Israel & Petra Highlights Tour

ITINERARY

Sunday: Arrival

Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

Monday: Masada and the Dead Sea

Set off from Tel Aviv to Masada, Israel’s foremost archaeological park. Ascend via cable-car for a thorough visit that gives insight into the rituals, politics, and culture of the people who inhabited this desert fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish zealots in their war against the Romans. Visit the excavations, Herod’s palaces, the synagogue, bathhouse, and cisterns, and enjoy the breathtaking view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea. Descend to the lowest place on earth – the Dead Sea, to experience the mineral-rich black mud and to float on its salty waters. Passing by the oasis of Ein Gedi, proceed through the Judean Desert, ascending to Jerusalem.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

Tuesday: Jerusalem New City

Visit Yad Vashem, the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953, located at the foot of Mt. Herzl. Enjoy Ein Karem, a picturesque village in the southwestern outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village holds great significance in Christian traditions, as it is where, according to tradition, John the Baptist was born. Visit Bethlehem – the birthplace of Jesus at the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. End the day at the Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea scrolls, then a visit to the beautifully renovated model of the Herodian city of Jerusalem, dating back to the time of the Second Temple.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

Wednesday: Jerusalem Old City and Bethlehem

Enter the Old City of Jerusalem, where you will see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, housing both the traditional site of the Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection. To the southwest, just outside the Old City, is Mount Zion, with the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem - the holy city for each of the world’s three great religions - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, from atop the Mount of Olives. Visit the Garden of Gethsemane, where Judas betrayed Jesus.

In the heart of a neighborhood in downtown Jerusalem, visit Mahane Yehuda to experience the flavors, aromas, colors, and the traders' interaction with the crowds, at the largest open market in Israel.

Overnight in Jerusalem.

Thursday: Beit She'an - Golan Heights - Tiberias

Leave Jerusalem and drive north, passing by Jericho, the oldest city in the world. Travel through the Jordan Valley and the new settlements to Beit She’an, to visit the excavations of this beautifully preserved Roman city. Ascend to the Golan Heights, an area of rolling vineyards and dramatic landscapes. Visit a local winery for a tasting, learning how this region has become one of Israel’s most exciting wine producers.

Travel through the Golan, with its Druze villages, former Syrian fortifications, and panoramic views of Mount Hermon and into Syria. Descend to the Hula Valley and drive to Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee - regarded as one of the four Holy cities in Judaism, where the Jewish Talmud - the primary source of Jewish religious law - was compiled, with tombs of Rabbis scattered across the city.

Overnight in Tiberias.