Day One
Sunday , VIP Arrival and Hotel Transfer
Welcome to Israel
Welcome home! A representative of the tour company will meet you as 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 Tel Aviv
Day Two
Monday – Galilee & Mediterranean Coast
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.
Haifa Bahai Lookout
Over half a million visitors from around the world flock to Haifa to see the famous Bahai Gardens covering some 200,000 square meters cascading down 19 different terraces. Besides being a holy place for the Bahai, it is also the burial site for the Bab, the founder of the Bahai faith. It offers one of the most stunning views of Haifa from the Carmel Mountains.
Akko Old City & Knights Halls
On a small peninsula jutting out of Israel’s northern coast, lies a walled port city that has almost 4,000 years of continual use. Although Akko has seen the Phonecians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, besides numerous other conquerors, its golden age was in the 12th century when it became one of the most important and wealthiest cities of the Crusaders. We will explore the walls and moats of Akko, as well as the newly uncovered Hospitallers fortress. We will go underground through tunnels and crypts going back in time 800 years to the age of knights and maidens. If we have time we can explore the market and port and perhaps even walk on her ramparts!
Rosh Hanikra Grottoes & Cable Car
On Israel’s northern border with Lebanon sits one of the most magnificent natural phenomenons 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 Galilee
Day Three
Tuesday – Galilee & Golan Heights
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.
Har Bental Viewpoint and Bunkers
We will climb up a dormant volcano to a height of 1,260 feet above sea level to take in a breathtaking 360 degree view of the Golan Heights. From this former Israeli defensive position we can look down into Syria and on a clear day even see the approaches to Damascus only 45 miles away. We can also climb through the decommissioned bunker and trenches of the IDF.
Golan Heights Winery & Wine Tasting
Just over 30 years ago a revolution took place in Israel… a wine revolution! Although Israel was famous in the ancient world for its extraordinary wines, the trade seemed to die with the withering of the Land of Israel throughout the long Jewish exile. Today Israel exports nearly 30 million dollars worth of wine and has been winning awards throughout the world!
The Golan Heights Winery led the charge in the rebirth of the Israeli wine industry. As the country’s third largest winery and producing over 6 million bottles annually, the Golan Heights Winery was named “World Winery of the Year” in 2012 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
Jordan River Kayak
We will enjoy a leisurely float down the Jordan river, the largest river in Israel and relax in the Holy waters of Israel’s north. The lazy river will float us along grassy banks, and under a canopy of trees, enjoying a relaxing break from the sun.
Sleep Galilee
Day Four
Wednesday – Golan Heights & Jordan Valley
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 and 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.
Gan Hashlosha
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.
Mitzpe Yericho
Meaning literally, a viewpoint to Jericho” Mitzpe Yericho is a small west bank settlement sitting on a cliff. It is perched more than a thousand feet above one of the oldest cities in the world and the entrance to the Land of Israel from the East. Over 550 families live in this small desert town, but thousands come here to see its amazing views and abandoned Israeli Army bunker.
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 theTalmud 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 breath 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 Jerusaelm.”
Sleep Jerusalem
Day Five
Thursday – Masada/Dead Sea
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 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 Seahas the power to rejuvenate the skin. The hypersalinity and high mineral content have been shown to be therapeutic for arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, much, much more.
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 which was once the palace of King Herod and the Maccabees stood, the history of the city will be project in a beautiful swirl of sounds and images which will bring the stones to life almost literally.
Sleep Jerusalem
Day Six
Friday – Jerusalem Old City
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 Olei Regalim street from the Breichat Hashiloach up to “Wall Street” the ancient financial district and shopping area.
Jewish Quarter
The Jewish Quarter has been home to Jews 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.”
The Kotel – Western Wall
If Jerusalem is the heart of the Jewish People than the Temple Mount and its western retaining wall are its soul. After the Temple’s destruction 2,000 years ago, the Western Wall or kotel is one of its last remaining walls. Although it’s made out of limestone, local tradition holds that it is made of of the tears and prayers of 2,000 years of Jews yearning for “Next year in Jerusalem.” According to Jewish thought this is the holiest place on earth and the entryway to the spiritual world.
Evening Recommendation – Shabbat at the Western Wall
Friday night is a special time to be in Jerusalem. With the setting sun 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 together 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 Seven
Saturday- 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, climb the rooftops, wander her allies, and unlock her secrets.
Sleep Jerusalem
Day Eight
Sunday – Jerusalem New City
Yad Vashem – Israel’s Holocaust Memorial
Yad Vashem was founded in 1953 as Israel’s central holocaust memorial and museum. It’s for this reason that after the Kotel it is Israel’s most visited site. It is here where visitors will hear the story and the meaning of the holocaust within the greater story of the people of Israel and the Land of Israel. All political delegations that come to Israel must come to Yad Vashem to see for themselves what can happen when the Jews don’t have a place to call home.
Mount Hertzl National Cemetery
Perched on one of the highest hills in western Jerusalem is our country’s national cemetery. At the peak buried, is the namesake of the mountain, Theodore Hertzl the founder of modern Zionism. Flanking Hertzl are Presidents and Prime Ministers, on a foundation of our boys…IDF soldiers who have fallen in battle. No nation is given its lland on a silver platter; those who sacrificed their lives are here as a monument to the struggle for our homeland.
Knesset
Israel’s Knesset or parliament is made of 120 elected lawmakers who toil day and night for the State of Israel. We will stop by the outside of the building where we can see the Menorah the symbol of the State of Israel. This menorah was made in 1966 and is an amazing work of art comprised of 30 relief engravings creating a visual textbook of the History of the Jewish People.
Machane Yehuda Shuk
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 the Jerusalmites from all over. Make sure to taste the chalva, techina, the famous marzipan rugalach, and get a fresh Juice from Uzi.
Sleep Jerusalem
Day Nine
Monday – L’hitraot, (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!
