Day 1 – 28/08 Wed: Ben Gurion – City of David – Western Wall

Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport (08:45) Welcome by our representative and assistance with arrival formalities. Transfer to Jerusalem. We start by the Western Wall and you will be in the east Jerusalem neighborhood or Silwan, where the City of David is located. Make sure you buy a ticket that includes a trip through Hezekiah’s Tunnel (a good activity when the midday sun is out). After traipsing through the 2,700-year-old tunnel for 580 yards to the Pool of Siloam and touring the City of David, take a rest back at your hotel and freshen up for the evening,

Western Wall & Western Wall Tunnel

you will be introduced to the Old City of Jerusalem, your bus will take you to the Old City’s Jewish Quarter where you will visit the Western Wall ) where the faithful Jews cry their petitions to God, and descend underground to view the foundations of the Temple Mount. The details of this tour are too intricate to review or summarize here – the foundation excavations are probably the most dramatic and academically complex excavations you will see – your professional guide will provide both the agenda and the onsite explanations throughout your tour. You will learn about the city’s architecture, development, inhabitants, governance and physical layout during each period – pre Temple, 1st Temple, 2nd Temple, Herodian, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman. You will learn about the structure and function of the Temples in each period and the city’s walls and fortifications. You will learn about commerce and residential life during each period.

Overnight in Jerusalem, Dinner.

Day 2 – 20/09 Thursday: Old City of Jerusalem

After breakfast, You will walk through and learn about ancient Jerusalem’s market street, the Cardo, and about the city’s urban design since the time of King David. We begin our tour in the Temple Area of Mt. Moriah.  Visit the El Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock that was built on the ancient site of Solomon’s Temple.  After this we walk along the Via Dolorosa to Pilate’s Judgment Hall, the Chapel of the Flagellation, the Ecce Homo Arch) where Jesus was tried before Pilate. Then continue through the Old City bazaars to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We pass by the Armenian Quarter (Normally opens for visitors from 15:00 till 15:30) The Armenian Quarter is separated from the Christian Quarter by David Street (Suq el-Bazaar) and by Habad Street (Suq el-Husur) from the Jewish Quarter. And it is surrounded by a Wall .Transfer to your hotel in Jerusalem, Dinner.

Day 3 – 30/08 Friday: The Dead Sea – Masada – Qumran – Jericho

Breakfast, An excursion today takes us to the remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea and Masada, a UNESCO-listed fortress situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert. We ascend by cable car to the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their war against the Romans. Here we visit the excavations of King Herod’s palace, the synagogue and bathhouse. The site also offers spectacular views of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea. Drive to Ein Bokek & Neve Zohar, a Tour in the Bus. We’ll also see the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and enjoy floating on the salty, mineral-rich waters (weather permitting). Transfer to Qaser El-Yahud for the overview of The Jordan River and the Baptismal Site. Transfer to Jericho, the oldest city in the world; panoramic Tour in the bus in the city. Transfer to Tell es-Sultan (Sultan’s Hill) is a UNESCO-listed archaeological site in the West Bank, located two kilometres north of the centre of Jericho. The tell was inhabited from the 10th millennium BCE, and has been called “the oldest town in the world”, with many significant archaeological finds; the site is also notable for its role in the history of Levantine archaeology. Heading back to Jerusalem. Overnight: Jerusalem, Dinner

Day 4 – 31/08 Saturday: Caesarea-Haifa-Akko-Tel Megiddo

After breakfast, we will start the day with arriving at Caesarea Maritima, the ancient port city reconstructed and expanded by King Herod in 22 BCE that once served as headquarters of the Roman government in Palestine. You will have a guided tour of the majestic Roman and Crusader ruins and excavations of this once prominent city, seeing the remnants of the impressive Roman Aqueduct, Amphitheater, Markets, Bathhouses, Temples and roads. Next, you will stop at Haifa and the Carmel Mountain to take in a breathtaking panoramic view of the Bahai Gardens and Temple, as well as the Haifa Port. Continue to Acre to see the impressive underground Crusader Halls, which were built by the Hospitallers Knights .They contain a complex of six halls, a recently excavated large hall, a dining room, a dungeon and remnants of an ancient Gothic church. Walk through the Old City of Acre to see the Oriental Market and the Acre Port. Transfer to Tel Megiddo National Park, In the Old Testament, the name Megiddo appears in a number of places, mostly in relation to war. In the New Testament, the book of Revelation names Armageddon (a corruption of the Hebrew Har Megiddo—Mount Megiddo) as the place where the last great battle will be fought when the forces of good triumph over the forces of evil. Back to Jerusalem.

Overnight in Jerusalem, Dinner

Day 5 – 01/09 Sunday: Jaffa-Tel Aviv – Turkey

Breakfast & Check out from Hotel,visit Israel museumthen drive to Telaviv  Jaffa, an ancient port where we enjoy a walking tour of the picturesque fortified town, see the House of Simon the Tanner and marvel at the hilltop views. Transfer to Tel Aviv, known as the “city that never sleeps.” Introduction and special visit to Independence Hall, site of David Ben Gurion’s monumental proclamation of the State of Israel in December 1948. Stroll down Rothschild Boulevard to view examples of the intriguing Bauhaus-style architecture from the 1930s. The local proliferation of the style won Tel Aviv recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site and the nickname of ‘the White City’. A small walk to Dizengoff Boulevard free time in Dizengoff Square.Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for departure 21:45.