Israel Panorama Small Group Journey

Upon arrival, you will be met and assisted before passport control and transferred to your hotel. 

Start the day with a visit to the Itzhak Rabin center, learn about the legacy of the late prime minister and explore the founding, history, and development of the state. Next, visit Independence Hall where the establishment of the state of Israel was declared. Continue to Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel-Aviv, built in 1887 outside the old port city of Jaffa. Explore the narrow alleys and the unique low buildings. Proceed to the Carmel market (Shuk Hacarmel) and enjoy the vibrant noises, smells, and colors. Continue to Jaffa, an ancient port city, named for Japeth, one of the sons of Noah who built it after the flood. Stop at the visitors' center and enjoy a multimedia presentation of the 8,000-year old port town and its history. Walk around the restored city, the artists' quarter, galleries, and the renovated harbor. (B)

Visit the Tel-Aviv Museum, Israel's largest art museum that displays a wide collection of permanent and temporary exhibits of both Israeli and international artists. Witness the old meet the new as you visit Sarona, originally a 140-year old German Templar colony, occupied later by the British forces and handed back to the Israelis in 1947. The complex served as the Israel Defense Forces' headquarters for many years. It has now been restored, preserving the original architecture, and was converted to a lively pedestrian open air commercial center. Drive through the main streets of Tel-Aviv, passing by Rabin's Square, the place of the assassination of Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin. Before heading back to the hotel, stop at the Tel-Aviv port and enjoy the promenade along the seafront with the unique shops, cafés, and youthful ambiance. (B)

Today, enjoy a full day at leisure in Tel Aviv. Enjoy the wide beaches with golden sand, exotic markets, exclusive shopping centers, museums of every type, a beautiful opera house, and many gardens. (B)

Drive along the coastal plain to Caesarea, once the roman capital of the region. Explore  the  ruins and excavations of the Crusaders' city and the Amphitheatre which has been restored as a concert venue. Learn about the history of the city through a multimedia presentation. Proceed to Haifa to visit the Clandestine Immigration and Naval museum ("Af al Pi Chen") and hear the story of the illegal immigrants to Israel at the time of the British mandate. Visit Acre, one of the ancient port cities in Israel, declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Learn about the history of the city through its unique buildings, fortresses, and intact fortifications. Visit the underground Crusader City and walk through the old city, mosques, and local market. (B,D)

Drive to Safed, one of the four holy cities in Israel, also considered the center of Kabballah, the Jewish mysticism. Visit the Joseph Caro and Ari Synagogues, the most important synagogues in the city. Stroll around the artists' quarter and the picturesque alleyways. Continue to the Golan Heights. Stop at the Gadot Overlook, the memorial site for the fallen of the Golan, located on top of former Syrian bunkers. See the monument built on the site in honor of the Alexandroni brigade. Tour the reconstructed Talmudic Village of Katzrin and experience ancient life through a restored home, olive press, and ancient synagogue. Continue to Mount Bental, a dormant volcanic mountain, for a panoramic view of Mount Hermon and the Golan. Learn the story of one of the largest tank battles that took place in 1973 war. (B,D)

Drive to Tiberias. Visit Capernaum and explore the ruins of the synagogue and Church of St. Peter. Enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Visit the Yigal Alon Center where an ancient 2,000-year old boat is displayed. Continue to Nazareth to visit the Church of Annunciation. Proceed to Beit Shean, also called "Scythopolis", the biggest archaeological park in Israel housing beautiful excavations from Roman and Byzantine periods. Drive via the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem. Stop at Mount Scopus for a blessing as you enter the city. (B)

Tour the Old City of Jerusalem. Visit the Jewish and Christian quarters. Walk through the Cardo, the reconstructed main street of Byzantine Jerusalem. Visit the Wailing Wall. Continue to the City of David and explore the excavations of the first temple period. Learn the story of ancient Jerusalem as you tour the Western Wall tunnels. Discover the hidden layers of the walls revealed underground. Return to your hotel to freshen up and get ready for your night out. Enjoy a Middle Eastern dinner followed by the spectacular night show at the Tower of David Museum. (B,D)

Start the day with a visit to the Israel Museum, the shrine of the book where the Dead Sea scrolls are housed, and the new Holyland model, a miniature replica of Jerusalem as it was during the second temple period. Continue for a tour of the Knesset, Israel's parliament and see the Menorah with the biblical emblems. Experience the contemporary Jerusalem at the famous Mahane Yehuda market with its authentic and colorful stands. Enjoy "Shuk bites" and taste a variety of local food. Continue to Yad Vashem, the memorial to the holocaust. (B)

Drive through the Judean Desert. Stop at the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve and explore the lush oasis filled with waterfalls, vegetation, and rare wildlife. Continue to Massada, ascend by cable car, and tour the ancient fortress. Visit the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, the bathhouses etc.  Next, stop for lunch and spa facilities in one of the leading hotels in the area. Return to Jerusalem in the afternoon. (B)

Enjoy a full day at leisure in Jerusalem. (B)

You will be transferred to the Tel Aviv airport and escorted through security check and passport control.  (B)