Day  1 – Monday – WELCOME TO ISRAEL !

Arrive Ben Gurion International Airport where you will be met at by our representative who will assist you through baggage claim and customs, and escort you to your driver. Your driver will transport you to your hotel in Tel Aviv, where you will enjoy dinner and stay overnight at the TAL BY THE BEACH Hotel, Tel Aviv

Day 2 – Tuesday – “ Raring to Go” - Tel Aviv & Jaffa

Following a delicious breakfast, you will meet your guide in the hotel lobby, before setting off on a fun-packed day which will include:

A visit to the “State of Mind” Innovation Center at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange where you will learn about cutting-edge developments by Israeli start-ups in fields such as science, medicine, security, space and more.

We then proceed to the Old Port City of Jaffa, the oldest seaport in the world  where Jonah set sail on  his epic voyage only to be swallowed by a whale.

Jaffa is home to a vibrant multiethnic community of Muslims, Christians and Jews: get to know the first Jewish city of the modern era, established in 1909.

For lunch you will have a choice of two culinary tours that will introduce you to the very best of Tel Aviv’s food scene:

– Carmel market tasting tour – enjoy a fascinating variety of culinary riches, colorful spices and intriguing characters in the main market of Tel Aviv, where the flavors and scents of the old town combine with the young bustling atmosphere of the city’s central market.

– Vegan culinary tour – Tel Aviv, the #1 vegan culinary destination in the world, is where traditional vegan and vegetarian cuisine and innovative young chefs meet, creating a one-of-a-kind savory adventure for food lovers, whether vegan or not.

After lunch enjoy a stroll along Rothschild Boulevard, the beating heart of Tel Aviv: home of The White City, Tel Aviv’s most prominent collection of Bauhaus (International Style) buildings. Built during the 1930s and the 1940s, this functional architecture not only created well-designed objects, but also a cohesive urban landscape that is unparalleled in the world.

This evening is free to explore this great metropolitan Jewish city.

Day 3 – Wednesday – “ Back to the Future”  - ISRAEL’S BEAUTIFUL COASTLINE , CAESAREA, KIBBUTZ EXPERIENCE, HAIFA

After breakfast, we depart Tel Aviv and head north along the beautiful coastline to the ancient city of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great and once the  Roman Capital of the region. See the excavations of the Crusader’s city including the aqueduct, the hippodrome and amphitheater. The city and its archeological wonders are a testament to its significance throughout the ages.

We depart Caesarea for a visit to Kibbutz Ein Shemer for the The Kibbutz Experience – both past and present . We visit the Kibbutz Museum where we will experience a journey from the early days of the kibbutz to the present and learn about the kibbutz way of life.

Enjoy a delicious lunch in the kibbutz dining hall.

We then Continue with a tour of innovation at Kibbutz Magal  where we will visit the Netafim  greenhouse innovation center, a pioneering enterprise in the field of drip irrigation technology.

Zichron Yaakov is our next stop, where we stroll through the charming and picturesque town.

In the late afternoon we arrive in Haifa. This evening dinner is at a local restaurant near the hotel

After dinner we suggest a short walk to the Bahai Gardens to enjoy this magnificent view, especially at night when it is all lit up. It is a memorable moment that will last a lifetime.‍

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Day 4 – Thursday – “ Cobblestones & Vineyards”  - THE SEA OF GALILEE AND THE GOLAN HEIGHTS

After breakfast we leave Haifa Drive to the city of Katzrin, the “Capital of the Golan Heights”.  Walk through a Talmudic village and get a sense of what it was like to live in the times of ancient Israel.

Continue to the mystical city of Tzfat ,one of the four holy cities of Israel and the birthplace of the ancient Jewish mystical text, the Kabbalah. Stroll through its narrow winding alleys, Peek inside some of the beautiful synagogues. Browse through workshops and galleries in the flourishing artists’ quarter.  and picturesque artists quarter,

Enjoy a tour and wine tasting at local Winery, a family-owned boutique winery in the Galilee.

Drive to the Sea of Galilee and take a boat ride on the calm waters.

Day 5 – Friday – “Faiths & Culture” - BAHAI GARDENS, AKKO, DRUZE VILLAGE, JERUSALEM

This morning after breakfast visit the amazing Bahai Gardens in Haifa, comprising a staircase of 19 terraces extending all the way up the northern slope of Mount Carmel. At its heart stands the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, which is the resting place of the Prophet-Herald of the Bahá’í Faith.

We continue heading north to explore the ancient crusader port city of Akko, the fascinating UNESCO heritage site, with new excavations revealing what life was like 1000 years ago. Visit the Crusader Halls and follow the underground tunnels. See the port and fortifications that enabled the inhabitants of the town to resist invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte.  Spend time walking through the Arab Bazaar, reliving a Middle Eastern shopping experience.

Time permitting we will drive to the Druze village of Dalyet El Carmel, at the top of Mount Carmel. The Druze are Arab-speaking citizens of Israel and are renowned for their hospitality. Take a fascinating tour of the alleys and old quarter of the village.

We will then depart for the drive up to Jerusalem. Upon arrival we will check in at our hotel.

This evening experience a special “Shabbat of a Lifetime” dinner, with hospitality in the home of a local Jewish family. Enjoy a traditional Shabbat meal as you hear about and observe the customs of the Jewish Shabbat.

Day 6 – Saturday – “Highs & Lows” -  MASADA, THE DEAD SEA, JERUSALEM

This morning we head east from Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea, 1388 feet (423m) below sea level.

We first visit the legendary mountaintop plateau of Masada – the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their struggle against the Romans in 73CE – overlooking the Dead Sea. Ascending by cable car to the ancient fortress built by King Herod. We shall explore the site, with its synagogue and bathhouse.

We continue to the lowest spot on the face of the Earth, the Dead Sea. After lunch Enjoy a leisurely afternoon at the Dead Sea shore. Cake yourself in mineral-rich mud and float in the buoyant waters.

Drive to a lookout point for a view of Wadi Qelt and the cliff-hanging Monastery of St. George; founded in the 5th Century and still active and inhabited by Greek Orthodox monks.

In the evening, enjoy the Sound and Light Show at the Tower of David – a creative depiction of the history of the city of Jerusalem projected onto the ancient stones

Day 7 – Sunday – “ Spirituality & Tradition” - THE OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM

After breakfast we start the day with an overview from the Mt. of Olives.

We begin our exploration of the Old City of Jerusalem at the City of David, with its fascinating tunnels. See the newest exciting excavations revealing Jerusalem during the time of the 1st Temple period.

Walk through the Old City and visit some of its most famous sites, including the Western Wall and the Cardo, an ancient commercial street where you can still shop today. Walk through the Arab Bazaar and experience traditional Middle Eastern life, with its rich colors, flavors, and smells.

Take a rooftop tour of the Old City neighborhoods, for a behind-the-scenes look at the various communities living alongside each other in this ancient walled city.

Walk along part of the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. According to traditions dating back to at least the 4th century, the church is the home of the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, known as “Calvary” or “Golgotha“; and Jesus’s empty tomb, - he is said to have been buried and resurrected.

Day 8 – Monday – “ Honoring History”  - NEW CITY OF JERUSALEM, BETHLEHEM

This morning we visit Yad Vashem, considered to be the world’s primary Holocaust memorial and museum. Take a tour of the new Holocaust History Museum, which occupies over 4,200 square meters, mainly underground. Visit the moving exhibit at the Children’s Pavilion, commemorating the death of over 1.5 million Jewish children in the Holocaust.

From the Yad Vashem, we will move on to the Israel Museum where we will see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition, and view the famous Model of Jerusalem, depicting the city as it was in the 2nd Temple period.

Visit to Bethlehem. See the Church of the Nativity and the remains of ancient Bethlehem (beneath the Greek Monastery), from the times of Christ.

Leisure time in Jerusalem at the Mamilla Mall or Ben Yehuda Street.

This evening a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 9 – Tuesday – JERUSALEM – DEPARTURE FOR HOME

Shalom & L’Hitra’ot

Day at leisure

Transfer to the airport and depart on your flight back home.

Leave Israel with everlasting memories!

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Optional – 2 night’s extension to Eilat and Petra, Jordan

Day 9 – Tuesday - EILAT

Fly from Tel Aviv to Eilat, transfer to the hotel and check in.

Overnight: Eilat

Day 10 – Wednesday - PETRA

Set out by bus on a day tour from Eilat to the beautiful l “Rose City’ of Petra.

Overnight: Eilat

Day 11 – Thursday – EILAT – DEPARTURE FOR HOME

Leisure day in Eilat, before taking the afternoon flight to Ben Gurion airport, from where you will depart on your flight home.