Day 1: Monday, June 11, 2018: DEPARTURE

• We depart the United States on our overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2: Tuesday, June 12, 2018: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• We arrive in Israel this morning and are met by an Ayelet Tours representative.
• Depart Ben Gurion Airport and travel north along the Mediterranean coast.
• Our first stop is in Caesarea, where we view the amazing ruins, including the Roman theater and the aqueduct. We enjoy a special welcome ceremony here, overlooking the gleaming Mediterranean Sea!
• Photo opportunity atop Mt. Carmel, overlooking the gorgeous Bahai Gardens in Haifa.
• This evening, we enjoy a welcome dinner together at our hotel.

Overnight in Haifa

Day 3: Wednesday, June 13, 2018: NORTHERN EXPLORATION

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• We travel to Akko, where we explore the Crusader-era fortifications and the British prison, as we learn about this historically important port.
• Our next stop is at Rosh Hanikra, where we see the amazing chalk-cliff grottoes carved out by the Mediterranean waters over time.
• We continue to the Elite Factory in Nazareth, one of Israel's most famous candy makers. We enjoy a tour of the factory floor, as we learn how Elite has become the leading sweets brand in Israel, offering chocolate, candies, chewing gum, cakes and coffee. You won't leave empty handed!
• We stop at ancient Tzippori, where we see the strikingly beautiful floor mosaic known as the “Mona Lisa of the Galilee”.
• We arrive at to our kibbutz to enjoy a relaxing evening and dinner together later this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 4: Thursday, June 14, 2018: FUN IN THE NORTH

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• This morning, we hike the summit trail at Mt. Meron and visit the gravesite of Shimon Bar Yochai.
• We continue to the mystical city of Safed. Here, we visit the ancient synagogues and stroll along the cobblestone streets, enjoying the crafts in the artist's colony.
• Our next stop is at an Israeli Army outpost. We bring lunch to share with the soldiers and learn about their life in the military (pending confirmation).
• This afternoon, we continue to Kibbutz Misgav Am, located along the Israeli-Lebanese border, for a meeting with Arie, a kibbutz representative. We learn about life on a modern kibbutz, especially one so close to the border.
• The adventure continues with a fun kayaking trip down the Jordan River.
• Later this afternoon, we return to our kibbutz for an evening at leisure and dinner together.

Overnight in Galilee

Day 5: Friday, June 15, 2018: THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• This morning, we drive to the top of Har Bental to take in the views reaching far into neighboring Syria. Our guide gives us an update on the ever shifting geopolitical situation in the region.
• We enjoy a short hike and hear the story at Gamla, often called the “Masada of the North”.
• We travel south to Jerusalem, stopping at the Haas Promenade upon arrival to say “Shehecheyanu”, as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time.
• We check in to our hotel with time to refresh.
• Visit the Western Wall to welcome Shabbat with the people of Jerusalem.
• Kabbalat Shabbat services, led by Rabbi Bloom at the adjacent Southern Wall excavations.
• We enjoy a delicious Shabbat dinner together at our hotel.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6: Saturday, June 16, 2018: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Option to attend Shabbat services this morning at one of the local congregations (options to be provided), followed by Shabbat lunch together at our hotel.
• Our afternoon continues with a walking tour in the Old City, strolling through the Jewish quarter and the Arab market (shuk). We also visit the Christian quarter, where we walk along the Via Dolorosa and end at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
• Spend the remainder of the afternoon at leisure, discovering Jerusalem during the calmness of Shabbat.
• Dinner on own this evening.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 7: Sunday, June 17, 2018: MASADA & THE DEAD SEA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We depart early this morning for the Dead Sea basin.
• Upon arrival, we ascend Masada by cable car or snake path. Once we reach the summit, we see the remains of King Herod's fortress and learn about the Jewish Zealots' last stand against the Roman forces.
• We descend the mountain and head to the beach for an “unsinkable” swim in the healing, salty waters of the Dead Sea.
• We take a short hike to the hidden waterfalls in the desert oasis of Ein Gedi.
• Later this afternoon, we travel to Eretz Beresheet, where we experience Israel as it was during the Biblical times. We take a camel ride led by Avraham Avinu, followed by a traditional dinner (hafla) in a desert tent.
• We return to Jerusalem and spend the evening at leisure and enjoy dinner on our own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 8: Monday, June 18, 2018: JEWISH HISTORY IN JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel
• We begin our day at the Israel Museum, home of the Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. We also visit the Ruth Young Wing, home to an extensive collection of toys, games, childhood objects and rare books representing different cultures and eras.
• We stop by the Knesset for a group photo with the iconic bronze menorah statue outside.
• This afternoon, we visit Mt. Herzl, Jerusalem's military cemetery, to pay our respects at the gravesites of Theodore Herzl, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.
• We engage in an eye-opening experience at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to the Holocaust. We visit many moving exhibitions, including the Hall of Names and the Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations. After our tour we have a memorial service in the memorial hall on site.
• The evening is spent at leisure with dinner on own.
• Later this evening, we walk to the Old City for a tour of the Western Wall tunnels, where we discover the archaeological wonder that once remained untouched for centuries.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 9: Tuesday, June 19, 2018: EXPLORING JERUSALEM

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our morning with tikkun olam as we visit Yad L'Kashish, also known as the “Lifeline for the Aged”. We meet some of the members and learn about how the place gives purpose and meaning to so many.
• We continue to Ammunition Hill, the official museum symbolizing the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem. Its new multimedia film helps visitors better understand the events and battles of 1967.
• Travel to the Old City, through one of its ancient gates, retracing the steps that IDF soldiers took in 1967, and marking the historic reunification of Jerusalem 51 years ago.
• We visit the Davidson Center to learn about the construction and history of the Temple Mount area through their multi-media exhibitions.
• Our next stop is at Emek Tzurim, where we participate in the dig, sifting through the Temple Mount rubble. New and important finds are made here every day.
• Spend the remainder of the afternoon at leisure, discovering all that Jerusalem has to offer.
• Dinner on own this evening.
• Later tonight, we walk to the Tower of David for the spectacular Sound and Light show.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 10: Wednesday, June 20, 2018: TOURING TEL AVIV

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we depart for Tel Aviv, known as the “city that never sleeps”, with its centers of culture, recreation and national history, as well as great beaches and fine stores.
• Our tour in Tel Aviv begins at the Rabin Center, the first and only museum in Israel to explore the development of the State of Israel as a young democracy, interwoven through the biography of Yitzhak Rabin.
• We travel to the new Taglit Innovation Center, where we explore the world of Israeli hi-tech advances, and have the chance to hear from a “start-up nation” entrepreneur first hand.
• Free time for lunch along the beach front promenade.
• Our afternoon continues with a co-existence walking tour with a Jewish and Arab guide leading us side by side through Old Jaffa.
• We walk among the many artist vendors and cafes as we hear the history of Jaffa's ancient port, and stop at the legendary Abulafia bakery. Try the sambusac for a tasty treat!
• This evening, we enjoy a festive farewell dinner, as we recall all that we have experienced together.
• Following dinner, we transfer to the Ben Gurion Airport for our overnight flight back to the United States.

Day 11: Thursday, June 21, 2018: WELCOME HOME!

• We arrive back in the United States this morning.