12 DAY ISRAEL & EGYPT YOUR
Day 1 - Welcome to Egypt
Welcome to Egypt. You will be collected at Cairo International Airport and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight: Cairo
Day 2 - Meet the Pyramids
This morning you will tour several of the most significant sites in and around Cairo. You will see:
- The Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus;
- The Great Sphynx;
- The Step Pyramid of Zoser, the world’s oldest major stone structure;
- Memphis, capital of the Old Kingdom.
Overnight: Cairo
Day 3 - Wonders of Cairo
Day 4 - Welcome to Israel!
This morning you will be transferred to the airport from which you will make the short flight to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to Jerusalem, where we will also take you to a panoramic lookout over the city, before giving you time to settle in.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 5 - The Holy Week
Today you will explore the “Holy Week”. You will start at the Mount of Olives, home to the world’s oldest continually used Jewish cemetery, and some of the most important sites in Christianity. Despairing of the corruption within Jerusalem, Jesus spent much of the final week prior to his Crucifixion on the Mount of Olives, then just outside the city walls.
Touring the mount this morning, you will see:
- The ancient Jewish cemetery, considered the holiest on earth;
- The Chapel of the Ascension, from which Christ ascended to heaven;
- The Dominus Flavit Church from which Jesus wept while foretelling of the temple’s destruction;
- The Church of All Nations;
- The Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was betrayed and arrested; and
- The Tomb of the Virgin Mary.
In the afternoon you will enter the walls of the Old City, where you will trace the path of the Way of the Suffering, and will visit:
- The Anatolian Fortress where Pilate tried Jesus;
- The Stations of the Cross;
- The Church of the Holy Sepulcher where most denominations believe that Jesus was crucified, buried, and from which He arose.
This evening the Israel museum is open late. We suggest visiting to see the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 6 - Bringing the Bible to life
This morning you will return to the Old City of Jerusalem where you will see:
-
- The room of the Last Supper;
- King David’s tomb;
- The excavations of the broadwall of King Hezekiah referred to in Isaiah 22:9–10;
- The Roman Cardo market and excavations adjacent to it
- The Western (wailing) Wall;
- The Temple Mount.
In the afternoon you will continue to the City of David to see what many archaeologists believe to be the remains of King David’s palace, the streets on which David and Solomon strode, and the giant water tunnel built by King Hezekiah to fortify Jerusalem against siege.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 7 - Bethlehem and Jericho
Today you will travel to Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus. There you will see:
- The Church of the Nativity where Jesus was born;
- The Shepherd’s Field;
- Manger Square.
In the afternoon you will continue to Jericho where you will see:
- The Mount of Temptation where Satan tempted Jesus; and
- Hisham’s palace.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 8 - Desert Gems
This morning you will rise early and travel into the desert where we will visit:
- Masada, where you will view:
- The UNESCO listed remains of Roman military camps, the most complete in the world today;
- King Herod’s dessert palace, hanging from the side of Mount Masada;
- The preserved Roman bathhouse;
- The Jewish ritual baths;
- The synagogue where Jewish rebels planned their final stand against Roman conquerors, and decided on mass suicide rather than capture.
- The Dead Sea, where you will enjoy the unique sensation of floating on water.
Overnight: Jerusalem
Day 9 - Coastal wonders
Today you bid Jerusalem farewell and travel north to explore Caesarea, the magnificent Roman style city built by Herod the Great. Caesarea contained the ancient world’s most significant artificial harbour and is highly significant to Christianity as it contains the most direct proof of Pontius Pilate’s rule of Judea.
You will see:
- the remains of the ancient harbour;
- a stone bearing an inscription describing Pontius Pilate as ruler of Judea, dating to his time, and constituting the only direct evidence of Pilate’s rule ever found;
- Herod’s chariot racing arena;
- Herod’s amphitheater;
- The ancient lavatorial and aqueduct system.
Finishing in Caesarea you will continue north to Acre, capital of the crusader kingdom where you will see some of the best examples of medieval fortifications and building.
You will spend the night in the Galilee.
Overnight: Galilee
Day 10 - Galilee, home of Jesus
Today you will continue exploring the Galilee, turning your attention more directly to the New Testament. You will start by visiting Nazareth, home of Jesus. There you will see:
- The Church of the Annunciation where Mary was informed of her forthcoming pregnancy;
- The church at what is believed to have been Joseph’s carpentry workshop.
Crossing the Galilee you will make your way past the plains of Megiddo where believers hold that Armageddon will occur. You will also see Kfar Cana from a distance. It was here that Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water to wine.
Arriving at the Sea of Galilee you will visit:
- Capernaum, including:
- The still standing synagogue where Jesus preached;
- The home of St Peter;
- The Mount of Beatitudes;
In the evening you will travel to Israel’s cultural capital, Tel Aviv
Overnight: Tel Aviv
Day 11 - Tel Aviv
Today you will enjoy a private tour and will explore the Israeli cultural capital of Tel Aviv. You will see:
- The ancient port of Jaffa from which Jonah departed on his flight from God;
- The home of Simon the Tanner;
- The church where Peter had one of his most significant visions;
- Rothschild Boulevarde where the modern city of Tel Aviv began;
- Independence Hall;
- The city’s beautiful beaches.
Your tour ends this evening.
Hotels
Cairo:
3* – Barcelo Cairo Pyramids.
4* – Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel & Spa
5* – Fairmont Nile City, Kempinski Nile Hotel
Jerusalem:
3* – Montifiore Hotel, Shani Hotel, Jerusalem Tower Hotel, Agripas Boutique Hotel
4* – Jerusalem Gardens Hotel & Spa, Prima Park Hotel, Prima Royale Hotel, Eyal Hotel, Dan Boutique Hotel
5* – Leonardo Boutique Hotel, Herbert Samuel Hotel, Dan Hotel
Tel Aviv:
3* – Olympia Hotel, Seanet Hotel, Hotel Gilgal
4* – Rothschild 22, Prima Hotel, Cinema Hotel
5* – Dan Panorama, Carlton, Sheraton, Herod’s Tel Aviv
Galilee hotels will be confirmed based on time of year in which your tour takes place. We reserve the right to place you in a hotel or hotels not mentioned above.
COSTS
- 2 passengers sharing a double room – private – $3800 per person
- 4 passengers sharing double rooms – private – $3600 per person
- 6 Passengers private in double rooms – $2300
- 8+ passengers – please contact us for custom quote
- 2 passengers sharing a double room – private – $4100 per person
- 4 passengers sharing double rooms – private – $3900 per person
- 6 Passengers private in double rooms – $2500
- 8+ passengers – please contact us for custom quote
INCLUSIONS
- private tour guide daily
- all site entry
- all ground transport
- breakfast daily
- hotel of the chosen class
Please note that all flight costs are excluded