Jewish Heritage In Depth

• Round trip economy class airfare New York-Tel Aviv-New York
• 11 nights hotel accommodation in Israel (Tel Aviv 4, Tiberias 2, Jerusalem 5) with breakfast daily
• 8 days of escorted touring as per itinerary
• All transfers with assistance and baggage handling
• Hotel service charges and taxes
• Sightseeing by airconditioned vehicles and English speaking professional tour guides
• All entrance fees on included sightseeing
• Meals as per itinerary: B=breakfast (11)
• Host service in Israel
• FreeGate travel bag and document portfolio
  

Itinerary

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

DAY 2,WED: 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, THU: TEL AVIV (B)
Start the day with a visit of Old Jaffa, an 8000 year old port city. Visit the ancient ruins and walk along the restored artist's quarter. Drive to Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv, built in 1909. Next, visit the Independence Hall where the establishment of the state of Israel was declared. Drive around the main streets of Tel Aviv, center of business and entertainment of Israel. Stop at Rabin's Square, place of assassination of Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin. Proceed to the Tel Aviv university, and visit the Diaspora museum. Overnight in Tel-Aviv.

DAY 4, FRI: REHOVOT - YAD MORDECHAI - BEERSHEBA (B)
Drive to Rehovot to visit world famous Weitzman Institute of Science. Visit the house of Haim Weitzman, the famous Jewish scientist who became president of the young state of Israel. Stop to visit the Ayalon Institute, once an ammunition factory for the Hagana, the underground movement before May 1948. Proceed to Yad Mordechai, named after Mordechai Anilevitz, leader of the Warsaw Ghetto. Visit the restored battle fields of the war of liberation and learn about their Heroic story. Onto Beersheba, driving along the Bedouin tents to Tel-sheba with Abraham's well and remains of an ancient temple and alter from the first temple period. Overnight in Tel-Aviv.

DAY 5, SAT: TEL AVIV (B)
At leisure. Overnight in Tel Aviv.

DAY 6, SUN: CAESAREA - BEIT SHEARIM - HAIFA - ACRE (B)
Drive north to Caesarea, once the roman capital of the region. Visit the Roman theatre, the crusaders' city, the aqueduct and the new multi media museum recently opened. Stop at Beit Shearim, once the town of the Senhadrin, the Jewish supreme court. Proceed to Haifa to visit "AF AL PI CHEN",the Naval museum of the illegal immigration to Israel at the time of the British mandate. Drive to Acre; walk along the old harbour and visit the underground Knight's halls. Continue to the northernmost point of Israel at Rosh Hanikra. Descend by cablecar into the limestone Grottoes. Overnight at a Kibbutz guesthouse. After checking in, meet with a Kibbutz member and learn about the Kibbutz lifestyle.

DAY 7, MON: SAFED - TEL FACHER - BANIAS - TEL DAN - TEL HAI (B)
Drive to Safed, center of Kaballa movement. Visit the old synagogues and stroll the old Artists' colony. Enjoy a Jeep tour to the foot of the Golan, and drive to mount Bental. See the former Israeli fortification, and overlook Kuneitra and the Syrian part of the Golan heights. Proceed to Tel Facher, a former Syrian army camp and continue to visit the Banias springs. Stop at Tel-Dan, a beautiful nature reserve around the Dan river, one of the sources of the Jordan River. Next, a visit to Tel-Hai and the "Hashomer" museum, founded by the first underground Jewish organization. Overnight at a Kibbutz guesthouse.

DAY 8, TUE: BEIT SHEAN - BEIT ALPHA - GAN HASHLOSHA - JERUSALEM (B)
Drive via Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee to Beit Shean, also called "Scythopolis", the biggest archeological park in Israel with beautiful excavations from Roman and Byzantine periods. Stop at Beit Alpha to see the beautiful mosaic floor of a synagogue. Proceed to Gan Hashlosha (Sachne) where you will have an opportunity to enjoy the water springs located at the foot of the Gilboa mountain, the famous mountain on which King Saul was killed in the battle against the Philistines. Continue via the Jordan valley to Jerusalem, stopping at Mount Scopus for a blessing as you enter the city. Overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 9, WED: JERUSALEM - THE NEW CITY (B)
Visit the new city of Jerusalem. Drive to Hadassah hospital to visit the Chagall stained glass windows. Proceed to the mountains of Jerusalem for a tree planting. Onto Mount Hertzl, the military cemetery and Yad Vashem. Continue to the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the book, where you will see the Dead sea scrolls. Drive by the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, and stop to see the unique Menora with the biblical emblems. Then continue to Mea Shearim and learn about the unique lifestyle of the ultra orthodox communities. End the day with a visit to the Ammunition Hill, once a Jordanian army camp which, at the time of the 6 days war, became a symbol to the braveness of the Israeli soldiers in the battle of Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 10, THU: JERUSALEM - THE OLD CITY (B)
Tour the old city of Jerusalem. Celebrate the Bar Mitzvah ceremony at the Kotel. Visit Davidson center and the Kotel tunnels. Proceed via the Arab market to the Cardo, stop at the remains of the city wall dating back to the first Temple period; walk through the Jewish quarter to Jaffa gate, and visit David's Tower. Overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 11, FRI: QUMERAN - MASSADA - DEAD SEA (B)
Drive through the Judean desert to the Dead Sea. Stop at Qumeran, the site where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Continue to Massada, ascend by cablecar and tour the ancient fortress, visiting the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, the bathhouses etc. Descend by cable car. Next stop is for lunch and Spa facilities in one of the leading hotels in the area. Overnight in Jerusalem.

DAY 12, SAT: JERUSALEM (B)
Day at leisure.

DAY 13, SUN: JERUSALEM-USA (B)
After breakfast you will be transferred to Ben Gurion 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
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

Departure Dates & Prices

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: