| | Tour Highlights | Trip Includes
- Flights to and from Tel Aviv as listed in the air section of this program (Taxes and fuel charges are not included).
- 8 nights accommodation + late check out using selected hotels:
- 2 nights Tel Aviv
- 2 nights Upper Galilee
- 4 nights Jerusalem and late check out
- Arrival & departure transfers (one per group)
- 14 meals: 8 Israeli buffet breakfasts, 1 lunch and 5 dinners
- 7 days of touring in a private motor coach featuring large panoramic windows, reclining seats and foot rests
- Friendly and professional English-speaking tour educator-guide in Israel
- All program and entrance fees
- Restaurant tipping in hotels included
- All hotel and airport portage included
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| DAY ONE: Sunday, April 14, 2013
DEPARTURE
- Depart Los Angeles International Airport onboard El Al Airlines flight #6 at 1:15pm.
Overnight: Flight
DAY TWO: Monday, April 15, 2013 (Yom Hatzma'aut)
ARRIVAL
- Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport at 1:45pm.
- Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities.
- Enter the city of Tel Aviv, known as the “city that never sleeps” with its centers of culture and recreation and national history such as the Habima Theater, sprawling beaches, Dizengoff Street and Rabin Square.
- Check into the hotel.
- Welcome dinner and orientation to the program.
Overnight: Tel Aviv
DAY THREE: Tuesday, April 16, 2013
TEL AVIV: THE FIRST HEBREW CITY- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Visit to Independence Hall, site of David Ben Gurion's monumental proclamation of the State of Israel in May 1948.
- Guided walk through Tel Aviv's magnificent Bauhaus architectural area, known as the ‘White City' and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site
- Lunch on your own en route.
- Walk through the museum at the new Rabin Center, dedicated to the history of society and democracy in Israel, with the life of Yitzhak Rabin serving as a connecting thread between the various sections of the exhibition, both chronologically and substantively; OR follow the story of Israel's pre-state elite fighting force, the Palmach, while walking through a state of the art multimedia experience that allows a glimpse into the lives of extraordinary people at Beit Hapalmach (subject to confirmation).
- Visit the Old City of Jaffa and ascend from the ancient port through the renovated alleyways to the Jaffa Overlook for an introduction to Tel Aviv at the place where it all began.
- Dinner on own.
- Optional visit to the Nalaga'at Theater to view a production of Lo AL HaLechem Levado - Not by Bread Alone, performed by a deaf/blind theater group (cost not included).
Overnight: Tel Aviv
DAY FOUR: Wednesday, April 17, 2013
ALONG THE COAST- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Check out of the hotel and drive along the coastal plain 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.
- Lunch on your own en route.
- Visit Given Imaging, an Israeli company developing micro-medical testing and imaging devices, including a camera in a pill that can be swallowed, which directly affect and improve diagnosis and treatment of diseases all over the world.
- Visit the Hula Nature Reserve and the Ophoria Interactive Experience as you walk along the raised deck and walkway through the swampland for beautiful views of the fauna and flora, connecting birds, water and the Zionist endeavor.
- Check into the hotel.
- Dinner at the hotel.
- Kibbutz Ideology and Israeli Reality in the 21st Century: Meet with second-generation kibbutz member.
Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee
DAY FIVE: Thursday, April 18, 2013
NATURE AND SECURITY- Breakfast at the kibbutz hotel.
- 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.
- Ascend Mt. Bental, overlooking the abandoned Syrian town of Kuneitra, for a first hand view of Israel's security position along the Syrian Border, including a visit to a former Syrian bunker and an optional visit to the Koffee Anan Coffee Shop.
- Wine Tasting at a local Boutique Winery.
- 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 dialogue with an Artist inspired by Kabbalistic messages.
- A stroll through the quaint Art Galleries and shop in the artists' colony.
- Return to the kibbutz.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Kibbutz Hotel, Upper Galilee
DAY SIX: Friday April 19, 2013
POETS, PLANTERS AND PROTECTERS- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Check out of the hotel and depart the Upper Galilee, driving south via Tiberias, both an ancient and modern city located on the shores of the Kinneret, one of Israel's four holy Jewish cities, where the Talmud was codified and where Maimonedes is buried.
- Visit the Kinneret Cemetery and hear about the dreams of the early Zionist pioneers.
- Visit the Beit Shean National Park, one of Israel's largest archaeological sites with its biblical period archaeological mound and on-going excavations exposing the vast Roman-Byzantine City.
- 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.
- Kabbalat Shabbat Service at Kehillat Yozma in Modi'in led by Rabbi Kinneret Shirion and Rabbi Nir Barkin.
- Home Hospitality Shabbat Dinner/Communal Shabbat Dinner with local congregants OR Festive Shabbat Dinner at the hotel.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY SEVEN: Saturday, April 20, 2013
SHABBAT IN JERUSALEM- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Optional Shabbat Services.
- Free Shabbat in Jerusalem for an opportunity to visit (on own):
- The Old City Ramparts for a walk along the ancient walls of the city.
- The Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem, for a walk through the city's history from the time of Abraham to the end of the British Mandate over Palestine.
- The renewed Israel Museum, one of the most creative and innovative museums in the world, concluding with a visit to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Shrine of the Book and the Second Temple Period Model of Jerusalem.
- Ben Kodesh Lechol: Havdallah overlooking the Old City
- Stroll along the Ben Yehuda and Nachalat Shiva Pedestrian Malls, joining the many Israelis out on the town, with dinner on own.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY EIGHT: Sunday, April 21, 2013
THE LAYERS OF JERUSALEM- 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:
- Walk along the rooftops of the Old City to see how the different communities live side by side
- The Cardo, a Byzantine street that is now the world's oldest shopping arcade
- The Hurva Square, the central square of the Jewish Quarter.
- Lunch on own in the Jewish Quarter and continue with visits to:
- The Jerusalem Archaeological Park, including a visit to the Davidson Center and the Southern Wall Excavations.
- The Kotel (Western Wall)
- Visit the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other Christian sites.
- Dinner on own.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY NINE: Monday, April 22, 2013
MEMORY & RENEWAL- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Guided visit through the 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 Children's Memorial
- Memorial service
- Ethnic, cultural and tasting journey through the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem's Machaneh Yehudah open air market; enjoy the sites, smells, and tastes as well as the stories and personal interactions with shopkeepers who add so much to this colorful experience and lunch on own.
- Take part in a VIP tour of the Knesset and meet with a member of Knesset to discuss current political agendas (pending confirmation).
- Free time for dinner on the Mamilla Pedestrian Arcade, a new and contemporary shopping area, located outside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City.
- The Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum - The walls of the Citadel serve as a stage for a night-time show which is a celebration of sight and sound, depicting the story of Jerusalem.
Overnight: Jerusalem
DAY TEN: Tuesday, April 23, 2013
INTO THE DESERT, MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Descend to the Dead Sea Basin and ascend the cable car to Masada, Herod's mountain palace and site of the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman Legionnaire; discuss Masada's role as a symbol of Jewish defence and its current significance in modern Israel.
- Light lunch at Masada.
- Bathe in the relaxing and healthy sulfur springs at the Mineral Beach and float in the Dead Sea.
- Return to Jerusalem via Qumran, the area where the Dead Sea Sect established a community, and the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
- Time to relax and pack.
- Late check out from the hotel and proceed to the festive farewell dinner at the Little Jerusalem Restaurant in the quaint Anna Ticho House.
- Transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport.
Overnight: Flight
DAY ELEVEN: Wednesday, April 24, 2013
DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL- Depart onboard El Al Airways flight #5 at 1:10am.
- Arrive at Los Angeles International Airport at 6:35am.
| | | Need to Know | Group rates are per person based on double occupancy and a minimum of 25 full paying participants per bus. Should the number of participants drop below the minimum listed above, we will adjust the cost of the trip to reflect the additional expense of operating the program. 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 tour guide/educator are included. Airport Taxes & Fuel Surcharges are estimated and subject to change at any time.
Airport Taxes & Fuel Surcharges are not guaranteed unless the group air tickets have been issued. Group air tickets are issued approximately 35 days prior to departure. Group air tickets are only issued upon receipt of full payment from all of the trip participants. Air and land packages are open for registration until Jan 01, 2013 (based on availability), thereafter the tour will be available for land-only services. Cancellation of group air reservations after Jan 01, 2013 (and before the group flight tickets are issued) will entail a penalty of $100 per ticket. 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 Director / Tour Educator or Guide: All trips are conducted by our tour educators or local guides who remain with the group throughout the tour. Gratuities Included: All gratuities for restaurant staff are included. Baggage: All tour packages / group tours 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 the insurance company. With regard to airline baggage allowance, different carriers have different regulations for business and coach, please check with your individual carrier with regard to permitted number of pieces, weights and dimensions. The tour operator is not responsible for fees levied by any air carrier for the transport of personal belongings of any kind.
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:
In keeping with normal standards in international tourism, we recommend the following for tipping: 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. Air Services: Once issued, tickets are non-refundable. Airline schedules and flights are subject to change without notice. We will not be responsible for penalties incurred for tickets, international or domestic, not issued by us due to schedule and/or flight changes. Airlines reserve the right to demand immediate issuance of tickets whenever they determine that specific flights are heavily booked even when normal ticketing rules do not require tickets to be issued until a later date. In this instance, we will require immediate and full payment of the airfare and airport taxes and fees as itemized on the invoice. This situation overrides invoice terms and conditions and payment due dates. If full payment is not received, seats will be cancelled by the airline and may not be available to be rebooked on the same flights or at the same airfare. Any replacement air arrangements and airfare will be the sole responsibility of the passenger. We suggest you contact your travel agent or the carrier several weeks prior to departure for seat assignments. Passengers are responsible to reconfirm their flights 72 hours prior to departure for all flights. Package is based on discount fares for group travel. Group members deviating from group dates will be charged a $75 deviation fee per person. 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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| | | | Three simple ways to book ARZA World tours!
1. ARZA World customer service center is open Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 5:30 pm EST. Call 888.811.2812.
2. Booking with us is easy! Register online by simply finding the right program for you and clicking 'Register now.'
3. We are proud to work with the Travel Agent community. Simply contact your favored travel agent and ask them to handle your booking; restrictions apply.
Important to Know - Land-only price does not include arrival/departure transfers unless otherwise indicated.
- By paying a deposit upon registration, you are agreeing to ARZA World terms.
- We highly recommend carefully reviewing those terms for full details about conditions and penalties.
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