Day 1: Tel Aviv – Jaffa – Tel Aviv
Arrive at the airport in Tel Aviv, & transfer to the hotel. Enjoy a welcome dinner, & if flight arrival time permits, travel to nearby Jaffa for an evening walk. You'll be sure to enjoy the atmosphere of this Middle Eastern harbor city. Return to Tel Aviv for an overnight stay.
Day 2: Tel Aviv
Enjoy a guided tour of Tel Aviv this morning. Take a stroll through historic Rabin Square, see Independence Hall & other famous buildings that line Rothschild Boulevard, & visit the Old Train Station. Other highlights include exploring the Nahalat Binyamin Market. This afternoon, choose from a variety of optional activities, including bike rides & surfing. Or simply explore the city at your leisure. Enjoy dinner, & another overnight stay in Tel Aviv.
Day 3: Tel Aviv – Caesarea – Mount Carmel – Nazareth – Kfar Kedem – Sea of Galilee
After breakfast, head to Caesarea to explore its ancient ruins. You’ll see the Roman Amphitheatre built by Herod the Great, & learn about the use of the Aqueduct. Visit Mount Carmel & a local Druze village. You’ll experience the Druze hospitality, & a kind welcome into their community. Enjoy a brief stop in the town of Nazareth before arriving at Kfar Kedem, where you’ll enjoy a reenactment of life 2,000 years ago in Israel. Highlights include learning about ancient production of olive oil & wine. Head to the Sea of Galilee region, where you’ll spend the night in a local community, or “Kibbutz.”
Day 4: Sea of Galilee
Journey up to Mount Arbel this morning. Enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding landscapes, & later picnic in Jordan Park. Later today you’ll visit Mount Beatitudes, & learn about its history, which dates back to the 4th century. You’ll also travel back to the age of classical antiquity as you visit Capernaum. Highlights of this fishing village include the ancient remains of the Synagogue. Watch the sun set over the Middle East as you sail the Sea of Galilee, enjoying delightful eats, great music, & an amazing atmosphere. Enjoy another overnight stay in the region.
Day 5: Sea of Galilee – Golan Heights
Discover the natural beauty of Banias National Park, & visit the breathtaking lookout on Mount Bental, all before lunch. Lunch today will be held at a charming, local café & coffee shop. Today’s tour will continue with a visit to the local community, or Kibbutz, Merom Golan. You & your group will enjoy the Kunetra Valley by hybrid bikes. Afterward, you’ll get your camera ready to snap photos of the native avifauna of Agamon Hahula Park. Spend the evening in a nearby Kibbutz.
Day 6: Bet She’an – Gan HaShlosha - Beit Alfa – Nahal Prat – Jerusalem
Enjoy cuisine traditional to the Kibbutz you stayed in overnight for breakfast. Travel to explore the ruins of Bet She-an, & enjoy a stop at Gan HaShlosha National Park for a swim. Continue today’s journey by traveling to Beit Alfa, where you’ll see the famous mosaic depicting the zodiac signs. Next, see the cliff-side monastery in Nahal Prat. Enjoy dinner & an overnight stay in Jerusalem.
Day 7: Jerusalem
Enjoy a full-day guided tour of Jerusalem today. See the city from the top of Mount of Olives, enjoy time to explore & shop the Arab Bazaar, & take a walk down the reputed street where Jesus of Nazareth carried his cross. Discover the tastes of tradition with falafels at lunch, visit the famous Western Wall, & more.
Day 8: Jerusalem – Jaffa – Beit Guvrin – Jerusalem
After breakfast, take a tour of the Holocaust Memorial Museum at Yad Vashem. Then visit the Israel Museum in Jaffa. While at this museum, you’ll enjoy visiting the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are put on display. Head to Beit Guvrin to spend the afternoon in the shoes of an archaeologist, searching for historic artifacts. This evening, experience a scenic walk along the walls of Jerusalem.
Day 9: Jerusalem – Kfar Hanokdim
Enjoy time to explore & shop the Mechane Yehuda Market this morning. You’ll also enjoy lunch of your choice here. After lunch, travel to Kfar Hanokdim, where you’ll discover the traditions & hospitable character of the Bedouin people. Highlights of your visit to this ethnic, desert-based community include a coffee-making ceremony & traditional food tasting. As the day turns to night, you’ll gain more of an experience of the daily life of a Bedouin. Sleep the traditional way: in one of their tents!
Day 10: Kfar Hanokdim – Masada – Dead Sea – Ein Gedi – Jerusalem
Although you’ll be heading out of the Kfar Hanokdim community this morning, you won’t be heading out of the desert quite yet! In fact, you’ll be excited to visit the desert wonder, Masada National Park. After taking a cable car ride up to the top of the enormous plateau, you’ll be mesmerized by the views of the Dead Sea & the vast, valley below. The plateau is home to the remains of an ancient fortress, built by Herod the Great. After exploring the archaeological site, experience floating in the Dead Sea. Before returning to Jerusalem, take a hike through Ein Gedi to see the waterfalls cascading from its rocky hills. Enjoy one more overnight stay in Jerusalem this evening.
Day 11: Jerusalem – Tel Aviv – USA
Transfer to the airport in Tel Aviv, & board return flight home.
