Compare From the Ancient to the Cutting-Edge: Discover Israel by Road Scholar vs Immersive Israel by Culture Trip

Day 1 In Flight

Day 2 Welcome to Israel/Orientation Jerusalem

Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

In the hotel dining room, enjoy a welcome buffet dinner. Soft drinks, wine, and beer are available for purchase.

Day 3 Biblical Jerusalem Jerusalem

Unavoidable stairs in the City of David and walking on cobble stones.

Depart the hotel by coach with your site coordinator and group leader to the Haas Promenade, where we will begin the day overlooking a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem. Great photo opportunity. We will then board the coach for a short drive to the City of David to view the latest excavations of what may have been King David’s Palace, Area G (Israelite house), and more. With your expert site coordinator you will learn how and why Jerusalem became the capitol city of the Israeli people and focus on King David as a flawed, yet beloved, leader.

Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Jerusalem. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Jerusalem. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At the hotel, enjoy a plentiful dairy buffet complete with fruit, fresh vegetables, salads, cereals, fresh breads, cheeses, eggs, and more. Juice, water, coffee and tea are included

Enjoy a lunch served family style in the Old City. Menu includes salads, pastas, breads, side dishes, soft drinks, and tea & coffee.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 4 Chrstian Quarter/Mt. Zion Jerusalem

Unavoidable stairs in the Christian Quarter and walking on cobble stones.

Depart the hotel by coach with your group leader and site coordinator for the Southern Wall Excavations at the Jerusalem Archaeological Park. Discuss the "Centrality of the Temple in Israelite and Jewish Religion" and exploration of the site. Continue to Mt. Zion in the Old City. Trace the development of Christianity with an on-site lecture "In the Footsteps of Jesus in Jerusalem". Discuss the layering of sanctity of religious sites as you visit the Coenaculum ("Last Supper Room" and traditional Tomb of David.

After a lunch break, we will continue on foot through Jaffa Gate to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditional site of the Crucifixion and burial place of Jesus. Your site coordinator will explain the history of the Crusader-era church, which encompasses the last 5 "Stations of the Cross (Via Dolorosa)", Golgotha (Calvary), the Stone of the Unction, and the tomb itself. Late Afternoon: Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Jerusalem. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Jerusalem. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At the hotel, enjoy a plentiful dairy buffet complete with fruit, fresh vegetables, salads, cereals, fresh breads, cheeses, eggs, and more. Juice, water, coffee and tea are included.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 5 Masada and the Dead Sea. Jerusalem

The Dead Sea region can be warmer than Jerusalem and much drier.

Depart the hotel with your group leader and site coordinator to the Dead Sea Region, lowest point on earth. Ascend the mountain fortress of Masada by cable car to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the remains of Herod's oppulent palaces, bath house complex, and fortifications lter used by the Jewish Rebel's fleeing the Roman Army after the destruction of Jerusalem during the Great Revolt of 70CE. Descend by cable-car.

Travel by coach to a private beach on the shores of the Dead Sea. Float in the therapeutic and buoyant water. En route to Jerusalem, stop in the town of Maaleh Adumim for a home hospitality program with Ethiopian Jewish immigrants to hear the remarkable stories of their long trek from Africa to Israel.

At leisure.

At the hotel, enjoy a plentiful dairy buffet complete with fruit, fresh vegetables, salads, cereals, fresh breads, cheeses, eggs, and more. Juice, water, coffee and tea are included.

Lunch in the food court of the Masada visitor's center.

In the hotel dining room, enjoy a buffet dinner. Soft drinks, wine, and beer are available for purchase.

Day 6 Yad Vashem/Welcoming the Jewish Sabbath at the Western Wall Jerusalem

Travel by coach with your group leader and site coordinator to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Complex. Guided visit with your site coordinator through the historical museum, sculpture garden, Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations, and Children's Memorial.

Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Jerusalem. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Travel by coach to the Western Wall where we will join thousands of Jews and visitors from around the world to welcome the Jewish Sabbath. Return to hotel by coach or choose to walk back with your Group Leader to enjoy the atmosphere of the Old City on Friday night.

At the hotel, enjoy a plentiful dairy buffet complete with fruit, fresh vegetables, salads, cereals, fresh breads, cheeses, eggs, and more. Juice, water, coffee and tea are included.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At the hotel, enjoy a festive Sabbath dinner, which includes soup, breads, salads, mains, sides, desserts. Water and tea are included. Soft drinks, wine, and beer are available for purchase.

Day 7 Day at Leisure to Explore Jerusalem Jerusalem

Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Jerusalem. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Jerusalem. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Depart the hotel with your Group Leader for the Tower of David "Night Spectacular" . This impressive light-and-sound show is displayed on walls under the Tower of David. Moving images from 20 projectors trace the dramatic history of Jerusalem from the time of Israelite kings to the modern era. The cast of historical characters includes King David, Romans, monks, Mohammed, Crusaders, Turks, and all the rest, accompanied by a lush musical score. Bring a sweater since it can be cool in Jerusalem at night.

At the hotel, enjoy a plentiful dairy buffet complete with fruit, fresh vegetables, salads, cereals, fresh breads, cheeses, eggs, and more. Juice, water, coffee and tea are included. Some hot menu items are not available on the Sabbath due to kosher restrictions.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

In the hotel dining room, enjoy a buffet dinner. Soft drinks, wine, and beer are available for purchase.

Day 8 Jordan River Valley and Sea of Galilee The Galilee Region

Check-out and depart hotel with Group Leader and Site Coordinator. Travel by coach north along the Jordan River Valley to Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu. Meet kibbutz members to learn the history of this religious kibbutz. Then tour the organic fields and "bug factory" to learn how Sde Eliyahu was a leader in the "Green Revolution" in Israel and abroad.

Travel to nearby Bet She'an to explore the impressive ruins with your site coordinator. Walk through this ancient Roman city, which was once head of the Decapolis and see the ancient theater, odeon, temples, bath houses and more. Then continue to Tiberias to enjoy a boat ride on the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).

At the hotel, enjoy a plentiful dairy buffet complete with fruit, fresh vegetables, salads, cereals, fresh breads, cheeses, eggs, and more. Juice, water, coffee and tea are included.

Enjoy a dairy lunch at local restaurant. Menu includes salads, pastas, and quiches. Soft drinks, teas, and coffee.

In the hotel dining room, enjoy a buffet dinner. Soft drinks, wine, and beer are available for purchase.

Day 9 The Golan Heights Tel Aviv

Check-out and depart hotel with your group leader and site coordinator. Ascend the Golan Heights by coach. Strategic briefing by former IDF officer along Israel's northern border with Syria.

We continue by coach to the Lower Galilee and Kibbutz Ein Harod. Docent tour of the Ein Harod art museum which was founed in the 1930s and now boasts more than 16000 works of art. Then continue by coach to the cosmpolitan city of Tel Aviv, situated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

At the hotel, enjoy a plentiful dairy buffet complete with fruit, fresh vegetables, salads, cereals, fresh breads, cheeses, eggs, and more. Juice, water, coffee and tea are included.

Lunch break in the town of Katzrin.

In the hotel dining room, enjoy a buffet dinner. Soft drinks, wine, and beer are available for purchase.

Day 10 Contemporary Israel Tel Aviv

Depart the hotel with the group leader and site coordinator and travel by coach to a local museum to learn about the War of Independence. Share the trials and tribulations of this difficult, yet inspiring period in Israel's history. Then we head to the Nahalat Binyamin neighborhood for the weekly arts & crafts fair featuring local artisans.

Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Tel Aviv. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At the hotel, we’ll gather for our first lecture in a series of two on perspectives of the Peace Process between Israel, Palestine, and other Arab nations. More specifically, the lecture led by a local expert will provide some background information regarding security, defense, and anti-terrorism initiatives.

At the hotel, enjoy a plentiful dairy buffet complete with fruit, fresh vegetables, salads, cereals, fresh breads, cheeses, eggs, and more. Juice, water, coffee and tea are included.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 11 Innovation Center/Program Concludes In Flight

Free Time in the morning. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Tel Aviv. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. After check-out, we will meet with a journalist for a lecture, "Perspectives on the Peace Process 2".

Depart the hotel with the group leader and site coordinator and travel by coach to the “State of Mind” Innovation Center at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The Group Leader will lead a wrap-up session to review program highlights, share favorite experiences, and say farewell to new Road Scholar friends before dinner.

At the hotel, enjoy a plentiful dairy buffet complete with fruit, fresh vegetables, salads, cereals, fresh breads, cheeses, eggs, and more. Juice, water, coffee and tea are included.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Enjoy a farewell dinner at a restaurant in Tel Aviv's Yemenite Quarter. Served "family style", the menu includes a number of Israeli salads, fresh pita, hummus, falafel, grilled meats, and dessert with mint tea. Soft drinks and wine are included. Beer is available for purchase. This concludes our program.

DAY 1

Arrive in Jerusalem, followed by an evening craft beer tasting

Touch down in Ben Gurion Airport – or if you’ve been on our Beyond Petra: Discovering Jordan’s Rugged Side trip, you’ll be collected from the border. Check in to your hotel in Jerusalem. Here you’ll meet our Local Insider who will accompany the group throughout the trip. At 5pm, get to know your fellow travellers over a glass of wine. Next, head out for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Finish the evening in the Machane Yehuda Market for craft beer tasting at Beer Bazaar, a cool hangout that stocks more than 100 bottled Israeli microbrews.

ACCOMMODATION

• Harmony Hotel

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Welcome dinner with beer tasting

DAY 2

Explore the holiest sites in Jerusalem

Today, you’ll take a deep dive into the Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites in the Old City with two locals, one Arab and one Jewish. Early birds can join an optional prayer service in the Holy Sepulchre. Regroup at the Mount of Olives, where you'll start the tour at the gold-topped Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, and al-Aqsa Mosque, before an optional Western Wall tunnel tour. After lunch, walk part of the Via Dolorosa, the crucifixion route Jesus took, towards the ancient Holy Sepulchre and end the day on top of the Old City ramparts.

ACCOMMODATION

• Harmony Hotel

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Old City tour with two locals
• Old City ramparts tour

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Holy Sepulchre morning prayer service
• Western Wall tunnel tour

DAY 3

Tour of Mount Zion and home-cooked meal with a local family

In the morning, you can choose to visit Yad Vashem, a Holocaust memorial museum on the slopes of the Mount of Remembrance, or take the opportunity for some free time. Lunch will be street-food bites at Machane Yehuda before a trip to Mount Zion. A representative from the Jewish Intercultural Centre (JICC) will take you on a tour of the multi-faith sites and discuss this hotly contested land. Dinner is a traditional home-cooked meal hosted by a local family.

ACCOMMODATION

• Harmony Hotel

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Machane Yehuda Market tour
• Mount Zion visit with JICC representative
• Home-cooked dinner with local family

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

• East to West Jerusalem food tour
• Meet religious leader at Mount Zion
• Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum visit

DAY 4

Step inside the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, followed by a cooking class

Leaving Jerusalem behind, you’ll be driven 25 minutes to Bethlehem, stopping at the Tent of Nations, an educational farm in the West Bank. Meet local Palestinian Christians here and learn how they turned their land into a reconciliation space. In Bethlehem, visit the Nativity Church and Manger Square. Next, see the colourful, politically charged graffiti on the Separation Wall. End the day with a visit to Banksy’s museum (aka the Walled Off Hotel) and a leisurely cooking class with a local family. Return to Jerusalem for a final night at the hotel.

ACCOMMODATION

• Harmony Hotel

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Tent of Nations visit
• Nativity Church and Manger Square visit
• Bethlehem Old City tour
• Separation Wall and Banksy museum visit

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Bethlehem cooking class
• Meet with peace-focused NGO
• Cross West Bank checkpoint on foot

DAY 5

Climb Masada and take a Dead Sea boat cruise

After breakfast, you’ll be whisked away to the ancient fortress of Masada, in southern Israel. Built by Herod I, it sits on an isolated rock plateau overlooking the Dead Sea. You’ll have the option to hike to the top via the popular Snake Path trail. From here, enjoy a private boat ride on the Dead Sea. If time permits, take a tour of a kibbutz and visit a goat or date farm. Tonight, you’ll sleep in a lush desert oasis in the Kana`im Valley.

ACCOMMODATION

• Kfar Hanokdim

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Masada visit
• Dead Sea private boat cruise
• Bedouin dinner

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Hike up Masada
• Local kibbutz tour
• Goat or date farm visit

DAY 6

Discover Tel Aviv by bicycle – from food to tech startups

Ready to swap dunes for the glassy tower blocks of Tel Aviv? Today, you’ll visit the Yitzhak Rabin Center, a library and museum built in memory of the assassinated prime minister. Learn about Rabin’s life, peace processes and wars. Next, hop on a bike for a two-wheel foodie tour of the vibrant Carmel Market, trendy Levinsky Market and the Jaffa Flea Market passing historical sights (such as Independence Hall) as you pedal. You can also visit the Center for Israeli Innovation, and discover more about Israeli tech startups. Digest the week over a farewell dinner with new friends.

ACCOMMODATION

• Center Chic

ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

• Yitzhak Rabin Center visit
• Tel Aviv bicycle tour
• Independence Hall and Jaffa visit
• Farewell dinner

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

• South Tel Aviv refugee encounter
• Center for Israeli Innovation visit

DAY 7

Depart from Tel Aviv

After a lazy breakfast, it’s time to wave goodbye to the group and make your way to the airport by 8am. Alternatively, stay on and extend your trip in Israel. There’s always the south to discover next.