Day One
Tuesday – Bruchim HaBa’im, VIP Arrival and Hotel Transfer
Welcome to Israel
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 which will bring you to your hotel.
The Kotel – Western Wall
If Jerusalem is the heart of the Jewish People then 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 we only see a fraction of it exposed, it spans over a quarter of a mile and once stood 20 stories high! Although made of limestone, local tradition holds that it is made up of the tears and prayers of 2,000 years of Jews yearning for “Next year in Jerusalem.” According to Jewish thought the Temple Mount is the holiest place on earth and the entryway to the spiritual world.
Sleep Jerusalem
Day Two
Wednesday – Jerusalem Old City
Ramparts Repelling
We will walk from the Jaffa Gate on top of the old city’s walls recounting the words of King David;
סֹ֣בּוּ צִ֖יוֹן וְהַקִּיפ֑וּהָ סִ֜פְר֗וּ מִגְדָּלֶֽיהָ שִׁ֚יתוּ לִבְּכֶ֨ם לְֽחֵילָ֗ה פַּסְּג֥וּ אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֑יהָ לְמַ֥עַן תְּ֜סַפְּר֗וּ לְד֣וֹר אַֽחֲרֽוֹן
“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.” Then we will test our emuna by strapping ourselves up and repelling down those walls.
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.
Southern Wall Excavations
At the Southwest corner of Har Habayit lies the excavated ruins of the Second Temple Period, downtown Jerusalem from 2,000 years ago! From here we will be able to recreate in our mind’s eye the sites and sounds of a bustling marketplace filled with cohanim and nevi’im,, rabanim and olei regel. The archeological gardens are littered with the treasures of the Jewel in the Crown of Jerusalem…Bayit Sheni.
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.”
Sleep Jerusalem
Day Three
Thursday – Shomron
Blacksmith Apprentice Workshop
It says in the Torah that Hashem refined the nation in the Iron Crucible of Egypt, melting the metal and removing its impurities. After a bit of time with Yossi you’ll really understand what that truly means. We will melt Iron in his workshop and craft it into jewelry, where we will make our own souvenirs with the iron of Eretz Yisroel. A constant reminder of the pasuk in Dvarim that tells us “For Hashem your G-d is bringing you into a good land…a land whose stones are iron.”
כִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, מְבִיאֲךָ אֶל-אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה. אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲבָנֶיהָ בַרְזֶל
Shiloh
In the center of the hill country of Ephraim was discovered the first capital of Israel, from over 3,000 years ago! Walking through the excavations of Tel Shiloh is like walking through a time machine back to the period of the Shoftim when Eli HaCohen was Cohen Gadol and the Navi Shmuel was just a lad. Here the Mishkan stood for 369 years as the spiritual center of Am Yisrael and the resting place of the shekhina. One can almost smell the Ketoret as we stand at the entrance to the Mishkan where the righteous Chana taught us the proper way to daven.
Tefillin Factory
The Hills of the Shomron plays host to one of the most innovative tefillin factories literally tying the Bnai Yisrael to Eretz Yisrael. We will get a VIP tour through the factory and see the process of making the tefillin.
Beit El Archeological Site
On Yaakov’s flight from Esav, he had his famous dream with the ladder and Hashem promised him that he would return him to this land. The very same area in which Avraham and Sara pitched their tent with four doors, later Yeravam Ben Navat built his mikdash. And we will stand where this occurred…on the very same ground. Thousands of years later in the exact same place that Hashem promised us Eretz Yisrael, modern day pioneers are rebuilding the land.
Sleep Jerusalem
Day Four
Friday – Elah Valley
Biking in the Elah Valley
Explore the rugged beauty of the Ella Valley on two wheels, where exhilarating mountain biking adventures unfold. Navigate through the ancient Bar Kochva’s Cave, uncovering echoes of history etched into its rocky passages. Amidst the ride, encounter remarkable Talmudic-era ruins, connecting with the past while blazing your own trail.
Wilderness Survival & Foraging Workshop
Discover Israel’s world of wild edibles and tap into a culinary adventure that weaves ancient natural foods with primitive survival skills and culminates with a palate-pleasing meal that is healthy, tasty, and epically connective. From biblical spices to the wild ancestors of common vegetables we will pick, prepare, and feast in the lush hillsides of Jerusalem. Wrap up the event with freshly brewed tea and coffee while sitting together around a traditionally set fire pit.
Kever shmuel
At the site where Shmuel HaNavi lived and is buried we will see the excavations of biblical Mizpah. From the roof we will have a 360 degree view of the surrounding area at the very place where Shmuel gathered Am Yisrael to choose a king, as well as where Yehudah HaMaccabee gathered his troops and prayed before his toughest battle.
Evening Recommendation – Shabbat at the Kotel
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 Sabbath with song and joy. This celebration has no parallel in the world and should not be missed.
Sleep Jerusalem
Day Five
Saturday – Gut Shabbos
Shabbat Menucha
Take a day to recover from a hectic week of travel and touring. As the Holy City takes a rest let’s take this opportunity to visit one of Jerusalem’s hundreds of shuls, stroll through one of the many parks Jerualem has to offer, or just rest up and re-JEW-venate as we recharge for next week. We got a lot of ground to cover motzei shabbos!
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 Six
Sunday – Dead Sea
Nachal Og Hike
Just next to the Dead Sea and across from Jericho is the ancient valley called in the bible Emek Achor. Today it’s called Nachal Og and is home to one of the most popular family friendly desert hikes. Although mostly flat, the trail winds its way into canyons where you must climb ladder rungs drilled into the vertical cliffside. The feeling of accomplishment after having conquered the ladders will breathe fresh life into you and may even be more rewarding than the selfies you will get on the cliffs above.
Nachal Arugot National Park
One of the amazing wonders of Israel is that in the lowest place on Earth by the Dead Sea, there is a full blown oasis full of cold fresh waters flowing through the valleys and mountains, and waterfalls! This is the region in which David hid from King Saul, and it’s easy to imagine this this is the very place where he composed the words in Barchi Nafshi “הַֽמְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ מַ֭עְיָנִים בַּנְּחָלִ֑ים
בֵּ֥ין הָ֝רִ֗ים יְהַלֵּכֽוּן – He sends sprigs into the valleys, they flow between the mountains.
Besides the history, his water hike is one of the most beautiful nature hikes Israel has to offer.
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.
Sleep Jerusalem
Day Seven
Monday – Judean Desert
Nachal Prat Water Hike
In the backyard of Yirmiyahu HaNavi and the valley in which Eliyahu HaNavi hid out called Nachal Prat, we find a fresh water spring fed river which flows year round… rain or shine.
This valley spans from the Samarian/Judean Mountains all the way down to Yericho, is the biblical border between Binyamin and Yehuda and is rich with history as well as flora and fauna.
In this natural oasis, the Prat Spring has been built up into a small swimming pool where the icy waters are a refreshing break from the scorching desert sun.
Jeep Tour Judean Desert
There’s practically no better way to see the beauty of the Judean Desert than by offroading with a local, where we can find some of the most stunning views of valleys, canyons, and wildlife of all kinds. This adventure will take us into a barren desert, a place where very little can live. We will find signs of life from times past while enjoying stunning views of the mountains of Judea and Moab.
Day Eight
Tuesday – Gush Etzion & Hevron
Caliber 3 Anti-terrorism Training
Established in 2003 by Colonel Sharon Gat, Caliber 3 has since become the leading counter terror and security training academy in Israel. The training includes a simulation of a terror attack in a Jerusalem marketplace, a demonstration with attack dogs, and a live fire sniper tournament. This activity is the closest one can come to being part of an elite counterterrorism team but still remain a civilian.
Visit & Tree Planting With Unity Warriors
In Gush Etzion we will meet with Ben Goldstein, the founder of “Unity Warriors” who dedicates all of his time and energy to giving back to our brave IDF soldiers and protecting the Land of Israel. Not only does Unity Warriors facilitate donations of tactical gear, life saving bandages, as well as bulletproof vests to IDF soldiers, they have embarked on a program to plant fruit trees throughout Gush Etzion in order to strengthen our roots in Eretz Yisrael.
Gush Etzion Zipline
Get ready for the thrill of a lifetime! At a quarter of a mile long and more than 350 feet high, the Gush Etzion Zipline is the longest zipline in Israel. More amazing than the thrill of speeding over valleys and trees are the stunning views out into the Judean hills.
Hevron
3,800 years ago Avraham Avinu made the first land acquisition in Eretz Yisrael for Am Yisrael. Mearat HaMachpela has been a site of pilgrimage and prayer for the children of Avraham and Sara, and the city of Hevron is waiting with open arms.
Kever Rachel
Chazal tell us that Rachel was buried on the road by Beit Lechem so that those Jews going into exile would be consoled by the hope that her prayers guarantee our return. In the place where Binyamin was born and Rachel died, David Hamelech and the seeds of Moshaich will sprout. There is a special segula at Kever Rachel to daven for the Geula Shleima.
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!
