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Get familiar
with Israel. From Tel
Aviv to Haifa, Jerusalem to Eilat, you'll experience history,
culture, tradition and modernity on your trip. Walk the streets of today's
cities and the ancient pathways of the past. See the changing geography and
topography of Israel - a small country that's big
on what to see and do.
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Tour Highlights
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Trip Includes
- 11 nights
accommodation in selected hotels
- 1 night Tel
Aviv
- 2 nights
Galilee
- 1 night
Haifa
- 4 nights
Jerusalem
- 2 nights Eilat
- 1 night Tel Aviv
- Breakfast daily and 5
dinners
- Sightseeing per itinerary in
a modern air-conditioned motor coach with panoramic windows, reclining seats
and footrests
- Services of a friendly and
professional English-speaking Expedition Educator throughout
the trip
- Entrance fees per
itinerary
- All hotel and airport portage and
tipping included
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DAY ONE:
Sunday
DEPARTURE
Overnight: Flight
DAY TWO: Monday
ARRIVAL IN
ISRAEL
- Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport.
- Welcome by our representative and assistance with
arrival formalities.
- Transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv,
known as the “city that never sleeps.”
- Check into your hotel.
- 6:30-6:45 p.m. - Pick up from your hotel for
orientation and dinner in Tel Aviv with your tour educator.
- Welcome to Tel Aviv Visit the Jaffa
Overlook for an introduction to Tel Aviv at the place where it all
began.
- Enjoy a Middle-Eastern style dinner, with a Yemenite
touch, at Maganda with a varied selection of salads and
grilled meats, located in the Yemenite Quarter of Tel
Aviv.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
DAY THREE: Tuesday
ALONG THE
COAST
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Check out and depart your hotel.
- Begin the trip with an introduction and special visit
to Independence Hall, site of David Ben Gurion's monumental
proclamation of the State of Israel in December 1948.
- Stroll down Rothschild Boulevard, Tel
Aviv's magnificent Bauhaus architectural area, known as the
‘White City' and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Visit the Nachalat Binyamin
pedestrian mall, with its restored buildings and sidewalk artists, and
continue onto the colorful Carmel Market and then to Shenkin, one of Israel's
most avant-garde streets.
- Lunch on your own.
- Depart Tel Aviv.
- Guided visit 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.
- Walk through the 2,000 year old underground water
tunnels at Park Alona, which once brought water to Caesarea
(weather permitting, water shoes recommended) or special
visit to the Tavor Marzipan Factory and Museum in Kfar
Tavor.
- Check into your kibbutz guesthouse.
- Dinner at the guesthouse.
Overnight: Kibbutz Guesthouse, Upper
Galilee
DAY FOUR: Wednesday,
NATURE AND
SECURITY
- Breakfast at your kibbutz guesthouse.
- Walk through the Tel Dan Nature
Reserve located on the largest tributary of the Jordan River and near
the Biblical settlement of Dan.
- Take a Jeep tour climbing to the
Golan Heights in the footsteps of IDF soldiers and their
battles in the Six Day War, to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery and gain an
insight into the strategic complexity of the Golan, followed by a tour of the
Golan Heights.
- Cross the Golan Plateau to the border
with Syria and observe the abandoned city of Kuneitra and the United Nations
outpost located nearby.
- Lunch on your own.
Enjoy Rafting
or Kayaking on the Jordan River (weather permitting, water
shoes recommended) or visit the Hula Nature Reserve and the
Ophoria Interactive Experience, connecting birds, water and the Zionist
endeavor.
- Da'at Encounter
Dialogue with a kibbutz member.
- Return to your kibbutz for dinner at the
guesthouse.
Overnight: Kibbutz Guesthouse, Upper
Galilee
DAY FIVE: Thursday
THE GALILEE AND
THE CARMEL
- Breakfast at your kibbutz guesthouse.
- Check out and depart the kibbutz.
- Explore Safed, a center of Jewish
mysticism for hundreds of years, and a contemporary artists' colony,
including:
- Guided visits to the Ari,
Caro or Abuhav Synagogues with their great
stories and mystical messages.
- A stroll through the quaint Art Galleries and shop
in the artists' colony.
- Drive north to Rosh Hanikra, a rock
formation at the very northern tip of Israel. Rosh Hanikra was created when
the strong Mediterranean waters carved subterranean tunnels out of the soft
limestone rock, creating beautiful caves and formations.
- Lunch on your own.
- Visit Acre (Akko), a UNESCO Heritage
Site, and a multi-layered experience from the days of the Crusades through
contemporary Israel, including guided visits to:
- The newly renovated Crusaders' City.
- The Jezzar Pasha Mosque, one of the
most important mosques to Israel's Muslim community.
- The Ottoman Fortifications around the
city.
- Continue to Haifa.
- Check into your hotel.
- Da'at Encounter Visit a
Druse village in the Carmel Mountains for a window into the
unique world of the Israeli Druse community, with Home
Hospitality Dinner.
Overnight:
Haifa
DAY SIX: Friday
THE LAYERS OF
JERUSALEM
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Check out and depart the hotel.
- Stop on top of Mount Carmel for a scenic overlook of
Haifa Bay; view the Bahai Gardens and
Shrine, one of the holiest sites of the Bahai religion.
- Drive to Jerusalem via the Trans-Israel Highway for a
close up view of the ‘Security Barrier' along the seam zone
between Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
- Stop at Mount Scopus to say the
traditional “shehechiyanu” blessing, recited upon entering
Jerusalem, followed by an introduction to the city.
- Guided visit through the City of
David's new excavations, which have redefined the origins of
Jerusalem; and possibly wade through the 2,600-year-old Hezekiah's
Water Tunnel in the Kidron Valley. (Water shoes recommended.)
- Experience the sites, smells, and tastes of Jerusalem
while walking through the Machaneh Yehuda Market, with lunch
on your own.
- Check into your hotel.
- Da'at
Encounter Optional Kabbalat
Shabbat services at local synagogues in Jerusalem, and a possible
dialogue with the Israeli members of the congregation.
- Festive Shabbat Dinner
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY
SEVEN: Saturday
SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM
- Breakfast at your
hotel.
- Optional Shabbat
services.
- Lunch on your own.
- Afternoon at leisure.
- Enjoy dinner on your own in
Jerusalem, at a choice of a wide array of
restaurants.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY EIGHT: Sunday
HEAVENLY AND
EARTHLY JERUSALEM
- 6:00 a.m. Da'at Fitness Walkabout Jerusalem - Integrate Wellness and
fitness into your trip experience, enjoy a power walk through the streets of
Jerusalem with your Athletic trainer.
- Early breakfast at your hotel.
- Depart the hotel.
- Guided visit through the newly renovated Yad
Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jews
who perished in the Holocaust, including: the new Historical Museum, the
Children's Memorial, and a memorial service.
- Lunch on your own.
- Depart for the Old City.
- Visit the Old City of Jerusalem for a
guided visit through the 3,000 years of Jewish life, including the Kotel
(Western Wall).
- Visit the Western Wall Tunnel, the
underground continuation of the Western Wall alongside the Temple Mount.
- Da'at
Encounter Israeli Society @ 2011 Dialogue with a
scholar.
- Enjoy dinner at Olive & Fish, a
meat and fish restaurant, located across from the Liberty Bell
Gardens.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY NINE: Monday
JEWISH STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL
- Early breakfast at your
hotel.
- Descend to the Dead
Sea Basin.
- Camel Ride
through the desert in Biblical style.
- Ascend the cable car to
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 defence and its current significance in modern Israel.
- Lunch on your own.
- Experience the
weightlessness of the Dead Sea as you float in its
waters.
- Return to Jerusalem.
- Enjoy dinner on your own in
Jerusalem, at a choice of a wide array of
restaurants.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY TEN: Tuesday
DIGGING FOR
ROOTS
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Depart the hotel.
- Take part in an active dig at the Beit
Guvrin Caves and prepare to get your hands dirty as you uncover
pottery from the Hellenistic period, 2,300 years ago, followed by a crawl
through the Maresha Cave Labyrinth.
- Lunch on your own.
- Visit the Ayalon Institute, near
Rehovot, for an eye opening tour of a clandestine munitions factory used
during the British Mandate.
- Da'at Encounter Zedek Project Visit the
home and meet the children of “Save A Child's Heart” - an Israeli-based international humanitarian project
providing life-saving heart surgeries and follow-up care for children from
around the world. (Gifts of art supplies and small treats are always
appreciated.)
- Transfer to the Domestic Airport.
- Depart on a domestic flight to Eilat. (Commuter plane)
- Arrive in Eilat and transfer to your hotel.
- Check into the hotel.
- Enjoy free evening on your own in
Eilat.
Overnight: Eilat
DAY
ELEVEN: Wednesday
THE WONDERS OF THE RED SEA
- Breakfast at your
hotel.
- Day at leisure in Eilat with
the following possible activities:
- Guided tour of the
1,800-year-old Nabatean city of Petra, recognized as one of
the Ten Wonders of the World, including lunch. (Advance purchase
required.)
- Visit the Eilat
Underwater Observatory on your own and experience the wonders
and mysteries of the world beneath the Red Sea.
- ‘Fun'n the
sun' with optional water sports, swimming with the dolphins, Red Sea
cruise or rest and relaxation.
- Dinner on your own and
evening at leisure.
Overnight: Eilat
DAY TWELVE: Thursday
EILAT TO TEL
AVIV
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Morning at leisure in Eilat.
- Check out of the hotel.
- Transfer from your hotel to the Eilat
Airport.
- Check in for the domestic flight to Tel Aviv.
- Fly from Eilat to Tel Aviv.
- Arrive at the domestic airport and transfer to your
hotel in Tel Aviv.
- Check into the hotel.
- Free evening and dinner on your own in Tel
Aviv.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
DAY THIRTEEN: Friday
RETURN TO THE
U.S.A.
- Breakfast at your hotel.
- Check out of the hotel.
- Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport for your
departure flight (arrival on the same day).
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Need to Know
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- Tour prices are per person in U.S.
dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, special
dinners, sightseeing, admissions, luggage handling and the services of local
guides, drivers, and the Expedition Educator are included.
- Hotel Accommodations: The
tour price includes all hotel accommodations, in hotel rooms with private
baths. Our standard is to provide the best available hotels while considering
value. Although the level of the accommodations may differ slightly from hotel
to hotel, we are committed to your comfort. Two-bed rooms are reserved in most
hotels. Triples are two-bed rooms with a rollaway cot where available and are
not recommended when considering the comfort of those in the room. King-size
beds are not available in most hotels; what is considered king-size usually
consists of two single beds pushed together and made up separately, but with
one headboard. Some two-bed rooms may have two twin - not full- or queen-size
- beds.
- Meals are included as
specified in the itinerary.
- Expedition Educator: All
trips are conducted by our Expedition Educators or local guides who remain
with the group throughout the tour.
- Gratuities Included: All
gratuities for restaurant and hotel staff.
- Luggage Responsibility: All tour
packages allow one piece of luggage per person and one carry-on bag. Excess
luggage will be subject to charge of up to $100 per piece. The Travel Agent
and/or Tour Operator shall not be held responsible for any damage to or loss
of luggage/personal items. All damage/loss must be reported at time of
incident and documented in writing by local authorities for submission to your
insurance company.
Not Included
- Airfare to the tour
departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be
purchased from us for travel originating in the United States. Please see
Flights tab in the right-side toolbar.
- Personal Expenses: All
personal expenses such as: laundry, valet service, cables, telephone calls and
postage are not included.
- Guide and Driver
Gratuities:
- 4 seater -
$70 (i.e. 2 pax) - per day
- 7 seater - $90
(i.e. 3-5 pax) - per day
- 10 seater - $110
(i.e. 5-7 pax) - per day
- 10-19
passengers: Guide $10, driver $5 - per participant per day
- 20 passengers
and more: Guide $8, driver $4 - per participant per
day
Additional Information
- Airline Security Measures:
In the U.S., you must provide identification in the form of a passport at the
time of airport check-in for travel to international destinations. Your
passport name must match the name on your tour reservation and airline ticket
or you may be denied boarding.
- If you are traveling from an
airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S, you will need to determine what
travel documentation and identification is required for that particular
airport.
- Due to heightened security
regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette
lighter or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, or aerosol items may not be
permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to
departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and
recommended airport check-in times. You may also wish to visit the
Transportation Security Administration website at www.tsa.gov to obtain more
information on acceptable identity documentation and prohibited luggage
items.
- Holidays and Museum Closures
- Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen
circumstances or the many religious, state and local holidays locally observed
in the destinations being visited.
- Photography During Tours: We will
occasionally use photographs taken by fellow guests or your trip director for
promotional purposes. If you prefer that your photo not be used in any
marketing activities, please notify us at the start of your
tour.
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View Map
Accommodations
- 13 Day - Bronze
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Day 2: Prima Tel Aviv Hotel
Tel Aviv
The Prima Hotel is only a few minutes away from Tel Aviv beach, night clubs,
the famous Tel Aviv boardwalk, historical sites and the old city of
Jaffa.
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Day 3 - 4: Hagoshrim Kibbutz Hotel
Kibbutz Hagoshrim
The Hagoshrim Kibbutz Hotel is situated in the
center of the Galilee, with views of Mount
Hermon. Located in a pastoral landscape, it
offers comfortable accommodations and facilities as well as an array of nearby
activities.
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Day 5: Dan Panorama
Haifa
Haifa's Dan Panorama Hotel rises twenty-one stories
high above Mount Carmel Bay and Israel's
beautiful Mediterranean coastline, and is a
short walk from the nearby entertainment venues and sightseeing areas.
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Day 6 - 9: Prima Royale Hotel
Jerusalem
The Prima Royale Hotel is centrally located in
Jerusalem's Talbieh district and within walking
distance to all the tourist attractions of the
ancient and modern city.
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Day 10 - 11: Dan Panorama
Eilat
Eilat's Dan Panorama Hotel overlooks the city's lovely lagoon, and is just
a few minutes walk from the beach and the clear waters of the Red Sea. It is
ideally located for a vacation that blends sun and fun with Eilat's spectacular
natural attractions.
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Day 10 - 11: Hilton Queen of Sheba
Eilat
The Hilton Eilat Queen of Sheba hotel is in the middle of it all, with a
seafront pool, spa and adjoining shopping mall. Just a five-minute drive from
Eilat Airport and a two-minute walk to the beach, prepare to unwind at the Queen
of Sheba.
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Day 12: Prima Tel Aviv Hotel
Tel Aviv
The Prima Hotel is only a few minutes away from Tel Aviv beach, night clubs,
the famous Tel Aviv boardwalk, historical sites and the old city of
Jaffa.
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- 13 Day - Silver
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Day 2: Dan Panorama
Tel Aviv
Ideally located on Tel Aviv's lively
seafront, the Tel Aviv Dan Panorama has a pool and the
sandy beaches of the Mediterranean are
just across the road.
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Day 3 - 4: Hagoshrim Kibbutz Hotel
Kibbutz Hagoshrim
The Hagoshrim Kibbutz Hotel is situated in the
center of the Galilee, with views of Mount
Hermon. Located in a pastoral landscape, it
offers comfortable accommodations and facilities as well as an array of nearby
activities.
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Day 5: Dan Panorama
Haifa
Haifa's Dan Panorama Hotel rises twenty-one stories
high above Mount Carmel Bay and Israel's
beautiful Mediterranean coastline, and is a
short walk from the nearby entertainment venues and sightseeing areas.
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Day 6 - 9: Dan Panorama
Jerusalem
The Jerusalem Dan Panorama is centrally located in the city, within easy
reach of modern Jerusalem's lively downtown, theaters, shopping and
eateries, while still within walking distance of the Old City and other historic
sites.
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Day 10 - 11: Dan Panorama
Eilat
Eilat's Dan Panorama Hotel overlooks the city's lovely lagoon, and is just
a few minutes walk from the beach and the clear waters of the Red Sea. It is
ideally located for a vacation that blends sun and fun with Eilat's spectacular
natural attractions.
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Day 12: Dan Panorama
Tel Aviv
Ideally located on Tel Aviv's lively
seafront, the Tel Aviv Dan Panorama has a pool and the
sandy beaches of the Mediterranean are
just across the road.
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- 13 Day - Gold
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Day 2: Carlton
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv's Carlton Hotel is for tourists who want to fully experience the
dynamic city of Tel Aviv. Centrally located in the heart of the city, and a
short walk from the city's expansive Mediterranean beaches, many of its
guestrooms offer a gorgeous view of the sea.
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Day 3 - 4: Pastoral Guesthouse
Kibbutz Kfar Blum
Kfar Blum's Pastoral Guesthouse is a comfortable, tranquil
hotel located in the Upper
Galilee and close to the sites of Mount Hermon, the Golan Heights, the nature reserves of the
Hula Valley and other
attractions of the north.
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Day 5: Dan Carmel
Haifa
The Dan
Carmel Hotel is perched on Mount Carmel with breathtaking views of Haifa Bay and the Mediterranean coastline. The hotel is situated on Haifa's beautiful
hilltop promenade, just a short walk from the
many entertainment venues of the Carmel
neighborhood.
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Day 6 - 9: Inbal
Jerusalem
The deluxe Inbal Jerusalem Hotel provides its
guests with the most luxurious facilities,
pampering services and discerning cuisine.
Overlooking Jerusalem's Liberty Bell Park, on the corner of King David Street, the Inbal's 283 rooms and suites
are within easy walking distance of the city's
main cultural venues and the Old City.
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Day 6 - 9: Mamilla Hotel
Jerusalem
Located in
the remarkable position in the city centre with breath-taking views of the Old
City walls, and alongside Alrov Mamila Avenue, the hotel brings world-class
lifestyle hospitality. Mamila Hotel offers modern international style with the
unique and vibrant culture of Jerusalem.
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Day 10 - 11: Hilton Queen of Sheba
Eilat
The Hilton Eilat Queen of Sheba hotel is in the middle of it all, with a
seafront pool, spa and adjoining shopping mall. Just a five-minute drive from
Eilat Airport and a two-minute walk to the beach, prepare to unwind at the Queen
of Sheba.
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Day 12: Carlton
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv's Carlton Hotel is for tourists who want to fully experience the
dynamic city of Tel Aviv. Centrally located in the heart of the city, and a
short walk from the city's expansive Mediterranean beaches, many of its
guestrooms offer a gorgeous view of the sea.
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- 13 Day - Platinum
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Day 2: Dan Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
The Dan Tel Aviv on Tel Aviv's lively seafront promenade
offers luxurious accommodations
overlooking the soft sandy beaches of
the Mediterranean and easy access to leisure venues.
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Day 3 - 4: Pastoral Guesthouse
Kibbutz Kfar Blum
Kfar Blum's Pastoral Guesthouse is a comfortable, tranquil
hotel located in the Upper
Galilee and close to the sites of Mount Hermon, the Golan Heights, the nature reserves of the
Hula Valley and other
attractions of the north.
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Day 5: Dan Carmel
Haifa
The Dan
Carmel Hotel is perched on Mount Carmel with breathtaking views of Haifa Bay and the Mediterranean coastline. The hotel is situated on Haifa's beautiful
hilltop promenade, just a short walk from the
many entertainment venues of the Carmel
neighborhood.
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Day 6 - 9: King David Hotel
Jerusalem
The King David Hotel Jerusalem is Israel's majestic
landmark hotel, steeped
in history and the
preferred choice of world leaders and
celebrities alike. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the King David is superbly located, withinwalking distance from the historic sites ofthe Old City, and
modern Jerusalem's lively
center.
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Day 6 - 9: David Citadel
Jerusalem
Located in Western Jerusalem on
the prestigious King David Street, this Jerusalem hotel faces the ancient walls
of the Old City. With modern decor, 384 sumptuous suites and guestrooms with
state of the art communication facilities, fine restaurants and a wide range of
amenities for its discerning guests.
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Day 10 - 11: Dan Eilat
Eilat
The magnificent Dan Eilat is a self-contained
vacation paradise, located on Eilat's striking Red Sea beachfront, with modern
architecture, a fabulous pool complex,
excellent cuisine and the highest standards of
service.
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Day 12: Dan Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
The Dan Tel Aviv on Tel Aviv's lively seafront promenade
offers luxurious accommodations
overlooking the soft sandy beaches of
the Mediterranean and easy access to leisure venues.
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Dates & Prices
Program
The AW Added Value
AW Flights
Reading List
Need to Know
Peace of Mind
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