Jewish Israel Tour Package, 6 Days

 Day 1: Jerusalem Old and New

We take in the panoramic views of Jerusalem from the top of Mount of Scopus then travel down the mount passing the biblical Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations, and Kidron Valley which holds monumental Jewish tombs. In the Jewish Quarter, we see the Cardo; the Byzantine-era main street of Jerusalem. We stop at the sacred Western Wall to place a prayer note between the ancient stones of the wall. The tour follows part of the Via Dolorosa to the stunning Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Here we see the site of Christ’s crucifixion and his burial tomb. After a lunch break and walk through the Old City bazaar we travel to new Jerusalem. Driving through the modern city we reach Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. The museum’s exhibits include authentic artifacts, original documents, photos, and video testimonials of Holocaust survivors.

 Day 2: City of David and Underground Jerusalem

On this tour discover the original Jerusalem settlement built over 3,000 years ago and now hidden beneath the ground.

We'll start with an overview of Jerusalem from Mount Scopus where you can look down on an ancient Jewish cemetery, Garden of Gethsemane and Old City. See the Kidron Valley’s ancient Jewish tombs then go into the Old City through the Zion Gate.

Walk through the fascinating Armenian Quarter with its brightly colored ceramics and enter the Old City’s Jewish Quarter. Here highlights include the Byzantine-era Cardo and the iconic Western Wall. We stop to place a prayer note in the Wall then leave the Old City through the Dung Gate.

From here the tour takes you underground to the 3,000 year old City of David. See the ancient tunnels hewn from rock to bring water to the city thousands of years ago from the Spring of Gihon.

Note that this unforgettable tour includes over 5 Miles in a hilly city area - which might not be suitable for people with difficulty walking long distances. 

 Day 3: Masada and the Dead Sea

This tour heads to southern Israel through the Judean Hills and past the Inn of the Good Samaritan. We pause at sea level for an unforgettable photo-op then continue our descent further and further down beneath sea level towards the iconic Dead Sea. Our first stop is at Masada where we take a cable car to the plateau summit and tour the remains of Herod’s 2,055 year old palace fortress. We see remarkable structures including palaces and a bathhouse. From Masada the tour takes you past the desert oasis of Ein Gedi and Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We spend the rest of the day relaxing on one of the Dead Sea beaches. You can float in the salty-water that is 8.6 times more saline than the ocean creating natural buoyance. Use the Dead Sea mud as a natural skin mask and soak up the glorious Dead Sea sun. 

 Day 4: Golan Heights

The Golan Heights Tour takes you north through the Plain of Armageddon and past Megiddo into the Galilee. The Galilee has rolling hills, farmlands, vineyards and the beautiful Sea of Galilee. Crossing the Jordan River we ascend the Golan Heights through lush countryside. We pass Hamat Gader, a site with hot springs used by the Romans and modern-day spa-goers. We travel to the Shalom Observatory and from this elevated point we have stunning views all the way to the Sea of Galilee. In Katzrin we see an excavated Jewish village from the Mishnah and Talmudic eras. Nearby we visit the Golan Antiquities Museum and see archaeological discoveries from the Golan plus a film on the ancient Jewish city of Gamla.  At Mt. Bental we explore the remaining Syrian bunkers and trenches captured by Israelis in the 1967 Six Day War

Day 5: Northern Galilee

This tour day starts with a look around the kibbutz to learn about this unique community. The tour travels to the foot of Mt. Hermon and the Hermon River. We stop at the Banias a former site of a Roman city dedicated to the God Pan. The lush forests, streams and waterfalls of the Banias are so beautiful it has been compared to the Garden of Eden. We tour Kal’at Nimrod, a 13th-century fortress perched on a hilltop where there are brilliant views of the Golan. Next, we stop for lunch in a Druze restaurant before traveling to the holy Jewish city of Safed. Here we tour the Caro Synagogue, Ari Synagogue and the Artists’ Quarter before returning south and leaving the Galilee and Golan.

 Day 6: Caesarea, Acre and Rosh Hanikra

Tour the coastal cities of Israel as we drive north of Tel Aviv and make our first stop in Caesarea. Here we tour the remains of an ancient Roman port city and see the theater, hippodrome, and ruins of palaces, temples, and bathhouses. We travel further north along the coast to the port city of Haifa. Here we see the terraced Baha’i Gardens on Mt. Carmel and learn about the Baha’i faith. Continuing all the way to Israel’s border with Lebanon the tour takes you to the sea caves of Rosh HaNikra. Here we can enter the cave chambers and tunnels where waves crash against the rocks. We return south and the tour visits the Crusader city of Acre. Here we tour the Crusader fortress built in the 12th century, the Ottoman structures, and a former Turkish and British Mandate citadel prison.