Day
01 Arrive Tel Aviv (D)
Welcome to Israel! You will be met by our representative and your tour
guide at Ben Gurion Airport. Proceed on a short tour of Tel Aviv and
the ancient port city of Jaffa before transfer to your hotel to rest
and unwind from your flight.
Tel Aviv
is
Israel’s largest city and biggest commercial center spanning along
the beautiful beach strip of the Mediterranean. It is the country’s
greatest cultural center with a variety of museums, galleries,
theaters and concert halls.
The
ancient port city of
Old
Jaffa
is one
of the most attractive places to tour in Tel Aviv–Jaffa. There are
ancient churches, which are among the most beautiful in Israel,
serving the city’s Christian community with open doors for visitors
and the faithful. In 1909 sixty six Jewish families who resided in
Jaffa established the first neighborhood of what would later become
the city of Tel Aviv. Other new
neighborhoods were
added until it eventually became the center of the Yishuv – the Jewish
settlement in Palestine at the time. It was in Tel Aviv, on May 14th
1948
that David Ben Gurion declared the independence of the State of
Israel.
Dinner and overnight stay at
Grand
Beach Hotel
http://www.grandbeach-telaviv.com/
Day
02 Tel Aviv/Caesarea/Nazareth/Galilee/Tiberias (B)
Breakfast at hotel.
This
morning drive north to Caesarea Maritima. Visit the
Roman
Theater,
Herod’s Palace,
the
Palace of the Roman Procurator,
the
Amphitheater,
the
Crusaders’ City
and
Harbour.
Proceed to Nazareth and visit the
Church of the Annunciation
and
Mary’s Well.
Nazareth,
or Natsrat, as its name is pronounced in Hebrew, is the cradle of
Christianity, the city where, according to tradition, the angel
Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive by the power of the Holy
Spirit and the place where Jesus spent his childhood and youth.
Nazareth, in the lower Galilee, is located in the heart of a valley
surrounded by mountains that embrace several of the most important
Christian sites in the world. Right
next
to the Church of the Annunciation built on the traditional site of
Joseph and Mary’s home is the Church of St Joseph, built on the site
where he had his carpentry shop. Today Nazareth is the largest Arab
city in Israel and has about 30 churches and monasteries, as well as
mosques and ancient synagogues. Drive on to Cana in the
Galilee and then on to Tiberias.
Dinner and overnight stay at
Royal
Plaza Hotel
http://royalplaza.co.il/index.php/english
Day
03 Tiberias/Gililee/Tiberias (B/D)
Breakfast at hotel
This
morning take a boat ride on the Sea
of Galilee, where Jesus
walked on the water. Visit the
Ancient Boat
from
Jesus’ time at Ginosar which
was
found nearby. Drive to
Mount
of Beatitudes
and
visit the heptagonal church.
Proceed
to Tabgha and visit the
Church of the Loaves and the
Fish
and
the
Church of Mensa
Christi,
where Jesus elected Peter
as His representative on earth.
Drive along
the
north shores of the Sea of Galilee to
Capernaum the town
where Jesus lived in the house of Peter performing from
there his miracles and healings.
Return to your hotel in
Tiberias
Dinner and overnight stay at
Royal
Plaza Hotel
Day
04 Tiberias/Mount Tabor/Megiddo/Jaffa/Jerusalem (B/D)
Breakfast at hotel
Drive to
Mount
Tabor
and
visit the Catholic Church and the site of the Transfiguration.
Continue to Megiddo (Amageddon) and visit the
Museum
and
this 5,000 year old city from the times of King Solomon, the old
Canaanite temples
and
the
water
tunnel
from
the time of King Ahab. Continue through
Wadi
Ara,
the ancient road (via Maris) which connected the old Egypt to
Mesopotamia to Tel Aviv and visit ancient
Yope
(Jaffa
the house of Simon the Tanner and the place of the Miracle of the
Resurrection of Tabita. Proceed through the Judean Hills to
Jerusalem.
Dinner and overnight stay at
Grand
Court Hotel
http://www.grandcourt-jerusalem.com/
Day
05 The Old City of Jerusalem (B/D)
Breakfast at hotel
Today visit the
Chapel of the Ascension
and
the
Church of the Pater Noster
and
enjoy a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem with the Temple
Mount.
Jerusalem -
One
of the most prominent and important sites in
the Christian
Quarter is the Via Dolorasa – the “Way of Sorrows” – Jesus’ final
path, which according to
Christian tradition led from the courthouse to Golgotha Hill where
he was crucified and buried. The route starts in the Muslim Quarter
at Lion’s Gate and passes the 14 stations of the cross, ending at
the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Walk down the
Mount
of Olives
to
the
Church of Dominus Flevit
and
proceed to the
Garden of Gethsemane
where Jesus was arrested. See the old olive trees and visit the
Basilica of the Agony.
Walk through the Lion’s Gate into the Old City and visit the
Church of St Anne
and
the
Pool
of Bethesda.
Proceed through the
Via
Dolorosa
walking along the Stations of the Cross from the remains of the
Antonia to the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Thereafter you can walk through and spend time in the colorful
bazaar. Return to your hotel in Jerusalem
Dinner and overnight stay at
Grand
Court Hotel
Day
06 New City of Jerusalem and Bethlehem (B)
Breakfast at hotel
Drive to
Mount
Zion
and
visit the
Room
of the Last Supper
and
the
Tomb
of Kind David.
Walk through the Jewish Quarter reaching the
Wailing Wall -
the holiest place for the Jews, and the
Dung
Gate
and
drive through the New City of Jerusalem to
Ein
Kerem.
Visit the
Church of St John
and
proceed to
Yad
Vashem,
the Memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Proceed to Bethlehem
(upon availability) and visit the
Church of the Nativity
and
the
Shepherd’s Field.
Return to your hotel in Jerusalem
Dinner and overnight stay at
Grand
Court Hotel
Day
07 Jerusalem / Qumran/ Masada / Dead Sea/ Eilat (B/D)
After breakfast check out of your hotel Visit Qumran, the city of
the Essens where the Dea Sea scrolls were found.
Dead Sea
– at
400 meters below seal level, the Dead Sea is infinite in what it has
to offer. Ever since the
days of Herod the Great, people have flocked to the Dead Sea in
search of its curative secrets. Due to high annual temperatures, low
humidity and high atmospheric pressure, the air is extremely
oxygenated, and the high contents of oxygen and magnesium in the air
make breathing a lot easier. With the highest content of minerals
and salts in the world, the Dead Sea water possesses
anti-inflammatory properties, and dark mud found on the shores have
been used for over 2000 years for therapeutic purposes. Drive to the
mountain fortress of Massada, stronghold of the Jews in the war
against the Romans. Ascend the fortress by cable car and visit the
palaces of Herod the Great
with
its Roman baths and pools. Descend Massada for, (if weather permits)
a swim and float in the salt water of the Dead Sea, the lowest place
on earth.
Massada
is a fortress built by Herod the Great on an isolated plateau rising
some 1,440 feet above the
western side of the Dead Sea. It was here at Massada that the Jewish
Zealots held out against the Roman soldiers. The siege of the Romans
against the Jewish Zealots took place between 72-73 AD. The northern
tip of the fortress contained lavish palatial apartments for Herod
the Great. The larger palace was built near the Western Gate.
Enormous caverns were dug out midway to catch the rain water for
drinking. Proceed south to Eilat while enjoying the magnificent
desert view. Arrive at Eilat the southern city of Israel on the
shores of the Red Sea.
Dinner and overnight stay at
Prima
Music Hotel
www.prima-hotels-israel.com/eilat/index.htm
Day
08 Eilat / Petra / Eilat (B/D)
Breakfast at your hotel
This
morning depart to Arava Boarder – a 20 minute drive and cross the
border to Jordan. Visit Petra the capital
of the Nabatians and walk through this miraculous ancient site in
the red rock.
Petra
is a
city carved in the mountains and set in a
canyon
that has only one entrance, known as the “Siq”, a very narrow
passageway which could be easily defended against attack by an
invading army. This was the capital of the Nabataean Arabs who came
from northern Arabia long before either the Greeks or and Romans.
Petra is a death city with great facades of tombs and burial halls,
courts and temples, all hewn deep in the mauve, rose, ochre and blue
sandstone. Under the Romans, Petra reached its zenith and many
buildings were added, including a rock-carved theatre, colonnaded
street, and temple that can be seen today. In the afternoon drive to
Arava border to cross back to Israel and arrive at Eilat.
Dinner and overnight stay at
Prima
Music Hotel
Day
09 Eilat / Ramon Crater / Beer Sheva / Departure (B/D)
Breakfast at your hotel
Enjoy a free morning on your own sightseeing in Eilat. In the
afternoon check out of your hotel and drive north through the
RamonCrater and Beer Sheva, the capital of the Negev desert and then
transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
See extension option below
GROUP AIR:
We have group air from LAX and Laguardia (which meets the LA group).
Cost is $1,345 from LAX with departure taxes (subject to change) or
$1,460 from Laguardia. Here is our schedule:
FROM LAX:
US 04NOV Q LAX-TLV 1100A 205P 05NOV F
US 13NOV J TLV-LAX 1150P 1018A 14NOV S
FROM LAGUARDIA:
US 04NOV Q LGA-PHL 625P 741P
US 04NOV Q PHL-TLV 915P 205P 05NOV F
US 13NOV J TLV-PHL 1150P 530A 14NOV S
US 14NOV S PHL-LGA 730A 826A
Cost includes:
-
Meeting and assistance on arrival and departure at Airport one time
for entire group. For individual arrivals we can offer private
transfers at a cost of $75 in a car for a maximum of 3 persons in a
car and $115 for a van for 4 to 7 passengers each way.
-
Accommodation in 4 star hotels as mentioned or similar on twin
sharing basis.
-
Daily buffet breakfast (B) and set menu dinner (D).
-
Transport in private air conditioned tourist coach with a
professional licensed
-
English speaking driver/guide for sightseeing tours in Israel and
Petra.
-
Entrance fees for sightseeing based on the itinerary, including 1
day tour of Petra.
-
Porterage at airport and hotels. Services and local taxes.
Cost does not include:
-
International
air tickets, departure taxes and applicable visa fees.
-
Border taxes on Israeli side.
-
Optional sightseeing tours and meals.
-
Items of a personal nature such as telephone calls, laundry,
beverages etc.
-
Tips
and gratuities to hotel staff, driver/guide.
-
Personal medical and travel insurance.
Single
Supplement: $495
HOTEL REVIEWS FROM TRIP ADVISOR:
Review
of
Grand Beach Hotel in Tel Aviv
Reviews of
Grand Court Hotel Jerusalem
Reviews of
Royal Plaza Hotel Tiberius
Review of
Prima Music Hotel Eilat
Sign up for this
Trip!
RED SEA
EXTENSION:
After spending our time on
the go it will be wonderful to have some down time snorkeling and
scuba diving on the Red Sea.
Join us for 4 incredible nights at the
Novotel in Sharm El Sheikh. Approximate
cost will be $750 with round trip air from Tel Aviv and double
occupancy. Please express an interest in this option when you fill out
the trip form.
Click here to check out the hotel
