ISRAEL RHAPSODY - 2010

Wednesday Departures

11 Days / 10 Nights

Wednesday: En Route

Depart the CANADA. on your flight to Israel.

Thursday: Tel Aviv

Welcome to Israel! Arrive Ben Gurion Airport. Meeting, assistance and transfer to your hotel in vibrant Tel Aviv.

Friday: Tel Aviv

Today, a great adventure! Spend the morning digging and excavating at the Tel Maresha Dig at Beit Guvrin National Park (weather permitting). Continue to the old port city of Jaffa, magnificently restored. Explore the reconstructed Artists’ Quarter with its galleries and boutiques. Afterwards, on to Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market (be sure to sample the delicious strawberries!) before continuing to lively Nachlat Benjamin with its delightful cafes and craft stalls for some great buys — definitely the place to be on Friday afternoon! Tonight, Get Together Dinner. (B.D)

Saturday: Tel Aviv

Morning walking tour.

Remainder of the day at leisure to enjoy all of the delights of this seaside city. Don’t miss afternoon Israeli folk dancing on the seaside promenade! Or, visit “Namal Tel Aviv”, a lively area dotted with yachts and a pub-filled boardwalk (just a short ride from your hotel). (B)

Sunday: Tel Aviv/Haifa

Depart Tel Aviv. Drive to the Diaspora Museum; experience 2500 years of the Diaspora through unconventional visual aids. Continue to ancient Caesarea; explore the astounding Roman and Crusader ruins including the impressive theater and aqueduct. Then, visit Caesarea Harbor, with its thrilling, multi-media presentation—you’ll see ancient history come to life! Arrive in Nazareth, the sacred town where Jesus spent part of his youth; visit the Church and Mary’s Well. On to the sparkling port city of Haifa; check into your hotel atop Mt. Carmel. This evening, visit a Druze Village where you’ll meet these unique Israelis! Hear of their traditions and enjoy a Druze Dinner. (B.D)

Monday: Haifa/Tiberias

View the golden-domed Bahai Shrine and the colorful Persian Gardens before

departing Haifa. Drive along the coast to spectacular Rosh Hanikra; descend by

cable car to see the magnificent underwater grottoes. Continue through the picturesque seaside town of Nahariya to the timeless Crusader city of Acre; walk

through the subterranean city and the bazaars recalling the colorful Middle Ages.

Then, to Safed, one of Judaism’s holiest cities, where Kabbalah flourished during

the golden age; visit the ancient synagogues and the charming Artists’ Quarter.

Early evening Boat Ride on the Sea of Galilee (spring-summer periods only) takes you to Tiberias on the lake’s shore for overnight. Evening: Dinner at a fabulous seaside restaurant. (B.D)

Tuesday:

Tiberias/Jerusalem

Begin the day with a drive to Capernaum; see the ruins of the ancient synagogue dating back to the 4th century. Then, ascend the strategic Golan Heights for a greater understanding of the fierce battles that took place during the 1967 Six Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Stop at a former Israeli army bunker once used as an outpost. Continue to a Golan winery for some wine tasting. On to Katzrin, Capital of the Golan to join the fascinating multi-media presentation “Kesem Hagolan” for a greater understanding of this area. Arrive at Kibbutz Kfar Charuv, settled by Americans and Israelis together; view the fertile valleys below as you tour the kibbutz and enjoy lunch in the communal dining room. Travel to Bet Shean, an ancient city from the time of King Saul; see the excavated remains of a Roman city. Continue to “golden” Jerusalem for overnight. (B.L)

Wednesday: Jerusalem

Drive to the Hadassah Medical Center to see the brilliant Chagall Windows. On to Yad Vashem, memorial to the Holocaust; visit the Museum, Children’s Pavilion and walk along the Avenue of the Righteous. Then, to Mount Herzl to pay respects to Israel’s military heroes. Visit the Herzl Museum (schedule permitting). Drive via the Supreme Court Building and the Knesset (Parliament) to the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Time to walk through the Israel Museum and the Billy Rose Sculpture Garden; see the Scale Model of ancient Jerusalem. Evening: Restaurant Dinner and Night Tour. (B.D)

Thursday: Jerusalem

Enter the Old City from the Dung Gate; walk to the Western Wall, the only remaining portion of the Second Temple. Witness joyous Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah ceremonies! View the Dome of the Rock. Drive to Mt. Zion to visit the traditional Tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Proceed to the restored Jewish Quarter; walk along the Cardo, the colonnaded main street of Byzantine Jerusalem. Visit the Herodian Mansions, a completely excavated residential quarter from 2000 years ago, or, walk through the extraordinary Hasmonean Tunnel (tunnel schedule permitting.) Follow the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; walk through the exotic bazaars with their wondrous aromas. End the day with an optional visit to Bethlehem. Evening: Optional “Night Spectacular” Sound and Light Show at the Citadel Museum (weather and schedule permitting; please reserve at time of booking. Price $14, does not include transportation). (B)

Friday: Jerusalem

Travel via the Judean desert and the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, to Masada. Ascend by cable car to this last stronghold of the Zealots in their struggle against the Romans. Visit the excavations, Herod the Great’s palace, synagogue and bathhouse. Then, opportunity to enjoy an “unsinkable” swim in the buoyant waters of the Dead Sea. (We provide the changing facilities and lockers.) Drive via the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, on your return to Jerusalem. Evening: Traditional Friday Night Dinner. (B.D)

Saturday: Jerusalem

Morning walking tour with your Tour Director through the neighborhoods of Jerusalem. Then to the Museum of the History of Jerusalem at David’s Citadel in the Old City. Remainder of the day at leisure. (B)

Sunday: En Route

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

(B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner