ISRAEL EXTENSION

Drive to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city. Enter the Old City and walk through the Armenian and Jewish quarters to the recently excavated and restored Cardo, the Roman road. See the Western Wall, the Kotel, and continue to the Christian Quarter. Walk along the Via Dolorosa and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Continue to Bethlehem for an overview of Shepherds’ Field, visit the Church of the Nativity and Manger’s Square. Return to hotel in Jerusalem. (B)

After breakfast, morning drive via the Judean Desert to Masada and the Dead Sea. In Masada, ascend by cable car and tour the mountain fortress built by King Herod, where the Jewish zealots of the first century made their last stand against the Romans. Visit the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, water cisterns, mosaic floors, Roman baths and other findings. Continue to the Dead Sea. After lunch, enjoy the unique opportunity to swim and float in the Dead Sea that many believe has therapeutic effects. On the way back, view the Qumran caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. (B)  

After breakfast, enjoy a beautiful day watching the outstanding landscape of Lower Galilee. Depart Jerusalem on the Coastal Road for Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent his childhood. Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph. Continue, via Kafr Kanna, to Tiberias, a lovely resort town. Drive along Lake Kinnereth to visit Capernaum and view the ruins of the ancient synagogue where Jesus taught. Continue to Tabgha, the site of the Miracle of the Fish and Loaves, located at the foot of the Golan Heights. After lunch, continue to Yardenit, the famous baptismal site where the Jordan River leaves the Sea of Galilee towards Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. (B)

After breakfast, transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your departure. (B)