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DAY 1: ARRIVE TEL AVIV Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, you will be greeted by our local representative and transferred to your hotel for a two-night stay. DAY 2: TEL AVIV Depart this morning on a half-day tour of Tel Aviv. Begin at the Diaspora Museum, which houses an impressive collection of information chronicling the diversity of Jewish life and culture in exile. Pay a visit to Rabin Square, named after Israel's late Prime Minister, Yitzchak Rabin. Pass by the Shalom Tower en route to Neve Tzedek, one of the first quarters of the new city to be built back in 1887. Stroll through the maze-like streets of the Yemenite Quarter. Infused with an oriental flavor typical of other cities in Israel, the Yemenite Quarter affords a striking contrast to the rest of Tel Aviv's modernist personality. Complete the guided portion of your tour at the sensational Carmel Market, a smorgasbord of smells, flavors, people and things. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure wandering the city, sampling restaurants and cafes, or relaxing on the magnificent beachfront. DAY 3: TEL AVIV - HAIFA Depart Tel Aviv this morning and drive up the coast toward Haifa. En route visit the ruins at Caesarea, one of Israel's premier archaeological sites. Caesarea was originally a Phoenician settlement, until Herod inherited the city and dedicated it to the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar. He sought to create a magnificent city and its remains are still being uncovered. Visit the Roman Amphitheatre, Crusader City, the Jewish Quarter, Strato's Tower, and the Hippodrome, site of chariot-races past. Later, visit the Baha'i Shrine of the Bab, world headquarters of the Baha'i faith and arguably Haifa's most impressive attraction. Check in to your hotel for a one-night stay. DAY 4: HAIFA - AKKO - SAFED - TIBERIAS This morning embark on an excursion to Akko, Israel's most timeless city. Historically a contested strategic port, Akko was reborn and shaped under the administration of the Albanian Ahmed Pasha, known better as Al-Jazzar ("the Butcher"). Visit Al-Jazzar Mosque, which stands on the site of a former Crusader cathedral, as well as Hammam Al-Pasha, the bathhouse of Al-Jazzar. Stroll down to the harbor and walk through the several large khans, inns with enclosed courtyards once used by caravans for accommodation. This afternoon, travel to the hilltop town of Safed, blessed with a temperate climate and a dramatic setting. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Safed provided refuge for the Kabbalists fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. It is from this time that Safed adopted its heritage of Jewish mysticism. Visit the Synagogue Quarter and the Artist's Quarter before continuing on to Tiberias where you will spend two nights. DAY 5: TIBERIAS (Golan Excursion) Travel today to the Upper Galilee, a lush region nourished by the runoff of streams located in the surrounding mountains. The confluence of these streams occurs in the Hula Valley, where the Jordan River begins. Wedged between the mountain peaks and the Syrian border are the Golan Heights a region of endless fascination. Prehistoric sites and megalithic edifices line the hills and valleys; Hellenistic towns, Roman fortresses, and Crusader castles stand guard over the roads and ancient highways of the Golan. Visit the Hula Valley and Nature Reserve, Nahal Iyon Nature Reserve, and Banias Waterfall, the largest waterfall in the area. Also visit Nimrod Castle, the best preserved of Israel's Crusader castles. Time permitting, hike the trails of Nahal Yehudiya Nature Reserve, well known for the molten rock which formed its Hexagon Ponds. Return to your hotel this evening. DAY 6: TIBERIAS - NAZARETH - JERUSALEM This morning depart for Jerusalem, stopping en route at Nazareth. Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, the site where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to inform her that she was pregnant with the Son of God. Other sites include: St. Joseph's Church, the Mensa Christi Church, and the Chapel of Fright. Later, travel on to Mt. Tabor and visit the tomb of Rabbi Akiva before continuing on to Jerusalem. Spend the afternoon touring the Old City. Walk the Via Dolorosa and come to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where Jesus was crucified. Return to the Jewish Quarter and stand before the Kotel, the last retaining wall of the Second Temple. The Western Wall, as it is also known, is the focus of Jewish prayer and pilgrimage. Spend the evening at leisure. DAY 7: JERUSALEM Today's private tour is flexible and based on your interests. We suggest visiting the Mount of Olives, home to the world's oldest and largest Jewish cemetery. Also visit the Church of All Nations, the Church of Mary Magdalene, and Mount Scopus. You may wish to go to the Shrine of the Book which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, or Yad Vashem, the solemn Holocaust Museum. You may also opt to take an excursion to Bethlehem. DAY 8: JERUSALEM- DEAD SEA REGION Depart this morning for the Dead Sea, and stop at Qumran to view the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Check in to your hotel for a one-night stay. Float upon the salty waters of the Dead Sea and lather in nutrient-rich mud. Later today, retreat to the lush oasis of Ein Gedi Nature Reserve for an afternoon hike. Spend the evening at leisure. DAY 9: MASADA - ARAD - TEL ARAD - BEER SHEVA Rise before the sun and hike Masada, site of the First Revolt of 66 CE in which 967 Jews sacrificed themselves rather than being enslaved by the Romans. Later today, travel to Arad, a Negev Desert development town founded in the 1960's and considered by many to be one of the few successful settlement projects. The dry desert climate, as well as pollen and pollution-free air, is partially responsible for Arad's progress. Continue on to Tel Arad where you will encounter the remains from both Canaanite and Israelite settlements. A considerable effort has been made to restore the site - to date, the Canaanite city is the largest, most complete of Israel's Bronze Age finds. Visit the Israelite citadel, the Sacred Precinct, the Palace complex, as well as the water reservoir area, with its large Senonian rock cisterns used by the Canaanites to collect rainwater. Check in to your hotel in Beer Sheva. **Please note that a Bedouin Market is held in Beer Sheva on Thursdays. DAY 10: BEER SHEVA - EIN AVDAT - EILAT Depart this morning for Eilat and visit Ein Avdat, one of the largest wadis in the Negev Desert. Below the canyon the wadi breaks east beneath cliffs into many spectacular canyons. Springs emerge from between horizontal layers of rocks, whose source remains unknown. This oasis has been visited and inhabited by different people for thousands of years, but apparently only in a sporadic pattern. During the Hellenistic period, the nearby city of Avdat became a station along the Nabatean Spice route. Later, in the Byzantine period, Avdat developed into a Christian city inhabited by monks. Today you will trek through history, traversing the scoured desert landscape through stratified layers of time. This afternoon, continue on to Eilat. Check in to your hotel for a three-night stay. DAYS 11 - 12: EILAT Spend these days at your leisure. Activities like snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing, glass-bottomed boat rides, and desert hikes are among the day trip possibilities. DAY 13: DEPART EILAT Transfer to the airport for your outbound flight. |