Israel Discovery

You will be met at Ben Gurion Airport and driven to your hotel in Tel Aviv.At 19:30 meet your travel companions for a Welcome Reception and a short introduction to your Israeli adventures.

Morning sightseeing showcases the highlights of this vibrant city including the Habimah National Theatre, Rabin Square and Carmel Market. Venture along the seashore to the ancient city of Jaffa to see the famous clock tower and the old harbour. Visit the artists' quarter with its galleries, boutiques and picturesque narrow lanes. Walk along the seaside promenade at sunset for spectacular views, as local musicians and street artists take to the stage.(Breakfast)

Travel from Tel Aviv, along the coastal road to Caesarea, to visit the archeological park. The ancient city built by king Herod was once a major port and hub of activity in the Judea province.Explore the ancient Roman and Crusader ruins, including the huge amphitheatre. Travel via Haifa to Acre, fought over for centuries and captured in turn by Saracens and Crusaders, including Richard the Lionheart. See the fortress, the old harbour area and Crusader crypt.Enjoy a delicious falafel lunch at Acre market. In Nazareth, visit one of Christianity’s most sacred places, the Church of Annunciation, built on the site where the angel Gabriel is said to have appeared to Mary.Soon, ochre villages and seaside towns are replaced by green hills, rich crops and colourful groves, as you approach Tiberias, your home for the night.The day concludes with a brief introduction to life on a Kibbutz.This evening, break traditional challah bread with your travel companions over a cheerful Shabbat dinner.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)

Journey to Golan Heights and visit a winery known for producing Israel’s leading wines. Learn about the distinctive features of the region before indulging in a wine tasting.(Breakfast)

Explore Galilee with Insight Choice. Cruise the serene waters of lake Kinneret for glorious views of the Golan Heights. Alternatively, find out more about the remains of a 1st century fishing boat that was found embedded at the bottom of the lake, during a lecture by an archaeologist.Visit Capernaum, where Jesus is said to have entered the Synagogue to teach, before heading to the Mount of Beatitudes, where he preached the Sermon on the Mount.Journey through ever-changing landscapes along the Jordan Valley, past ancient Jericho, to take a dip in the buoyant salt waters of the Dead Sea.(Breakfast / Dinner)

Take a cable car ride up to the fortress of Masada, where Jewish Zealots held out for three years against Herod's armies. Pass the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found at Qumran.Travel through the Judean Hills to Mount Scopus for breathtaking views of Jerusalem.Visit King David's Tomb on Mount Zion, and the Room of the Last Supper. Enter the Old City and follow the winding cobbled alleyways to the magnificent Wailing Wall, the most sacred monument in Judaism.(Breakfast)

Visit Yad Vashem, a memorial for those who perished in the Holocaust. Continue to the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book wing which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls.(Breakfast)

Enjoy a relaxed morning or alternatively choose to meet your Local Expert at the West Bank border and continue to the Holy city of Bethlehem. The Optional Experience includes visiting the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Christ, and is considered sacred by followers of both Christianity and Islam. In the afternoon, visit the Garden of Gethsemene and walk through the Old City to see the Temple Mount, one of Islam’s holiest sites. Continue along the Via Dolorosa past the Stations of the Cross, Ecce Homo Arch, and the Pool of Bethesda, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At night, toast your adventures over a hearty Celebration Dinner with wine.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)

Your journey comes to an end with transfers to Ben Gurion Airport.(Breakfast)