Jewish Heritage Grand Tour – 15 Days

• Enjoy our first delicious breakfast in Israel
• Visit Independence Hall, Latrun (Armored Corps), Beit Guvrin National Park, and the Ayalon Institute
• Evening at leisure
• Overnight in Tel Aviv

Independence Hall is the room where the State of Israel was declared in 1948. Latrun is a tank museum and memorial site for fallen soldiers. Beit Guvrin National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with ruins, an amphitheater, and more. The Ayalon Institute is a secret ammunition factory that played a role in the fight for Israeli independence.

• Begin the day with breakfast at our hotel
• Diaspora Museum: Also known as Beit Hatfusot, this museum tells the story of the Jewish people and their connection to their roots
• Tel Aviv’s “White City”: Collection of over 4,000 Bauhaus-style buildings built in the 1930s by German Jewish architects, declared a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO
• Rabin Square: Public square in the center of Tel Aviv, site of political rallies and events, renamed in 1995 to honor late Prime Minister of Israel, Itzhak Rabin
• Old Jaffa: Ancient port city believed to be 8,000 years old, with ancient ruins and artist quarter
• Neve Tzedek: Fashionable neighborhood with avant-garde design, European restaurants, and contemporary dance center
• Nachalat Binyamin: Outdoor mall with historical buildings and art fair held twice weekly
• Sheinkin Street: Lively street with unique shops and cafes
• Evening at leisure in Tel Aviv
• Overnight in Tel Aviv

• Start the day with a delicious breakfast at the hotel
• Spend the day exploring Tel Aviv at your leisure
• In the evening, you have the option to relax or venture out and discover the city’s nightlife
• Spend the night in Tel Aviv, getting a good rest for the adventures ahead

• Check out of hotel after breakfast
• Drive north along the Mediterranean Sea towards Haifa, with stops at:
  • Caesarea: visit the Roman Theater and aqueduct
  • Haifa/Mt. Carmel: see panoramic views from the mountain and visit the Clandestine Immigration and Naval museum
  • Akko/Acre: tour underground passages, walk along the old harbor and local market, visit the prison where members of the Hagana and Irgun were held during Israel’s independence fight
  • Rosh Hanikra: visit the limestone Grottoes and see the Mediterranean Sea from the most northern point of Israel
• Check in at Kibbutz Lavi hotel in the Galilee and enjoy a relaxing dinner
• Overnight in the Galilee

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit Safed (Tzfat): known as the mystical city and birth place of kabala, located at a high elevation with narrow winding alleys and important synagogues like Joseph Caro and the Ari synagogues; see the artist’s quarter
• Go on a Jewish Heritage Tour in the Golan Heights:
  • Jeep tour of the region
  • Visit the Gadot overlook and the destroyed Syrian city of Kuneitra
  • See the “Roaring Lion” monument at Tel-Hai and learn about the 1920 battle of Josef Trumpeldor and his comrades
  • Meet with a Kibbutz member and learn about their lifestyle
• Relaxing dinner at hotel
• Overnight in the Galilee

• After breakfast, leave the Galilee region and drive south towards Jerusalem, with stops at:
  • Rambam’s grave (The Tomb of Maimonides) in Tiberias
  • Beit Shean (Scythopolis), an excavated city with amphitheater, colonnaded Roman streets, mosaics, and Roman bathhouses
  • Beit Alpha, home to the remains of a mosaic floor of an ancient synagogue depicting the zodiac
  • Gan Hashlosha National Park (Sachne), a natural spring with warm water pools and waterfalls
• Arrival in Jerusalem: visit Mt. Scopus for a panoramic view of the city and a traditional Sheyechyanu blessing; check in at hotel and have the evening at leisure (suggested dinner at Eucalyptus Restaurant)
• Overnight in Jerusalem

• After breakfast, visit:
  • The Tomb of King David at Mount Zion
  • The Jewish Quarter (Old City), with a focus on the restored “Cardo” (Roman thoroughfare) and four Sepharadic Synagogues
  • The Western Wall and Rabbinical Tunnels, with a model showing the different dwelling periods and history of Jerusalem’s inhabitants
  • The Davidson Center Museum at the Southern Wall excavations, which explains the importance of the site and its connection to the temple
  • The Old City bazaar, known for its vibrant and colorful atmosphere
  • The Tower of David museum, which tells the story of Jerusalem from the second millennium BCE to the present day
• Suggested dinner at Chakra Restaurant
• Overnight in Jerusalem

• Hotel breakfast
• Drive to Dead Sea, 1305 feet (398 meters) below sea level
• Qumran: Site of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery by a shepherd boy
• Masada: Legendary mountaintop plateau, site of the last stronghold of Jewish Zealots against Romans, cable car ascent
• Dead Sea: Small body of water (lake size) and lowest point on earth, 11%-13% salt and other natural ingredients, Dead Sea mud, impossible to sink
• Return to hotel in Jerusalem
• Overnight in Jerusalem

• Hotel breakfast
• Shabbat (Saturday) day at leisure to relax and explore the city at your own pace
• Evening at leisure to enjoy the city’s nightlife or rest after a week of sightseeing
• Overnight in Jerusalem

• Hotel breakfast in Jerusalem, depart for Eilat through the Negev desert
• Timna Park in the Negev Desert: Rich in copper ore, site of mining since 5th millennium BCE, visit copper mines and view King Solomon’s pillars
• Underwater Observatory in Eilat: Largest natural aquarium in the world, built into coral reef for a unique underwater experience
• Check-in to hotel in Eilat
• Suggested dinner reservation at “The Last Refuge,” a popular seafood restaurant in Eilat
• Overnight in Eilat

• Mitzpeh Ramon: Geological feature in Israel’s Negev desert. The largest national park in Israel, the Ramon Nature Reserve.
• Sde Boker: Kibbutz in the Negev desert, home of Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion. Overlooks the Zin Valley.
• Bedouin Village: Camel safari in the desert, followed by a biblical light lunch and Bedouin hospitality.
• Hatzerim Air Force Museum: Israeli Air Force base in the Negev Desert, view planes and equipment from past Israel wars.
• Arrive in Tel Aviv and check in to hotel. Suggested dinner reservations at TBA.
• Overnight in Tel Aviv.

• After breakfast, check out from the hotel and transfer to Ben Gurion Airport
• Depart for home with lasting memories of Israel
• We hope you enjoyed the Jewish Heritage Grand Tour to Israel
• Optional: Extend stay in Israel