CLASSIC TOUR

WEDNESDAY ARRIVAL 11 NIGHTS

Wednesday

Ben Gurion Airport / Tel Aviv

Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, where you will be met by an Israel Tours representative and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Thursday

Latrun / Beit Guvrin / Ayalon Institute / Weizmann House

Drive to Latrun to visit the Armored Corps Museum and memorial, also considered as one of the most diverse tank museums in the world. Continue to Beit Guvrin National Park, declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site; explore parts of the archaeological remains and unique caves. Proceed to Ayalon Institute, once a secret underground ammunition factory established by the “Haganah,” who were the Jewish underground movement before May 1948. Continue to Weizmann House in Rehovot built in 1936, the private home and later the formal residence of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the first president of the state of Israel and founder of the Weizmann Institute of Science. Visit the house with its impressive structure and fascinating gardens, which now form part of the Weizmann Institute of Science. Learn the story of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, an outstanding scientist and head of the Zionist movement for over 30 years.

Overnight Tel Aviv.

Friday

Tel Aviv / Diaspora museum / Old Jaffa

Visit Beit Hatfutsot, the Diaspora museum; drive around the main streets of Tel Aviv, the center of business and entertainment in Israel. Also known as the “White City,” Tel Aviv was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site for its collection of over 4,000 Bauhaus style buildings.  Stop at Rabin Square, the site of assassination of Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin in 1995. Continue to Old Jaffa, one of the oldest port cities in the world; visit the ancient ruins and walk along the Artist’s Quarter. Visit Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv built in 1887, followed by Nachalat Binyamin, the pedestrian mall of the city where you can enjoy live street music, arts, crafts and handmade jewelry.

Overnight Tel Aviv.

Saturday:

Day at leisure

Overnight Tel Aviv

Sunday

Caesarea / Megiddo / Druze village / Haifa

Drive along the coastal plain to Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the region; see the excavations of the Crusader-era city, the Roman port, aqueduct and the amphitheater that has been restored to its former glory as a concert venue. Proceed to Megiddo, identified as the site of Armageddon; visit the archaeological excavations, including the well-preserved water supply system. Continue to Daliat el Carmel, a Druze village, and enjoy a late lunch at a local restaurant. Proceed via Mount Carmel to Haifa for a panoramic view of Haifa Bay and the Golden domed Bahai Shrine and Gardens.

Overnight in a Kibbutz guesthouse.

Monday

Safed / Katzrin / Golan winery

Drive to Safed, the center of Jewish mysticism; visit the ancient synagogues and the Artist Quarter. Continue to the Golan Heights to see the former Syrian bunkers, Quneitra and the new Israeli town of Katzrin. Stop at Golan Heights Winery for a tour and wine tasting; proceed to “Golan Magic” for a multimedia presentation of the area and its history.

Overnight in a Kibbutz guesthouse.

Tuesday

Sea of Galilee / Nazareth / Beit Alpha

Start the day with a visit to Nazareth; visit the Church of Annunciation; continue to Tiberias; visit Capernaum to see the ruins of the synagogue and octagonal Church of St. Peter; visit Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Drive via Beit Shean to Beit Alpha to see the remains of the mosaic floor of an ancient synagogue depicting the zodiac.

Overnight Jerusalem.

Wednesday

of Olives / Old City / Bethlehem*

Start the day with a magnificent panoramic view from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Drive to the Old City; visit the Tomb of King David and the Room of Last Supper on Mt. Zion. Enter the walled city and walk through the newly restored Jewish quarter. Visit the Roman Cardo, the Herodian Quarter and continue to the Western Wall. Walk along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of Holy Sepulchre. Continue to Bethlehem*; view Rachel’s Tomb and proceed to the Church of Nativity and Manger’s Square.

Overnight Jerusalem.

Thursday

Israel Museum / Knesset / Mt. Herzl / Yad Vashem

Drive to the Israel Museum and visit the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea scrolls are housed; see the miniature model of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period; proceed for a tour at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Continue to visit Mount Herzl Cemetery and Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the Holocaust. Drive through Mea Shearim, the ultra orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem, and learn about the residents’ unique lifestyle. In the evening, enjoy a middle eastern dinner followed by the Night Spectacular “Sound and Light” show** at the Tower of David Museum.

Overnight Jerusalem.

Friday

Qumran / Masada / Dead Sea

Drive through the Judaean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth at almost 1300 feet (400 meters) below sea level. Stop at Qumran to visit the site where the Dead Sea scrolls were found.  Drive along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada. Ascend by cable car and tour the ancient fortress where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans before committing mass suicide in 73 AD. Descend by cable car.

Continue to the Dead Sea; cover yourself with the mineral rich mud and experience a swim in the Dead Sea**, which many believe offers therapeutic effects.

Overnight Jerusalem.

Saturday

At leisure

Overnight in Jerusalem

Sunday

Jerusalem / Ben Gurion Airport

After breakfast, transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for departure.

*  Site under the Palestinian Authority Jurisdiction. Visit subject to situation.

** Visit subject to weather conditions.

*** Program sequence is subject to change without advance notice.