Jewish Heritage 12 Night Israel Tour

Saturday - At leisure Overnight in Tel Aviv.Sunday - Caesarea / Beit Shearim / Haifa / Acre

Drive north to Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the region. See the excavations of the Crusaders' city, the Roman Aqueduct and the amphitheater which has been restored as a concert venue. Proceed to Haifa for a panoramic view from Mt. Carmel and visit “Af Al Pi Chen”, the naval museum of the illegal immigration to Israel at the time of the British mandate. Drive to Acre; walk along the old harbor and local market. Continue to the northernmost point of Israel at Rosh Hanikra. Descend by cable car into the limestone Grottos. Overnight in a Kibbutz guesthouse.

Monday - Safed / Tel Facher / Banias / Tel Dan / Tel Hai

Drive to Safed, center of Kabala movement; Visit the Joseph Caro and the Ha’ Ari synagogues, the most important synagogues in the city; stroll around the Artists' quarter. Enjoy a Jeep tour to the foot of the Golan Heights. Continue to the Golan Heights, visiting an observation point over the city of Kuneitra, and the Syrian territory. Stop at Tel Facher, a former Syrian army camp; Visit the Banias springs. Next, a visit to Tel-Hai; See the “Roaring Lion” monument and learn about the heroic battle of Josef Trumpeldor and his comrades in 1920. Overnight in a kibbutz guesthouse.

Tuesday - Beit Shean / Beit Alpha / Gan Hashlosha / Jerusalem

Drive to Tiberias to visit Rambam’s grave. Proceed to Beit Shean, also called "Scythopolis", the largest archaeological park in Israel with beautiful excavations from Roman and Byzantine periods. Stop at Beit Alpha to see the beautiful mosaic floor of a Byzantine synagogue. On to Gan Hashlosha, (Sachne) where you will have an opportunity to enjoy the water springs located at the foot of the Gilboa mountain, the famous mountain where King Saul was killed in the battle against the Philistines. Continue via the Jordan valley to Jerusalem. Stop at Mount Scopus for a blessing as you enter the city. Overnight in Jerusalem. 

Wednesday - Jerusalem: The Old City 

Start with a visit to the tomb of King David on Mount Zion. Walk along the Cardo, the ancient Roman road; Visit the four Sephardic synagogues in the Jewish quarter, all beautifully restored after 1967 war. Tour the Kotel Tunnels; Visit the Davidson Center and walk through the Jewish Quarter to the local Arab bazaar. Walk through Jaffa gate to the David’s Tower museum to see the ancient remains of the city beginning with the first Temple period. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Thursday - Jerusalem: The New City

Celebrate the Bar-Mitzvah ceremonies at the Kotel (Wailing Wall). Continue to Mea Shearim and learn about the unique lifestyle of the Ultra orthodox communities. Drive by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament and see the Menorah with the biblical emblems. Next, visit the Israel Museum, the Shrine of the Book where the Dead sea scrolls are housed and the new Holyland Model – a miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period. Drive to mount Herzl, the military cemetery and Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust. Visit Ammunition Hill, a former Jordanian army stronghold that was conquered by the Israeli army in the Six Day War and converted into a national memorial site and museum. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Friday - Qumran / Masada / Dead Sea

Drive through the Judean desert to the Dead Sea. Stop at Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Continue to Masada, ascend by cable car and tour the ancient fortress, visiting the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, the bathhouses etc. Descend by cable car. Next stop is for lunch and Spa facilities at one of the leading hotels in the area. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Saturday - At leisure. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Sunday - Timna/Underwater Observatory/Eilat

Travel south through the Negev desert, Visit Timna to see the copper mines and King Solomon’s pillars and marvel at the huge multi-colored rock formations. Continue to Eilat and stop to visit the underwater observatory , one of the largest Seaquariums in the world, built into a coral reef. Overnight in Eilat.

Monday At leisure or optional tour to Petra (additional charge).

After assistance with visa to the Jordanian Border, drive straight away to Petra through desert highways, your ultimate destination is the astonishing rose-red city of Petra which was built by the Nabateans (An early Arab Tribe). Petra was renowned for its massive architecture, pools, dams and water channels. Petra is the legacy of the Nabateans who settled in the South of Jordan more than two-thousand years ago. The visit begins with the possibility of a short horseback-riding for about 700 m. until the entrance of the Siq, which is about 1.2 km long (walking distance). There is a possibility to rent a chariot (extra) to get inside Petra and back to the gate outside. Petra is famous for its huge monuments such as The Treasury, Royal Tombs, The Court, Roman Theatre, Roman Street, Qasser El- Bint (Palace of Pharaoh’s daughter) and many other smaller monuments which fascinate the visitors. The city itself is almost 45 square km and is considered to be the second wonder of the world. After the visit, time for lunch in a nicerestaurant. After lunch drive back to the border. On the way, a short visit to Aqaba with the possibility to stop and take a walk around the city. Transfer to border around 18:00, and then cross to Eilat. Overnight in Eilat.

Tuesday - Eilat / Mitzpe Ramon / Sde Boker / Tel Aviv

Depart Eilat via Mitzpe Ramon to gaze into the Ramon crater, a geological wonder. Proceed to Sde Boker and see Ben Gurion’s hut and grave overlooking the magnificent Zin Valley. Stop for a Camel riding experience and visit  an authentic Bedouin tent. Learn about the Bedouin hospitality and enjoy a light lunch. Continue to Hatzerim and visit Israel’s air force museum to view the planes and equipment and hear the story of this brave fighting force. Overnight in Tel Aviv.