HOLY LAND TOUR
View All ToursHOLY LAND TOUR: 11 Days
HIGHLIGHTS
- Classic tour highlights, plus….
- Raft on the Jordan River and ride a boat that resembles Jesus’ boat on the Sea of Galilee.
- Get your adrenaline going – drive an ATV on the Golan Heights and hike down from the Arbel Cliffs.
- See World Heritage sites such as the Bahai Gardens in Haifa and the White City in Tel Aviv.
DAY: 1 HOME
Depart the U.S. for Israel.
DAY: 2 JERUSALEM
Arrive in Jerusalem in the morning and meet your guide. Take a bus and walking tour of the holy city. Read passages from the Old and New Testament and Quran and say a special blessing. Enjoy an authentic falafel picnic lunch with a panoramic view of the Dead Sea. Participate in planting a tree in Israel. Experience a welcome ceremony at Mount Scopus. Tour Jerusalem’s Old City.
DAY 3: JERUSALEM
Visit the Temple Mount, the site where the Jewish Temple used to stand 2000 years ago. See the impressive El Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, one of the holiest sites to Muslim believers built about 1400 years ago. Walk the 500 year old ramparts of the Old City Wall. Take a walking tour through the Jewish Quarter. See and touch the ancient stones of the Western Wall. Drive by the Israeli Parliament and visit Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center dedicated to the 6 million Jews who perished in World War II. Experience a Light and Sound show after dinner.
DAY 4: JERUSALEM
Explore a 2700 year old water tunnel built by King Hezekiah. See the Pool of Siloam. Follow an ancient water canal o see the huge stones plundered by the Romans when they destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Tour an authentic farmers’ market and have lunch at Machane Yehuda. Learn the names of different foods and order in Hebrew! Return to the Western Wall to see how the Sabbath is welcomed in prayer, song, and dance. Experience a traditional Sabbath dinner with a host family. Taste the traditional food and sing along with locals.
DAY 5: JERUSALEM/ BETHLEHEM
Using a map, visit the 14 famous stations of the cross. Go through the “Via Dolorosa” and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where it is believed that Jesus was crucified and buried. Explore the Arab Bazaar in small groups. Drive to Bethlehem and tour the Church of the Nativity. Interact with Local Palestinians who live there and make nativity figurines out of old olive wood. Return to Jerusalem for dinner and meet local young people gathered at the Jerusalem Triangle at the end of the Sabbath.
DAY 6: JERUSALEM/ EIN GEDI
Drive to the Dead Sea area and enjoy a beautiful view of the Judean desert. Visit Ein Gedi desert oasis with David’s waterfalls. Cool yourself in the natural pools and under a waterfall. Drive to Masada Fortress. Climb the mountain on foot or by cable car to see the amazing view. Walk through the fortress, learn the story behind the stones and why this particular site is a symbol of Jewish heroism. Head to the shore of the Dead Sea and float in the water or cover yourself with the natural mud! Drive to a Beduin tent. Experience a short camel ride and authentic Beduin dinner and then spen the night in a Beduin tent.
DAY 7: EIN GEDI/ BEIT GUVRIN/ SEA OF GALILEE
Join a “dig for a day” – a real archaeological activity at the Beit Guvrin caves in northern Israel. join an open discussion and lunch with Arab and Jewish youth. Discuss sports, art, and culture. Take an evening boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Enjoy the ride while learning Israeli dances.
DAY 8: SEA OF GALILEE AREA
Drive up to the Golan Heights and take an exciting trip on ATV between apple orchards and raspberry bushes. See an amazing view of Mount Hermon, not far from the border of Syria. Go up to the top of Mt. Bental, once an Israeli army bunker. Learn about the political situation between Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Raft down the beautiful clear water of the Jordan River.
DAY 9: SEA OF GALILEE AREA/ HAIFA
Hike to the op of the Cliffs of Arbel for a breathtaking view. See where Jesus performed some of his most remarkable miracles. Visit a Kibbutz and learn about this way of living. Drive to Mt. Carmel and meet the Druze community. Experience a traditional Druze meal and learn more about their community from the locals. Drive to Haifa along a Panorama Road and visit the Bahai Gardens, the World Center of the Bahai denomination. See the amazing view of Haifa Bay and beyond. Eat a picnic dinner (Al Haesh) around a bonfire with Israeli friends. Participate in a cultural drumming session and workshop.
DAY 10: HAIFA/ TEL AVIV
Visit an Israeli high school and meet Arab and Jewish students. Join a service-learning project such as working with mentally or physically handicapped young people. Continue to Tel Aviv. Visit “Taglit” Innovation Center, where you will get the chance to see all of Israel’s greatest inventions in modern technology in an interactive way! Visit a startup company that develops innovative drones. Free time at Tel Aviv’s beach and last minute shopping time.
DAY 11: TEL AVIV
Experience our unique “Dialogue in the Dark.” Explore the day to day lives of the blind. Visit Old Jaffa. Walk through the ancient streets of Jaffa, check out the small artists’ shops and studios and feel the Middle Eastern Atmosphere. Participate in a scavenger hunt at Rothschild Chic Avenue and learn why Tel Aviv was proclaimed a Unesco World Heritage site and give the title “White City.” Free time at Hacarmel fruit and vegetable market and Nachalat Binyamin artists and artisans market. Farewell dinner in ancient Jaffa. Depart for airport.
STARTING AT: $4099*
*Price estimate based on minimum of 30 paying travelers departing from CLT airport