Heritage of the Holy Land

Upon arriving at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, meet your tour representative before hopping onto the transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv for your first night in Israel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, becoming acquainted with your vibrant new surroundings. Overnight in Tel Aviv in the selected hotel.(D)

After breakfast, enjoy a short visit of the city of Jaffa, Tel Aviv’s charming neighbor, where we take a short walking tour through the picturesque alleys of this old, fortified town. Pass by the house of Simon the Tanner and marvel at the views from the hilltop. Then drive north along the coast to the archaeological ruins of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great in honour of Augustus Caesar. Continue to Megiddo, where the Book of Revelations mentions a great battle at the place called ‘Armageddon’. It was an ancient city inhabited continuously for more than five millennia (6,000-500 BC). After exploring the ancient ruins, drive towards the Sea of Galilee stopping at Cana to visit the Wedding Church. Arrive at Tiberias, a glimmering white city that sits on the shores of Galilee, and check in to your hotel. Overnight in Tiberias in the selected hotel. (B/D)

Wake up to breakfast at the hotel and then start the day in the historical city of Tiberias, where Jesus lived, sojourned, and preached on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Your next stop is Capernaum, the centre of Jesus’ ministry. Continue on to Tabgha, the site of Christ’s miracle of feeding the 5,000 and the Church of the Multiplication, where the mosaic floor depicts a basket with loaves and two fish. Drive on to the Mount of Beatitudes, which overlooks the sea where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. It is believed that Jesus picked his 12 apostles here. Ascend to the Golan Heights to view the panoramic view from the peaks of Mount Hermon: the rugged plateau of the Golan Heights and beneath it the green pastoral Hula Valley. Then, visit Banias (Caesarea Philippi), one of the sources of the River Jordan, where Jesus revealed his purpose and His Church and where Simon identified Jesus as the messiah. Drive to the southern part of the Sea of Galilee to visit the Yardenit Baptismal Site. Return to Tiberias for another lovely night in town. Overnight in Tiberias in the selected hotel. (B/D)

This morning, after breakfast, sail on a boat on the Sea of Galilee to experience the tranquility and scenery little changed during the past 2000 years (subject to conditions and fee). Then, travel to Nazareth, the city where Jesus spent his childhood, and visit the Church of Annunciation, built on the site where archaeologists believe the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary. You will also see Mary’s Well and Joseph’s Church. Visit the ancient synagogue at Beit Alpha, located at the foot of the northern slopes of the Gilboa Mountains which has one of most preserved and beautiful mosaics in Israel. Drive through the Jordan Valley, passing by Jericho, before ascending through the Judean Mountains to Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem in your selected hotel. (B/D)

After breakfast, and en route to the Dead Sea, visit the site of the Qumran Caves, where the legendary Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Gliding through the remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea, continue on to Masada, situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. Ascend by cable car to the fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their war against the Romans. Visit the excavations, King Herod’s palace, the synagogue, the bathhouse and much more. Contemplate the breath-taking view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea. Nearly 400 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Bring your swimsuit because, weather permitting, it is possible to float on the salty, mineral-rich water. Return to Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem in the selected hotel. (B/D)

After breakfast, start the day at the Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea scrolls, then a visit to the beautifully renovated model of the Herodian city of Jerusalem, dating back to the time of the Second Temple. Enjoy Ein Karem; a picturesque village in the south western outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village has great significance in Christian traditions, since this is where according to tradition John the Baptist was born. Visit Yad Vashem the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953, located at the foot of Mt. Hertzl. Visit Bethlehem – the birthplace of Jesus at the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. Return to your Jerusalem hotel.  Overnight in Jerusalem in the selected hotel. (B/D)

After breakfast visit the Old City, see the Western Wall and the site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. Walk along the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, housing both the traditional site of Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection. To the southwest, just outside the Old City, is Mount Zion, with the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem, the holy city for each of the world’s three great religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Your tour includes the Mount of Olives, a stop at the site where Jesus first gave the Lord’s Prayer, and the Garden of Gethsemane, where Judas betrayed Jesus. Return to your hotel and spend the remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight in Jerusalem in the selected hotel. (B/D)

We have reached our final day on this tour! Enjoy one last breakfast before your transfer takes you to the airport for your flight back home. Breakfast included.