Rates: (all quoted in US$ per person)

ITINERARY:

THURSDAY: Tel Aviv
As you begin your journey in the Holy Land a Gray Line Israel representative will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

FRIDAY: Tel Aviv / Sea of Galilee / Tiberias
A bus will pick you up from your hotel and we will make a short visit of the city of Jaffa (Joppa) where we will take a brief walking tour along picturesque alleys of the Old Town. We will pass by the house of “Simon the Tanner” and marvel at the views from the hill top. Then we will drive up north along the coast to the archaeological ruins of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great in honor of Augustus Caesar. From there we go on to visit Megiddo, described in the book of Revelation during a great battle as Armageddon”. It is an ancient city that has been inhabited continuously for more than five millenniums (6000-500 B.C.). After exploring these ancient ruins we will drive toward the Sea of Galilee, arriving at Tiberias for the night.

SATURDAY: Sea of Galilee
After breakfast we start our day at the historic town of Tiberias whereJesus briefly lived and preached on the shores of the magnificent Sea of Galilee. Our next destination will be Capernaum, the center of Jesus’s Ministry. Then we will visit Tabgha, just north of Tiberias, to the site of Christ’s miracle of feeding 5,000 as we marvel a the Church of Multiplication’s mosaic floor which depicts a basket with loaves of bread and two fishes. We will then drive on to the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus preached the “Sermon on the Mount” and is believed to have picked his 12 apostles. Next, ascend to the Golan Heights to vieq the peaks of Mount Hermon, the rugged plateau of the Golan Heights and the green pastoral Huleh valley. At the end of the day we will return to Tiberias for another evening.

SUNDAY: Sea of Galilee / Jordan River / Jerusalem
In the morning we will travel to Cana to visit the Wedding Church where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine. We will then proceed to Nazareth, where Jesus spent his childhood and the Church of Annunciation, built on the site where archaeologists believe the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary. Here you will also see Mary’s Well and Joseph’s Church. Continuing through the Jordan Valley to Beit Shean, we will explore the recently excavated amphitheater. Visit the excavation sites of this beautiful preserved Roman City which was destroyed in a massive earthquake. Lastly we will make our way onward to Jerusalem, where you will check-in to your hotel of choice.

MONDAY: Dead Sea / Masada
Amongst the remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea we will continue to Masada which is situated right on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. We will ascend by cable car to the fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their war against the Romans. Here will will visit the excavations, King Herod’s palace, the synagogue, bathhouse and much more. Enjoy the amazing view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea. En route to the Dead Sea you will see the site of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Nearly 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Bring your swimsuit and weather permitting, you’ll be able to “float” on the salty and mineral rich waters of the Dead Sea. Return to Jerusalem for an overnight.

TUESDAY: Jerusalem
We will start the day at Mount Scopus where we will enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem. This is the holiest city for each of the world’s three mayor religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam – and Jerusalem occupies a special place in the world. Your tour includes visits to Mount of Olives, a stop at the site where Jesus first gave the Lord’s Prayer, and the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus. In the Old City you’ll see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. You can walk the Way of the Cross and the Via Dolorosa to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which houses both the Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection. To the southwest, just outside of the Old City, is Mount Zion where the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper are located. Spend the night in Jerusalem.

WEDNESDAY: Jerusalem
On this day the tour includes Yad Vashem, the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Established in 1953 this memorial located at the foot of Mount Herzl is a special place to visit and take a moment for reflection. Then we will journey onwards to Ein Karem, a picturesque village on the southwestern outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village has a great significance in the Christian faith because according to tradition this is where John the Baptist was born. We will visit the Israel Museum with a detailed model of Jerusalem from the time of the Second Temple as well as the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. Then we will drive by the Knesset, the Israeli House of Parliament and the campus of Hebrew University. Political situation permitting, we might be able to visit Bethlehem and see Rachel’s Tomb and the Church of the Nativity. Spend the night in Jerusalem.

THURSDAY: Jerusalem
Our final day on our tour and a Gray Line Israel representative we will escort back to the airport for your flight back home.