Israel Classical Tour Package, 8 Days

Tour Route

Day 1: Welcome to Israel

Welcome to the Ben Gurion Airport Tel Aviv, Israel. Ben Gurion Airport is located a 25 minute drive from Tel-Aviv and we head for Tel-Aviv where a room in a Tel-Aviv hotel awaits you (included in the package). On your first day when you arrive you can make use of the free time to do whatever you want to. We will be happy to give you suggestions and tips about how to spend your first day in Israel in the best possible way - tell us what you are interested in and we will help you build a plan for your first day. 

Overnight Stay: Tel Aviv Hotel  

Day 2: Nazareth, Tiberias & Sea of Galilee

Leaving Nazareth we will head towards the Mount of Beatitudes where traditions states Jesus delivered his most famous sermon also known as The Sermon on the Mount. We then stop at Tabgha to visit the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, residing on top of two previously existing churches. 

Moving on we’ll stop by the ruins to explore the City of Christ and the ancient synagogue residing within it. We then head towards the baptismal site on the Jordan River - the Yardenit, where you could participate in an optional baptismal service. The tour then ends, making way to central Israel whilst providing a panoramic view of Mount Tabor, the site of The Transfiguration of Jesus.

Overnight Stay: Galilee Hotel 

Day 3: Caesarea, Haifa, Acre and Rosh Hanikra

We will begin the tour in Caesarea, a city dating back to the Roman era, which constituted its regional capital and functioned as a port city. In the city, we would travel by foot along the archaeological sites of the city including the port, the hippodrome and the mesmerizing amphitheater - once the cultural hub for ancient Roman life and nowadays hosts concerts held by top Israeli and international artists.

Moving on we head north towards Haifa while enjoying a breathtaking panoramic view from Mount Carmel on the Bahai Gardens (one of the most frequently and beautiful toured attractions in Israel) the city of Haifa and the port. Haifa offers some of the most memorable views in Israel.

Our journey continues to Rosh Hanikra, where we ascend via cable car to the spectacular limestone grottoes situated on the water front. On top of Rosh Hanikra, we will also get a view of the Lebanese border with Israel. Making our way back traveling south, we stop at the ancient city of Acre to visit the well-preserved Crusader city and enjoy the city’s vast history reflected in all its surroundings. Among the sites, we’ll visit in Acre are the Old City Market, and the harbor.  

Overnight Stay: Tel Aviv Hotel 

Day 4: Bethlehem and Jericho

We’ll start our tour, leaving Jerusalem for its neighboring city Bethlehem, hometown of King David and birthplace of Jesus. Our first stop will be Manger Square, home to one of the world’s oldest churches, The Church of the Nativity. Below the Church we find the grotto and the exact location of Jesus’s birth. We continue to visit the adjacent Church of St. Catherine, and head on down to the Milk Grotto where Mary nursed Jesus as a newborn. 

Before leaving Bethlehem we’ll also get a view of the Shepherd’s Fields and the church on site. We then descent to the Judea Desert via the Inn of the Good Samaritan and make a short stop at sea level on our way to Jericho, the world’s oldest city. 

Our first stop at Jericho will be Tel Essultan, where excavations revealed ancient findings, among those crumbled Canaanite walls, providing insight to the conquest of Jericho by Joshua. We then stop at the Sycamore tree which Zacchaeus climbed on to get a better view of Jesus as he walked by. Then we'll stop for an overview of Mount Temptation. The tour ends with a visit the mound of Ancient Jericho where 25 ancient cities were uncovered. 

Notes:

• A valid passport is required on the day tour.
• A moderate dress code is required to enter the holy places. Knees and shoulder must be covered.
• This tour is subject to Palestinian Authority regulations.
• Palestinian tour guide meets the tour only at border post.
• Change of a vehicle may be required for entry to Palestinian Authority territory.
• Entrance fees to Jericho sites are not included.

Overnight stay: Jerusalem Hotel 

Day 5: City of David & Underground Jerusalem

We’ll start our tour with an overview of modern and Old Jerusalem city from Mount Olives looking down at the Old City and the Temple Mount. As we drive along the Kidron Valley, we see the ancient Jewish cemetery dating back over 3,000 years, the monumental burial sites at its base and across the way, the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane where it is said Jesus, and his followers prayed the night prior to Jesus’s crucifixion. 

Before entering the Old City through the Zion Gate, we visit the Tomb of King David on Mount Zion. In the upper floor of the structure, we would visit the hall traditionally proclaimed as the Hall of the Last Supper. We will then continue to the 16th century Sepharadi synagogues located in the Jewish quarter, walking along the Byzantine Cardo. In the Jewish Quarter, we explore the exciting excavated Second Temple Herodian mansions providing insight to the quality of life in ancient Jerusalem. 

While making our way out of the Jewish quarter, we will descend to the Western Wall, the Kotel, exiting the Old City through the Dung gate. We end our tour exploring the excavations of the 3,000 years-old City of David while gaining an acquaintance with its elaborate and sophisticated water system, which was constructed and continuously altered throughout the ages in accordance to military and population necessities.

Note:

• Entrance fees to City of David are not included.

Overnight stay: Jerusalem Hotel 

Day 6: Massada and the Dead Sea

We’ll begin our tour descending to the Judean Desert via the Inn of the Good Samaritan, on site we will tour the Inn and its adjacent museum. The Good Samaritan Museum is the only mosaic museum in the country and has on display a vast range of unique artifacts unearthed in excavations across Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

Moving forward we arrive at Masada and then ascent by cable car to tour the remains of the Herodian Fortress, built by King Herod two thousand years ago.Touring the sites, we’ll revisit its history and heritage, relating to the up rise of the Jewish Zealots against their Roman overlords. 

We then leave Massada and head towards The Dead Sea, one of the most toured sites in Israel by tourists and locals alike. On shore you could enjoy a mud bath bearing many therapeutic. Dipping in the sea itself is also highly recommended, experiencing the Dead Sea’s unique attributes, allowing for extreme ease of floating and effortless swimming. On our way back we’ll get a view of the Ein Gedi oasis, the Qumran caves where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and the ancient city of Jericho, the oldest city in existence with settlements dating back to 9000 BCE.

Notes:

• Recommended hats, bathing suits, towels.

Overnight Stay: Jerusalem Hotel

Day 7: Jerusalem - Old and New

This one day tour starts with a view of Jerusalem as seen from atop Mount Olives, looking down at the Old City and the Temple Mount. Mount Olives is also one of the oldest Jewish burial sites, over three hundred years old. We then descend and make our way along the Kidron Valley, offering a view of the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations, where according to sources Jesus and his followers prayed the night before his crucifixion. 

Along the Kidron Valley road we will get a view of the monumental burial tombs situated at the Mount’s feet. We then proceed into the Old City entering from Mount Zion, past the Armenian Quarter walking along the ancient Byzantine Cardo dating back to the Roman era, with our final stop being the Western Wall (the Kotel). 

Leading to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre are the Stations of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) which we explore along the way to the church, the site of the crucifixion. Before leaving the Old City we’ll enjoy a brief strolls in the bazaars located in the Christian and Muslim Quarters. Finish the tour with a short walking into the New City and a visit to Yad VaShem, the Holocaust museum.

Overnight Stay: Jerusalem Hotel

Day 8: Last Day in Israel (Jerusalem)