Day One

Thursday –  Bruchim Ha’baim!, VIP Arrival and Hotel Transfer

 

Welcome to Israel – VIP Arrival and Transfer

Welcome home!  A representative of the tour company will meet you as you disembark from the plane and streamline your visa and customs processing.  You will be brought to a waiting VIP van who will bring you to your hotel.

 

Sleep Jerusalem 

Day Two

 

Friday – Jerusalem Old City

 

Ramparts Walk

We will walk from the Jaffa Gate on top of the old city’s walls recounting the words of King David from the book of Psalms,,

“Walk about Zion and encompass her, count her towers.  Mark well in your hearts her ramparts, raise up her palaces, that you may tell it to subsequent generations.”  

 

City of David

Just outside of the Old City we will explore the ancient city where King David held his capital. Ir David, or the “City of David” as it is known in English, is the actual location of the biblical city of Jerusalem captured by King David over 3,000 years ago. Highlights include entering the secret tunnel leading to the Gihon Spring, walking through Hezekiah’s water tunnel, the Pilgrims ascent from the Shiloach Pool up to “Wall Street” the ancient financial district and shopping area.

 

Jewish Quarter

The Jewish Quarter has had a Jewish presence almost continuously for 2,700 years!  Home to nearly 3,300 residents, it combines history, religion, and archeology as well as shops and restaurants, yeshivas and synagogues.  Although there is a modern neighborhood on top of these ancient ruins, the stones come to life and whisper the prophecy of Zachariah that “there will once again sit old men and women in the squares of Jerusalem, and the streets will be filled with playing children.” 

 

Night Recommendation – Shabbat at the Western Wall

Friday night is a special time to be in Jerusalem. As the day ends a new day begins – Shabbat.  The Kotel in Jerusalem becomes a unifying place for the Jews as holiness of time and place intertwine.  Soldiers and Hassids, tourists and locals, dance arm in arm to welcome the Jewish Sabbath with song and joy.  This celebration has no parallel in the world and should not be missed. 

 

Sleep Jerusalem 

 

Day Three

 

Shabbat – Jerusalem

 

Four Quarters Walking Tour 

From the Hotel we will ascend on foot to the Old City Via the Jaffa Gate, passing through Jerusalem’s oldest and most picturesque neighborhood outside the Old City’s walls, Yemin Moshe.  Besides being Judaism’s holiest city, it is a holy city to both Christianity and Islam.  Today Jerusalem has four distinct areas colloquially called “the four quarters, the Jewish Quarter, Christian Quarter, Muslim Quarter, and Armenian Quarter.  Together we will explore the hidden gems of this holy city, climbing her rooftops, wandering her alleys, and unlocking her secrets.

 

Evening Activity – Tower of David Night Spectacular

4,000 years of Jerusalem come alive as they are projected on the walls of the Tower of David.  In this citadel, where once the palace of King Herod and the Maccabees stood, the history of the city will be projected in a beautiful swirl of sounds and images which will bring the stones almost literally to life.

 

Sleep Jerusalem 

Day Four

 

Sunday – Mediterranean Coast & Western Galilee

 

Caesarea 

This picturesque 2,000 year old port city was a dream of King Herod.  The Caesarea port was an unparalleled feat of engineering and instrumental in solidifying trade agreements with the Roman Empire. It was at the time, one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire and the capital of Rome in Israel.  We will visit  the excavated hippodrome, theater and bathhouse.  Once a symbol of Roman power, today Caesarea is a testament to the eventual victory of the Jews over Rome.

 

Kfar Kedem Mishnaic Village – Donkey Ride & Lunch

Let’s go back in time to a simpler time before modern conveniences such as packaged sliced bread and cars and trucks.  In this reconstructed Mishnaic era village we will get to glimpse, if only for a few hours, what life was like for our ancestors in the Land of Israel.  We will learn about ancient agriculture, ride donkeys, and even bake our own fresh pita bread.  The experience includes a delicious rustic lunch served outdoors.

 

Rosh Hanikra Grottoes & Cable Car 

On Israel’s northern border with Lebanon sits one of the most magnificent natural phenomenon in Israel.  We will take cable cars down to grottoes that were carved into the mountainside over thousands of years by the beating waves of the Mediterranean Sea. From the cliff sides we will get one of the most picturesque views of the Mediterranean coast that you can imagine.

 

Sleep Ramot Resort

Day Five

 

Monday – Golan Heights & Galilee

 

Golan Heights Jeep Adventure

There’s practically no better way to see the beauty of the Golan Heights than by offroading with a local.  On the shores of the Sea of Galilee we can find some of the most stunning views of valleys, canyons, and wildlife of all kinds.  Although it’s more than 200 meters below sea level, the Kinneret Basin is a tropical zone, with agriculture, fruit trees, streams that run year round, as well as a plethora of wild animals that we will search for as we drive through streams and pick the fruit.

 

De Karina Chocolate Factory & Workshop

Karina & Gyora Chepelinski made aliyah in 2003 and brought with them a three generations old trade.  These Chocolatiers have made the Golan Heights bloom with their family chocolate recipes.  We will tour this one of a kind boutique chocolate factory, situated in picturesque Kibbutz Ein Zivan less than a mile from the Syria/Israel border.  Besides seeing the factory floor, and tasting the delicious treats, we will get our hands dirty making our own truffles in a one of a kind workshop.

 

Tzfat Old City & Artist Quarter 

In Judaism’s most mystical book, the Zohar, Tzfat is described as having the purest air in all of Israel and that’s not only because Tzfat is almost 3,000 feet in elevation.  Of Judaism’s four Holy Cities, Tzfat is the one described as mystical and connected to the element of air, that which is intangible… hidden.  It is for this reason that 500 years ago Tzfat attracted mystics and rabbis and built breathtaking synagogues which we will explore.  In recent years Tzfat’s beauty has attracted artists from all over who have opened their galleries to the public, making Tzfat a highlight of any trip to Israel.

 

Sleep Ramot Resort

Day Six

 

Tuesday – Golan Heights & Jordan Valley

 

Tiberias & Sea of Galilee

Resting on the Lake Kinneret and one of the four Holy Cities of Judaism, Tiberias is a 2,000 year old city both home to a vibrant Jewish community and the resting place of great rabbis. Besides the stunning views of the Golan Heights and upper Galilee, we will learn about Rabbi Akiva and Maimonides as Jewish history comes alive beneath our feet.

 

Beit Shean National Park

In the book of Samuel we are told of King Saul’s last battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa.  The captured body of Israel’s first king is desecrated and hung on the walls of Beit Shean.  After 800 years of conquest, destruction, rebuilding, destruction etc, Beit Shean is rebuilt by the Greeks who rename it Scythopolis, conquered by the Romans, and finally it becomes a major city for the Byzantines.  When it was finally destroyed in the earthquake of 749 CE it will never be rebuilt, until the modern State of Israel.  

Highlights of the park include the Tel with its 20 layers of civilization, the Theater, bathhouse, Cardo, and Decamonis.

 

Gan Hashlosha Swim

Gan Hashlosha or the Sachne as the locals call it, was listed by Time magazine as one of the most beautiful places in Israel and one of the top 20 exotic places in the world. This natural thermal spring has a year-round water temperature of 82 degrees!  These pools are a welcome relief to the temperature outside, whether it be hot or cold, and swimming in this paradise is enjoyable year round.

 

Kasr Al Yahud – Jordan River

Nearly 3,400 years ago in this very place, the Children of Israel crossed over from the desert into the Land of Israel.  Though the Jordan River is no longer split, only a few dozen feet away lies the modern country of Jordan.  Just over the water, one can envision Elijah the Prophet’s transcendental ascent from this world. Kasr al Yahud was opened to the public in 2011 just across from Jericho on the lush banks of Israel’s longest river, the Jordan.

 

Welcome to Jerusalem – Mount Scopus Viewpoint

The rabbis of the Talmud state that Jerusalem is the highest place in the world because everyone “ascends” to Jerusalem.  The spiritual plateau of the world is here in this most famous and yearned after city.  As we enter Jerusalem we will breathe in her beauty from the Mount Scopus Viewpoint and recall the words of the Sages that one “doesn’t come to Jerusalem, rather they return to Jerusalem.”

 

Sleep Jerusalem

Day Seven

 

Wednesday – Dead Sea

 

Camel Ride

We will go back in time 3,800 years and leave our four wheeled vehicle for one of the four legged variety.  Our camels will transport us back to the tent of the Patriarchs – Avraham and Sara.  The experience is almost as amazing as the view of the desert of Judea and mountains of Moab that we will take in from atop our camels.

 

Masada  

Masada stands as a powerful reminder of Jewish resilience and strength. Built by King Herod in 30 BCE atop a rugged desert plateau, its cliffs and towering walls made it a near impenetrable stronghold above the Dead Sea. Decades later, it became the final refuge for Jewish rebels fighting against the Roman Empire. Their last stand has come to symbolize unwavering courage, with Masada forever embodying the pledge that “Masada shall not fall again,” a promise of endurance and defiance that echoes through generations.

 

Ein Gedi National Park

We will visit this Desert Oasis where King David hid from his enemy Saul as recounted in the Bible in the Book of Samuel. Here we can do easy to difficult hikes through the beautiful Judean Desert, periodically stopping to dip in the cold water springs, and cool off under the waterfalls.  It’s not uncommon while hiking in this nature reserve to see wild ibex drinking from the stream, hyraxes climbing the trees, or eagles soaring overhead.

 

Dead Sea float

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be weightless?  Here in the lowest place on earth we have the saltiest lake in the world.  The water is so dense that it’s impossible to sink.  The waters of the Dead Sea have been known throughout antiquity to have healing qualities, and a day at the Dead Sea has the power to rejuvenate the skin.  The hypersalinity and high mineral content have been shown to be therapeutic for arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, and much much more.

 

Evening suggestion – Machane Yehuda Shuk – Jerusalem Market

There are no words to accurately describe the “shuk”…one must immerse themselves in the sights, smells, and above all, tastes of Jerusalem’s largest outdoor food market.  It teems with locals and tourists alike, and is a meeting place for Jerusalemites from all over.  Make sure to taste the chalva, techina, the famous marzipan rugalach, and get a fresh Juice from Uzi.  At night the stalls close but the bars and restaurants are open for business and is a site to be seen.

 

Sleep Jerusalem

Day Eight

 

Thursday – Beit Shemesh

 

Dig For a Day 

At Beit Guvrin/Maresha, the land of 5,000 caves, we will take part in a modern archaeological excavation.  Maresha was the hometown of the prophet Michah and has a 3,000 year history, as well as having been conquered and destroyed numerous times.  Dig For a Day is a unique opportunity to get your hands dirty with the past by participating in an active archaeological dig searching for lost treasure and exploring underground caves that haven’t been seen for 2,100 years.

 

Pantry Packers 

The root of the Hebrew word ahava is hav which means giving, thus to love is to give.  This is our chance to give to those less fortunate than us.  Pantry Packers is part of an initiative of feeding the hungry in Israel regardless of religion, ethnicity, or nationality.  Besides wholesale supermarkets, soup kitchens, meals- on-wheels etc. at their warehouse in Jerusalem, volunteers pack boxes of dried goods to be shipped all over the country.  Nothing is more rewarding than giving back and giving tzedakah to those in need.

 

Plant a Tree

One of the best ways to connect with the Land of Israel is to set your own roots here.  The Jews have planted more than 250 million trees in Israel literally making the deserts bloom with life. This is our way of tikkun olam, making the world a better place.  Planting trees in Israel is so important that it says in the Talmud  “If while holding a sapling in your hand you are told that the Messiah is about to arrive, first plant the sapling and only then go out to receive the Messiah.” 

 

Day Nine

VIP Departure and Airport Transfer, VIP Transfer and  Departure

In Israel we dont say goodbye we say l’hitraot…that means “see you later”

A representative of our company will bring you to Ben Gurion Airport and streamline your flight check-in and departure.  Looking forward to next time!