Israel & Jordan

Thursday: En Route

Depart the U.S.A. on your flight to Israel.

Friday: Tel Aviv

Welcome to Israel! Arrive Ben Gurion Airport; special meeting, assistance and transfer to your hotel in trendy Tel Aviv’s Mediterranean beach. Balance of the afternoon at leisure. Tonight, Get Together Dinner. (D)

Saturday: Tel Aviv

Morning walking tour through the city’s well known streets including Dizengoff Square ending at Ben Gurion House, former residence of the First Prime Minister.  See his personal belongings and his expansive library. Remainder of the day is at leisure.  (B)

Sunday: Tel Aviv/Haifa

Depart Tel Aviv and drive to the extraordinary Israeli Museum at the Yitzhak Rabin Center. Continue to ancient Caesarea; explore the Roman and Crusader ruins including the impressive 2,000-year-old theater and aqueduct. Arrive in Nazareth, the sacred town where Jesus spent part of his youth; visit the Church and view Mary’s Well. On to the sparkling port city of Haifa; check into your hotel atop Mt. Carmel. Evening: Enjoy Dinner and a special cultural presentation (subject to min. 10 participants). (B.D)

Monday: Haifa

View the golden-domed Baha’i Shrine and the breathtaking “Hanging Gardens”, – a UNESCO World Heritage site. Drive along the coast to Rosh Hanikra; descend by cable car to see the magnificent underwater grottoes. Time to enjoy some fine wines at a local winery. Then, continue to the timeless Crusader city of Acre; walk through the subterranean city and bazaars that recall the colorful middle Ages. Return to your hotel for overnight. (B)

Tuesday: Haifa/Jerusalem

Depart en route to Safed, one of Judaism’s holiest cities; visit the ancient synagogues and the charming Artists’ Quarter. Then, onto Capernaum, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, to see the fantastic ruins of the ancient synagogue. Ascend the strategic Golan Heights and learn about the 20^th and 21st century battle that helped shape and change the State of Israel. Continue for a visit to a former Syrian army bunker at Kibbutz Kfar Charuv, settled by Americans and Israelis together. Enjoy a late lunch in the communal dining room.  Then drive south to Jerusalem, stopping first for a blessing and a hope filled toast to the future and our arrival in the eternal city.  Overnight in Israel’s capital. (B.L)

Wednesday: Jerusalem

Drive to Hadassah Medical Center to the see the sublime Chagall Windows. On to Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Memorial and Museum of the Holocaust, visit the Children’s Pavilion and Avenue of the Righteous. Then, continue to Mount Herzl to pay respects to Israel’s founders and heroes. Pass the Supreme Court and the Knesset (Parliament) en route to the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Walk through the Israel Museum and the Billy Rose Sculpture Garden; see the Scale Model of ancient Jerusalem. Evening: Night Tour of illuminated Jerusalem followed by a restaurant dinner and the “Night Spectacular” Sound & Light Show at the Citadel Museum (weather and schedule permitting). (B.D)

Thursday: Jerusalem

Drive to Mt. Zion to visit the Tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Enter the Old City to the restored Jewish Quarter; walk along the Cardo – the main street of Byzantine Jerusalem. Continue to the Western Wall, the last remnant of the Second Temple and view the Dome of the Rock. Proceed through the Hasmonean Tunnel (tunnel schedule permitting) or tour the Herodian Mansions, a completely excavated residential quarter from 2000 years ago. Follow the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; stroll through the exotic bazaars. End today with a visit to the fabulous Friends of Zion Heritage Center before returning to your hotel; or, an optional visit to Bethlehem (conditions permitting) may be arranged. (B)

Friday: Jerusalem

Descend through the Judean desert to the Dead Sea, lowest point on Planet Earth. Ascend Masada by cable car and see this last stronghold of the Zealots in their struggle against the Romans. Visit the excavations, Herod the Great’s palace, synagogue and bathhouse. Then, opportunity to enjoy an “unsinkable” swim in the buoyant waters of the Dead Sea. Drive via the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, on your return to Jerusalem. Stop at the Western Wall, time permitting, beautifully illuminated on this Sabbath eve before arriving to the hotel. Tonight, home traditional dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (B.D)

Saturday: Jerusalem

Enjoy a full day at leisure for relaxation and on your own exploration. For those still craving to see and do as much as possible, your tour manager will provide tickets to the Museum of the History of Jerusalem in the Old City, definitely worth a visit! Overnight in Jerusalem. (B)

Sunday: Jerusalem / Petra, Jordan

Morning transfer from Jerusalem to the Allenby/ King Hussein Bridge. Our representative will meet you at the Terminal Building on the Israeli side of the Border, attend to all required procedures at this crossing and escort you to the awaiting vehicle to begin your tour of Jordan; an Exclusive Isram Service with no waiting for shuttle buses! Meet your Jordanian guide and begin your drive through the dramatic desert scenery of the Kings Highway. First stop is the Byzantine Church of Mt. Nebo, highest point of the Moabite mountain range, offering a remarkable view of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Then proceed to Madaba, home to some of the finest Byzantine mosaics in the world. View the 6th century mosaic map of the Holyland. After lunch, visit the magnificent crusader castle of Kerak before continuing on to Petra. Dinner and overnight in Petra. (B.L.D.)

Monday: Petra / Amman

Today, discover a most unforgettable day in the “hidden” city of Petra. Travel on horseback or on foot into the “rose-red” city to the awesome “Siq”, a winding canyon road. Continue by foot to visit one of Petra’s most impressive monument, the Treasury, made famous in the movie “Indiana Jones”, carved out of solid rock from the side of the mountain. Beyond the Treasury, you’ll discover soaring temples, elaborate royal tombs, a theatre, burial chambers and water channels. After lunch, depart Petra and drive north to Amman. Check into your hotel for overnight. (B.L)

Tuesday: Amman / Jerash / Ajloun / Israel (Ben Gurion Airport) / En Route

Begin with a tour of Amman, the capital of Jordan. See the Roman Theatre and the Citadel containing the remains of the massive Temple of Hercules. Continue to Jerash, known as the “Pompeii of the East”, one of the world’s best-preserved Greco-Roman cities. Tour the Temples of Artemis and Zeus, the Roman Forum, Hadrian’s Arch, the massive Theatre and the mile-long Street of Columns. On to Saladin’s 12th-century mountain top castle, Ajloun Castle, one of the finest examples of military architecture. Enjoy a late afternoon lunch before continuing to the border between Jordan and Israel – Sheikh Hussein. Cross to Israel and transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your late evening flight home arriving U.S.A. the next day; special assistance is provided for check-in services. (B.L)
Note: Passengers extending in Israel may be transferred to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv with an additional charge.