This journey beautifully showcases the natural and manmade wonders of Israel, from its lovely national parks and lush oases to the fascinating archaeological ruins sprinkled across its landscape. After an introductory tour in Tel Aviv and Jaffa, drive to Tiberias, touring Caesarea, the port city of Haifa, and Akko along the way. In Tiberias, visit Safed and Upper Galilee as well as important sites including Nazareth, Capernaum, and Tabgha. Travel to the famous Dead Sea (too salty for fish or water plants to inhabit but very buoyant for humans!) and visit the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and also Ein Gedi, a lush oasis known for its springs and greenery. Spend a day hiking in Massada, a site of ancient palaces high on a rock plateau, and visit Sdeh Boker and Ramon Crater, one of the three Negev craters. Continue to Eilat, a pleasant Red Sea town where you will have an opportunity to rest and relax and, if you wish, take an optional trip into Jordan to see the ruins at Petra. From Eilat, head to Jerusalem for five nights, which is ample time to tour the Old City and New Jerusalem as well as Latrun in the Ayalon Valley, Bethlehem, and Ein Karem, a picturesque village that is believed to be the birthplace of John the Baptist.