Jewish Heritage Grand Tour

• Welcome to beautiful Israel!
• We will arrive at Ben Gurion airport and be met and assisted by a Shalom Journeys representative before proceeding to passport control.
• Following passport control, we will be transferred to our hotel in coastal Tel Aviv.
• Depending on our arrival time, we will enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.
• A day to rest up before we embark on the Jewish Heritage Grand Tour of 15 Days.

Highlights:

• Arrive in Israel
• Meet and Greet
• Transfer from Airport to Hotel
• Leisure

Overnight in Tel Aviv

• After breakfast, we will start our day with a visit the Beit Hatfusot (Diaspora museum), the Museum of the Jewish People.
• Proceed to tour the main streets of Tel Aviv, the business centers and the entertainment district of Israel. Continue with a stop at Rabin’s Square, the place where Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin was assassinated.
• Moving on to visit Old Jaffa, an 8000-year-old port city; visit the ancient ruins and walk along the restored artists’ quarter.
• In addition, visit Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv that was built in 1909.
• Lastly, we will visit the trendy neighborhood of Nahalat Benyamin. Walk the pedestrian street market filled with musicians, boutique shops and lively bars and restaurants.

Highlights: 

• Diaspora
• Rabin Square
• Neve Tzedek
• The Old City of Jaffa
• Nahalat Binyamin

Overnight Tel Aviv

• Have a relaxed morning to explore Tel Aviv on your own.
• Suggested Morning: stroll along the boardwalk and enjoy Tel Aviv’s bustling Mediterranean beach culture.
• Suggested Afternoon: visit the cultural hubs of Tel Aviv — Visit Rabin Square Memorial, the HaBimah Theater Grounds, and the classic Bauhaus architecture of Tel Aviv and Rothschild Blvd.

Highlights:

• Tel Aviv Beach
• Rabin Square
• Habima Square

Overnight in Tel Aviv

• After breakfast, continuing north along the Mediterranean coast via Netanya to Caesarea.
• We will visit the Crusaders’ Battlement, the Roman Theater – where concerts and cultural events take place all summer long, plus the ancient Aqueduct still standing for 2000 years. Next, an emotional visit to Atlit – a former detention compound for Jewish immigrants who arrived in Israel illegally during the British Mandate period.
• Stop atop Mt. Carmel where we will have a panoramic view of Haifa Bay, Bahai Gardens and Carmel Mountains.
• Our last visit will be to ancient Akko (Acre) where we will explore one of the oldest functioning cities and its markets.

Highlights:

• • Caesarea
  • Atlit
  • Carmel
  • Bahai Gardens
  • Akko
  • Rosh Hanikra

• Following breakfast, we will start our day with a drive south to the Mystical City of Safed. It is considered to be one of the Four Holy Cities according to tradition and its Kabbalistic studies (the birthplace of Kabbalah).
• Proceed to the Golan Heights for a Jeep adventure.  The tour explores the Golan Heights and its terrain by jeep.
• Stop at an observation point overlooking the destroyed city of Kuneitra (Syrian territory).
• Furthermore, proceed to Tel Facher, a former Syrian army camp.
• Continue north to Banias Springs, considered the largest spring feeding from Mt. Hermon and leading into the Jordan River.
• Visit Tel-Hai to see the “Roaring Lion” monument.

Highlights:

• • Tzfat (Safed)
  • Banias Springs
  • Jeep Adventure
  • Tel Facher
  • Tel Hai

• Following breakfast, we will drive to Tiberias to visit Rambam’s grave.
• Continuing south via the Jordan Valley to the ancient City of Beit Shean, also called “Scythopolis”. Proceed to walk through the largest ongoing archaeological dig in the land of Israel.
• Proceed to visit Beit Alpha to see the beautiful mosaic floor of a Byzantine synagogue.
• Moving further south to visit Gan Hashlosha (Sachne). We will have the opportunity to enjoy the water springs, located at the foot of the Gilboa Mountain.
• Proceed south through the lush Jordan Valley. Upon arriving in Jerusalem we will stop at Mt. Scopus for a beautiful panoramic view of Jerusalem and the Old City.

Highlights:

• • Tiberias
  • Scythopolis
  • Beit Alpha
  • Sachne Water Springs
  • Mount Scopus

• The tour will start at Mt. Zion to visit the Tomb of King David.
• We will enter the walled city of Jerusalem and proceed to the Jewish Quarter. Visit the Four Sephardic Synagogues reconstructed after the city was unified at the conclusion of the Six-Day War in 1967.
• Continue with our walk to the broad stone stairway down to the holy Western Wall – the “Kotel” (Beit Hamikdash).
• Descend beneath the Western Wall,  through the many layers of Jerusalem’s past at the time of the Temple, into the Western Wall Tunnels. An incredible labyrinth of tunnels, arches, and passageways remain untouched for centuries.

• Continue towards the Southern Wall excavations to see the Davidson Center. It is one of the most significant archeological sites in the country.
• To conclude, return to the Roman Cardo though the local Arab Bazaar (Suk).
• Walk out of the Old City through the Jaffa gate to visit David’s Tower Museum. See the ancient remains of the city beginning with the first Temple period.

Highlights:

• • King Davids Tomb
  • Jewish Quarter
  • Western Wall
  • Rabbinical Tunnels
  • Davidson Center
  • The Shuk (Arab Suk)
  • Tower Museum

• Following breakfast, we will enter the Old City through the Dung Gate and walk towards the Kotel and witness a Bar Mitzvah ceremony.
• Depart the Old City and drive to Mea Shearim. Here we will learn about the unique lifestyle of the Ultra-orthodox community.
• Proceed to drive to Mount Herzl, Israel’s national cemetery. We will visit the grave-sites of Israel’s most famous leaders and heroes.
• Moving on, our tour will continue to Yad Vashem. Considered to be the first memorial to mankind’s darkest period. We will visit the very moving exhibit at the Children’s Pavilion.

• Continue to Ammunition Hill (Givat-Hatahmoshet). This is a former Jordanian army stronghold conquered by the Israeli army in the Six Day War.
• We will also drive by the Knesset, to see Israel’s parliament and the Menorah with the biblical emblems.
• Proceed to the Israel Museum to see a scale model of Jerusalem. The museum recreates Jerusalem in 66 CE. In the same complex, visit the Shrine of the Book where the original Dead Sea scrolls are housed.

Highlights:

• • Mea Shearim
  • Yad Vashem
  • Israel Museum
  • Ammunition Hill

Overnight in Jerusalem

• Our journey continues through the Judean hills to the Qumran caves, where the Dead Sea scrolls were found.
• From here we continue along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada, the last stronghold of the Jews after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D.
• We will ascend Masada by cable car and explore the mountain fortress built by King Herod. Some notable sites include the remains of the walls, water cistern, and Herod’s Palace.
• We will descend by cable car and continue to the Dead Sea, where we can float in the unsinkable water and bathe in the famous mineral-rich mud.

Highlights: 

• Qumran Caves
• Masada Fortress
• The Dead Sea

Overnight in Jerusalem

• Optional Morning: Return to the Old City and tour the Christian Quarter.
• Suggested Afternoon: Visit Jerusalem’s First Station (on own).
• Suggested Evening: Discover Jerusalem nightlife at Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall, the German Colony, the Russian Compound and beyond (on own).

Overnight in Jerusalem

• Today we travel south through the Negev desert. 
• We will stop at Timna, a large geological and archaeological park; View the outstanding Solomon’s pillars. 
• Our tour continues to Eilat, the southernmost city on the shores of the Red Sea. 
• Explore the Underwater Observatory marine park that was built into a coral reef. 
• Check-in to our hotel in Eilat

Highlights: 

• The Negev Desert
• Timna National Park
• Underwater Observatory

Overnight in Eilat

• Today we will enjoy the Red Sea and have a day at leisure.

• Optional tour – Petra Day Tour Extension:
  
  • After an early breakfast we will drive to the Aqaba border with Jordan from Eilat, Israel.
  • Our representatives will assist us with the entry visa at the Jordanian border.
  • The journey begins with a drive straight to Petra, the astonishing rose-red city built by the Nabateans (An ancient Arab tribe).
  • Petra was renowned for its massive architecture, pools, dams and water channels.
  • The city itself is almost 45 square km and is considered to be the second wonder of the world.
  • After lunch we will drive back to the Jordanian-Israeli border.

• • If time is permitting we will stop in the Red Sea city of Aqaba, Jordan for a chance to walk around.
  • To conclude our day of touring, we will be transferred to the border at around dinner time and back into Eilat, Israel.

Overnight in Eilat

• Following breakfast, we will depart Eilat and proceed towards Mitzpe Ramon (The Ramon Crater). 
• Take a moment to gaze into a geological wonder, with majestic views. 
• Proceed to Sde Boker and see Ben Gurion’s hut and his grave overlooking the magnificent Zin valley. 
• Our tour will stop for a camel ride and a visit to an authentic Bedouin tent. We will learn about Bedouin hospitality and enjoy a light lunch. 
• To conclude the days touring, we will proceed to Hatzerim and visit Israel’s Airforce Museum.
• Arrive in Tel Aviv for our last night in Israel.

• Following our last breakfast, depending on our departure we will enjoy the day at leisure before heading to the airport for our flight home.
• Leave Israel with lifelong memories!

Shalom and thank you for joining us on our 15 days Jewish Heritage Grand Tour!