11 DAY JEWISH HERITAGE TOUR

Z

Day 1: Welcome

Welcome to Israel. You may arrive through the day and rest.

Overnight: Jerusalem

Z

Day 2 - The Four Quarters

This morning you will tour the Jewish quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. You will see:

The Jaffa Gate;
The Tower of David;
The Burnt room;
The broadwall of King Hezekiah as described in the book of Isaiah;
The Roman market;
The Western Wall;
The Western Wall Tunnels;
The tomb of King David;
The Arab markets.

If you wish, we will also visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Christians believe that Jesus was crucified and buried.

Overnight: Jerusalem

Z

Day 3 - City of David and Ammunition Hill

This morning you will tour the City of David where Kings David and Solomon dwelt. You will see:

what many believe are the remains of David’s palace;
The huge water tunnel of King Hezekiah;
The Siloam Pool visited by Jews prior to entering the Temple;
A street built by Herod the Great;
The main street of Jerusalem at the time of the destruction of the second temple.

Later you will visit Ammunition Hill, site of a key battle from Israel’s capture of the Old City.

Overnight: Jerusalem

Z

Day 4 - Masada and Dead Sea

This morning you will travel south into the Judean to visit Masada. You will see:

King Herod’s magnificent suspended palace;
The Roman bathhouses;
The ancient Mikvot;
The ancient synagogue.

You will also hear the story of the heroic Jewish rebels who made their last stand here.

Later, you will have time to float in the Dead Sea.

Overnight: Jerusalem

Z

Day 5 - Sacrifice and Heroes

This morning you will tour Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial and museum. You will see:

The Holocaust history museum;
The Hall of Names;
The childrens’ memorial;
The ghetto fighters memorial;
The garden of the righteous among the nations.

In the afternoon you will continue to Mt Hertzl where you will pay respects at the final resting place of Israel’s great leaders, and hear the stories of the soldiers who gave their lives in defence of Israel.

Overnight: Jerusalem

Z

Day 6 - Coastal Wonders

This morning you will travel to beautiful Caesarea where Herod built a Roman city. You will see:

The large theater;
The chariot racing arena;
The ancient prison;
The lavatorial system and aqueducts;
The ancient world’s most impressive artificial harbour.

You will continue to Haifa, Israel’s third largest city where you will see the beautiful Bahai Gardens.

Your final stop will be Acre, the capital of the crusader kingdom.

Overnight: Acre

Z

Day 7 - Safed and Golan Heights

This morning you will travel across Israel’s north, stopping first at Safed, home of Jewish mysticism. You will see:

The Old City and Artists Quarter;
The synagogue of the Ari – one of history’s great Rabbis;
The synagogue of Joseph Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch, perhaps the most important Jewish text of the last 1000 years;

If you wish, can also visit the grave of Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai, author of the Zohar, the central work in Kaballah.

In the afternoon you will continue to the Golan Heights, where you will ascend to Mount Ben Tal. Located above the Syrian border, this will provide you will an opportunity to view an Israeli defensive position, and understanding the complex nature of Israel’s geopolitical reality.

Overnight: Tiberius

Z

Day 8 - Ancient Ruins, Modern Vitality

This morning you will have the option of visiting a Kibbutz, one of Israel’s famous collective farms.

You will then continue to the ancient city of Beit Shean. A major metropolis for hundreds of years beginning in the Roman period, at Beit Shean you will see:

The columned main street;
The large theater;
The beautiful bathhouse;
The marketplace;
The Governor’s palace;
The city’s other “entertainment” area;
A Canaanite area of worship.
visit the ancient synagogue at Capernaum, also a site of enormous signifance in Christianity.

You will then make your way to modern Tel Aviv, where you will enjoy the afternoon at leisure.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Z

Day 9 - The "Old New Land"

This morning you will explore the ancient port of Jaffa from which Tel Aviv grew. You will see:

The harbour from which the prophet Jonah is believed to have tried to flee;
The beautiful art galleries of Old Jaffa;
The gate of the old walled city;
Jaffa’s famed flea market.

Departing Jaffa, you will hear the story of its capture in 1948, before continuing to the heart of modern Tel Aviv. You will explore:

Neveh Tzedek, the first Jewish neighborhood outside of Jaffa;
Rothschild Boulevarde where Tel Aviv was officially created;
Independence Hall where the State of Israel was created;

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Z

Day 10 - Modern Israel

This morning you will visit two of Israel’s most important museums:

The Palmach Museum, honoring elite young men and women who fought for Israel’s establishment; and
The Rabin museum, dedicated to former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated at a peace rally in 1995.

Afterwards, you will visit Rabin Square where Rabin’s assassination occurred.

In the afternoon you will enjoy a culinary tour of Tel Aviv’s bustling Carmel market. In the evening you will have the option of enjoying a unique theater experience – all actors are blind and/or deaf.

Overnight: Tel Aviv

Z