Nazareth, Caesarea and Golan Tour, 3 Days

 Day 1: Golan Heights

The Golan Heights Tour takes you north through the Plain of Armageddon and past Megiddo into 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.  At Mt. Bental we explore the remaining Syrian bunkers and trenches captured by Israelis in the 1967 Six-Day War. 

Day 2: Nazareth, Capernaum and Sea of Galilee

This tour begins with a drive up the coastal road, then we turn off towards the Valley of Armageddon. From here we can see Megiddo. We pass by Mt. Precipice and arrive in Nazareth. Here we tour the beautiful Church of Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph. On route to the Sea of Galilee, we pass Cana, where Christ transformed water into wine. From a distance, we see Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount and stop in Capernaum on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. In Tabgha, we tour the Roman Catholic Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. We pass Tiberias on the edge of the Sea of Galilee and stop at Yardenit. This River Jordan baptismal site could have been where John baptized Jesus. On our return journey, we pass Mt. Tabor where the Transfiguration took place.

 Day 3: 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.