Friday
Ben Gurion Airport | Tel Aviv
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, where you will be met by a ITC Tours representative and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Saturday
At Leisure
Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Sunday
Caesarea / Haifa / Acre / Rosh Hanikra
Drive north to tour Caesarea , once the Roman capital of the region. See the excavations of the crusaders' city, the aqueduct and amphitheater which has been restored as a concert venue. Proceed to Haifa for a panoramic view from Mount 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 car into the limestone grottoes.
Overnight at a Kibbutz guesthouse.
Monday Safed / Tel Facher / Banias / Tel Hai
Drive to Safed, center of the 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 at 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, visit Tel Hai to see the "Roaring Lion" monument and learn about the heroic battle of Josef Trumpeldor and his comrades in 1920. Meet with a Kibbutz member and learn about their unique lifestyle.
Overnight at a Kibbutz guesthouse
Tuesday Beit Shean / Beit Alpha / Gan Hashlosha / Jerusalem
Drive to Tiberias to visit Rambam's grave; proceed to Beit Shean, also called "Scythopolis", the biggest archeological park in Israel with beautiful excavations from the 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 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 with a stop at Mount Scopus for a blessing as you enter the city.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Wednesday Jerusalem: Old City
Tour the Old City of Jerusalem. Start with a visit of King David's Tomb on Mount Zion. Walk along the Cardo, the ancient Roman road; visit the four Sephardic synagogues restored after the 1967 war in the Jewish Quarter. Tour the Western Wall Tunnels; visit Davidson center and walk through the Roman Cardo to the local Arab bazaar. Walk through Jaffa Gate to Tower of David Museum and see the ancient remains of the city beginning with the First Temple period.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Thursday Jerusalem: New City
Enjoy seeing the Bar-Mitzvah Celebrations 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 emblems. Next visit the Israel Museum, Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea scrolls are housed, and the new Holyland model - a miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period. Drive to Mount Herzl, the military cemetery and Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust. Visit 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 in Jerusalem.
Friday
Qumran / Massada / Dead Sea
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 and Spa facilities in one of the leading hotels in the area.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Saturday At Leisure
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Sunday: Beer-Sheva / Sde Boker / Mitzpe Ramon/ Eilat
Travel south to the Negev desert, visit Israel's air force museum at Hatzerim to view the planes and equipment and hear the story of this brave fighting force. Stop for a Camel riding experience and visit to an authentic Bedouin tent. Learn about the Bedouin hospitality and enjoy a light lunch. Visit Sde Boker and see Ben Gurion's hut and grave overlooking the magnificent Zin valley. Stop at Mitzpe Ramon to gaze into the Ramon crater, a geological wonder.
Arrive to Eilat for overnight.
Monday At Leisure or optional Tour to Petra
(additional charge)
After visa assistance at the Jordanian Border, drive straight to Petra through desert highways. Your ultimate destination is the astonishing rose-red city of Petra which was built by the Nabateans (an early Arab tribe). Petra was renowned for its massive architecture, pools, dams and water channels. Petra is the legacy of the Nabateans who settled in the South of Jordan more than two-thousand years ago. The visit begins with the possibility of a short horseback- riding for about 700 km. until the entrance of the Siq, which is about 1.2 km long (walking distance). Petra is famous for its huge monuments such as The Treasury, Royal Tombs, The Court, Roman Theatre, Roman Street, Qassier El-Bint (Palace of Pharaoh's daughter) and many other smaller monuments which fascinate visitors. The city itself is almost 45 square km and is considered to be the second wonder of the world. After the visit, enjoy lunch at a nice restaurant, followed by a drive back to the border. En-route, stop for a short visit at Aqaba with possibility for a short walk. Transfer to border at approximately 18:00 for crossing to Eilat.
Overnight in Eilat.
Tuesday Eilat / Timna / Tel Aviv
Visit the underwater observatory , one of the largest se aquariums in the world, built into a coral reef. Drive to Timna to see the copper mines and King Solomon's pillars and marvel at the huge multi-colored rock formations.
Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Wednesday Tel Aviv / Ben Gurion Airport
After breakfast, transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for departure.
Itinerary Subject to Change |
