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| Day 1 |
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Depart US on overnight flight.
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Leave the U.S. on your overseas flight to Tel Aviv.
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| Day 2 |
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ARRIVE TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
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Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, where you will be met and transferred to your centrally-located hotel. After unpacking and resting a bit, join a guided walking tour of Jaffa, one of the world’s oldest cities. D Crowne Plaza Hotel - 4-star
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| Day 3 |
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TEL AVIV * RABIN SQURARE * AYALON INSTITUTE
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After an Israeli breakfast, take a short city tour of Tel Aviv,* founded in 1909 and developed as a metropolitan city under the British Mandate in Palestine. Visit Rabin Square, Independence Hall, and the Ayalon Institute, a site that presents the story of a secret factory built under a limestone hill for manufacturing ammunition. Enjoy dinner at the hotel and then return to a part of the city where you may visit some of the contemporary art galleries or the city’s lively club scene. B/L/D Crowne Plaza Hotel - 4-star
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| Day 4 |
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CAESAREA • DRUZE VILLAGE • AKKO • SEA OF GALIEE
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View ruins of Rome, Byzantium and the Crusades on the drive through the Sharon Plains to Caesarea, the seat of the Roman Procurator of Judea in the time of Jesus. Lunch will be served in a Druze village on Mount Carmel, where we’ll hear about the connection between the Druze people and the State of Israel. End the day with a stop in the city of Acre (Akko) to visit the Crusader Halls and Akko Prison, whose gallows were a hanging site during the British Mandate. Spend the evening at the Kibbutz Lavi Guest House, an Orthodox Jewish kibbutz. B/L/D Kibbutz Lavi Guest House - 3-star equivalent
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| Day 5 |
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GOLAN HEIGHTS • MT BENTAL • BACHA VALLEY
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After breakfast, take a short walking tour of the kibbutz to learn about this unique aspect of Israeli life. Drive to Mount Beatitude, a site revered by Christians, where you have a view of Capernaum and Tabgah, considered the place of the miracle of loaves and fishes. Visit Dan Nature Reservation to discuss the water issues facing Israel and the surrounding areas, and see the recently excavated Israeli Gate. Continue to Mt. Bental for a panoramic view of the Golan Heights, and hear the story of the battle that took place nearby during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Spend the evening at the Kibbutz Lavi Guest House. B/L/D Kibbutz Lavi Guest House - 3-star equivalent
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| Day 6 |
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MASSADA • DEAD SEA • JERUSALEM
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Ascend by cable car to Massada, the site of King Herod’s desert mountain palace and scene of the zealots’ last stand against the Roman Legion. Explore the excavation of Herod’s palaces, one of the oldest synagogues in the world, and Massada's new Archaeological Museum. Continue to a Dead Sea resort hotel for floating on the Dead Sea and lunch; then drive to Jerusalem for your first view of the “City of Gold,” dinner, and an evening at the lovely modern Inbal Hotel. B/L/D Inbal Hotel - 5-star
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| Day 7 |
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JERUSALEM * MOUNT OF OLIVES * HOLOCAUST MUSEUM
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Enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Jerusalem. Begin by ascending the Mount of Olives for a beautiful view of the Old City. Then visit the archaeological site, the computer reconstruction of the Temple at the Davidson Center, and the Shrine of the Book before driving to Yad Vashem for a tour of the Holocaust Museum. Tonight you will have the option of dining with a host family before returning to the Inbal Hotel. B/L/D Inbal Hotel - 5-star
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| Day 8 |
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JERUSALEM * MT. MORIAH * WESTERN WALL * DOME OF THE ROCK
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After breakfast drive to Mt. Moriah to visit the Western Wall, the last remnant of the second Jewish Temple which stood there in the days of Jesus. Walk up to the Temple Palace and see the area of the Dome of the Rock and the El Aqza Mosque. Then take a walk through the Arab and Christian Quarters to visit the Church of Holy Sepulchre. From there, we will go to the Jewish Quarter and visit the Jewish Quarter Museum. End the day with a visit to Ammunition Hill, the site of one of the most crucial battles of the Six-Day War. B/L/D Inbal Hotel - 5-star
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| Day 9 |
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EN-KAREM • LATRUM
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Travel to Ella Valley in En-Karem to visit the Bet-Jamal Monastery where you will meet with one of the nuns to learn about their daily life. Visit Tavlin, one of Israel’s most famous modern herb farms. Then raise a glass (or sample several glasses) at Flam Winery in the Eshtaol Valley. This boutique winery, which opened 5 years ago, has won worldwide recognition for its Cabernet Sauvignon. Spend the rest of the day at leisure with the option of visiting the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum. Overnight at the Inbal Hotel. B/L/D Inbal Hotel - 5-star
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| Day 10 |
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JERASH * AMMAN
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Cross Sheikh Hussein Bridge to Jordan, where your guide will help you through the visa and immigration process. Travel by private bus to Jerash, stopping for lunch along the way. Enjoy a guided city tour of ancient Jerash, a well-watered site in the hills of Gilead that is remarkable for its long chain of human occupation. Remains from Neolithic times have been found there as well as artifacts of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad and other cultures. It is considered one of the best-preserved province cities of the Roman Empire. Spend the evening in your hotel in Amman. B/L/D Le Meridien - 5-star
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| Day 11 |
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MT. NEBO * CHURCH OF MOSES * MADABA * KERAK 8 PETRA
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After breakfast, travel along the Kings’ Highway, one of the oldest trade routes in the world. Stop at the Byzantine Church of Mt. Nebo, to see the Church of Moses, built by the first Christians. This mountain has been a holy place and a pilgrimage destination since the very beginnings of Christianity. Like Moses, you can have an awe-inspiring view over the expanse of Jordan, the Dead Sea and Israel. We’ll continue to Madaba, the “City of Mosaics”, perched on an archaeological site with more than 4000 years of history buried beneath it. St. George’s Church houses the world-famous mosaic floor depicting the map of Palestine. In the center is a detailed map of Jerusalem during the sixth century A.D. From Madaba we will continue to Kerak to explore Kerak Castle, famous for its crusader fortress in the centre of underground galleries, rooms and secret passageways. We will arrive at our hotel in Petra and gather for a buffet dinner at the hotel. B/L/D Moevenpick - 5-star. |
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| Day 12 |
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PETRA
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Enjoy a full day excursion to Petra, described by UNESCO as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage.” Enter the site on horseback; then continue on foot for the rest of your visit. The ancient city of Petra was built from 800 B.C. to 100 A.D. by Nabetean Arabs, and in its vast area there are over 800 monuments. We will devote the day to viewing and learning about the highlights of this unforgettable rose-red city. Then at the renowned Petra Kitchen you’ll prepare your evening meal of regional specialties, working together with local women under the supervision of an experienced chef. B/L/D Moevenpick - 5-star
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| Day 13 |
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PETRA * DEAD SEA * AMMAN
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Today you have the opportunity to visit a Bedouin family at Petra and share some local coffee or tea with them before departing for the Dead Sea. At 400 meter’s below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth. Ever since the days of Herod the Great, people have flocked there in search of the water’s curative powers. The dark mud on the shores has long been used for therapeutic purposes, and the water, with the highest content of minerals and salts in the world, possesses anti-inflammatory properties. In the evening we will enjoy a traditional Arabic dinner before returning to the hotel in Amman. B/L/D Le Meridien - 5-star
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| Day 14 |
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RETURN TO U.S
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After breakfast, transfer to Queen Alia International Airport for your return flight to the United States. B
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