grand tour
of israel – THursday arrival 13
nights
Thursday
Ben Gurion Airport
/ Tel Aviv
Arrival
at Ben Gurion Airport, where you will be met by a Diesenhaus Unitours
representative and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Friday
At leisure
Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Saturday
At leisure
Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Sunday
Diaspora Museum /
Caesarea / Druze villages
Depart Tel Aviv and
drive to the Diaspora Museum for a visit.
Proceed along the
coastal plain to Caesarea, capital of Judea under the Romans. See the excavations of the Crusader
city and the Roman port, aqueduct and the amphitheater that has been restored
to its former glory as a concert venue.
Continue via the Druze villages to Haifa.
Overnight in Haifa.
Monday
Haifa / Safed /
Golan Heights
The
tour of Haifa will begin at the summit of Mount Carmel where you will take in a
breathtaking panoramic view of the Haifa Bay and Western Galilee. Continue on to the golden domed Bahai
Shrine to visit the exotic Persian Gardens. Proceed to Safed, the center of Jewish mysticism, where you
will visit the ancient synagogues and the artists’ colony. Continue to the Golan Heights to see
the former Syrian bunkers, Kuneitra and the new Israeli town of Katzrin.
Overnight
in Kibbutz.
Tuesday
Sea of Galilee /
Nazareth
Start
the day with a visit of Tiberias.
Drive to Capernaum to see the ruins of the synagogue and octagonal
church of St. Peter and then proceed to Nazareth. Here you will visit the church of the Annunciation. Drive via Beit Shean to Beit Alpha to
see the remains of the mosaic floor of an ancient synagogue depicting the
zodiac.
Overnight
in Jerusalem.
Wednesday
Jerusalem: The Old
City
Visit
the tomb of King David and the room of the 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 the Holy Sepulchre, proceed to Mount Scopus and then to the
Mount of Olives for a magnificent panoramic view of the Old City. Continue to Bethlehem*, stopping at
Rachel’s Tomb and to visit the Church of the Nativity.
Overnight
in Jerusalem.
Thursday
Jerusalem: The New
City
Drive
to the Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem to see the Chagall stained glass
windows. Proceed to Bayit Vegan to
visit the miniature model of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple
period. Continue to Yad Vashem, the
memorial to the Holocaust and then to the Israel Museum. Visit the Shrine of the Book where the
Dead Sea Scrolls are housed and see the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, and the
Givat Ram Campus of the Hebrew University.
Overnight
in Jerusalem.
Friday
Qumeran / Massada /
Dead Sea
Drive
through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, almost
1300 feet (400 meters) below sea level.
Stop at Qumeran to visit the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were
found. Drive along the shores of
the Dead Sea to Massada. 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, time and weather
permitting, an opportunity will be provided to float on the Dead Sea.
Overnight
in Jerusalem.
Saturday
At leisure
Overnight in Jerusalem.
Sunday
The Negev Desert/ Timna /
Eilat
Travel
south to the Negev desert, visit Israel’s Air Force Museum at Hatzerim to view
the planes and equipment and to hear the story of this brave fighting force.
Continue
south, visiting kibbutz Sde Boker, to see Ben Gurion’s hut and grave,
overlooking the magnificent Zin valley.
Stop
at Mitzpeh Ramon to gaze into the Ramon Crater, a geological wonder.
Drive
to Timna to see the copper mines and King Solomon’s pillars and marvel at the
huge multi-colored rock formations
Proceed
to Eilat for overnight.
Monday
At leisure
Overnight
in Eilat.
Tuesday
Eilat / Mamshit / Tel Aviv
Visit
the Underwater Observatory, one of the largest seaquariums in the world, built
into coral reef.
Drive
to Mamshit for a Camel riding experience and visit to an authentic Beduin tent.
Learn about the Bedouin hospitality and enjoy a light lunch
Drive back to Tel-Aviv .
Overnight
in Tel Aviv.
Wednesday
Tel Aviv / Ben Gurion
Airport.
After breakfast, transfer to Ben
Gurion Airport for departure.
*
visit subject to availability
The
above program can be extended and tailor-made for groups.