Israel and Greece Highlights

• Round trip economy class airfare from New York to Tel Aviv and Athens
• 8 nights hotel accommodation in Israel (Tel Aviv 1, Haifa 1, Tiberias 1, Jerusalem 5) with breakfast daily
• 6 days of escorted touring as per itinerary
• 3 nights hotel accommodation in Athens with buffet breakfast daily
• Half day guided tour of Athens
• 4 day/ 4-night cruise to the Greek Islands and Turkey; accommodations in inside cabins with private facilities and all meals on board
• All transfers in Greece and Israel with assistance and baggage handling
• Hotel service charges and taxes
• Sightseeing in air-conditioned vehicles and English speaking professional tour guides
• All entrance fees on included sightseeing
• Host service in Greece and Israel
• Meals as per itinerary: B = breakfast (15), L= lunch (4), D = dinner (4)
• 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. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

DAY 3: DIASPORA MUSEUM - CAESAREA - DRUZE VILLAGES - HAIFA (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.

DAY 4: HAIFA - SAFED - GOLAN HEIGHTS (B)
Begin your day at the summit of Mount Carmel offering a breathtaking 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, to visit the ancient synagogues and the artists' colony. On 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 - 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 (subject to availability), stopping at Rachel's Tomb and to visit the Church of the Nativity. Overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 7: JERUSALEM - NEW CITY (B)
Drive to the Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem to see the Chagall stained glass windows. Proceed to Bayit Vegan to view 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)
Day at leisure.

DAY 10: TEL AVIV - ATHENS (B)
After breakfast you will be transferred to Ben Gurion Airport for your flight to Athens. Upon arrival, meet with your local host and transfer to your hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure.

DAY 11: ATHENS - 4 DAY CRUISE - MYKONOS (B,L,D)
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to Piraeus to embark on your 4-day Greek Island cruise. The first port of call today will be the jet set island of Mykonos. Stroll at leisure through the white-washed, flower-decked alleyways to the sculpture-like church of Paraportiani, or along the waterfront to the famous windmills.

DAY 17: ATHENS - USA (B)
Morning transfer to the airport for your departure 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
ATHENS	Polis Grand	Titania	Royal Olympic	Athens Plaza
CRUISE	Inside cabins Category "D" with two lower beds (Upgrades available)

Departure Dates & Prices

* Other departures available on request - Let us customize your trip to suit your needs

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.

ADDITIONAL CHARGES (per person):
- Air taxes and security fees: approx. $145 - 200 depending on airline used
- Cruise Port taxes: $90
- Cruise Fuel surcharges: $44

CRUISE UPGRADES to Outside cabins Category "A" please add $120 (per person/ double).

BRING-YOUR-OWN-AIR: If you buy your own airline tickets, please deduct from the tour price:

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