Israel in Depth

• Round trip economy class airfare New York-Tel Aviv-New York
• 11 nights hotel accommodation in Israel (Tel Aviv 2, Haifa 1, Tiberias 1, Jerusalem 5, Eilat 2) with breakfast daily
• 8 days of escorted touring
• All transfers with assistance
• Hotel service charges and taxes
• Sightseeing by airconditioned vehicles and English speaking professional tour guides
• All entrance fees on included sightseeing
• Meals: B=breakfast (11)
• Host service in Israel
• FreeGate travel bag and document portfolio
  

Itinerary

DAY 1: USA-TEL AVIV
Depart New York on your overnight transatlantic flight to Tel Aviv with meals on board.

DAY 2: TEL AVIV
Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport you will be met, assisted and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

DAY 3: DIASPORA MUSEUM / CAESAREA / DRUZE VILLAGES (B)
Depart Tel Aviv and drive to the Diaspora Museum for a visit. Proceed along the coastal plain to Caesarea, capital of Judea under the Romans. See the excavations of the Crusader city and the Roman port, aqueduct and the amphitheater that has been restored to its former glory as a concert venue. Continue via the Druze villages to Haifa. Overnight in Haifa.

DAY 4: HAIFA / SAFED / GOLAN HEIGHTS (B)
The tour of Haifa will begin at the summit of Mount Carmel where you will take in a breathtaking panoramic view of the Haifa Bay and Western Galilee. Continue on to the golden domed Bahai Shrine to visit the exotic Persian Gardens. Proceed to Safed, the center of Jewish mysticism, where you will visit the ancient synagogues and the artists' colony. Continue to the Golan Heights to see the former Syrian bunkers, Kuneitra and the new Israeli town of Katzrin. Overnight in Kibbutz.

DAY 5: SEA OF GALILEE / NAZARETH (B)
Start the day with a visit of Tiberias. Drive to Capernaum to see the ruins of the synagogue and octagonal church of St. Peter and then proceed to Nazareth. Here you will visit the church of the Annunciation. Drive via Beit Shean to Beit Alpha to see the remains of the mosaic floor of an ancient synagogue depicting the zodiac. Overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 6: JERUSALEM - THE OLD CITY (B)
Visit the tomb of King David and the room of the Last Supper on Mt. Zion. Enter the walled city and walk through the newly restored Jewish Quarter. Visit the Roman Cardo, the Herodian Quarter and continue to the Western Wall. Walk along the Via Dolorosa to the church of the Holy Sepulchre, proceed to Mount Scopus and then to the Mount of Olives for a magnificent panoramic view of the Old City. Continue to Bethlehem (visit subject to availability), stopping at Rachel's Tomb and to visit the Church of the Nativity. Overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 7: JERUSALEM - THE NEW CITY (B)
Drive to the Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem to see the Chagall stained glass windows. Proceed to Bayit Vegan to visit the miniature model of Jerusalem as it was during the Second Temple period. Continue to Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Holocaust and then to the Israel Museum. Visit the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed and see the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, and the Givat Ram Campus of the Hebrew University. Overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 8: QUMERAN - MASSADA - DEAD SEA (B)
Drive through the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, almost 1300 feet (400 meters) below sea level. Stop at Qumeran to visit the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Drive along the shores of the Dead Sea to Massada. Ascend by cable car and tour the ancient fortress where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans before committing mass suicide in 73 AD. Descend by cable car, time and weather permitting, an opportunity will be provided to float on the Dead Sea. Overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 9: JERUSALEM (B)
At leisure. Overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 10: THE NEGEV DESERT - EILAT (B)
Travel south to the Negev desert, visit Israel's Air Force Museum near Beer Sheva to view the planes and equipment and to hear the story of this brave fighting force. Continue south, visiting kibbutz Sde Boker, to see Ben Gurion's hut and grave, overlooking the magnificent Zin valley. Stop at Mitzpeh Ramon to gaze into the Ramon Crater, an otherworldly geological wonder. Proceed to Eilat for overnight.

DAY 11: EILAT (B)
Start the day with a panoramic view of the city. Continue for a visit to the Underwater Observatory, one the largest seaquariums in the world, built into coral reef. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Eilat.

DAY 12: EILAT - TIMNA - TEL AVIV (B)
Morning at leisure. In the afternoon depart Eilat to visit Timna copper mines and King Solomon's Pillars and marvel at the huge multi-colored rock formations. Drive back to Tel Aviv for overnight.

DAY 13: TEL AVIV - DEPARTURE (B)
After breakfast, transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your departing flight.

Accommodations	VALUE	OPTION A	OPTION B	OPTION C
TEL AVIV	Dan Panorama	Sheraton Moriah	Dan ( Standard room)	Dan Deluxe room
HAIFA	Dan Panorama	Dan Carmel Standard room	Dan Carmel Standard room	Dan Carmel Deluxe room
TIBERIAS/ GALILEE	Kibbutz Lavi Lev wing	Kibbutz Lavi Hod wing	Kibbutz Lavi Hod wing	Kibbutz Lavi Hador wing
JERUSALEM	Dan Panorama	Sheraton Plaza	King David Standard room	King David Deluxe New City
EILAT	Dan Panorama	Sheraton Eilat	Dan Eilat Standard room	Dan Eilat Deluxe room

Departure Dates & Prices

* This tour may also depart on Wednesday and Thursdays at modified itineraries and prices - please inquire

Rates are per person in US Dollars, double occupancy, and include airline fuel surcharges. Airfare from New York is included; departures from most USA gateways are available - please inquire. Air taxes & security fees (approx. $145-200) are additional.

BUSINESS CLASS UPGRADE (Transatlantic airfare): $2,649 to $3,189 depending on your travel dates

BRING-YOUR-OWN-AIR: If you buy your own airline tickets, please deduct from above prices: