7 Days: Tel Aviv, Galilee, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Masada, Dead Sea

Tour overview:

A bit larger than New Jersey the state of Israel is a technological and economic powerhouse. It is part of the Middle East. Its climate and landscapes are Mediterranean. This week-long tour touches many of the cultural and historic highlights this vibrant, multi-cultural country has to offer.

Day 1 - Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport

Meet and assist by representative and private transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

Overnight: Shalom & Relax Hotel or Simlar.

Day 2 - Tel Aviv Walking Tour

Your adventure will start in old Jaffa - a treasure trove of colorful alleys and ancient stories. Your guide will take you to the old Jaffa port - a significant historical landmark that shaped Tel Aviv and Israel over the ages. After learning about its heritage, you’ll visit the lovely St. Peter’s church, cross the Wishing Bridge, and take great pics at the beautiful Zodiac Sign Fountain. We’ll also see the famous Jaffa Clock Tower, the Andromeda Rock, and the stunning view from atop the Garden of Pinnacle. Your next area to discover will be Carmel Market, the largest market in Tel Aviv and the city’s living, bleeding heart: amazing food awaits at every stall, and the aroma of spices from all over the Middle East fills the air; This is a true pleasure for every foodie: your guide will take you to try the local culinary - amazing pastries, cheese, Mediterranean platters and sweets you won’t forget. While absorbing the market culture, your guide will tell you how Carmel Market changed over the years, while remaining such a hotspot for great chefs looking for ingredients and inspiration. Our next stop is Nakhlat Binyamin - a bohemian neighborhood built by and for artists over 100 years ago. It still holds a significant impact on Tel Aviv’s creative culture and is filled with fabric stores, galleries - and incredible street art. The first thing you’ll see is the marvelous architecture: the lovely balconies, columns, and Art Deco elements. But the real magic of Nakhlat Binyamin is the graffiti: countless artworks, depicting a renegade culture’s struggles in pursuit of expression and beauty. Your guide will tell you about the artists’ styles, influences, and history - as well as their special social commentary. This fascinating layer of Israeli culture will conclude this great walking tour of Tel Aviv, after endless photo ops and memories. So are you coming or what?

Overnight: Tel Aviv.

NOTES:

• Your pickup time and place will be 09:00 at the Tourist Information Center in 2 Mrzuk Azar Street; Your drop-off point will be 24 Gruzenberg Street.
• Let your guide know if you have any food allergies and intolerances; some food stands have vegan options.
• While many artworks are permanent, the ever-changing nature of street art means you might see different creations than those illustrated in the product gallery.
• Comfortable walking shoes, a hat, and bottled water are recommended.
• Tips are optional.
• The tour will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays

Day 3 - Nazareth And Sea Of Galilee Tour

Breakfast at hotel

The Nazareth and Sea of Galilee tour begins with a scenic drive north along the Mediterranean coast. The tour turns inland to the Valley of Armageddon where we see Megiddo in the distance. Before reaching Nazareth, we pass by the Mount of Precipitation. The Book of Luke tells us how an angry crowd tried to throw Jesus off this mount. In Nazareth, we tour the beautiful Church of Annunciation built on the site where the Angel Gabriel told Mary of her future son. This Sea of Galilee tour continues to the adjacent Church of St. Joseph where the Holy Family lived and where Joseph had his carpentry workshop. Leaving Nazareth, the tour continues through the idyllic countryside to the Sea of Galilee. We pass by Cana the site where Jesus turned water into wine. We see the Mt. of Beatitudes where Christ gave his Sermon on the Mount. The tour stops in Capernaum where Jesus based himself during his ministry in Galilee. In Capernaum, we will see the Church built over the excavated home of St. Peter and in the nearby village of Tabgha - the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. The tour takes you along the shore of the Kinneret where Jesus walked on water and calmed the Sea. It was on these shores that Jesus performed most of his miracles. We can enjoy the view of the Sea surrounded by green farmlands with the majestic Golan Heights rising up on the opposite shore. We pass Tiberias, the largest settlement on the shores of the beautiful Sea of Galilee dating back more than 2,000 years. The tour stops where the Jordan River meets the Sea of Galilee. It was here that Jesus may have been baptized by John. On this tour, it is possible for visitors to also be baptized here in the Jordan River. After a thrilling day filled with Christian sites in Galilee, we return south pastm Mt. Tabor site of the Transfiguration. Drive back to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

NOTES:

• Modest dress is obligatory for visits to holy sites, covered knees and shoulders
• Comfortable walking shoes and water are recommended
• The tour will be on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays

Day 4 - Jerusalem And Bethlehem Tour

Breakfast at the hotel

Tour Jerusalem and Bethlehem with a PRO guide! We'll be at Mount Scopus with a breathtaking view of Jerusalem. You'll see the Old City Walls and beyond the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. Then, we descend from Mt. Scopus to the Kidron Valley on the way to the old city we pass Christian landmarks like the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. The Jerusalem tour enters the Old City via the Zion Gate and continues through the Armenian Quarter arriving at the Jewish Quarter. Here we see the Byzantine Cardo, an excavated ancient street that was once a bustling thoroughfare. We stop at the Western Wall, the one part of the Second Holy Temple that survived destruction in 70 AD. Next, we'll continue to the Via Dolorosa. Following the path Jesus took from his judgment to his crucifixion the Via Dolorosa leads us to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This ornate 12th-century church encompasses the last Stations of the Cross including the Calvary where Jesus was crucified and the burial tomb where he was laid to rest. We leave the Old City via a typical Middle Eastern market. The Jerusalem and Bethlehem tour moves on to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ. Arriving in Manger Square we enter the Basilica of the Nativity. This church was built above the Grotto of the Nativity where Christ was born. While in the church we see 12th-century mosaics as well as the original floor and mosaic from the first church that was built by St Helen in the 4th century. If possible, we also visit the adjacent Church of Saint Catherine where we descend to subterranean caves and see sacred tombs and chapels. We make our way back to Jerusalem passing the Church of the Angels in Shepherds Field and the Field of Ruth where King David’s great-grandmother met Boaz. Drive back to your hotel in Jerusalem.

Overnight: Arthur Jerusalem Hotel (Jerusalem)

NOTES:

• This tour includes a reasonable amount of walking; comfortable walking shoes are
• recommended
• Modest dress is obligatory for visits to holy sites, covered knees and shoulders
• Passport compulsory for a visit to Bethlehem
• Due to visitors overloading a visit down to Nativity Cave is not always possible
• Visit to Bethlehem may require a change of vehicle as well as a local Palestinian guide

Day 5 - Masada And Dead Sea Tour

We start this exciting Masada and Dead Sea tour traveling south of Jerusalem through the Judean Hills. The Masada tour passes the Inn of the Good Samaritan and pauses by the sign indicating sea level. From that point, the tour descends beneath sea level to the Dead Sea at the lowest point on the planet. The tour travels along the edge of the Dead Sea where the turquoise water is lined with a white salt crust. Our first stop on this tour is Masada, a “mesa” or flat-topped rock outcrop rising 450m from the desert plains. We take a cable car to the plateau summit of Masada where there are breathtaking views of the Dead Sea. Thanks to the dry climate and remote location the structures have been well preserved. About 100 years later during the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), a group of Jewish zealots took refuge on Masada. They held off the Romans for several months until the Romans built an earthen ramp to scale the steep cliffs. When Roman troops reached the plateau they found that all of the 960 Jews had killed themselves rather than be captured and forced to forsake their God. This event in Jewish history has made Masada a symbol of Jewish determination not to relinquish their independence. The tour leaves Masada and takes you to the nearby Dead Sea past Ein Gedi and Qumran, the site of the Dead Sea Scroll discovery. If time permits, we will stop for refreshments at the Dead Sea Mineral Cosmetic factory. Our final stop on this tour is the Dead Sea where you can relax on the beach and unwind. Enjoy the natural health benefits of the Dead Sea environment including the salt-rich water, oxygen-rich air, and mineral-rich black mud that you can use as a natural skin mask. Don’t leave before you have a shot of yourself floating in the Dead Sea. Return to Hotel

Overnight: Arthur Jerusalem Hotel (Jerusalem)

NOTES:

• When visiting the Dead Sea, we recommend that you bring hats, bathing suits, towels,and sun protection

Day 6 - Jerusalem

After breakfast enjoy a day at leisure in Jerusalem.

Day 7 - Departure to Ben Gurion Airport

After breakfast check out of the hotel and private transfer to Ben Gurion airport for your flight back home.