Holy Land Heritage Tour (8 Days / 7 Nights)

Thursday - Arrival

Upon arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Tel Aviv.

Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Friday - Tel Aviv / Sea of Galilee / Tiberias

Our tour guide will pick you up from your hotel.

Drive for a visit to the port city of Jaffa (Joppa) where we will take a short walking tour in the picturesque alleys of the old, fortified town. We will pass by the house of Simon the Tanner and marvel at the views from the hilltop.

We drive north along the coastal road - Via Maris, to the archaeological ruins of Caesarea, built by Herod the Great in honor of Augustus Caesar.

From here we go on to visit Megiddo where the book of Revelations mentions a great battle at the place called Armageddon, an ancient city inhabited continuously for more than five millennia (6000-500 B.C.).

After exploring the ancient ruins, we drive toward the Sea of Galilee, stopping at Cana to visit the Wedding Church where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine.

Arrive at Tiberias and check in to your hotel.

Saturday - Sea of Galilee

Visit the sites on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, the stage for many of the events in Jesus's life.

Drive along the shore of the sea to Capernaum – known as “His Town”, the center of Jesus's ministry where he spent much time healing the sick and performing miracles

On to Tabgha, the site of Christ’s miracle of feeding the 5,000, visiting the Church of Multiplication, where the mosaic floor depicts a basket with loaves and two fishes, and the Church of the Primacy of St Peter, commemorating Jesus's reinstatement of Peter as chief among the Apostles.

Continue to the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the sea, where Jesus preached the “Sermon on the Mount” and it is believed that he picked his 12 apostles.

Ascend to the Golan Heights to view the panoramic view of the peaks of Mt. Hermon and the rugged Golan plateau.

Visit Banias (Caesarea Philippi), one of the sources of the River Jordan, where Jesus took his disciples, revealing his purpose and His Church before his last trip to Jerusalem and where Simon identified Jesus as the Messiah.

Drive to the southern part of the Sea of Galilee to visit the Yardenit Baptismal Site.

Return to Tiberias for another night in town.

Sunday - Nazareth / Jordan Valley / Beit Alpha / Jerusalem

Sail on a boat on the Sea of Galilee to experience the tranquility and scenery that little changed during the past 2000 years (subject to conditions and fees).

Travel through Galilee 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. You will also see Mary's Well and Joseph's Church.

Visit the ancient synagogue at Beit Alpha, located at the foot of the northern slopes of the Gilboa Mountains which has one of most preserved and beautiful mosaics in Israel.

Drive through the Jordan Valley, passing by Jericho, before ascending through the Judean Mountains to Jerusalem.

Overnight at your Jerusalem hotel.

Monday - Masada & Dead Sea

Through the remarkable scenery of the Dead Sea, we travel to Masada which is situated on an isolated cliff in the Judean Desert. The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

Ascend by cable car to the fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their war against the Romans. Visit the excavations, King Herod’s palace, the synagogue, the bathhouse, and much more. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Roman camps and the Dead Sea below.

Visit 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 as if the weather permits it is possible to “float” on the salty, mineral-rich water.

Return to Jerusalem for an overnight.

Tuesday - Jerusalem

Start the day at the Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea scrolls, then a visit to the beautifully renovated model of the Herodian city of Jerusalem, dating back to the time of the Second Temple.

Visit Yad Vashem the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953, located at the foot of Mt. Hertzl.

Enjoy Ein Karem; a picturesque village on the southwestern outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village has great significance in Christian traditions since this is where according to tradition John the Baptist was born.

Visit Bethlehem - the birthplace of Jesus at the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square.

Return to your Jerusalem hotel.

Wednesday - Jerusalem

Enter the Old City of Jerusalem where you will see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount.

Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, housing both the traditional site of the Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection.

To the southwest, just outside the Old City, is Mount Zion, with the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper.

Visit the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus spent his last night and was betrayed by Judas.

Enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem - the holy city for each of the world’s three great religions – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, from atop the Mount of Olives.

Return to your hotel for the overnight.

Thursday - Departure

Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for departure.

Please note that the sequence of the tour and sites visited may be amended due to circumstances at the company’s or the guide’s discretion.