2012 - 2013 tour schedule

Thursday flight departures from the U.S., arriving into Tel Aviv on Friday.

Hotels on this tour

This tour is available with hotels to fit every budget. Based on the category you select, you will be confirmed in the hotels noted below:

Budget Category -
Tel Aviv - Prima Hotel Tel Aviv
Kibbutz - Kibbutz Lavi - Hod Wing
Jerusalem - Prima Hotel Jerusalem

Moderate Category -
Tel Aviv - Dan Panorama Tel Aviv
Kibbutz - Kibbutz Lavi - Hod Wing
Jerusalem - Dan Panorama Jerusalem

Moderate Deluxe Category -
Tel Aviv - Herods Tel Aviv
Kibbutz - Kibbutz Lavi - Eden Wing
Jerusalem - Leonardo Plaza Jerusalem

Deluxe Category -
Tel Aviv - Carlton Tel Aviv
Kibbutz - Kibbutz Lavi - Hadar Wing
Jerusalem - David Citadel Hotel Jerusalem

Luxury Category -
Tel Aviv - Dan Tel Aviv
Kibbutz - Kibbutz Lavi - Eden Wing
Jerusalem - King David Jerusalem


Tour Itinerary -

Day 1 - Thursday - Depart US

Departure from the U.S. for your overnight flight to Tel Aviv.

Day 2 - Friday - Tel Aviv

Arrival at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport, where you will be met by a local Amiel Tours representative and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Day 3 - Saturday - Tel Aviv

Day at leisure to explore the city on your own or take an optional sightseeing tour. Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Day 4 - Sunday - Caesarea-Megiddo-Haifa

Drive along the coastal plain to Caesarea, capital of Judea under the Romans. See the excavations of the Crusader city and the Roman port, aqueduct and amphitheater that has been restored to its former glory as a concert venue. Proceed to Megiddo, identified as the site of Armageddon. Visit the archaeological excavations including the well-preserved water supply system. Continue to Daliat El Carmel, a Druze village and enjoy a late lunch at a local restaurant. Proceed via Mount Carmel to Haifa for a panoramic view of the Haifa bay and the Golden-domed Bahai Shrine and gardens. Overnight at Kibbutz Lavi.

Day 5 - Monday - Safed-Golan Heights

Drive to Safed, the center of Jewish mysticism, where you will visit the ancient synagogues and the artists’ colony. Continue to the Golan Heights to see the former Syrian bunkers, Kuneitra and the new Israeli town of Katzrin. Stop at the Golan Winery for a tour and wine tasting. Proceed to 'Kessem Hagolan,' for a multimedia presentation of the area and its history. Overnight at Kibbutz Lavi.

Day 6 - Tuesday- Sea of Galilee-Nazareth

Start the day with a visit to Nazareth and visit the Church of Annunciation. Continue on to Tiberias, located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Visit Capernaum to see the ruins of the synagogue and octagonal Church of St. Peter. Visit Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Drive, via Beit Shean to Beit Alpha, to see the remains of the mosaic floor of an ancient synagogue depicting the zodiac. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 7 - Wednesday - Jerusalem: Old City

Start the day with a magnificent panoramic view from Mount of Olives. Next, drive to the Old City and visit the tomb of King David and the room of the Last Supper on Mt. Zion. Enter the walled city and walk through the newly restored Jewish quarter. Visit the Roman Cardo, the Herodian quarter and continue to the Western Wall. Walk along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Continue to Bethlehem* to view Rachel's tomb, the Church of Nativity and manger's square. Overnight in Jerusalem. *Visit to Bethleham is subject to availability.

Day 8 - Thursday - Jerusalem: New City

Drive to the Israel Museum. Visit the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed and a miniature model of Jerusalem, as it was during the second temple period, can be viewed. Proceed for a tour at the Knesset, Israel's Parliament. Continue to Mount Hertzel cemetery and Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust. Visit Mea Shearim, an ultra-orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem, and learn about their unique lifestyle. In the evening, enjoy a Middle Eastern dinner followed by the spectacular "Sound & Light" show at the Tower of David Museum (weather conditions permitting). Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 9 - Friday - Qumeran-Masada-Dead Sea

Drive through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, almost 1,300 feet (400 meters) below sea level. Stop at Qumeran to visit the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Drive along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada. Ascend by cable car and tour the ancient fortress where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans before committing mass suicide in 73 A.D. Descend by cable car, and time/weather permitting, continue onto the Dead Sea. Cover yourself with the mineral rich mud and experience a swim in the Dead Sea that many believe has therapeutic effects. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 10 - Saturday - Jerusalem at Leisure

Day at leisure to continue exploring the city or for some shopping. Overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 11 - Jerusalem - Tel Aviv

Check out of the hotel and the remainder of the day is at leisure to continue exploring Jerusalem. In the late afternoon, transfer from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport for your flight back to the U.S.

Tour includes

• Arrival and departure airport transfers
• Two nights in Tel Aviv
• Two nights at the Kibbutz Lavi , includes dinner
• Five nights in Jerusalem
• Breakfast daily
• English-speaking guide during touring days
• Entrance fees to sites as shown in the itinerary

Not included

• Tips to guides, personal items and meals not shown here are also not included.

Notes

• Hotels will be confirmed as the ones listed or in similar type accommodations.
• Modest dress (no short or sleeveless shirts) and head covering are required for visiting the holy places.