11 Day - Super Saver Israel Tour - Winter Vacation 2008 (ag) | Tours to Israel
Thursday. Depart the USA to Israel on borad Israir flight #102 depart JFK at 1:30PM arriving in Tel Aviv at 7:15am the next day. Your flight includes meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment for your journey.
Friday. Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport.
Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities.
Welcome to Jerusalem - Enter the vibrant and colourful 3,000 year old city of Jerusalem and experience the convergence of the old and the new.
Stop at the Western Wall to say the traditional "shehechiyanu" blessing, recited upon entering Jerusalem.
Kabbalat Shabbat services at a local Reform synagogue at the Kotel.7:00 p.m. Shabbat dinner at hotel, in a private section of the main dining room. (D) JERUSALEM
Saturday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Optional Shabbat Services.
Shabbat Lunch on own.
Ramparts walk along the walls of the Old City.
Guided visit to the Museum of the History of Jerusalem at David Citadel, for a walk through the history of Jerusalem from the time of Abraham 4,000 years ago to the end of the British Mandate over Palestine.
Ben Kodesh Lechol Havdallah overlooking the Old City.
Dinner at the hotel.
Free Evening in Jerusalem on Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall or on Emek Refaim Street in the German Colony. (B,D) JERUSALEM
Sunday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Depart Jerusalem.
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 en route.
Return to Jerusalem.
Visit the graves of Theodor Herzl and Yitzhak Rabin at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem, followed by a visit to the I.D.F military cemetery.
Guided visit through the newly renovated Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, including:
The Avenue of the Righteous
The new Historical Museum
The Childrens Memorial
A concluding Memorial Service
Dinner at the hotel. (B,D) JERUSALEM
Monday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Descend to the Dead Sea Basin.
Ascend the cable car or walk up the snake path 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.
Bathe in the relaxing and healthy sulphur springs at the Mineral Beach and float in the Dead Sea.
Short hike to Nahal David the freshwater spring at the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, a lush oasis in the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea.
Return to Jerusalem.
Dinner at the hotel. (B,D) JERUSALEM
Tuesday. Breakfast at the hotel.
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, including:
The Cardo, a Byzantine street that is now the oldest shopping arcade in the world.
The Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish Quarter.
Guided visit through the 2,000-year old Herodian Mansions in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City.
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.
Dinner at the hotel, followed by evening at leisure. (B,D) JERUSALEM
Wednesday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out of the hotel and depart Jerusalem.
Visit the Beit Shean National Park, one of the largest archaeological sites in Israel with its Biblical Tel and ongoing excavations exposing the vast Roman-Byzantine City.
Swim in the warm waters and natural springs at the Gan Hashlosha Nature Reserve (Sachne) situated at the foot of Mt. Gilboa.
Lunch on own, en route.
Visit the Kinneret Cemetery and delve into the dreams and hopes of early Zionist pioneers and contemporary Israelis while visiting the graves of poets Rachel and Naomi Shemer.
Visit the Hula Nature Reserve and the Ophoria Interactive Experience, connecting birds, water and the Zionist endeavor.
Check into the Kibbutz Guesthouse.
Dinner at the Kibbutz Guesthouse.
Evening at leisure. (B,D) GALILEE
Thursday. Breakfast at the Kibbutz Guesthouse.
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.
Explore Israel's security situation on 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.
Walk through the Tel Dan Nature Reserve located on the largest tributary of the Jordan River and the Biblical settlement of Dan.
Visit the Kesem Hagolan - Golan Magic - interactive map and multi-sensory experience in Katzrin, the 'Capitol of the Golan'.
Lunch on your own in Katzrin.
LaDa'at Families in Safed - Using stories and synagogues, mystics and alleyways, take part in a family exploration of Safed, where yesterday becomes tomorrow and the treasure's never too far away.
Visit the Safed Candle Factory.
Return to the Kibbutz for dinner. (B,D) GALILEE
Friday. Breakfast at the Kibbutz Guesthouse.
Check out of the Guesthouse.
Stop on top of Mount Carmel for a scenic overlook of Haifa Bay.
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 the new interactive audio-visual program 'The Stars of Caesarea,' located in the 900-year-old crusader city built on the same site.
Drive along the Trans-Israel Highway for a close up view of the 'Security Barrier' along the seamzone between Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Drive through Tel Aviv, known as the "city that never sleeps" and pass by centers of culture and recreation such as the Habima Theater, sprawling beaches, Dizengoff Street and Rabin Square.
Check into the hotel.
Optional Kabbalat Shabbat at Kehillat Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv led by Rabbi Meir Azari.
Shabbat dinner at the hotel, in a private section of the main dining room. (B,D) TEL AVIV
Saturday. Breakfast at the hotel.
Free morning.
Afternoon walking tour of Tel Aviv.
Ben Kodesh Lechol Havdallah.
Farewell dinner at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport. (B) FLIGHT
Sunday. Depart on board Israir flight # 101 at 12:20AM arriving JFK airport at 5:35AM. Your flight includes meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment for your journey.
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