JEWISH HERITAGE

Full day at leisure and overnight in Tel Aviv. (B)

Today, head north to Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the region. See the excavations of the Crusaders’ city, the aqueduct and the amphitheater that has been restored as a concert venue. Proceed to Haifa to visit the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum (“Af al Pi Chen”) and hear the story of the illegal emigrants to Israel at the time of the British mandate. Drive to Acre, whose Old City is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Continue on to Rosh Hanikra where you will descend by cable car into the underwater grottoes to admire the spectacular natural formation. Overnight at a Kibbutz guesthouse in Galilee. (B)

Drive to Safed, one of the four holy cities in Israel and center of the Kabbalah movement. Visit the Caro and Ari synagogues and the picturesque Artists’ quarter. Next, enjoy a Jeep tour to the foot of the Golan. Continue up the Golan Heights, stopping at Gadot overlook, a memorial for the fallen of the Golan located over former Syrian bunkers and view the monument built in honor of the Alexandroni Brigade. Take in the views over the city of Kuneitra and the Syrian territory. Drive to Tel-Hai; see the “Roaring Lion” monument and learn about the heroic battle of Josef Trumpeldor and his comrades in 1920. Meet with a Kibbutz member and learn about their unique lifestyle. Overnight at a Kibbutz guesthouse in Galilee. (B)

Drive to Tiberias to visit Rambam’s grave. Continue through the Jordan Valley to Beit Shean, known as “Scythopolis,” and see the fascinating excavated remains from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Stop at Beit Alpha to admire the beautiful mosaic floor of a synagogue discovered in 1929. Visit Gan Hashlosha national park and enjoy the warm spring water pools and waterfalls. Head on via the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem, stopping at Mount Scopus for a blessing as you enter the city. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B)

Visit the Tomb of King David on Mt. Zion. Visit the four Sepharadic Synagogues in the Jewish quarter restored after the war of 1967. Visit the Western Wall (Kotel) and explore its tunnels. Next, visit the archaeological park at Davidson Center. Then, walk through the colorful local bazaar to visit the Tower of David museum presenting the history of Jerusalem and ancient remains of the city beginning with the First Temple period. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B)

Enjoy seeing the Bar-Mitzvah ceremonies at the Kotel. Drive through Mea Shearim, one of the oldest Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem and learn about the unique lifestyle of the ultra-orthodox communities. Head to Mount Herzl, the military cemetery, and on to the memorial to the Holocaust, Yad Vashem. Visit Ammunition Hill, a former Jordanian army stronghold, conquered by the Israeli army in the Six-Day War and converted into a national memorial site and museum. Drive by Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, and see the Menorah with its biblical emblems. Next, visit Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea scrolls are housed, and see the Holy Land model, a miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B)

Drive through the Judean desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Visit the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Continue to Masada and ascend by cable car, then tour the mountain fortress built by King Herod where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans. Here you will see the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, and bathhouse before descending by cable car. Next, stop for lunch and experience the spa facilities in one of the leading hotels in the area and enjoy some time to float in the hyper-saline Dead Sea. Overnight in Jerusalem. (B,L)

Full day at leisure and overnight in Jerusalem. (B)

Transfer to Ben Gurion airport for departure. (B)