Travel Dates
Departing 7th May 2020
Tour Provider: Insight Vacations
Region:
Duration: 8 Days
Day 1 / Welcome to Tel Aviv.
You will be met at Ben Gurion Airport and driven to your hotel in Tel Aviv. At 19:30 meet your travel companions for a Welcome Reception and a short introduction to your Israeli adventures.
Day 2 / Exploring Vibrant Tel Aviv.
Morning sightseeing showcases the highlights of this vibrant city including the Habimah National Theatre, Rabin Square and Carmel Market. Venture along the seashore to the ancient city of Jaffa to see the famous clock tower and the old harbour. Visit the artists' quarter with its galleries, boutiques and picturesque narrow lanes. At night, enjoy a traditional Shabbat dinner.(Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner with Wine)
Day 3 / Caesarea, Acre, Nazareth and Galilee.
Travel from Tel Aviv, along the coastal road to Caesarea. Explore the ancient Roman and Crusader ruins, including the huge amphitheatre. Travel via Haifa to Acre, fought over for centuries and captured in turn by Saracens and Crusaders, including Richard the Lionheart. See the fortress, the old harbour area and Crusader crypt. Experience traditional cooking and flavours with a Dine-at-Home lunch before continuing to Nazareth. Visit one of Christianity’s most sacred places, the Church of Annunciation, built on the site where the angel Gabriel is said to have appeared to Mary. Head on to your hotel in Tiberias, which is located on the Sea of Galilee. The day concludes with a brief introduction to life on a Kibbutz.(Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
Day 4 / To the Dead Sea.
Visit the ancient wooden boat that dates back to when Jesus was alive, and enjoy a cruise on the Sea of Galilee. Visit Capernaum, where Jesus is said to have entered the Synagogue to teach, before heading to the Mount of Beatitudes, where he preached the Sermon on the Mount. Journey through ever-changing landscapes along the Jordan Valley, past ancient Jericho, to take a dip in the buoyant salt waters of the Dead Sea.(Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 5 / Masada and the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Take a cable car ride up to the fortress of Masada, where Jewish Zealots held out for three years against Herod's armies. Pass the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found at Qumran. Travel through the Judean Hills to Mount Scopus for breathtaking views of Jerusalem. Visit King David's Tomb on Mount Zion, and the Room of the Last Supper. Enter the Old City and follow the winding cobbled alleyways to the magnificent Wailing Wall, the most sacred monument in Judaism.(Breakfast)
Day 6 / Exploring Jerusalem.
Visit Yad Vashem, a memorial for those who perished in the Holocaust. Continue to the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book wing which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls.(Breakfast)
Day 7 / Optional Bethlehem Experience.
Enjoy a relaxed morning or alternatively choose to meet your Local Expert at the West Bank border and continue to the Holy city of Bethlehem. The Optional Experience includes visiting the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Christ, and is considered sacred by followers of both Christianity and Islam. In the afternoon, visit the Garden of Gethsemene and walk through the Old City to see the Temple Mount, one of Islam’s holiest sites. Continue along the Via Dolorosa past the Stations of the Cross, Ecce Homo Arch, and the Pool of Bethesda, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At night, toast your adventures over a hearty Celebration Dinner with wine.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)
Day 8 / Depart Jerusalem.
Your journey comes to an end with transfers to Ben Gurion Airport.(Breakfast)
Walk in the footsteps of Jesus, as you journey from birthplace to his Crucifixion site of Jerusalem. The is a journey that brings Biblical stories to life, taking you to some of the world's most sacred Jewish and Islamic sites, accompanied by your knowledgeable Local Expert.
Your Guided Holiday Includes:
Price is based on 07 May 2020 – 10 Sep 2020 departures
Top rate highlights
Tel Aviv: Explore with your Local Expert and see the Habimah National Theatre, Rabin Square and browse around the Carmel Market.
Jaffa: Visit the ancient port and artists' quarter and see the famous clock tower and old harbour
Caesarea: With your Local Expert, explore the Roman and Crusader ruins of Caesarea, formerly one of the splendid cities in Palestine.
Dead Sea: Alongside your Local Expert, ascend to the ancient fortress of Masada by cable car where Jewish Zealots held out for three years against Herod’s armies, before sacrificing themselves.
Jerusalem: Visit the Garden of Gethsemene and see the Temple Mount, Room of the Last Supper
Authentic Dining
Tel Aviv: Enjoy a Welcome Drink and mingle with your fellow travel companions to begin your journey.
Tel Aviv: Participate in a Friday night Shabbat dinner
Isfiya: Feast on local specialities in a private Druze home and hear about life in the village from one of its residents.
Jerusalem: Toast the culmination of your travels with a lively Celebration Dinner.
Conditions apply. Subject to availability and change without notice. Full supplier conditions apply. Valid for new bookings only. Prices valid at the time of publication. Prices are per person based on twin share occupancy unless otherwise stated and displayed in AU$. Member savings are calculated using the original advertised price.