Day 1: Tuesday - Arrive Tel Aviv

Inter-Continental

Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport. Upon arrival you are met and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your time of arrival, consider having dinner in the nearby old port city of Jaffa.

Day 2: Wednesday - Tel Aviv/Tiberias

Moriah Plaza

Leave Tel Aviv and drive north along the Mediterranean Coast to Caesarea, once the Roman capital of the Holy Land. See the ongoing excavations, may beautifil Roman statues, the Aqueduct and the Amphitheater, restored to its former glory and used today as a modern concert venue. Proceed to Megiddo to tour the excavations of King Solomon's stables and 20 layers of civilization. Drive to Mt. Carmel and then to Haifa for a panoramic view of the city and the bay. Proceed to Tzipori (Sepphoris) to see the magnificent mosaic floors, the church and old Crusader castle at Acre, one of the most important Christian strongholds during the Crusades. (B)

Day 3: Thursday - The Galilee

Moriah Plaza

Depart for the north of Lebanon to see the Dog River Commemorative Inscriptions. Ramses II (the great), Nebuchadnezzar, Marcus Aurelius and other of history's most famous military men left stelae behind to record their victories. Continue to Jeitta Grottos, Lebanon's natural miracle -- 5-miles of underground galleries on two separate levels. Proceed to Jounieh and visit Harissa by cable car, giving you a spectacular view of the city's coastal setting. Drive to the hills near Byblos to the Annaya Monastery. Return to Byblos and check-in to the Byblos Sur Mer Hotel. Stroll the local streets filled with restaurants, snack bars and souvenir shops. (B,L)

Day 4: Friday - Tiberias/Jerusalem

King David Hotel

Depart Tiberias for the baptismal site at Yardenit. For those who wish, time for a short baptism ceremony. Drive to Nazareth and visit the Basilica of Annunciation and Mary's well. Proceed to Beit Shean to visit the excavations of the former Roman city. Drive through the Jordan Valley, to Jericho, the oldest city in the world, and see the Mt. of Temptation in the distance. Continue to Jerusalem for overnight. (B)

Day 5: Saturday - Jerusalem

King David Hotel

Start this historically significant day with a visit to Mt. of Olives for an unforgettable panoramic view of Jerusalem, dominated by the golden Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. Visit the Garden of Gethsemane and the Pater Noster Church. Walking tour of the old walled city of Jerusalem. Follow in Jesus' footsteps from the Triumphal entry to the Resurrection Walk along the Via Dolorosa, stopping at several Stations of the Cross, and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. On to Mt. Zion to see David's Tomb, the room of the Last Supper. Witness the religious devotion at the Western Wall and, time permitting, tour the Temple Mount including the Al Aqsa Mosque. End your day in the old Roman Cardo and bargaining in the city's old covered bazaar. (B)

Day 6: Sunday - Jerusalem

King David Hotel

Visit the New City of Jerusalem, starting with Yad Vashem, the memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. On to the Model of Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period. Visit the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed. Drive to Ein Kerem, home of John the Baptist, then continue to Bethlehem. View the Shepherds' field, and visit the Church of the Nativity, where Jesus was born, and Manger Square. (B)

Day 7: Monday - Masssada

King David Hotel

Leave Jerusalem through the Judean Mountains and drive along the shore of the Dead Sea (1280 feet below sea level!) to Massada. Ascend the eastern slope of the mountain by cable car and tour the spectacular mountain fortress built by Herod and inhabited by the Zealots of the first century making their final stand against the Roman conquerors of the first century. Drive to Qumran, home of the Essenes, and see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Time and weather permitting, try the unique experience of bathing in the Dead Sea. (B)

Day 8: Tuesday - Depart

En Route

Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your departure.

INCLUDED IN YOUR PROGRAM

• Accommodation as detailed in the itinerary.
• All sightseeing as mentioned above including entrance fees.
• Meals as indicated by B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.
• All transfers by A/C vehicles.
• Meet & greet services for all arrivals and departures.

SORRY, NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR PROGRAM

• Visas and departure taxes.
• Items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, incidental expenses at hotels, etc.
• Gratuities for guides, drivers and luggage handling.