Day 1 Monday

WELCOME TO HOLY ISRAEL!

VIP Welcome at Ben Gurion Airport

After landing, a Shalom Israel Tours representative will be waiting to welcome you as you exit the plane. Your party will be transported in a private vehicle to the flight staff passport control, continue to luggage identification and transfer to your luxury chauffeured vehicle.

Journey into Northern Israel

Travel north along Israel’s coast to arrive at your hotel and rest from your journey.

Welcome Dinner & Orientation

Enjoy a welcome dinner & orientation and get ready for the experience of a lifetime.

Dinner & Overnight: The Ramot Resort, Golan Heights

Day 2 Tuesday

THE GALILEE & TZFAT – CITY OF MYSTICS

Tel Dan National Park

Tour the historical site built and conquered by the Tribe of Dan. In the center of the park, there is a fascinating archeological site with the remains of the biblical city of Laish. Get your feet tickled by fish as you wade through the Dan River, one of the Jordan’s sources.

Jordan River Rafting

Get ready for some real wild water fun! Israel’s Jordan River is the perfect place to cool off – go for some calm white water rafting or take on adventurous kayaking. These activities take place along 12 miles of the Jordan River with turbulent waterfalls and lush grassy banks.

Tzfat Old City & Artist Quarter

Tzfat is one of the four holy cities in Israel. It has served as a spiritual center since the 1600s, when famous Kabbalists roamed here. Tzfat awaits art lovers, soul-seekers and historians to cobblestone alleys, medieval synagogues, galleries and mystical atmosphere.

Unique Tzfat Synagogues

Throughout the centuries, Tzfat has been rattled by several earthquakes, yet mysteriously, many old synagogues have remained intact. View a Torah scroll from the Middle Ages, the authentic Shulchan Aruch, and Holy Arks in the synagogues of famous Torah scholars.

Otzar HaStam Multimedia Scribe Center

At your visit to this interactive center – the only one of its kind in the world – you will experience the fascinating world of “STaM,” the ancient art and tradition of the Jewish scribes. Learn about the intricate process of writing Torah scrolls, tefillin and mezuzot.

Dinner & Overnight: The Ramot Resort, Golan Heights

Day 3 Wednesday

THE GOLAN HEIGHTS – BATTLEFIELDS & CHOCOLATE!

Golan Heights Jeeping

Take an exhilarating ride through the Golan Heights. With the sun on your face and the wind in your hair, you’ll venture up, down and all around the luscious green hills of the North. Keep an eye out for bright and blooming fields of flowers and wild animals grazing.

Mount Bental IDF Bunker

Enjoy views of Syria from a key mountaintop location on Israel’s northern border. From the top of this dormant volcano, you will see the majestic Mount Hermon, the picturesque Druze villages of the Golan and bunkers and trenches left over from the Yom Kippur War.

Kibbutz El Romm & the Valley of Tears

Though greatly outnumbered, the Israeli 7^th Armored Brigade displayed their true strength when they triumphed over the Syrians in the 1973 Yom Kippur war in this famous valley. They had only 40 tanks against 500 Syrian tanks but miraculously emerged victorious.

De Karina Chocolate Factory Tour & Workshop

Tour through a world of mountainous chocolate and learn about the different varieties and preparation traditions that have been passed down for generations. Get a first-hand look at the manufacturing process, participate in a workshop and enjoy some delicious samples.

Dinner & Overnight: The Ramot Resort, Golan Heights

Day 4 Thursday

THE JORDAN VALLEY – HIGHWAY OF KINGS

Beit She’an National Park

It is here that King Saul was defeated by the Philistines in a vicious historical battle. Later, Beit She’an was reestablished as a Greek city with colonnaded streets, temples, theaters and fountains. The city was devastated by an earthquake in 749 CE; now only remnants remain.

Gan HaShlosha National Park

Chosen by Time Magazine as one of the world’s 20 most beautiful parks, relax and rejuvenate at one of the natural pools or Jacuzzis that are idyllically situated below a flowing waterfall. Located in the hot Beit She’an valley, the cool water can be a welcome diversion.

Jericho Observation Deck

The community of Mitzpe Jericho is located on the edge of the Judean desert and offers stunning panoramic views of the Dead Sea, Jordan River, the ancient city of Jericho and the surrounding hills. The observation deck here is shaded and surrounded by a lush garden.

View of Holy Jerusalem

Arrive in Jerusalem and ascend to the Haas Promenade. In a single view, you will perceive both the Old City and the expanse of modern Jerusalem. This site helps us understand why the Talmud says that of the ten measures of beauty in the world, nine reside in Jerusalem.

Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Day 5 Friday

THE JERUSALEM MARKET – LOCAL FLAVOR!

1967 Six Day War – Ammunition Hill

On the night of June 6^th, 1967, a four-hour battle took place here at Ammunition Hill in which 36 men lost their lives. Today you can view the trenches and reconstructed bunker that serves as a museum and tells the story of the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem  “Shuk” (Market)

With more than 250 vendors, this bustling outdoor marketplace is considered the heartbeat of central Jerusalem. Whatever you are looking for, the shuk has it: clothing, Judaica, fresh produce, meats, diamonds, restaurants – and an array of colorful characters throughout.

Nachlaot Neighborhood

Discover hidden nooks and crannies in the historic alleyways of the quaint neighborhood of Nachlaot, established by those who left the comforts of the Old City Walls in the 1860s. Today’s Nachlaot is inhabited by old-timers, hippies and young American immigrants.

Friday Night Tour to the Western Wall

On the eve of Shabbat, Jerusalem transforms; stores shut down, and streets and alleyways fall silent, as all begin to anticipate the weekly Shabbat. Our 2000-year-old tour will pass through Jaffa gate and the Golden Menorah, and end at the Wall right as Shabbat begins.

Shabbat Dinner & Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Day 6 Shabbat

SHABBAT IN HOLY JERUSALEM

Shabbat Morning at Leisure & Lunch at your Hotel

Enjoy breakfast and a morning of leisure at your hotel. After breakfast enjoy spirited prayers and singing at the Mayanot Shul in Rechavia, or the ornamented Great Synagogue. Following a lavish lunch at the hotel, we’ll explore fascinating neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

Unique Shabbat Afternoon Tour

In the late afternoon we’ll explore the Old City’s Four Quarters: the Jewish Quarter, Christian Quarter, Muslim Quarter and Armenian Quarter. Each stone has a remarkable story to tell, and we’ll uncover the history of this amazing city during the walking tour.

Night Spectacular at the Tower of David

In the evening you’ll head back to the Tower of David’s rooftop to view an epic nighttime extravaganza of sight and sound, depicting the conquests of the Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Turks and others, as they tried to overtake Jerusalem. This show is simply “Spectacular.”

Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Day 7 Sunday

THE JUDEAN DESERT – KING HERRODS FORTRESS

Masada Mountain & Cable Car

Ride via cable car to the top of Masada and explore what remains of King Herod’s palace. See what it was like to live there as you view the preserved baths, cisterns and barracks. It was here that leader Eleazer Ben Yair kept the Roman Legion’s siege at bay for three years.

Dead Sea Float Experience

Yam Hamelach, literally meaning “Sea of Salt,” is 417 meters below sea level, making it the lowest place on earth. Its salty water contains unique healing properties, which, combined with the nutrient-filled mud found on its shores, creates one luxurious and healthy day.

Ein Gedi National Park

In the biblical period, David hid from Saul amongst the streams and canyons of Ein Gedi. Today, Ein Gedi serves as a refuge from city life and from the arid desert. Enjoy a nature walk amongst date trees, waterfalls, caves and ibex. On a hot day, cool off in the water.

Genesis Land Camel Rides & Desert Dinner

Situated in the heart of the Judean Desert en route to the Dead Sea, Genesis Land offers immersion into the world of the Bible. Visitors are greeted by Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, and then led by a train of camels down to Abraham’s tent to enjoy dinner and hospitality.

Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Day 8 Monday

JERUSALEM’S OLD CITY – THE ETERNAL CAPITAL

Old City Ramparts Walk

Built in the 16^th century by Suleiman the Magnificent, the vantage points of the  se ramparts were used by Jordanian snipers against the Israelis from 1948-1968. Walk along the top of the wall and enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the Jewish and Christian quarters of the Old City.

Western Wall Tunnels Tour

These famous underground tunnels contain remnants of entire rooms from the Second Temple period. At Warren’s Gate, you’ll stand just a few feet away from where the Holy Ark stood, and feel the yearning of the Jewish people for the Temple for thousands of years.

City of King David Excavations

In 1004 BCE, King David conquered this city and secured the place where the Holy Temple would eventually be built by his son, King Solomon. Remaining structures such as Warren’s Shaft and the Tunnel of Siloam exhibit the intricate workings of this ancient capital city.

Jerusalem Archaeological Park

Experience Second Temple-era Jerusalem on the eve of its destruction by the Romans. See a virtual reconstruction of the Temple, visit the stores and walkways of the surrounding city and see the remnants of the staircase that led to the Temple Mount and the Holy of Holies.

Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Day 9 Tuesday

UNITED JERUSALEM – THE NEW CITY

Mount Herzl National Cemetery

A burial place for prominent Zionist figures such as Theodore Herzl, Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin, here you will also find an expansive military cemetery; one quite full for a country so young. The loss of the soldiers who fought for the land of Israel is palpable.

Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

In 1963, the Yad Vashem Museum was established as the world center for Holocaust research, education and commemoration. With survivor testimonies, powerful displays, artifacts and memorial gardens, this museum embodies one crucial message: Never again.

Israel Museum & Dead Sea Scrolls

Founded in 1965, this is the largest cultural institution in the State of Israel and one of the world’s leading art and archaeology museums. Here you will find the oldest existing biblical manuscripts in the world, the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are housed in the Shrine of the Book.

Jerusalem Time Elevator

The Jerusalem Time Elevator packs 3000 years of history into a fun, exciting, multimedia presentation. This historical show, geared towards older children, is 35 minutes long, and keeps their attention through a fast-paced film with special effects and a motion platform.

Overnight: Dan Panorama Hotel, Jerusalem

Day 10 Wednesday

TEL AVIV & FAREWELL…WE’LL MISS YOU!

Latrun Police Station & Tank Museum

Numerous significant battles took place here during the 1948 War of Independence. In 1967, Latrun was liberated from Jordanian rule. Today, it houses a memorial for fallen armored corps soldiers. Some 110 armored vehicles are displayed and can be climbed on.

Underground Bullet Factory – The Ayalon Institute

This secret factory was established by the Haganah in 1945. While it appeared as a kibbutz laundry above ground, down below, 45 members of an underground mission were producing bullets in preparation of the War of Independence. The British never suspected.

The Palmach Museum

Founded in 1941, the Palmach became a fully trained underground military force made up of volunteer men and women who fought to rid Palestine of the British – later merging with the IDF for Israel’s War of Independence. The Palmach’s story comes to life at this museum.

Farewell Transfer…We’ll Miss you!

Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your temporary departure from Israel…Bye for now!