This example tour covers the vast majority of Israel’s top heritage sites and many memorable, interactive experiences.
DESTINATIONS: Jerusalem (6 nights), North (2 nights), Tel Aviv (2 nights)
ACCOMMODATION: Boutique hotels/ 5 star hotels *Based on a minimum of 8 participants sharing double rooms
Your land arrangements include:
Private transfer on arrival and departure (from/to Ben Gurion Airport)
10 nights accommodation based on double rooms at hotels indicated or similar
Meals as specified
Touring days as per itinerary with English speaking guide
Entrance fees to the sites visited as per itinerary
The hotels might be replaced with similar ones
Your land arrangements do not include:
Airfare to and from Tel Aviv
Departure taxes, fuel surcharges, or airport improvement fees
Porterage at the airport or hotels
Insurance – highly recommended – premium is non-refundable
Early check-in/late check-out
Single room supplement – a limited number of single rooms available on payment of supplement
Meals and beverages not mentioned
Jordanian visa charge/border taxes
Gratuities for individual services, laundry and valet service and any other items of a purely personal nature
Tipping to guide, driver, hotel or restaurant staff
E. & O.E.
For reservations and bookings contact Janice Snider.
DAY 1 JERUSALEM
We hope you had a good flight. Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport where you will be met by your guide for this special celebratory trip. You will be driven to Jerusalem in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle with plenty of room for luggage. You will stop en route to your hotel for an awe-inspiring viewpoint over the City. “The view of Jerusalem is the history of the world; it is more, it is the history of the earth and of heaven”.
David Citadel, Jerusalem
DAY 2 JERUSALEM
Explore the Old City of Jerusalem including a Kotel Tunnels tour, and the City of David including Hezekiah’s water tunnel A full tour of the Old City of Jerusalem will introduce you to this place of intense sanctity to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, where holy sites tumble over each other. Your expert guide will unpeel layers of history and provide an overview of what Jerusalem means to the three monotheistic religions. You will visit the sites most holy to the non-Jewish faiths, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christianity and you will visit or view the Dome of the Rock for Islam. You will then explore the Jewish heritage of the Old City in more detail from the First Temple period remains in the shape of the fascinating ‘Broad Wall to Second Temple times and the Kotel (Western Wall) and Cardo (the main street during Roman times) to the Hurva Synagogue first built in the eighteenth century, all the way through to the 1967 war and beyond. Together with your guide, you will discuss the place of Jerusalem in Jewish history, identity, and practice and what it means for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. You will also visit the City of David, the heart of ancient Jerusalem, the city of kings and prophets, where books of the Bible were written. You will travel through underground tunnels and hidden springs of the ancient city, where kings were crowned and residents fled from conquerors. You will walk in illuminated darkness through the water of Hezekiah’s Tunnel where water has flowed since the time of the prophets. B
DAY 3 JERUSALEM
Visit Yad Vashem, Enjoy a tasting tour at Mahane Yehuda Market and Explore the Israel Museum Yad Vashem brings a weighty, but meaningful note to today’s touring. Yad Vashem is Israel’s official monument to the Holocaust, located on the western slope of Mount Herzl on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem. The museum has justifiably achieved international acclaim for its in-depth and powerful portrayal of extremely challenging material. In order to truly personalize the visit for the Bar/ Bat Mitzvah, you might choose to be ‘twinned’ with a victim of the Shoah. B/L
Special Expert-Led Tour
Visiting Mahane Yehuda market you will find yourself surrounded by a plethora of sights, smells, and tastes and the colorful hustle and bustle of Jerusalem life. Your expert culinary guide will show you little-known, hidden-away gems and will also explain how Mahane Yehuda serves as a symbol of Israel’s immigrant culture. You will see foods from all parts of the world and will understand how culinary trends have mixed and influenced each other – just as immigrants from the four corners of the world have preserved their own traditions and yet integrated to create a unified Israeli culture. The tour lasts for about two hours and includes plenty of tastings. Lunch is included, so fear not – you will not be left hungry!
The Israel Museum is surely one of Jerusalem’s treasures. Following a multi-million dollar renovation, the museum has received international acclaim and has been named one of the ten most impressive museums in the world. The Israel Museum is home to the Dead Sea Scrolls (the Shrine of the Book) – the oldest known copy of the Bible. You will learn about the remarkable story of these manuscripts, the sect who most likely wrote them, and how they were discovered. You will also visit the celebrated model of the second temple Jerusalem.
DAY 4 JERUSALEM
Mazel tov – today is the Bat/ Bar Mitzvah day, plus get involved with a Mitzvah Project. Today’s ceremony and reading from the Torah will take place at the Kotel (you can choose between the Orthodox or Conservative/ Reform areas). Following the ceremony, you will enjoy a celebratory lunch personalized to your preferences. This afternoon you will get hands-on with an inspiring ‘Mitzvah Project’ which rescues Jerusalem street children and engages them through creative processes. This evening you will enjoy the sound and light show at the Tower of David. We highly recommend including a photographer in order to capture this special day. B/L
DAY 5 JERUSALEM
Learn about the IDF, plant a tree, dig for ancient artifacts and welcome Shabbat at the Kotel Ready for some adventure!? Today you will learn about the strategies of the IDF through a unique interactive experience. This two-hour activity will teach you about the values around the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and about IDF shooting and combat approaches. You will learn from experts about how to handle weapons and about counter-terror tactics. You will also have the opportunity to take part in the tradition of planting a tree in memory of Israel’s fallen soldiers. This afternoon is another opportunity to get your hands dirty by taking part in an archaeological dig. This is a great activity for the whole family, with kids and adults each taking their own lessons away from the experience. Based at Beit Guvrin, this activity lasts for about three hours and includes digging, sifting, pottery examination, and touring the National Park of Beit Guvrin with an exciting crawl through unexcavated cave systems. This evening you will enjoy a special Kotel Shabbat experience followed by a private Shabbat dinner where you will host a lone soldier. B/D
DAY 6 JERUSALEM
Explore Masada, Hike Ein Gedi, and Float on the Dead Sea This morning your guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel. Arguably Israel’s most dramatic site, Masada’s mountaintop ruins, set against the extraordinary backdrop of the Judean desert are but a stage for the retelling of a heroic and ancient tale, now engrained in national mythology. With your expert guide as a storyteller, you will hear about the lives of the final Jewish resisters to Roman rule, relive their struggle against the mighty Roman army, and wonder at their heroic end. Masada is a totally unique site, well deserving of its UNESCO World Heritage status.
Cool off from the desert heat at Ein Gedi, this glorious green oasis in the middle of the Judean desert, significant as David’s hiding place from King Saul. Natural spring water cascades over a series of ledges in the desert rock, creating waterfalls and freshwater pools, perfect for hiking and swimming. The springs give life to palm trees, bulrushes, and tropical and Mediterranean plant life which together produce the sweetest of scents. Watch out for the hyraxes, ibexes, and many native bird species as your guide leads you along the family-friendly Nahale Davide trail. The waters of the Dead Sea shimmer like nowhere else on earth. Best of all, here you really will float! Full of good-for-you minerals and surrounded by air that is naturally rich in oxygen, the Dead Sea should leave you feeling full of energy. B
DAY 7 JERUSALEM/CAESAREA/ACRE/TIBERIAS
Transfer north for snorkeling and exploring the Roman ruins at Caesarea, an ATV ride in the Carmel Mountains and discovering Acre including Crusader ruin and the Underground Prisoners Museum Caesarea was King Herod the Great’s imposing port town, where Rome was honoured with temples and where gladiators fought each other to the last and games were played in celebration of the King and the empire. Your expert guide will tell the tales of this once centrally important place, while you enjoy the fresh sea air. Best of all, weather allowing, you will put on your diving suit or snorkeling mask and will explore archaeological remains which are hidden from view under the sea. Continuing north you will be amazed by the rich green forests of the Carmel region – you will ride ATVs through hillside paths in order to get a better feel of the forest expanse. If you’d prefer to discover this area on horseback just let us know – it is easily arranged! The Old City of Acre (Akko in Hebrew) is well-deserving of its UNESCO World Heritage site status. Acre boasts stunning Crusader remains which are so complete you’ll feel transported in time. As your guide recounts Crusader tales, you will marvel at the halls of the Knights Hospitallers and “escape to the sea” through underground runaway tunnels. You will also visit the Underground Prisoners Museum where you will be inspired by the stories of daring and courage exhibited by the Jewish resistance fighters imprisoned and sometimes executed, by the British during the Mandate period. B
Overnight at the Setai Kinneret
DAY 8 TIBERIAS/TEL DAN/GOLAN HEIGHTS
Hike Tel Dan, visit a local winery and chocolate factory, enjoy an off-road jeep ride in the Golan Heights. Tel Dan is a wonderful site, combining nature and the great outdoors with biblical remains from the times of King Jeroboam. Together with your expert guide, you will follow a family-friendly trail that runs over water and through lush greenery and is wonderfully refreshing on hot days. You will explore Biblical remains and learn about the stone table found here dating to the second half of the 9th century BCE. Carved onto it is an inscription of Hazael, King of Damascus in which he boasted of his victory over the King of Israel and the House of David. This is of huge significance as it is the first time that the name “House of David” was discovered outside of the Bible. From ancient wine presses to modern-day boutique wineries, the nectar of the vine has a long history in Israel. You will, therefore, stop at one of Israel’s award-winning wineries for an explanation about the wine-making process and of course for a wine tasting. Each winery has its very own story, so listen carefully to the story of these bottles. We have included a little bite to eat as well, so fear not – you will not go hungry! Lunch will be a light dairy lunch including artisan cheeses, pasta and quiche. Following lunch, the adults will have the choice of continuing with an enhanced wine tasting, or they can join the kids and take a tour of a boutique chocolate factory following the tour each participant will have the option of designing and making their own signature chocolate. B
Special Expert-Led Tour
This two-hour jeep ride is a fascinating and intense ‘off the beaten track experience. Your expert guide will drive you through a working agricultural kibbutz explaining the pace and style of life in this region of Israel. You will also explore the history and current-day reality of kibbutz life from the historic ‘childrens’ house’ system to today’s need to diversify and modernize. You will then drive off road into the demilitarized zone and along the Syrian border (security conditions allowing) viewing hidden Israeli army bunkers and positions. Your expert guide will provide background on Israel’s historical and current relations with her northern neighbors, together with an in-depth analysis of today’s complex situation in Syria and what it means for Israel. Following the jeep ride, time allowing your main guide will take you to the nearby lookout at Mount Bental. B
DAY 9 TIBERIAS/SAFED/TEL AVIV
Visit the mystical city of Tsfat and learn the significance of the Bar/ Bat Mitzvah’s name. Enjoy a speed boat ride and private beach barbeque. Continue South to Tel Aviv. Check out of your hotel and begin the journey south. Tsfat is the ancient mystical center of Kabbalah where you will wander through time-worn cobbled streets, exploring age-old synagogues, ducking in and out of art galleries, craft shops, and charming cafes. Tsfat is a magical place where the ancient stones invite you to reach and touch them, to feel the layers of human history, and the breeze asks you to listen out for the tales it whispers. A great activity we can include for all the family is candle making, and a much-recommended activity for your special Bar/ Bat Mitzvah tour is a Kabbalistic workshop to understand the spiritual significance of the Bar/ Bat Mitzvah’s name.
A visit to Rosh Hanikra involves taking a cable car down to see the breathtaking grottoes where the sea and gleaming white mountains meet while your guide tells you about the special geography and geology of this place. Following Rosh Hanikra we will head to a nearby beach for a BBQ lunch and speedboat rides along the coast. B/L
The Norman Hotel, Tel Aviv-Yafo
DAY 10 TEL AVIV/JAFFA
Explore ancient Jaffa and modern Tel Aviv including throughout a Graffiti Tour Ancient Jaffa and modern Tel Aviv are wonderful to tour together because of their contrasts. In Jaffa, you will explore one of the most ancient ports in the world, replete with history from Biblical, ancient Egyptian, Roman, Napoleonic eras, and more. Visiting Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv’s prettiest and oldest neighborhood, you will hear the story of the city’s beginnings – how the first modern Hebrew city was molded out of the barren sand dunes in an out-pouring of ideological vision and determination. Whilst in the area of south Tel Aviv you will be joined by a local street artist guide who will show you the multitude of color and meaning poured over the streets of this artistic and up-and-coming area. This is a great place to learn about the questions and issues being raised by young people in Tel Aviv today.
Make your way through the colorful and bustling Carmel Market, full of additional tasty treats! The very great variety of foods reflects the fact that Israel is an immigrant society with citizens who have come here from the four corners of the earth (please note the market is closed Friday afternoons and Saturdays). Continuing into more central Tel Aviv you will visit Rothschild Boulevard and Independence Hall (from the outside) where David Ben Gurion famously declared the independence of the modern State of Israel. You will note the various architectural styles of the buildings from eclectic to Bauhaus and hear stories about the waves of immigration who designed and created these remarkable buildings. The Bauhaus buildings are internationally significant and Tel Aviv’s UNESCO World Heritage status is thanks to them. B
DAY 11 TEL AVIV
Private transfer to airport. Today is your final day in Israel. Check out of your hotel and enjoy your remaining time in this extraordinary country before your flight home. You will be transferred from your hotel in Tel Aviv to Ben Gurion Airport in good time for your flight in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle. Shalom. B
Stay longer – This itinerary can be extended with extra nights in the Desert and a visit to Petra.
B = breakfast L= lunch D= dinner