Jewish Heritage 10 Days
10 Days: Tel Aviv, Caesarea, Haifa, Acre, Rosh Hanikra, Tiberias, Safed, Golan Heights, Beit Shean, Beit Alpha, Jerusalem, Masada, Dead Sea
Tour overview:
This 10-day tour visits many of the cultural, historic and religious sites in Israel. The tour is tailored to people of Jewish believe and those interested in Jewish history. A powerhouse in economic and technological terms Israel shines with its Mediterranean climate and varied landscapes. Jewish travelers and others with religious and historical interest will find much to admire in this small country, which is defined by ancient history and hyper modernity at the same time.
Day 1 - Arrive Tel Aviv
Arrival to Ben Gurion airport where you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel. Overnight Tel Aviv.
Day 2 - Tel Aviv
Day at leisure. Overnight Tel Aviv. (B)
Day 3 - Tel Aviv / Caesarea / Haifa / Acre / Rosh Hanikra / Tiberias
Drive north to Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the region; see the excavations of the Crusaders’ city, the aqueduct and the amphitheatre that has been restored as a concert venue. Proceed to Haifa to visit the Clandestine Immigration and Naval museum (“Af al Pi Chen”) and hear the story of the illegal immigrants to Israel at the time of the British mandate. Drive to Acre, the Old City recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site; walk through the old port and local market. Continue to Rosh Hanikra; descend by cable car into the underwater grottoes and admire the spectacular natural formation. Overnight at a Kibbutz guesthouse. (BD)
Day 4 - Tiberias – Safed / Golan Heights / Tel-Hai
Drive to Safed, one of the four holy cities in Israel, center of the Kaballa movement; visit the Caro and Ari synagogues; stroll through the narrow alleyways and visit the picturesque Artists’ quarter. Next, enjoy a Jeep tour in the foothills of the Golan. Continue to the Golan Heights; stop at Gadot overlook, the memorial for the fallen of the Golan, located over former Syrian bunkers; view the monument built in honor of the Alexandroni brigade. Proceed to a magnificent observation point over the city of Kuneitra, and the Syrian territory. Drive to Tel-Hai; see the “Roaring Lion” monument and learn about the heroic battle of Josef Trumpeldor and his comrades in 1920. Overnight at a Kibbutz guesthouse. Meet with a Kibbutz member and learn about their unique lifestyle. (BD)
Day 5 - Tiberias / Beit Shean / Beit Alpha / Gan Hashlosha / Jerusalem
Morning visit Rambam’s grave in Tiberias. Continue through the Jordan Valley to Beit Shean, known as “Scythopolis”, and see the fascinating excavated remains from Roman and Byzantine periods. Stop at Beit Alpha to admire the beautiful mosaic floor of a synagogue discovered in 1929. Visit Gan Hashlosha National Park and enjoy the warm spring water pools and waterfalls. Continue via the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem; stop at Mount Scopus for a blessing as you enter the city. Overnight Jerusalem. (B)
Day 6 - Jerusalem – Kotel tunnels / Sepharadic synagogues / Davidson Center / Tower of David
Visit the Tomb of King David on Mt. Zion. Walk along the Cardo, heart of the ancient Roman City; visit the four Sepharadic Synagogues restored after the 1967 war in the Jewish quarter; tour the Western Wall Tunnels; visit the archaeological park at Davidson Center; walk through the colorful local bazaar to visit the Tower of David museum presenting the history of Jerusalem and ancient remains of the city beginning with the first temple period. Overnight Jerusalem. (B)
Day 7 - Jerusalem – Yad Vashem / Mt. Herzl / Ammunition Hill / Israel Museum
Enjoy seeing the Bar-Mitzvah ceremonies at the Kotel. Drive through Mea Shearim, one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem and learn about the unique lifestyle of the ultra orthodox communities. Proceed to Mount Herzl, the military cemetery, and Yad Vashem the memorial to the Holocaust. Visit the Ammunition Hill, a former Jordanian army stronghold, conquered by the Israeli army in the six day war, and converted into a national memorial site and museum. Drive by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament and see the Menorah with the biblical emblems. Next visit Israel Museum, the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea scrolls are housed, and the Holyland model, a miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the second temple period. Overnight Jerusalem. (B)
Day 8 - Jerusalem – Qumeran / Masada / Dead Sea
Drive through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Visit Qumeran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Continue to Masada, ascend by cable car and tour the mountain fortress built by King Herod, where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans; visit the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue and bathhouse; descend by cable car. Next, stop for Lunch and Spa facilities (own account) in one of the leading hotels in the area and enjoy a “Swim” in the mineral rich Dead Sea. Overnight Jerusalem. (B)
Day 9 - Jerusalem
Day at leisure. Overnight Jerusalem. (B)
Day 10 - Jerusalem / Depart Tel Aviv
Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for departure. (B)