Israel is located in the Levant area of the Fertile Crescent region. The country is at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, bounded by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank to the east, and Egypt and the Gaza Strip to the southwest. Travel to the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, and experience the Golden City of Jerusalem, walk the Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorsa, stand at the Mount of Olives, where its written Jesus ascended in to heaven.
Day 01 Arrive Ben Gurion / Ben Gurion – Tel Aviv (By Road) (30 Km / 48 min)
Arrival to Ben Gurion airport. Meet our English speaking representative holding a sign with your names after passing Passport Control. The representative will assist you to collect your luggage and introduce you to our driver. Transfer to your hotel in Tel Aviv, store suitcases in the Storage room.
City Tour Tel Aviv & Port of Jaffa (walking tour)
Our Tel Aviv City Tour is the perfect way to discover the cosmopolitan city of Tel Aviv, the White City on the sea.Although only a young city, Tel Aviv has forged a unique identity well worth experiencing and exploring. The streets of Tel Aviv are full of both history, and modern culture, architecture, art, restaurants and bars. We’ll begin the tour from the Clocktower in Jaffa, visit the ancient ruins and walk along the restored artist’s quarter. Walk to the Neve Tzedek neighborhood which was the first Jewish community established outside of Jaffa, and eventually became part of the city of Tel Aviv in the early 20th century. With a stunning range of architectural styles, every alleyway and street has something to offer, and many cafes, restaurants and bars fill the old Bauhaus style buildings which have survived the recent gentrification of the neighborhood. Return to hotel. Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Day 02 Safed / Haifa / Caesarea Maritima (By Road) (117 Km / 1 hrs , 48 min)
Drive to Safed, one of the four holy cities in Israel, center of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) movement; Visit the Caro and Ari synagogues; Stroll through the narrow alleyways and visit the picturesque Artists’ Quarter. Onto Haifa for a scenic view of the City, Stella Maris Monastery on the slopes of Mount Carmel, the Port and the magnificent Bahai Gardens and Shrine .Drive to Caesarea Maritima, the magnificent port-city built by King Herod the Great. From here St. Peter went to Rome and started with his first miracles. In Caesarea’s well-preserved theater an inscription of the procurator Pontius Pilate was found.Return to hotel. Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Day 03 Qumran / Masada / Dead Sea / Jerusalem (By Road) (127 Km / 2 hrs)
We descend to the deepest place on earth – The Dead Sea! Arriving there, we will visit Qumran, where the famous “Dead Sea Scrolls” were found and learn about the life of the Esseans, who lived a life that was very similar to the life and ideas of Jesus and his disciples. We will then climb (by cable-car…) the cliff-fortress Massada. Here, on a high cliff in the middle of the desert King Herod the Great built a magnificent palace. This fortified palace was later used by Jewish rebels as a stronghold against the Romans. Their heroic struggle against the mighty Roman Empire became a significant symbol for the modern state of Israel and was recognized by UNESCO as “World Heritage Site”. We end the day floating (you can’t swim…!!) in The Dead Sea, known for its healing qualities. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 04 Old City
We ascend the Mt. of Olives to the Church of Ascension, from where we walk to the Pater Noster Church, one of the first 4 churches built by St. Helen. Now, just like Our Lord in the past, we can enjoy a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem! A steep road takes us down to the Dominus Flevit Church, where the Lord wept over the destruction of the Temple. We will end this day at the Garden of Gethsemane, humbly meditating under the ancient Olive Trees, remembering Our Lord’s wailing in the Church of All Nations. Now we will re-experience that dramatic Friday, when Jesus was crucified.We start at the Bethesda Pools, where Jesus healed the crippled man who couldn’t walk for decades, and the St. Anna Church, famous for its long-lasting echo. Following Our Lord on the Way of the Cross – the “Via Dolorosa”, we stop by the Ecce Homo Arch, before entering the Sisters of Zion Monastery to see the Pretorium where Jesus was sentenced to Death,with the famous Lithostrotus, where you can still see some Roman engravings on the ancient pavement. The stations of the Via Dolorosa lead us through the colorful “Suq” (Bazaar) of the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where we will see the Hill of Calvary (Golgotha) and the empty Tomb of Jesus. Return to hotel in Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 05 Old City & Ein Karem
Our Old City Tour starts at the famous Western (“Wailing” Wall) –the last remnants of the Jewish Temple. Today different Jews from all over the world come here to worship. If open to visits, we will ascend the Temple Mount to view (from outside) the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque. Walking through the Jewish Quarter we will see the well-preserved Roman Cardo. We exit the Old City through the Zion Gate to visit the “Upper Room” (also known as the Cenacleor Caenaculum) where Jesus and his disciples had the Last Supper together, King David’s Tomb.
We drive to Ein Kerem, a picturesque village, in a peaceful valley between mountains and hills, surrounded by the beauty of natural groves, where tradition says John the Baptist was born. Ein Kerem is a pilgrimage site for many Christians. Ein Kerem has charming stone houses adorned with arches, churches whose bells chime in the clear air and lovely paths paved with stone. We end the day at the colorful and noisy Machane Yehuda Market, the largest open market in Israel built in 1928. Return to hotel in Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 06 Jerusalem / Ben Gurion (By Road) (52 Km / 1 hrs )/ Depart Ben Gurion
Day free for personal activities.
(Remark: Room check-out is 12:00 midday, luggage can be in custody free at storage room)
16:00 pm Meet our Driver and transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for departure.
************TOUR ENDS**********
| City | Nights | 5* Hotels |
| Tel Aviv | 02 | Herods Tel Aviv |
| Jerusalem | 03 | Dan Jerusalem Hotel |
- Accommodation as per the program.
- Meal Plan – Breakfast basis.
- Entrance fees.
- Local English speaking guide.
- All transfers, sightseeing, excursions.
- All taxes
- Personal Expenses.
- Camera / Video Camera Fees.
- Medical Aid.
- Tips.
- Travel Insurance.
- Visa (If any).
– Accommodation in good hotels.
– Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
– Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost.
– Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
– A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
– If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
– Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
– In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
– In Asia, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
– While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
– Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
– In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.