THE GRAND JEWISH HERITAGE TOUR 13 DAYS / 11 NIGHTS / WEEKLY WEDNESDAY ARRIVALS 2010-2012 GUARANTEED DEPARTURES

13 Days Fully Escorted Tour of Israel / Operated Weekly with Wednesday Arrivals / Emphasis on Jewish Sites /English Speaking Tour / Optional Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony / Family Friendly

» Tour Dates and Rates  » Inclusions  » Eilat Extension

Day 1 - Tuesday - Departure

Flight from the U.S to Israe

Day 2 - Wednesday

Arrival in Israel - Bruchim Haba'aim - Welcome to Israel

Arrive at the new Ben-Gurion Airport. Meet our representative
and transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv for check in. Overnight:Tel-Aviv

Day 3 - Thursday -Tel Aviv

Independence Hall / “Mini Israel” / Ayalon Institute / Yad Mordechai

Start the day with a visit to the Independence Hall where the establishment of the state  of Israel was declared. Next, we drive to Latrun to visit the new “Mini Israel” park including miniature models  of the most important sites and buildings in the country. Continue to visit Ayalon Institute, once an ammunition factory for the Hagana, the underground movement before May 1948. Proceed to Yad Mordechai, named  after Mordechai Anilevitz, leader of the Warsaw Ghetto; Visit the restored battle fields of the war of liberation and learn about their heroic story.
Overnight Tel-Aviv

Day 4 - Friday - Tel Aviv

Diaspora museum / Rabin's Square / Old Jaffa / Neve Tzedek / Nahalat Benyamin

Visit the Diaspora museum; Drive around the main streets of Tel  Aviv, center of business and entertainment of Israel.  Stop at Rabin's Square, place of assassination of Prime Minister Itzhak  Rabin. Continue to Old Jaffa , an 8000 year old port  city; Visit the ancient ruins and walk along the restored artist's quarter. Visit Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv, built in 1909 and Nahalat Benyamin, the pedestrian street of the city with its musicians, hand made jewellery and artifacts. Stop at Sheinkin, the lively and colorful street especially known with the unique shops and youthful ambiance. Overnight:Tel-Aviv

Day 5 - Saturday - Free day

Free Shabbat to enjoy Tel Aviv, the city that never sleeps.Overnight: Tel-Aviv

Day 6 - Sunday

Caesarea / Haifa / Acre (Aco) / Rosh Hanikra / Galilee

Drive north to Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the region. See the excavations of the crusaders' city, the aqueduct and the amphitheatre which has been restored as a concert venue. Proceed to Haifa for a panoramic view from Mt. Carmel and visit “AF AL PI CHEN”, the naval museum of the illegal immigration to Israel at the time of the British mandate. Drive to Acre; walk along the old harbor and local market; Continue to the northernmost point of Israel at Rosh Hanikra, descend by cable into the limestone Grottoes. Drive to the lower Galilee for our lodging in Kibbutz Lavi. Meet with the Kibbutz members & learn about their unique lifestyle.

Overnight: Kibbutz Lavi, Galilee

Day 7 - Monday

Safed / Golan Heights / Jeep Tour / Banias / Tel Hai / Upper Galilee

Drive to Safed, center of Kaballa movement. Visit the Joseph Caro and the Ha’ari synagogues, the most important synagogues in the city; stroll around the the Artist’s quarter. Enjoy a Jeep tour to the foot of the Golan. Continue to the Golan Heights; Stop at an observation point over the city of Kuneitra, and the Syrian territory. Stop at Tel Facher, a former Syrian army camp; Visit the Banias springs. Next, we will visit Tel-Hai and the “Roaring Lion” monument and learn about the heroic battle of Josef Trumpeldor and his comrades in 1920. Return to our kibbutz Hotel. Overnight:Kibbutz Lavi, Galilee

Day 8 - Tuesday

Tiberia / Beit Shean / Gan Hashlosha / Beit Alpha / Jordan valley / Jerusalem

Drive to Tiberia to visit Rambam’s grave; proceed to Beit Shean, also called "Scythopolis", the biggest archeological park in Israel with beautiful excavations from Roman and Byzantine periods. Stop at Beit Alpha to see the beautiful mosaic floor of a synagogue from the Byzantine period. Onto Gan Hashlosha, (Sachne) where you will have an opportunity to enjoy in the water springs located at the foot of the Gilboa mountain, the famous mountain on which King Saul was killed in the battle against the philistines. Continue via the Jordan valley to Jerusalem. Stop at Mount Scopus for a blessing as we enter the city.
Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 9 - Wednesday

Mt. Zion / Western wall Tunnels / Davidson center / David's Tower

Tour the old city of Jerusalem. Start with a visit of the tomb of King David on Mt. Zion. Walk along the Cardo, the ancient Roman road; Visit the four Sephardic synagogues restored after 1967 war in the Jewish quarter. Tour the Western Wall Tunnels; Visit the Davidson center and walk through the Roman Cardo, to the local Arab bazaar. Walk through Jaffa gate to David’s Tower museum and see the ancient remains of the city beginning with the first Temple period. Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 10- Thursday

Western Wall / Mea Shearim / Israel Museum / Holyland Model / Yad Vashem

Depart the hotel and arrive to the Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem. *Celebrate the Bar/Bat-Mitzvah ceremonies at the kotel. Continue to Mea Shearim and learn about the unique lifestyle of the ultra orthodox communities. Drive by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament and see the Menorah with the biblical emblem. Next visit is the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the book, where the Dead Sea scrolls are housed, and the new Holy Land model - a miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the second temple period. Drive to mount Hertzel, the military cemetery and Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust. Visit the Ammunition Hill, a former Jordanian army stronghold, conquered by the Israeli army in the Six Day War, and converted into a national memorial site and museum. Overnight: Jerusalem

* Optional Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony:
For families who wish to celebrate a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony at the Western or Southern Wall. This will be a perfect opportunity. While the rest of the group will tour Mea Shearim, arrangements will be made at the Western or Southern Wal with our Israeli Rabbi. At the end of the service, you will be transferred from the Western Wall area to meet again with the group . * Please call us for more detials about this special option.

Day 11 - Friday

Dead Sea / Qumeran /Massada / Jerusalem

Drive through the Judean desert to the Dead Sea. Stop at Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Continue to Massada, ascend by cable car and tour the ancient fortress; visit the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, the bathhouses etc. Descend by cable car, next stop for lunch, swim (actually float) at the Dead Sea and use of Spa facilities in one of the leading hotels in the area. Return to Jerusalem.

Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 12 - Saturday - Free day in Jerusalem

Free day to enjoy the special atmosphere of Shabbat in Jerusalem

Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 13 - Sunday - Departure from Israel - Arrival in the U.S.A

After breakfast transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your transatlantic flight back to the U.S.A. Take home your fond memories of Israel that will last a lifetime and start planning your next fun-filled trip to Israel.....