9 Days Highlights of Israel - Sunday
Day 1, Saturday
Departure to Israel
Ovenight flight from USA / CANADA to Israel
Day 2, Sunday
Arrival in Tel Aviv
Upon arrival at Tel Aviv Airport, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv.
Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Day 3, Monday
Masada & The Dead Sea
Meet you tour guide in the morning and set off from Tel Aviv to Masada Israel’s foremost archaeological park. Ascend via cable-car for a thorough visit that gives insight to the rituals, politics and culture of the people who inhabited this desert fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their war against the Romans. Visit the excavations, Herod’s palaces, the synagogue, bathhouse and cisterns, and enjoy the breathtaking view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea. Descend to the lowest place on earth – the Dead Sea, to experience the mineralrich black mud and to float in its salty waters. Passing by the oasis of Ein Gedi, proceed through the Judean Desert to Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 4, Tuesday
Jerusalem (New City) - Bethlehem*
Today we will visit Yad Vashem the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953, located at the foot of Mt. Hertzl. Continue to the Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea scrolls, then a visit to the beautifully renovated model of the Herodian city of Jerusalem, dating back to the time of the Second Temple. Enjoy Ein Karem; a picturesque village in the south western outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village has great significance in Christian traditions, since this is where according to tradition John the Baptist was born. Visit Bethlehem* - the birthplace of Jesus at the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. Return to your Jerusalem hotel.
Day 5, Wednesday
Jerusalem (Old City)
Enter the Old City of Jerusalem where you will see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, housing both the traditional site of Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection. To the southwest, just outside the Old City, is Mount Zion, with the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem - the holy city for each of the world’s three great religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam, from atop the Mount of Olives. Visit the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus. In the heart of a neighborhood in downtown Jerusalem, visit Mahane Yehuda to experience the flavors, aromas, colors, and the traders' interaction with the crowds, at the largest open market in Israel.
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 6, Thursday
Beit Shean - Golan Heights - Tiberias
Leave Jerusalem and drive north passing by Jericho, the oldest city in the world. Travel through the Jordan Valley and the new settlements to Beit Shean, to visit the excavations of this beautifully preserved Roman city. Drive up to the Golan Heights to enjoy an Israeli wine country experience, enjoying a tour, wine tasting and understanding of the wine production process. Travel through the Golan, with its Druze villages, former Syrian fortifications and panoramic views of Mount Hermon and into Syria. Descend to the Hula Valley and drive to Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee - regarded as one of the four Holy cities in Judaism, where the Jewish Talmud - the primary source of Jewish religious law - was compiled, with tombs of Rabbis scattered across the city. Overnight in Tiberias.
Day 7, Friday
Sea of Galilee - Nazareth
Along the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee, proceed to Capernaum, to visit the ruins of the ancient synagogue, the Mount of Beatitudes, traditional site of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ and Tabgha, the traditional site of the ‘miracle of the loaves and the fish’. Optional sailing on a boat across the Sea of Galilee to experience the tranquility and scenery little changed during the past 2000 years (subject to conditions and extra fee if available). On to Nazareth to visit the Church of the Annunciation and Christian holy sites. Return to Tiberias for overnight.
Day 8, Saturday
Acre - Haifa - Caesarea - Tel Aviv
After breakfast drive through the hills of the Galilee, westwards to Acre (Akko) for a visit of the old, famous Crusader stronghold and medieval fortifications. Continue to Haifa, ascending Mount Carmel for a panoramic view of the city, including the Baha'i Shrine, Persian Garden, and Haifa Bay. Proceed along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea to visit the Roman Theater and the Crusader fortress at what is known as the “masterpiece of Herod the Great”. End the day with a short city tour of Tel Aviv and the ancient port of Jaffa. Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Day 9, Sunday
Depart Israel
Departure to Ben Gurion Airport for international flight.
Included Services:
- Sharing transfer on arrival and departure (from/to Ben Gurion Airport)
- 7 nights accommodation
- 2 nights in Tel Aviv
- 3 nights in Jerusalem
- 2 nights in Tiberias
- Daily buffet Breakfasts, 2 Dinners included in Tiberias hotel
- 6 touring days in a deluxe air-conditioned motor coach
- Professional licensed English speaking guide
- All transport and entrance fees to the sites visited as per itinerary
Not included services:
- Airfare & Departure taxes
- Tips to guide/driver & hotel staff
- Travel Insurance
- Personal extras and meals not mentioned above
- Dinners not included (4 Dinners Plan can be added, except on arrival day)
- Border tax and visa to Jordan to be paid locally, approx USD $130/person.
*Please note, hotels might be replaced with similar ones.