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DAY 1, Tuesday - Depart for Israel
Depart for Israel
DAY 2, Wednesday - Arrive in Tel Aviv
Arrive in Tel Aviv; transfer to your hotel in this vibrant city, known as Israel's "playground on the sea." Balance of the day is at leisure to rest, relax and acclimate to your new time zone. Perhaps, walk along the bustling beachfront promenade and stop at a café. This evening, attend an orientation meeting with your Tour Manager and fellow travelers at approximately 7 PM. We recommend that you select flights which arrive in your destination no later than 5 PM on day 2 of the itinerary or earlier, if possible
Overnight: Tel Aviv
DAY 3, Thursday - City Tour of Tel Aviv
Start with a visit to Jaffa (Joppa), the ancient port city linked with biblical stories of Solomon, Jonah and St. Peter. Tour the ancient ruins and walk to the beautifully reconstructed Artists' Quarter. From atop the hill, stop to admire breathtaking panoramic views of the Mediterranean coast and Tel Aviv. Continue to trendy Neve Tzedek (Tel Aviv's "Soho"), the first neighborhood constructed outside of Jaffa and to HaTachana, a renovated Ottoman train station converted to a vibrant entertainment complex. Balance of the day is at leisure, or join the optional Panoramic Night Tour of Tel Aviv. Get acquainted with this vibrant and cosmopolitan city on this panoramic tour that begins on bustling Ibn Gvirol Street and travels to Yitzhak Rabin Square with its memorial to the late Israeli Prime Minister. Continue past the Mann Auditorium and Habima, Israel's national theater to tree-lined Rothschild Avenue known for its distinctive Bauhaus architecture dating back to the 1930s. Conclude the tour with dinner at a popular Tel Aviv restaurant
Optional: Panoramic Night Tour of Tel Aviv with Dinner
Overnight: Tel Aviv
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 4, Friday - Caesarea, Nazareth, Northern Israel
Begin the day with a drive north along the crystal-blue waters of the Mediterranean coast to ancient Caesarea; see the astounding Roman, Byzantine and Crusader ruins and the 2000-year-old theater. At the Visitor's Center, view the informative presentation before departing for Nazareth. Drive through the rolling Galilean hills to the sacred town where, according to tradition, Jesus spent his childhood and youth; visit the Church of the Annunciation. Continue to your hotel for dinner and overnight
Overnight: Galilee Region
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 5, Saturday - Day in the Galilee Region
On your day at leisure in the Galilee Region, mix the serene quiet of the pristine Sea of Galilee, the largest freshwater lake in Israel, with nature, history, and religion. Don't miss the optional full day tour to Upper Galilee & Golan Heights with lunch to understand more about the area. Afterward, return to the hotel for dinner
Optional: Full Day Upper Galilee & Golan Heights with lunch
Overnight: Galilee Region
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 6, Sunday - Yardenit, Beit She'an, Jerusalem
Depart from your hotel in the Galilee Region and stop for a tour of a local diamond factory and showroom. After travel to the Jordan River, considered one of the world's most sacred rivers. Visit the popular baptismal site of Yardenit. Head south to reach the impressive archaeological site of Beit She'an, an ancient city dating back to King Saul; see the remains of an ancient Roman city and the ongoing excavations. Before getting to Jerusalem, a stop just outside the city provides a scenic panoramic view. Continue to the hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 7, Monday - Jerusalem Old City Tour
Begin your walking tour of Jerusalem* at the walled Old City with its four distinct sections; the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Armenian Quarters. Follow the steps along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest sites in the Christian world. Pass through the narrow alleys and souks to visit the Western Wall; continue to Mt. Zion; see the Room of the Last Supper and the traditional Tomb of King David. The remainder of the day is on your own. Stroll through the lanes of the Old City, visit the exotic bazaars or, participate in the optional afternoon Jerusalem Old City tour that begins at the Zion Gate. Visit the Cardo, a colonnaded Roman shopping street during the Byzantine period, the Jewish Quarter's four Sephardic Synagogues and the Burnt House, set ablaze by the Romans. Then, on to the Davidson Center in the archaeological Park with its exhibits and presentations. Tonight's very special optional evening includes dinner at a local restaurant, then attend the spectacular Sound & Light Show
Optional: Half Day Jerusalem Old City - Jewish Quarter (PM)
Optional: Illuminated Jerusalem, Restaurant Dinner and Sound & Light Show (PM)
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8, Tuesday - Day in Jerusalem
Visit the New City on the optional Jerusalem New City tour. Drive via the Supreme Court building and the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, to the Israel Museum. Here, view the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed and the miniature model of Jerusalem during Second Temple period. Then, on to Yad Vashem, Memorial to the Holocaust, on the Mount of Remembrance. The optional afternoon tour to Bethlehem includes a visit to the Church of the Nativity, commemorating the birthplace of Christ. A stop for local olive wood handicrafts is included
Optional: Half Day Jerusalem New City (AM)
Optional: Half Day Bethlehem (PM)
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 9, Wednesday - Day in Jerusalem
Visit the Old City on the optional Jerusalem Old City tour. Begin at the Zion Gate, where provisions for the Jewish Quarter were smuggled during the War of Independence. Walk to the Cardo, the ancient Roman Street that was the main shopping area during the Roman and Byzantine Periods. Visit the Jewish Quarter and view the four Sephardic Synagogues, each one built separately to fit the needs of the Sephardic community at the time of its construction. Next, tour the Herodian Quarter, an area once populated by aristocratic families and Temple priests. Lastly, tour the Southern Wall excavations and visit the Davidson Center in the Archaeological Park. This evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant
Optional: Half Day Jerusalem Old City (AM)
Overnight: Jerusalem
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 10, Thursday - Travel to the Dead Sea (Jordan)
The journey to Jordan begins at the Allenby Bridge border crossing where you'll be escorted through formalities and met by your Jordanian Tour Manager. Visa for Jordan is required but arranged free of charge. Israel Departure tax of $50-$60 is payable locally.* Attend an orientation meeting with your Jordanian Tour Manager and traveling companions. Later, choose to take part in the optional tour to Bethany, the site of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist, and where the prophet Elijah ascended to heaven via a chariot of fire. Afterward, travel to your hotel at the Jordanian Dead Sea. Here, you can float in buoyant, salty waters at the lowest spot on earth. Take time to relax and enjoy the benefits of the mineral-rich therapeutic waters
*Please visit Visa and Entry Fee/ Departure taxes page for more details
Optional: Half Day Bethany
Overnight: Dead Sea
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 11, Friday - Mount Nebo, Madaba, Shobak Castle
After breakfast, travel to Petra. En route, stop at Mount Nebo, the reputed burial site of Moses, overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Continue to the mosaic city of Madaba, where an ancient map of the Holy Land is set into the floor of Saint George's Church. Afterward, stop at Moses Springs and visit a mosaic school and workshop where you will have the opportunity to learn about this incredible craft. After lunch in Madaba, proceed to Shobak Castle. The ruins of this Crusader castle are located just east of Arabah. Arrive in Petra for overnight
Overnight: Petra
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 12, Saturday - Petra City Tour
An astonishing day exploring Petra! Enter the "rose red" city hand-sculpted from a mountain range by the Nabateans in the 3rd century BC. Begin your walk (or ride) through the "Siq", a winding canyon road. At the end, you'll gaze in total amazement at Petra's most extraordinary monument - the towering Treasury building rising over 140 feet. Beyond, discover soaring temples, elaborate royal tombs, a theater, burial chambers and water channels - all remnants of a once great Nabatean culture. Today, Petra is both a Jordanian national treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is truly a once in a lifetime experience! After lunch, there will be time on your own to further explore Petra before returning to the hotel
Overnight: Petra
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 13, Sunday - Wadi Rum Desert, Travel to Amman
Morning departure to Wadi Rum, a surreal desert terrain of ancient river beds, wind-sculpted mountains, vast desert vistas and pastel colored sands. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, often described as the "Valley of the Moon", served as inspiration (and site of the filming) for T.E. Lawrence's novel, Lawrence of Arabia. Ride in a 4x4 vehicle to explore the valley, with its looming rock faces that seem to grow directly out of the sand and endless skies. Cross the huge red sand dunes and the eroded pillars of sandstone rock known as "The Seven Pillars". Then, lunch in an authentic Bedouin tent in the midst of the desert, where you'll be introduced to "Zarb" - a selection of foods cooked in an oven with hot coals beneath the desert floor. Afterward, travel to your hotel in Amman
Overnight: Amman
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 14, Monday - Jerash, Amman City Tour
This morning, journey north of Amman to the city of Jerash, the best-preserved example of Roman civilization in Jordan. Jerash, was part of the Decapolis (the ten large Roman cities of the East) The city features theaters, churches, temples of Zeus and Artemis, a Nymphaeum and colonnaded street. After lunch, proceed to a city tour of Amman, often referred to as the "White City" because of the white stone used to build the houses. Amman is among the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The tour will take you to the museums, the Citadel, the Roman Amphitheater, the souks, and the city's modern district. The balance of the day is at leisure. Later this evening, savor a Farewell Dinner with your Tour Manager and travel companions
Overnight: Amman
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 15, Tuesday - Depart Jordan
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast
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