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.

Welcome Transfer to Tel Aviv

Stretching along a beautiful beach strip of the Mediterranean Sea for 100 years, Tel Aviv is considered the face of modern Israel. Nicknamed “The White City” for its abundance of Bauhaus style architecture, Tel Aviv was declared a UNESCO World Heritage City in 2003.

Overnight: Tel Aviv Hotel Options

 Day 2 Tuesday

TEL AVIV & JAFFA – ISRAEL’S MODERN JOURNEY

Old Jaffa Port & Market

Jaffa is filled with New Testament history, including the events of Jonah’s journey, Tabitha’s resurrection, and Peter’s conversion of the gentiles. The streets are lined with quaint cafes, unique art galleries and a number of churches, including the impressive Church of St. Peter.

Church of St. Peter in Jaffa

Walk through a church built upon the remains of a medieval fortress, decorated with stained glass windows, marble walls and a beautiful murals illustrating Peter’s life. The church’s steeple has historically served as a sign for seafaring pilgrims that the Holy Land is close.

Nachlat Binyamin Arts Fair

The first and biggest of its kind in Israel, this average street comes alive every Tuesday & Friday. Displaying Israeli-made crafts, jewelry, home décor and art, all goods on display are hand made and sold by the artists, making a visit to this market a memorable experience.

Overnight: Tel Aviv Hotel Options

 Day 3 Wednesday

ISRAEL’S COAST – ANCIENT PORTS

Ancient City of Caesarea Ruins

The ruins of Roman and Crusader structures in Caesarea tell the story of this once Christian port town. Highlights include the ruins of a Hippodrome, Roman theater, shop-lined Byzantine Street, Greek mosaic inscription, and Crusader cathedral dedicated to St. Paul.

Meggido National Park

Learn about the history of the biblical period and visit Armageddon. An impressive water system commissioned by King Solomon and expanded by King Ahab is tall enough to walk through. Other finds at the site include a Late Bronze Age gate, palace and ancient stables.

Nazareth Holy Sites

Next we’ll continue our tour with a short drive to Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent his childhood.  Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, Mary’s Well and the Church of St. Gabriel.  Visit the Blessed Cave, view Mary and Joseph’s house.

Tiberias & The Sea of Galilee

The center of Jesus’ ministry, this large freshwater lake is also a popular recreational site, famous for its swimming and boating. Stroll along the shores of the lake and enjoy one of the many gourmet restaurants (fish is popular) with romantic views of the Sea of Galilee.

Dinner & Overnight: Northern Israel Hotel Options

 Day 4 Thursday

THE GOLAN HEIGHTS & TZFAT – ADVENTURE & MYSTICISM

Golan Heights Jeeping Adventure

Jeep tours take you off the road to hard-to-reach places, such as streams, fields and mud tracks. The Golan is green and lush, with small villages nestled into the hills. Learn about the biblical and historical importance of the Golan sites while enjoying a bumpy jeep ride.

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.

Capernaum National Park

Visit the remains of a Second Temple period fishing village and its synagogue, and imagine the lives of those who dwelled there. We’ll learn about the location where Jesus selected his Apostles and the modern day church that stands where the house of Peter once stood.

Dinner & Overnight: Northern Israel Hotel Options

Day 5 Friday

THE JORDAN VALLEY – HIGHWAY OF KINGS

Bellvoir Castle Fortress

A reconstructed Crusader-era castle, Bellvoir is the most complete standing example of a fortress from the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem. The huge towers, moat and drawbridge are particularly impressive. The towers here provide a gorgeous view of the Jordan River.

Beit She’an National Park

The fully excavated theater and town of Beit Shean tell the story of daily life in the time of Jesus. See the remains of the town, with its colonnaded streets and elaborate bathhouses. Learn about the history of the city, inhabited over the years by pagans, Jews and Christians.

Qasr el Yahud Jordan River Baptizing

One of only two organized outdoor baptismal sites in Israel, this is a must-see for pilgrims. Purify yourself in the water where the Israelites crossed the Jordan, Elijah ascended to heaven and Jesus himself was baptized. Dedicated areas are set up here for prayer sessions.

Shabbat Dinner & Overnight: Jerusalem Hotel Options

 Day 6 Shabbat

SHABBAT IN HOLY JERUSALEM

Jerusalem Mount of Olives

Located on the eastern slopes of the Jerusalem mountains, near the Temple Mount and the City of David, this peak is named after the olive trees that covered its grounds in biblical times. Today, camels, monasteries, and ancient tombstones dot these scenic slopes.

Old City Christian Quarter

Take in the incredible view of the Wailing Wall on your way to the Christian Quarter. Visit the Pools of Bethesda and walk on along the Via Dolorosa, following the 14 Stations of the Cross from Pilate’s Judgment Hall to the empty tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Bethlehem & Church of the Nativity

It is at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where we will learn about the birth of Jesus. It is one of the world’s oldest churches and houses the Grotto of the Nativity, the spot where the birth took place, marked by a 14-point silver star flanked by majestic silver lamps.

Tower of David Night Spectacular

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: Jerusalem Hotel Options

 Day 7 Sunday

JERUSALEM – THE ETERNAL CAPITAL

Wailing Wall Rabbinical Tunnels

Explore ancient Jerusalem from underground. See the layers of the Temple Mount’s Western Wall that are hidden underneath the Old City’s Muslim Quarter, including an ancient water channel, the Roman road to the Temple and the Notre Dame monastery.

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.

Israel Museum and Shrine of the Book

Tour Israel’s foremost museum, home to impressive collections of art and archaeology from ancient and modern Israel and the Jewish Diaspora. View some of the original Dead Sea Scrolls, which shed light on the milieu in which Jesus and John the Baptist lived and taught.

Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

Tour Jerusalem’s international center for the documentation, research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust. Highlights include the Hall of Names, a memorial to individual victims, and “The World that Was” which documents pre-war European Jewry.

 Overnight: Jerusalem Hotel Options

 Day 8 Monday

THE JUDEAN DESERT – KING HERODS FORTRESS

Masada Fortress & Cable Car

Learn about the end of Jewish independence at the time when Christianity was just getting started. Visit an interactive museum, which tells the story of the site, and hike or take a cable car up the mountain to view the ruins of Herod’s palace and the landmark synagogue.

The Dead Sea Float Experience

Travel below sea level to the lowest point on earth and float in the Dead Sea, whose high concentration of salts and minerals keep you afloat at all times. A number of spas located at the Dead Sea offer treatments utilizing nutrients for skin enhancement and for relaxation.

 Overnight: Eilat Hotel Options

 Day 9 Tuesday

DAY AT LEISURE IN EILAT

Relax on the Red Sea Beaches

Enjoy the clear blue of the Red Sea and the sun that shines over Eilat year-round. More than 1200 species of tropical fish in beautiful hues swim in the sea, and still more creatures make their homes in the coral reef. Egyptian and Jordanian mountains are visible across the bay.

 Overnight: Eilat Hotel Options

 Day 10 Wednesday

PETRA – THE LOST NABATEAN CITY

Petra – The Red Sandstone City

Counted amongst the wonders of the ancient world, Petra is an archeological, anthropological and geological phenomenon. Your guide will explain the history, legends, myths and truths of this city carved 2,000 years ago from the red Sandstone Mountains.

 Overnight: Eilat Hotel Options

 Day 11 Thursday

DOMESTIC FLIGHT TO TEL AVIV

Dolphin Beach (Dolphin Reef)

A group of Bottlenose dolphins, including babies born at the site, play amongst themselves and with humans. You can get up close during a guided swim, or grab a view from one of the floating piers. The area features lots of entertainment options, and the dolphins swim freely.

Domestic Flight to Tel Aviv &  Overnight: Tel Aviv Hotel Options

 Day 12 Friday

FAREWELL FOR NOW…WE’LL MISS YOU!

Farewell Transfer…We’ll Miss you!

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