Day 1: Arrival
Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport. Meet and greet by the Holiday Travel representative and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Day 2: Tel Aviv
After breakfast, drive around the main streets of Tel Aviv, the center of business and entertainment in Israel, also known as the “White City” and declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Stop at Rabin Square to visit the memorial site honoring Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin where he was tragically assassinated. Continue to Old Jaffa, a 4,000-year-old port city; visit the ancient ruins and walk along the restored artists’ quarter. Visit Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv, built in 1887. Visit the Carmel Market. You’ll find yourself pleasantly lost among the locals in the maze of food stalls. Shuk HaCarmel, Tel Aviv’s largest and most centrally located market, offers everything from handmade Jachnun, a traditional Yemenite dish, to boutique cheeses, and from one-of-a-kind cotton clothes to designer threads. Our last stop is Sheinkin Street, the lively and colorful street, especially known for its unique shops, café life, and youthful ambiance. In the evening, enjoy a bar crawl around the streets of Tel Aviv, experiencing the awesome nightlife of the city. Overnight in Tel Aviv.
Day 3: Golan Heights – Sea of Galilee
After breakfast, check out of your hotel with your luggage and drive up to the Golan Heights and visit the former Syrian fortifications and the Druze villages. Learn about their unique culture and lifestyle, including their connections to communities across the border. Pass by Banias, the source of the Jordan River. Enjoy an Israeli wine country experience, with vineyards surrounded by breathtaking views. Become acquainted with the collection of fine and rare wines by enjoying a tour, wine tasting, and learning about the wine production process. Descend to the shore of the Sea of Galilee and proceed to Capernaum to visit the ruins of the ancient synagogue, the Mount of Beatitudes, the traditional site of the “Sermon on the Mount,” and Tabgha, the traditional site of the “miracle of the loaves and the fishes.” Drive to Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 4: Jerusalem New City – Bethlehem
Today’s tour includes Yad Vashem, the official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 and located at the foot of Mount Herzl. You will then visit Ein Karem, a picturesque village in the southwestern outskirts of Jerusalem. This small village is significant in Christian tradition as the traditional birthplace of John the Baptist. The tour continues to the Israel Museum, where you will see the Shrine of the Book, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls, and a beautifully renovated model of Herodian-era Jerusalem. A drive past the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) and the Hebrew University campus follows. The day concludes with a visit to Bethlehem, including the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. In the evening, you will experience an authentic Shabbat dinner with a local family in Jerusalem, enjoying a five-course meal and learning about Shabbat traditions. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 5: Jerusalem Old City
Begin your day at Mount Scopus, where you’ll enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of Jerusalem. This city, holy to the world’s three major monotheistic religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—holds a unique place in history. Your tour includes the Mount of Olives, with a stop at the site traditionally believed to be where Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer, and the Garden of Gethsemane, where Judas betrayed Jesus. Within the Old City, you’ll see the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, the site of the Second Temple. Walk the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross, to Calvary and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the traditionally recognized sites of both the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Just southwest of the Old City, on Mount Zion, you’ll find the traditional tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Return to your hotel. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 6: Allenby Bridge – Amman
After breakfast, check out of your hotel with your luggage and drive to the Allenby Bridge. After completing border crossing procedures, transfer to Amman. Overnight in Amman.
