Bibleland

Day 1 – Mon: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem
Upon arrival to airport meet our representative and transfer to hotel in Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 2 – Tue: Jerusalem (New City), Bethlehem*
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. Overnight in Jerusalem.  [B/D]

Day 3 – Wed:  Jerusalem (Old City)
Enter the Old City of Jerusalem where you will see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, 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 the spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem - the holy city for each of the world’s three great religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam, from atop the Mount of Olives. Visit the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus. In the heart of a neighborhood in downtown Jerusalem, visit Mahane Yehuda to experience the flavors, aromas, colors and the traders' interaction with the crowds, at the largest open market in Israel. Overnight in Jerusalem. [B/D]

Day 4 – Thu: Jerusalem, Beit Shean, Nazareth, Safed, Tiberias
Leave Jerusalem and drive north passing by Jericho, the oldest city in the world. Travel through the Jordan Valley and the new settlements to Beit Shean, and visit the excavations of this beautifully preserved Roman City. On to Nazareth to visit the Church of the Annunciation and Christian holy sites. Proceed to Safed, city of the Kabbalah and center of Jewish mysticism, to visit the beautiful streets of the artists’ colony. Overnight in Tiberias. [B/D]

Day 5 – Fri: Tiberias (Sea of Galilee, Golan Heights)
Along the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee, proceed to Capernaum, to visit the ruins of the ancient synagogue, the Mount of Beatitudes, traditional site of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ and Tabgha, the traditional site of the ‘miracle of the loaves and the fish’. Optional sailing on a boat across the Sea of Galilee to experience the tranquility and scenery little changed during the past 2000 years (subject to conditions and fee). Drive up to the Golan Heights to enjoy an Israeli wine country experience, with vineyards surrounded by breathtaking views. Become acquainted with the collection of fine and rare wines enjoying a tour, wine tasting and understanding of the wine production process. Pass by former Syrian fortifications, Druze villages and Banias, source of the Jordan River.  Return to Tiberias for overnight. [B/D]           

Day 6 – Sat: Tiberias, Acre, Haifa, Caesarea, Tel Aviv
After breakfast drive through the hills of the Galilee, westwards to Acre (Akko) for a visit of the old, famous Crusader stronghold and medieval fortifications. Continue to Haifa, ascending Mount Carmel for a panoramic view of the city, including the Baha'i Shrine, Persian Garden, and Haifa bay. Proceed along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea to visit the Roman Theater and the Crusader fortress at what is known as the “masterpiece of Herod the Great”. End the day with a short city tour of Tel Aviv and the ancient port of Jaffa. Overnight in Tel Aviv. [B/D]

Day 7 – Sun: Tel Aviv
Day at leisure in Tel Aviv, or an optional tour to Masada & the Dead Sea (not included in the rate – subject to fee). Overnight in Tel Aviv. [B/D]
Optional tour: Masada and Dead Sea
Drive through the Judean hills to Qumran caves, where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Continue along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada, the last stronghold of the Jews after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D; ascend Masada by cable-car and tour the mountain fortress built by King Herod; visit the remains of the walls, water cistern and Herod’s Palace; descend by cable car.  Continue to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth; enjoy the opportunity to float in the unsinkable water and cover yourself with the mineral rich mud, believed to have therapeutic effects. Return to Tel Aviv.

Day 8 – Mon: Tel Aviv, USA
Transfer to the airport for departure. [B]

* Visit subject to the security conditions.
** Program sequence is subject to change without advance notice.

[B] = Breakfast | [B/D] = Breakfast and Dinner