11 Day Israel - Off the Beaten Track-Challenge yourself as you Hike, Bike, Rappel and Explore | Tours to Israel
 Tuesday. Depart USA to Israel, arriving in Tel Aviv the next day. Your international flight will include meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment for your journey. FLIGHT
Wednesday. Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport. Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities. Depart for Northern Israel. Introduction and hike down the Arbel Cliff to the Sea of Galilee. Drive to the Upper Galilee. Check into the guesthouse on Kibbutz Hagoshrim. Opening dinner at the guesthouse, followed by orientation. (D) GALILEE
Thursday. Breakfast at the kibbutz guesthouse. Hike through the Yehudiya Canyon, one of the most challenging hikes on the Golan. This includes one 10 meter drop (with ladder) and two shorter drops, all into pools. Explore Israel's security situation in the Golan Heights, while overlooking the Hula Valley from former Syrian fortifications. Cross the Golan Plateau to the border with Syria and observe the abandoned city of Kuneitra and the United Nations outpost located nearby. Return to the guesthouse. Dinner at the guesthouse. (B, D) GALILEE
Friday. Breakfast at the kibbutz hotel. Ascend to the Zur Ridge for rappelling at the Keshet Cave. Explore Safed, a center of Jewish mysticism for hundreds of years, and a contemporary artist colony. Hike from Safed through Nahal Amud. The highest of the flowing wadies in Israel, Nahal Amud meanders through the hills of the Upper Galilee with its 26 flourmills that once served the residents of Safed and the villages nearby. Take the opportunity to wander through its pools and rest in the orchards. Return to Kibbutz Hagoshrim. Optional Kabbalat Shabbat services. Festive Shabbat dinner at the guesthouse. Celebrate Shabbat with kibbutz members. (B, D) GALILEE
Saturday. Breakfast at the hotel. Early departure for the Western Galilee. Hike through Nahal Kziv along the river bed of one of the loveliest rivers in the Galilee. Walk along a path which will take you through forests and flowing water, wading pools and hidden caves. Ascend to the Montfort Crusader Fortress in the middle of the Wadi. Finally descend via cable car at Rosh Hanikra to explore the natural grottos in the cliff. Walk along the sand dunes to Caesarea, one of the Land of Israel's most important cities during the Roman Period. Visit the Herodian Theater and new excavations along the Mediterranean shore, concluding with a visit to the 900-year-old crusader city built on the same site. Drive along the Trans-Israel Highway for an up-close view of the 'Security Barrier' along the seam zone between Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Ascend to Jerusalem. Welcome to Jerusalem. Enter the vibrant and colorful 3,000 year old city of Jerusalem and experience the convergence of the old and the new. Stop at the Haas Promenade to recite the traditional "shehechiyanu" blessing, upon entering Jerusalem. Check into the Jerusalem hotel. Dinner on your own followed by free time. (B) JERUSALEM
Sunday. Breakfast at the hotel. Overview of Jerusalem from atop the Mount of Olives. Hike down the Mount of Olives to the Kidron Valley along the new Jerusalem Trail to the Hinnom Valley, via the Gihon Spring. Enter into the Old City via the Jaffa Gate.
Walking tour through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem for guided visits to some of the sites excavated over the past 30 years. Walk along the rooftops of the Old City for a behind the scenes look at the various communities in Jerusalem and how they live together. Enjoy a guided visit through the 2,000-year old Herodian Mansions in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. Discover with a guided visit to the Davidson Archaeological Park with a special visit to the Davidson Center to view the new three-dimensional computer generated presentation of "Life During the Time of the Temple," followed by a guided visit to the Southern Wall Excavations. The Kotel (Western Wall).
Visit the Western Wall Tunnel, the underground continuation of the Western Wall along the Temple Mount. Conclude the day with a walk along the Ramparts of the Old City. (B) JERUSALEM
Monday. Breakfast at the hotel. Guided visit through the newly renovated Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, which includes: The Avenue of the Righteous, the new Historical Museum, the Children's Memorial, the Valley of the Communities, and a concluding memorial service. Mifgash - Afternoon mountain bike ride through the Judean Hills with participants of the Israel Reform Movement, 'Ride for Reform.' Return to Jerusalem. Dinner on your own followed by free time in Jerusalem. (B) JERUSALEM
Tuesday. Breakfast at the hotel. Hike through Nahal Katlav. One of the most exciting hikes in the Jerusalem hills, Nahal Katlav works its way down a mountain from the Bargiora Ridge to the Sorek Wadi. Enjoy the beautiful and challenging walk through trees, reeds, archaeological ruins and nature's gifts. Israel Outdoor Team Challenge in the Jerusalem Forest. BBQ Dinner in the Jerusalem Forest. Return to the hotel. (B, D) JERUSALEM
Wednesday. Breakfast at the inn. Early departure for the Judean Desert. Drive to the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. Full-day desert wilderness program on the Zafit Trail in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. Drive to Kibbutz Ein Gedi and check into the guesthouse. Dinner at the guesthouse. (B) EIN GEDI
Thursday. Early breakfast at the guesthouse. Ascend Masada via the Runners Trail, which is the most difficult and complex route to the top of the mountain. Guided visit on Masada, Herod's mountain palace and site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman Legionnaires. Discuss Masada's role as a symbol of Jewish defense and its current significance in modern Israel. Bathe in the relaxing and healthy sulfur springs at the Ein Gedi Spa and float in the Dead Sea. Drive to Tel Aviv. Concluding program at Independence Hall, site of David Ben Gurion's monumental proclamation of the State of Israel in May 1948. Check in to the Dan Panorama Hotel, Tel Aviv. Free time to enjoy Tel Aviv. Festive farewell dinner. (B, D) TEL AVIV
Friday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out of the hotel.
Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport.
Departure flight to the USA, arriving the same day.
Your international flight will include meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment for your journey. (B) FLIGHT
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