English

Awesome Israel From North to South
Led by Cathy Olswing & Barbara Raben
October 12-22, 2020

Tour Rates & Dates:

There are no Departure Dates available for this Package.
*Please note that all rates displayed are based on standard room double occupancy.
All rates above are in US Dollars, and are based on full payment by credit card unless otherwise noted.
If check payment discount is available for this tour, it can be selected after clicking "BOOK" above.
(Deposit can still be paid by credit card). Upgraded room categories may be available to book later in the booking process.
If Land & Air price is displayed, the air portion includes tax and fuel surcharges, which are subject to change until ticketed.

Super Early Bird Discount:
Save $600 per person if registered by April 12, 2020!
(Discount applied after clicking "book" above)

Group flights coming soon.

Tour Overview:

INCLUDED ON THIS AWE INSPIRING TRIP:

5 nights Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem
2 nights Kibbutz Nof Ginosar, Galilee
1 night Sheraton Hotel, Tel Aviv
All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an expert English-speaking guide
Welcome dinner in Jerusalem
Machane Yehuda chef led tour with dinner
Shabbat of a Lifetime
2 kibbutz dinners
Farewell dinner with "Women Cook"
Tree planting
Salad Trail visit with lunch
Meeting with artist Yaron Bob
Shorashim/Roots program
Caliber 3 adventure
Dialogue with Jerusalem Post correspondent Khaled Abu Toameh
Optional Sound and Light show
Bedouin camel ride and traditional tea ceremony
Golan Heights jeep tour
Neve Tzedek graffiti tour
Visit to Taglit Innovation Center
Transfer upon arrival/departure with the main group
Entrance fees as per itinerary
Porterage
Bottled water on the bus
Whisper headsets

INCLUDED IN EILAT/PETRA EXTENSION:


1 additional night Sheraton Hotel, Tel Aviv (instead of late check out)
2 nights Queen of Sheba, Eilat
Breakfast daily
Shabbat dinner in Eilat
Petra day tour
Jordan visa and border tax
Roundtrip flights from Eilat to Tel Aviv
Arrival/departure transfers with main group
Entrance fees & porterage per itinerary

NOT INCLUDED:

Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges (group flights coming soon)
Border taxes or visa fees
Tips to guide, driver and dining room waiters ($22 per person, per day; pre-collected)
Meals not listed above
Items of a personal nature
Travel insurance (highly recommended)




Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Monday, October 12, 2020: DEPARTURE

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

Day 2: Tuesday, October 13, 2020: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• We arrive in Israel and are met by an Ayelet Tours representative.
• We ascend to Jerusalem and stop atop Mt. Scopus to say the “Shehecheyanu” as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time together.
• Next, we visit Mt. Scopus Hospital for a tour of the facility.
• This afternoon, we have time for personal reflection at the Western Wall.
• We check into our hotel and refresh before our welcome dinner this evening.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 3: Wednesday, October 14, 2020: TIKKUN OLAM/WE REMEMBER

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we visit Ein Kerem Hadassah Hospital for a tour of the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower, featuring the most modern hospital facilities in the region. We meet with staff and patients and take an in-depth look at this cutting-edge medical facility and how it has adapted to ever-changing needs. We also visit the synagogue featuring the famed Chagall windows.
• We continue to Yad Vashem, the national memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Here, we explore some of the newly found materials relating to places, people, and events connected to the Holocaust, including:
o Avenue of the Righteous Among the Nations
o Exhibit of children's drawings
o Children's memorial
• We complete our visit at Yad Vashem with a group memorial service at the Valley of the Lost Communities.
• Later this afternoon, a chef accompanies us to the famed Machane Yehuda for a sensual immersion, engaging with the vibrant colors, smells and flavors that are found in this bustling marketplace. We wander through the pyramids of spices, bright-colored exotic vegetables, nuts, olives, and delicious halva creations. Our chef will introduce us to the most characteristic ingredients of the local cuisine and to the Israeli food habits, while we prepare dinner together with our purchases.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 4: Thursday, October 15, 2020: THE NEGEV & ESHKOL

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day planting trees at the JNF/Hadassah park project, blossoming amidst the desert sands around Be'er Sheva.
• We travel to the Negev Desert and meet with Rotem to hear his story at Cafe Gotha in Sderot, a social café that employs young people with disabilities and at-risk youth.
• We continue to the "Salad Trail", where we participate in a unique hands-on agricultural tour and witness how Israeli innovation is literally making the desert bloom with crops grown out of some of the most inhospitable sands imaginable. We will pick and taste fruits and vegetables from the kibbutz's self-picking farm, encounter flying strawberries, tiny orange orchards, racing pigeons and herbal gardens. We complete our visit with a delicious lunch.
• We continue with a tour of the Eshkol border, located just a few miles away from Gaza, and learn how the residents cope with living in this community.
• Our final stop is at the workshop of Yaron Bob. Struck by the terror of shell attacks, Yaron decided to transform something horrible into something beautiful, and so began his artwork known as “Rockets to Roses”.
• We return to Jerusalem for an evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 5: Friday, October 16, 2020: A COMMON FUTURE

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we travel to Gush Etzion for a dialogue with Ali Abu Awaad and Rabbi Shaul Yudelman, the founders of Shorashim/Roots, a program that fosters a grassroots movement of understanding, non-violence and partnership between Israelis and Palestinians.
• This afternoon, we have the ultimate adventure at Caliber 3, where we learn some of the Israeli methods of shooting and combat. We learn from the experts about weapons handling, counter-terrorism tactics and the values that guide the Israeli Defense Forces.
• We return to our hotel for time to relax and refresh.
• As the sun begins to set, we join together to welcome Shabbat at the Kotel with the people of Jerusalem.
• Later this evening, we enjoy Shabbat of a Lifetime, an exceptional authentic cultural experience in the heart of Jerusalem. We join together with local families to take part in the weekly Jewish rituals and savor the many flavors that Jews around the world have enjoyed for thousands of years.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 6: Saturday, October 17, 2020: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Spend the morning at leisure attending Shabbat services or just relaxing.
• This afternoon, we return to the Old City for a walking tour through the different neighborhoods. We begin in the Jewish quarter, followed by the Arab market (shuk), then continue along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian quarter.
• We return to our hotel for Havdallah, followed by a dialogue with Jerusalem Post Palestinian Affairs correspondent, Khaled Abu Toameh.
• Dinner on own this evening.
• Optional: After dinner, we walk to the Tower of David to watch the spectacular Sound and Light show.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Day 7: Sunday, October 18, 2020: THE DEAD SEA BASIN

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we depart early and travel south to Eretz Beresheet for an authentic Bedouin experience, including a camel ride and traditional tea ceremony.
• We continue to the Dead Sea basin and ascend Masada by cable car to view the remains of King Herod's fortress, including the synagogue, walls and bathhouses, as we 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.
• This afternoon, we travel north, stopping at Beit Shean to see the ancient Roman ruins (time permitting).
• We continue to the Galilee to check into our kibbutz and enjoy time to relax and refresh before dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee
Day 8: Monday, October 19, 2020: MYSTICAL ISRAEL

• Breakfast at our kibbutz.
• We begin our day in the mystical city of Safed, one of four holy cities in Israel and the center of Kabbalistic practice. We stroll through the cobblestone streets to view the beautiful ancient synagogues and shop in the artist's quarter.
• We set out on an exciting jeep tour through the Golan Heights, passing former Syrian bunkers on the way to the top of Har Bental, where we take in panoramic views of Syria and learn about the current geopolitical situation.
• Time permitting, we visit the famous Naot factory with time to shop for shoes and sandals.
• We return to our kibbutz for dinner together this evening.

Overnight in the Galilee

Day 9: Tuesday, October 20, 2020: THE ROAD TO TEL AVIV

• Breakfast and check out of our kibbutz.
• This morning, we travel west to Akko for a tour of the Crusader-era fortress and British prison, as we learn about this historically important port.
• Our next stop is atop Mt. Carmel in Haifa, where we take in the panoramic views overlooking the beautiful Bahai Gardens.
• Time for lunch on own nearby.
• We continue to Hadassah's Meir Shfeya Youth Village, where we interact with the kids and staff and visit the village, including their working farm and winery.
• Next, we visit Atlit, a former detention compound for Jewish immigrants who arrived in Israel illegally during the British Mandate period.
• We travel along Route 6 and the barrier to Tel Aviv.
• Upon arrival, we check into our hotel and refresh before setting out for an evening at leisure and dinner on own.

Overnight in Tel Aviv

Day 10: Wednesday, October 21, 2020: TOURING TEL AVIV

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we enjoy a walking tour through Neve Tzedek, one of the first neighborhoods of Tel Aviv, and see the artistic graffiti painted on the walls and buildings of the community.
• Next, we follow Independence Trail for a walking tour through the Ahuzat Bayit neighborhood, where the city was originally developed.
• This afternoon, we visit the cutting-edge Taglit Innovation Center for a glimpse into Israel's high-tech advances in the fields of science, medicine, security and space at the interactive exhibition, followed by a meeting with one of Israel's up and coming entrepreneurs.
• Our next stop is at the Ayalon Institute, where we discover the underground ammunition factory that played a pivotal role in Israel's fight for independence.
• We check out of our hotel and join together for a festive farewell dinner by “Women Cook” who come from different culinary traditions; Moroccan, Tunisian, Ethiopian and many more. This initiative was created to empower women and give them an opportunity to be economically independent and preserve their rich cultural traditions. We also reminisce about all that we have experienced together on this journey.
• We transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our overnight flights back to the United States.

Day 11: Thursday, October 22, 2020: DEPARTURE

• We arrive back in the United States this morning.



THE MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!!
*itinerary subject to change