Jaffa, an 8000 year old port city; Visit the ancient ruins and walk along the restored artist's quarter. Visit Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv, built in 1909 and Nahalat Benyamin, the pedestrian street of the city with its musicians, hand made jewelry and artifacts. Stop at Sheinkin, the lively and colorful street especially known with the unique shops, cafe life and youthful ambiance. Overnight:Tel-Aviv.
Day 5, Saturday: Free day. Free Shabbat to enjoy Tel Aviv, the city that never sleeps. Overnight: Tel-Aviv.
Day 6, Sunday: Caesarea / Haifa / Acre (Aco) / Rosh Hanikra / Galilee. Drive north to Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the region. See the excavations of the crusaders' city, the aqueduct and the amphitheater which has been restored as a concert venue. Proceed to Haifa for a panoramic view from Mt. Carmel and visit "AF AL PI CHEN", the naval museum of the illegal immigration to Israel at the time of the British mandate. Drive to Acre; walk along the old harbor and local market; Continue to the northernmost point of Israel at Rosh Hanikra, descend by cable into the limestone Grottoes. Drive to the lower Galilee for our lodging in Kibbutz Lavi. Meet with the Kibbutz members and learn about their unique lifestyle. Dinner at the Kibbutz Hotel. Overnight: Kibbutz Lavi, Galilee.
Day 7, Monday: Safed / Golan Heights / Jeep Tour / Banias / Tel Hai / Upper Galilee. Drive to Safed, center of Kaballa movement. Visit the Joseph Caro and the Ha’ari synagogues, the most important synagogues in the city; stroll around the Artist’s quarter. Enjoy a Jeep tour to the foot of the Golan. Continue to the Golan Heights; Stop at an observation point over the city of Kuneitra, and the Syrian territory. Stop at Tel Facher, a former Syrian army camp; Visit the Banias springs. Next, a visit to Tel-Hai; See the "Roaring Lion" monument and learn about the heroic battle of Josef Trumpeldor and his comrades in 1920. Return to our kibbutz Hotel for dinner. Overnight: Kibbutz Lavi, Galilee.
Day 8, Tuesday: Tiberia / Beit Shean / Gan Hashlosha / Beit Alpha / Jordan valley / Jerusalem. Begin the day with a tree planting; Drive to Tiberia to visit Rambam’s grave; proceed to Beit Shean, also called "Scythopolis", the biggest archeological park in Israel with beautiful excavations from Roman and Byzantine periods. Stop at Beit Alpha to see the beautiful mosaic floor of a synagogue from the Byzantine period. Onto Gan Hashlosha, (Sachne) where you will have an opportunity to enjoy in the water springs located at the foot of the Gilboa mountain, the famous mountain on which King Saul was killed in the battle against the philistines. Continue via the Jordan valley to Jerusalem. Stop at Mount Scopus for a blessing as we enter the city. Overnight: Jerusalem.
Day 9, Wednesday: Mt. Zion / Western wall Tunnels / Davidson center / David's Tower. Tour the old city of Jerusalem. Start with a visit of the tomb of King David on Mt. Zion. Walk along the Cardo, the ancient Roman road; Visit the four Sephardic synagogues restored after 1967 war in the Jewish quarter. Tour the Western Wall Tunnels; Visit the Davidson center and walk through the Roman Cardo, to the local Arab bazaar. Walk through Jaffa gate to David’s Tower museum and see the ancient remains of the city beginning with the first Temple period. Overnight: Jerusalem.
Day 10, Thursday: Western Wall / Mea Shearim / Israel Museum / Holyland Model / Yad Vashem. Depart the hotel and arrive to the Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem. Celebrate the Bar/Bat-Mitzvah ceremonies at the kotel. Continue to Mea Shearim and learn about the unique lifestyle of the ultra orthodox communities. Drive by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament and see the Menorah with the biblical emblem. Next visit is the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the book, where the Dead Sea scrolls are housed, and the new Holy
Land model - a miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the second temple period. Drive to mount Hertzel, the military cemetery and Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust. Visit the Ammunition Hill, a former Jordanian army stronghold, conquered by the Israeli army in the Six Day War, and converted into a national memorial site and museum. Overnight: Jerusalem.
* Optional Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony:
For families who wish to celebrate a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony at the Western or Southern Wall. This will be a perfect opportunity. While the rest of the group will tour Mea Shearim, arrangements will be made at the Western or Southern Wal with our Israeli Rabbi. At the end of the service, you will be transferred from the Western Wall area to meet again with the group. * Please call us for more details about this special option.
Day 11, Friday: Dead Sea / Qumeran /Massada / Jerusalem. Drive through the Judean desert to the Dead Sea. Stop at Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Continue to Massada, ascend by cable car and tour the ancient fortress; visit the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, the bathhouses etc. Descend by cable car, next stop for lunch, swim (actually float ) at the Dead Sea and use of Spa facilities in one of the leading hotels in the area. Return to Jerusalem. Overnight: Jerusalem.
Day 12, Saturday: Free day in Jerusalem. Free day to enjoy the special atmosphere of Shabbat in Jerusalem. Overnight: Jerusalem.
Day 13, Sunday: From Jerusalem to Eilat. Negev desert /Air force Museum /Sde Boker / Mitzpeh Ramon / Timna / Eilat. Travel south to the Negev desert, visit Israel’s Air force Museum at Hatzerim to view the planes and equipment and to hear the story of this brave fighting force. Visit Sde Boker and see Ben Gurion’s hut and grave overlooking the magnificent Zin valley. Stop at Mitzpeh Ramon to gaze into the Ramon crater, a geological wonder. Drive to Timna to see the copper mines and King Solomon’s Pillars and marvel at the huge multi-colored rock formations. Arrive in Eilat on the Red Sea. Overnight: Eilat.
Day 14, Monday: Free day in Eilat. After breakfast enjoy a free day in Eilat, stroll the beaches and swim in the chilly water of the Red Sea. Enjoy some of the various water sport activities and exciting attractions such as the Dolphin Reef, Camel tours, ATV and Jeep desert tours, Yacht sailing and much more. Overnight: Eilat. Or take an optional day tour to the Rose City of Petra. After breakfast take a full day tour to the city of Petra.
Transfer from your hotel to the Arava border point with Jordan, cross into Jordan and drive to Petra. Visit to the wonders of the ancient city of Petra the Rose Red City carved by the Nabataeans out of solid rock. A visit to Petra is one of the true highlights of any tour to the Middle East. For hundreds of years, Petra was forgotten until it was rediscovered in 1812. The entire city is carved into the sides of a deep gorge, which is entered on foot or by horse- drawn carriages. In the late afternoon return to your hotel in Eilat.
Day 15, Tuesday: From Eilat to Tel Aviv. Eilat City Tour / Mamshit / Bedouin hospitality / Tel-Aviv. After breakfast visit the underwater observatory, a large sea aquarium built into a coral reef. Drive to Mamshit for a Camel ride experience and visit an authentic Bedouin tent. Learn about the Bedouin hospitality and enjoy a light lunch. Proceed to Tel-Aviv. Overnight: Tel Aviv.
Day 16, Wednesday: Tel-Aviv/ U.S.A. After breakfast transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your transatlantic flight back to the U.S.A. Take home your fond memories of Israel that will last a lifetime and start planning your next fun-filled trip to Israel.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Private transfer from Ben Gurion Airport to your Hotel in Tel Aviv and from the Hotel in Jerusalem to the Airport
- Meeting point on arrival at the Steimatzky bookstore at the Main Arrival Hall at the Ben Gurion International Airport
- 10 Full day touring with all entrance fees and attraction as per the above itinerary
- 14 nights hotel accommodation
- Full Israeli buffet breakfasts daily at the hotels
- Two dinners at the hotel in Kibbutz Lavi / Galilee
- Lunch and swim at a Dead Sea spa hotel
- Jeep ride in the Golan Heights
- Light lunch and Camel ride at a Bedouin village
Price Excludes:
- Extra meals not mentioned in the itinerary
- Extra expenses of personal nature
- Tips to guide/driver and Hotel staff
- Lunches en route on sightseeing days
- Treatments at the Dead Sea spa
- Optional Petra Tour
- Travel Insurance (highly recommended)
Also see tour packages in:
Middle East
Israel
Biblical Tours
Archeology/History
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